Travel Tips, anyone have any to share?

If you have Samsung pay, they offer discounted gift cards for travel. I think I would want to use a credit card to purchase flights or cruises dive some of them have protections that may come in handy if needed.

I have not personally heard of any services that allow you to get discounted airline gift cards.

But I do agree with @E Allen, making travel purchases on a credit card do provide some protections that can save you money in the long run. And the rewards points are just the icing on the cake.

When it comes to saving money on Airfare, I am signed up for a service called Next Vacay that automatically notifies you of really good flight deals from your nearby airport.

I also like using Skyscanner to search entire months to find the best and cheapest flight dates.

Flying discount airlines and signing up for their "clubs" can also save you some money.

For example, over Christmas my wife and I flew from Chicago to Orlando on Frontier.

We signed up for their Discount club and ended up saving more money than just purchasing the normal priced tickets and that is even after including the club membership fee.

I use a site called Momondo.com for all of my flights. My sister and I were able to buy our flights to and while in Europe for $600, which was much more affordable than the standard flight prices. 

We use consolidators to obtain flights, like Orbitz or Travelocity. We also avoid weekend and Monday travel. Tuesdays through Thursdays tend to be cheaper.  Red eyes tend to be cheaper than day flights. Plan in advance. Really desirable dates can be booked 6 months in advance. // When traveling with the kids we depended heavily on AAA ratings, always looking for free breakfasts. Now that there's just two of us, we've almost always done well with Airbnb.//Avoid packing too much. We use mix and match clothes, layering to adjust for weather differences, and can fit everything into a carry-on. We also try to bring clothes that can be hand washed and air dried. // For food, go where the locals go, and pack your own meals as much as possible. // Scope out free and cheap attractions before you arrive. // Budget for each day and stick with it. Put money into things with the biggest punch. 

Volunteer to be bumped if you're flying.  I did this in college and frequently got nice compensation, including a flight out of Indianapolis on Race Weekend in first class (that's like winning the lottery; flying out of Indy in May is insanely crowded, especially after the race).

Valerie Magorrian posted:

Hello,

I LOVE the fact that you can do quizzes on AARP.com under their rewards for good and earn rewards while also learning some pretty valuable tips. There is no cost and no age limit in oder to sign up and you trade points for discounted gifts cards, etc.  For example, you can purchase a Carnival Cruise Line $100 gift card for $90. By the time you buy enough to pay for a cruise, you have really added up some savings.  My question is, does anyone know of any sites that do something similar for airline gift cards?  I am not intersted in signing up for credit cards and accumulating points, I already have credit cards and don't want anymore. 

I would like any type of travel tips that you have which would save money. I am really looking to fly just after Xmas and the fares are about five times higher than any other time of year. Seems so unfair that they know everyone travels so they take advantage to hike their fares so high. Any tips or places to earn discounted gift cards or any other hacks would be so helpful. Thanks so much in advance! 

I’ve also used Rewards for Good in purchasing Carnival Gift cards. Saved a few hundred dollars off our last cruise as well as gratuity and WiFi. They are changing the program and it will be called AARP Rewards starting in September. Current points can be used up till September. I’ll definitely continue to use this resource for future cruises.