CUTTING COSTS
To get the best deal, book through a travel agent and shop around. When pricing cars, ask where the rental lot is located. Some out-of-airport locations offer lower rates---even though their lots are only minutes from the terminal via complimentary shuttle. You may also want to price local car-rental companies, whose rates may be lower still, although service and maintenance standards may not be up to those of a national firm. Also ask your travel agent about a company's customer-service record. How has it responded to late plane arrivals and vehicle mishaps? Are there often lines at the rental counter, and, if you're traveling during a holiday period, does a confirmed reservation guarantee you a car?
Always find out what equipment is standard at your destination before specifying what you want; do without automatic transmission or air-conditioning if they're optional. In Europe, manual transmissions are standard and air-conditioning is rare and often unnecessary.
Also in Europe, look into wholesalers---companies that do not own their own fleets but rent in bulk from those that do and often offer better rates than traditional car-rental operations. Prices are best during low travel periods, and rentals booked through wholesalers must be paid for before you leave the United States. If you use a wholesaler, know whether the prices are guaranteed in U.S. dollars or foreign currency, and if unlimited mileage is available; find out about required deposits, cancellation penalties, and drop-off charges; and confirm the cost of any required insurance coverage.
INSURANCE
When you drive a rented car, you are generally responsible for any damage or personal injury that you cause as well as for damage to the vehicle. Before you rent, see what coverage you already have by means of your personal auto-insurance policy and credit cards. For about $14 a day, rental companies sell insurance, known as a collision damage waiver (CDW), that eliminates your liability for damage to the car; it's always optional and should never be automatically added to your bill. California, New York, and Illinois have outlawed the sale of CDW altogether.
SURCHARGES
Before picking up the car in one city and leaving it in another, ask about drop-off charges or one-way service fees, which can be substantial. Note, too, that some rental agencies charge extra if you return the car before the time specified on your contract. To avoid a hefty refueling fee, fill the tank just before you turn in the car.
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Showing posts with label Cutting Costs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cutting Costs. Show all posts
Monday, January 5, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Air Travel
If time is an issue, always look for nonstop flights, which require no change of plane and make no stops. If possible, avoid connecting flights, which stop at least once and can involve a change of plane, although the flight number remains the same; if the first leg is late, the second waits.
CUTTING COSTS
The Sunday travel section of most newspapers is a good source of deals.
MAJOR AIRLINES
The least-expensive airfares from the major airlines are priced for round-trip travel and are subject to restrictions. You must usually book in advance and buy the ticket within 24 hours to get cheaper fares, and you may have to stay over a Saturday night. The lowest fare is subject to availability, and only a small percentage of the plane's total seats is sold at that price. It's good to call a number of airlines, and when you are quoted a good price, book it on the spot---the same fare on the same flight may not be available the next day. Airlines generally allow you to change your return date for a $25--$50 fee, but most low-fare tickets are nonrefundable. However, if you don't use the return ticket, you can apply the cost to the price of a new ticket, for a small charge.
Consolidators
Consolidators, who buy tickets at reduced rates from scheduled airlines, sell them at prices below the lowest available from the airlines directly---usually without advance restrictions. Sometimes you can even get your money back if you need to return the ticket. Carefully read the fine print detailing penalties for changes and cancellations. If you doubt the reliability of a consolidator, confirm your reservation with the airline.
ALOFT
Airline Food
If you hate airline food, ask for special meals when booking. They can be vegetarian, low-cholesterol, or kosher, for example; commonly prepared to order in smaller quantities than standard catered fare, these meals can be tastier.
Smoking
Smoking is banned on all flights within the United States of less than six hours' duration and on all Canadian flights; the ban also applies to domestic segments of international flights aboard U.S. and foreign carriers. Delta has banned smoking system-wide.
On U.S. carriers flying to destinations abroad, a seat in a no-smoking section must be provided for every passenger who requests one, and the section must be enlarged to accommodate such passengers as long as they have complied with the airline's deadline for check-in and seat assignment. If smoke bothers you, request a seat far from the smoking section.
Foreign airlines are exempt from these rules but do provide no-smoking sections. British Airways and Cathay Pacific have banned smoking, as has Virgin Atlantic on most international flights; some nations have banned smoking on all domestic flights, and others may ban smoking on some flights. Talks continue on the feasibility of broadening no-smoking policies.
JET LAG
To avoid this syndrome, which occurs when travel disrupts your body's natural cycles, try to maintain a normal routine. When flying at night, get some sleep. By day, eat light meals, drink water---not alcohol---and move about the cabin to stretch your legs. Read more...
CUTTING COSTS
The Sunday travel section of most newspapers is a good source of deals.
MAJOR AIRLINES
The least-expensive airfares from the major airlines are priced for round-trip travel and are subject to restrictions. You must usually book in advance and buy the ticket within 24 hours to get cheaper fares, and you may have to stay over a Saturday night. The lowest fare is subject to availability, and only a small percentage of the plane's total seats is sold at that price. It's good to call a number of airlines, and when you are quoted a good price, book it on the spot---the same fare on the same flight may not be available the next day. Airlines generally allow you to change your return date for a $25--$50 fee, but most low-fare tickets are nonrefundable. However, if you don't use the return ticket, you can apply the cost to the price of a new ticket, for a small charge.
Consolidators
Consolidators, who buy tickets at reduced rates from scheduled airlines, sell them at prices below the lowest available from the airlines directly---usually without advance restrictions. Sometimes you can even get your money back if you need to return the ticket. Carefully read the fine print detailing penalties for changes and cancellations. If you doubt the reliability of a consolidator, confirm your reservation with the airline.
ALOFT
Airline Food
If you hate airline food, ask for special meals when booking. They can be vegetarian, low-cholesterol, or kosher, for example; commonly prepared to order in smaller quantities than standard catered fare, these meals can be tastier.
Smoking
Smoking is banned on all flights within the United States of less than six hours' duration and on all Canadian flights; the ban also applies to domestic segments of international flights aboard U.S. and foreign carriers. Delta has banned smoking system-wide.
On U.S. carriers flying to destinations abroad, a seat in a no-smoking section must be provided for every passenger who requests one, and the section must be enlarged to accommodate such passengers as long as they have complied with the airline's deadline for check-in and seat assignment. If smoke bothers you, request a seat far from the smoking section.
Foreign airlines are exempt from these rules but do provide no-smoking sections. British Airways and Cathay Pacific have banned smoking, as has Virgin Atlantic on most international flights; some nations have banned smoking on all domestic flights, and others may ban smoking on some flights. Talks continue on the feasibility of broadening no-smoking policies.
JET LAG
To avoid this syndrome, which occurs when travel disrupts your body's natural cycles, try to maintain a normal routine. When flying at night, get some sleep. By day, eat light meals, drink water---not alcohol---and move about the cabin to stretch your legs. Read more...
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