Las Vegas can be an expensive place to visit, especially when you go for a big event like a bachelor party. I was there with a bunch of good friends last weekend and although bringing together a big group like that can be a big and expensive task you can make it a success with the right amount of planning. I want to share some tips that the organizer of our trip used to pull it off so someday you can plan your own group Vegas getaway.

1) Get Everyone to Buy Their Plane Ticket Early

A verbal commitment doesn’t do you much good when you’re trying to plan a group trip.  Once people spend money to buy a plane ticket they’re probably going to show up, so remind them early and often to get their airline booked. Here’s me earning my Southwest rapid rewards!

2) Negotiate a Group Hotel Rate

Once enough people have bought their airline ticket you know the minimum number of rooms you’ll need and you can start calling hotels and asking for their group rates. Of course some people will want to choose their own place and use their hotel credit card to earn rewards points but its more fun if you all stay in the same place and you can get group rates.

The days we were in Vegas were over a busy weekend so not many hotels would cut us a deal but he kept trying and finally got a group rate at the Cosmopolitan. (Check out the cool lobby below)

3) Checkout Daily Deals Sites

We did get a group rate but some of us flew in early the night before to get a head start on the trip.  With fewer people we didn’t qualify for the group rate on the first night but the organizer found a great package deal through Groupon that got us low rates, unlimited drinks, and an afternoon at the spa at the Hard Rock.

4) Offer Scholarships

Not everyone will be able to afford the trip and if there’s a person (or people) you really want to come along you might be able to work some money into the trip budget for a “scholarship”.  If everyone who’s going chips in a little bit extra you might be able to bring along your buddy you’ve all known since fifth grade who always seems to be down on their luck.

5) Budget in Bulk Buys

The organizer also built money into the trip budget so we could hit the grocery store once we landed and stock up on food and drinks.  Obviously the benefit of this is that you’re all paying grocery store prices instead of each paying tourist gouging prices. Don’t forget your Costo membership card!

6) Setup a Payment Plan

Once you know the # of ticketed people who are going and the total cost of the hotel and other costs from above, you can figure out how much it will cost per person.  Then you break that amount down into 3–4 payments and put each person on a monthly payment plan. 

There are two good reasons for doing this.  First, you know if you wait until you’re on the trip to try and collect you’ll get stuck eating a lot of the cost.  Second, people are much more likely to be able to afford the trip if you ask for some money each month in advance, rather than asking for it all at once.

Payment Plan

The payment plan can simply be an e-mail you send out every few weeks reminding everybody of what they owe and how much of the total is left.  It’s best to give multiple payment options, like mailing in a check or paying with PayPal.

If you’re worried about the emails getting annoying, just include some details or comments about the upcoming trip to get people excited.

7) Check Your Bill

Since all the rooms are in your name you want to be sure to review the bill when it comes time to check out.  In our case we were missing legitimate discounts and had extra charges on the room.

So before you check out, make sure you look through the charges and make sure you are not missing any discounts that you were supposed to get and there were no extra charges on the room.

Is it Worth It?

Although the whole thing is a lot of work for the person that does the arrangements, the Las Vegas payment plan does make for a pretty good experience. 

If you told everyone to make their own arrangements and meet you in Vegas you might get a few people to show up.  But if you coordinate the trip, get some discounts, and get people on a payment plan you can get a great turn out and put together a pretty memorable trip.

Does it make sense to have an undying loyalty to a specific airline, hotel, or travel rewards program? Or is it more beneficial to hunt for the best deal or package on a per trip basis? There are arguments for both sides below. Which one makes the most sense for you?

Travel Rewards Loyalty

For those that are on the road a lot for business or pleasure, travel loyalty programs can really pay off. You can earn free nights and flights just by joining a preferred customer program, staying in the same hotel brands, and flying on the same airlines. For example, the Starwood Preferred and Marriott rewards programs are setup to really reward their most frequent visitors.  If you fly a lot for business both Delta and Southwest offer some of the best frequent flyer programs.

But free nights and flights are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of benefits for using these programs. If your favorite hotel brand or airline teams up with a credit card company to offer a rewards card that gives you points specifically for their brand, you can really rack up a lot of extras.

Many travel rewards credit cards offer a hefty bonus with your first purchase and then a second bonus if you spend a certain amount on the card within a few months of opening the credit card. You will be able to ramp up the number of points you have through your normal, everyday spending on top of the travel points you earn. As your points balance goes up many programs will give you elite or preferred status with their brands. This can give you VIP access, early check-ins, and other perks as you travel.

Travel Deal Hunting

If you rarely travel, then rewards programs are not nearly as beneficial. It can take many years of staying one or two nights at a hotel chain and using your hotel card to earn enough points for a free stay or upgrade. Airline programs are even harder to crack with many free flights starting at 25,000 miles. You might need to charge 8 round-trip flights to your airline card earn a free ticket.

Plus, sometimes programs change or are discontinued and those built up reward points can be wiped out. Instead of trying to remember what your login is for a random travel program, your time is better served just looking for the best travel deal when you need one.

The benefit of not sticking with a certain hotel or airline is that you can just choose the one that’s offering the lowest price when you happen to travel.  A quick search on a site like Kayak, sorted by the lowest price, will show who has the lowest fares.

One good way to save money when hunting for a travel deal is to bundle as many aspects of your trip together as possible. You may not get the absolute best deal than if you spent hours combing for the best deal, but there is easy money to be saved by simply packaging your flight, hotel, and car rental together.

If your travel dates are flexible or you are willing to risk part of your trip, you can use last minute deals to save significant amounts of cash. Hotels in particular do not want to be left holding open rooms when they could get some revenue for an empty room. This strategy does not work as well with flights simply because most last minute flights have very high fares.

Travel Some, Spend a Lot?

The gray area in between the two ends of the spectrum is the person who travels some during the year, but also spends a lot on credit cards. Depending on how much you travel and exactly where you are spending money, a customer rewards program tied with a travel rewards credit card for that program could generate enough points to be worthwhile.

Otherwise you can be better served by utilizing a cash back credit card. That cash can be used for anything you need it to — that might mean for your upcoming travel or simply to put toward another money goal if you don’t have travel plans coming up.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of which direction you decide to take your travel planning, make sure you read the fine print on the preferred customer programs and reward cards. Beware of annual fees that can dig into any meaningful reward you receive. There’s no sense in getting one free night if you pay the equivalent cost in annual fees every year.

What have you found to be the best fit for you, sticking with travel rewards programs or just searching for the best deals when you travel?

The Denning’s lifestyle fascinates me not only because they’ve figured out how to manage 5 kids on the road for months at a time but also because they’ve figured out how to make it work financially.  Neither Rachel or Greg have “day jobs” – how could they, their family spends months at a time on the road.

Rachel and Greg have to make adjustments to be able to afford the lifestyle their family enjoys, I had a few questions about how they manage money and Rachel took the time to answer them.

1) When you’re living on such a variable income, how do decide when (and if) to splurge?

We live very frugally and simply for the most part. In the past, when we made a lot of money, I would feel ‘poor’ if I felt I couldn’t spend money on something (like if my kids asked for a new pair of shoes, etc.) Now I’ve changed my view of things, and I realize that I don’t want to buy more things for myself or my children, unless it is really going to add value to our life, i.e. they really need a new pair of shoes, or what we’re buying is going to make our life simpler, easier or more enjoyable.

I feel that my purchasing decisions are more logically, instead of emotionally based. I purchase because of actual need or deep desire, not of emotional attachment or infatuation with some ‘doo-dad’. When we do spend money, I feel that we can splurge because 1) we’re buying something we need, and 2) it needs to be quality and last a long time.

2) What are your best health insurance tips for a traveling family w/out an employer’s insurance plan?

Our family personally follows a 3 Part Health Care Plan, that focuses on:

1. Prevention of illness through proper diet and exercise
2. Personal care of minor illness and injury through education of treatments and  (this is our unconventional first aid kit)
3. Use professional medical care when necessary – for example, when we were in a car accident and our three year old broke her femur.

When we our outside of the country, medical care is often free or inexpensive. We prefer to pay for these costs out of pocket, rather than to ‘be in debt’ to an insurance company each month ‘just in case’ something happens. This is the approach that works for us, though not for everyone.

3) What do you do when you run out (or are close to running out) of money?

In the past, we’ve returned to the United States to look for employment. Now we have an online business (selling a course on Family Lifestyle Design), so when the coffers are low, we’ll take a few days or weeks to focus on marketing and sales.

4) Do you give your kids allowance to spend on your travels?

Our children have the opportunity of earning money by completing their ‘job chart’ – essentially it’s a list of the activities they need to complete throughout the day – brush teeth, make up bed, grooming, education time, etc.

The aim is to teach personally responsibility. If they remember to do their jobs, or do them when mom or dad ask, and they remember to mark their charts (an app on our iPhone), then they can earn money on payday for every completed activity. Their memory for being responsible improves when they find something they want to spend their money on

Otherwise, we don’t buy anything for them. But we do buy things for ourselves, which sometimes includes something they will enjoy. I’ll buy a coloring book and crayons of animals in the Southwest – but it’s mom’s coloring book and crayons, that she bought with her money that she earned. They can borrow it, as long as they take good care of it and return it when they’re done.

I’ve found that this results in better care of the belongings we do have. My children still have toys that were given to them as gifts, but they don’t take very good care of them, because they didn’t earn it themselves.

5) What are the biggest financial obstacles to what you’re doing and how does your guide “Family Lifestyle Design” help people overcome them?

The biggest financial obstacles are finding a way to earn money to pay for living abroad or being nomadic. The way to accomplish this is as diverse as the individuals that are seeking the answers. Some create online business (whether blogging or online stores), others become freelance writers/contract workers. Some take jobs abroad (with non-profits or NGO, with the foreign service, etc.)

Our course will discuss all the of the options (and give concrete examples and resources) that we have personally used or seen used by the countless families we’ve encountered in our travels around the world.

Thanks to Rachel for sharing how they can afford to be “travel nomads”!  If you think your family might want to try something similar someday check out their guide, Family Lifestyle Design.

If you prefer to always fly the same airline then an airline specific card like those from Delta, Continental, and Southwest can be good for racking up free flights the fastest.  Airline branded cards from can also earn you extra perks and can help waive some fees.

On the other hand, travel cards like the CapitalOne Venture card, Discover Miles, or Blue Sky from American Express offer more flexibility since you can use them across airlines.  Another benefit of these types of cards is that they often don’t have blackout dates or travel restrictions.

First we’ll take a look at some airline cards and then we’ll go over some of the travel cards that are airline independent.

Airline Credit Cards

Gold Delta SkyMiles from American Express – Delta actually has three cards, the Gold, Platium, and Reserve.  All three cards earn miles at the same rate, double miles on purchases from Delta and 1 point for every dollar you spend elsewhere.  The Delta Reserve and Platium cards can earn you extra Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) that come with extra benefits and additional SkyMiles.  However, the annual fees for the Reserve and Platinum cards are higher and they require certain annual spending limits to reach those reward levels.

The Gold SkyMiles card does have an annual fee, $95, but its the lowest of the three and it’s waived for the first year.  It typically features a new card promotion where you earn bonus SkyMiles with your first purchase. 

As I referred to earlier, airline specific cards do come with additional benefits, the Gold Delta SkyMiles card will get you your first bag checked for free.  The Delta cards also have a feature that you mostly only find in airline independent cards, the ability to use your miles with no blackout dates.  Use the “Pay With Miles” feature and you can apply your miles towards a plane ticket without restrictions.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards – Southwest airlines gave their rewards program a major makeover earlier this year and offers two airline rewards cards, the Rapid Rewards Plus and the Rapid Rewards Premier.  Both the Rapid Rewards Plus and Premier cards earn the same amount of points – double points for spending with Southwest or it’s partner programs, one point for for each dollar spent elsewhere.

Both cards earn points instead of miles, part of the Rapid Rewards overhaul was a switch from miles to points. One of the goals of the change was to make it easier to earn Rapid Rewards points by adding more partners into the network (giving you more places to earn double points).  Southwest has also seen the light and updated their program so that your points don’t expire.  They do have some requirements though, you either have to fly or spend with one of their partners every 2 years to keep your points safe.

The main difference between the Rapid Rewards Premier and Plus cards is the amount of bonus points you can earn.  You earn points every year you’re a member, the Premier card earns twice as many as the Plus card.  There is downside, the annual fee for Premier card is higher, $99, compared to $69 for the Rapid Rewards Plus.  Both cards give you enough bonus points with your first purchase to earn a free round trip flight on Southwest.

Travel Credit Cards

Miles by Discover – One of the great things about the Miles by Discover credit card is that it is one of the few airline rewards cards that doesn’t come with an annual fee. You can use your travel rewards on a variety of airlines and you’re not limited to booking your flights on a certain website.  Another benefit of the Discover Miles card is that you can earn and use your miles for multiple travel expenses – air, hotel, and car rental.

Many of the airline specific cards earn you double points when spending with them and 1 point or mile per dollar spent other places.  The Miles card earns you double points on any travel or dining purchases, regardless of what company it’s with.  Another benefit of this card is that you earn bonus points every month you use it for a purchase.

The drawback of the flexibility of the Miles card is that your miles may not add up to free flights as quickly as they would with an airline specific card.  You earn a $100 credit on your Miles card for every 10K miles you accumulate.  If you always use the same airline then a card like the Southwest Rapid Rewards or Delta Gold SkyMiles might be best, but if your travel varies then the Discover Miles card is a good option.

CapitalOne Venture – The benefit of the Venture card is that you earn 2 miles for every dollar you spend on anything.  Above we looked at how Discover Miles earns double miles on all travel spending, which is better than the airline cards.  In comparison, the Venture card earns 2 miles for every dollar, not just travel, which is even better. 

Unfortunately, the Venture card doesn’t share the zero annual fee policy of the Miles card.  You pay $59 a year as Venture cardmember, however, the fee is waived for the first year.  I’ve seen the Venture card offer bonus miles for opening a card in the past but it seems they don’t offer new card members a sign up bonus as often as many of the other airline and travel cards.

After you book your travel using the Venture card you call in or go to their website to redeem your existing miles, they’ll give you a credit on your next statement.  The redemption policy is comparable to Discover Miles, every 10K miles earns you a $100 credit.

Blue Sky from American Express – Like the Miles card, the Blue Sky card doesn’t charge an annual fee.  Unlike the Miles card, the standard Blue Sky card doesn’t offer double points on travel purchases.  However there is a Preferred version of the card ($75 annual fee) that earns 2 points for dining, hotel, and car rental.

The Blue Sky card does have a nice feature that other cards don’t offer, the Blue Savings program.  The “Blue” family of cards, Blue Cash and Blue Sky, have a partner network of companies that offer you a discount if you buy with a Blue card.  There are hotels (Marriott, Renaissance) and rental car companies (Alamo, Enterprise, Hertz) in the program.  So if you pay for your hotel or rental car with the Blue Sky you get a discount (5–20%) and you earn miles.

There are bonus miles for opening a Blue Sky card if you open the Preferred version but none for the standard version of the card.

Airline Card Considerations

If you’re not a frequent traveler and you only fly during the peak seasons (like Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays) then an airline credit card might not be the best choice.  Ticket prices tend to go up during those times, offsetting the value of miles earned.  There’s also a higher likelihood that your flight will fall under restrictions during peak times and you might not be able to take full advantage of your frequent flier miles.

If that’s the case, you might look into a cash back credit card where you can maximize your earnings throughout the year and then use some of that cash back to help pay for your airline ticket.

On the other hand, if you are able to find a card with a big enough sign up bonus to earn you a free flight – and you can get the annual fee waived – then an airline card could still come in handy.

We’ve talked before about how to choose the best credit card for you and how to decide which is the best reward cards but we kind of lumped all the travel rewards cards together in one category.  Today we’re going to look at some of the top hotel rewards cards and tomorrow we’ll drill down and take a look at some good airline credit cards.

Three Great Hotel Credit Cards

Three of the best hotel credit cards include hospitality chains all over the world. These credit cards include:

Marriott Rewards Visa Signature Card: Use this card, from Chase, to earn points toward free hotel stays. There are thousands of Marriott hotels around the world, from the Fairfield Inn to the Courtyard to the Renaissance to others. My parents stayed free on a recent trip to the U.K., thanks to their Marriott Rewards card.

You earn three points for every dollar you spend at Marriott, and one point on other purchases. Get a free night’s stay just for being approved, and earn more after your first purchase. Annual fee: $30. You can “upgrade” to the Premier version for more perks, but the annual fee is upgraded to $65.

Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card: American Express offers this credit card that helps you earn Starpoints, good toward free nights at any of the Starwood hotels.  There are a range of hotels in the Starwood family like St. Regis, Sheraton and Le Meridien.

The tiered system allows you to increase your benefits as you use the card, so frequent travelers can really benefit from the rewards program. There are additional promotions you can take advantage of with this credit card, including a third night free when you book two nights in a row. There are no blackout dates associated with this program and Starwood allows you to transfer your points to around 30 airline companies if you want to use your rewards to help with a flight as well. You’ll pay an annual fee of $65 for the Starwood Preferred Guest card.

Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card: If you prefer Hilton properties around the world, this card from Citi might be just the thing. You get six points for every dollar spent at a Hilton property, as well as three points for supermarket, drugstores and gas stations. Other purchases provide you with double points.

It is worth noting that you need a higher point count to earn a free stay with the HHonors card than with other cards. You do get enough points for a free stay if you spend $1,000 in the first four months. The Citi card does have an advantage over the other two: No annual fee. There is also an AmEx version (that does have an annual fee).

Choosing Your Hotel Rewards Credit Card

When deciding on your hotel rewards credit card, it is best to consider your needs. Marriott works great for my parents, and for me, because we stay at Marriott properties frequently.

Choosing a Hotel
When I was in training a few months ago I started chatting with the instructor about his travels and where he stays.  He flies all over the country, teaching courses in a different city every week.  Being curious about travel rewards, I asked him how he flew and where he stayed. 

He uses airlines in the Star Alliance (United, US Air, Continental) because they have the best flight options from where he lives to the places he flies most frequently.  Most every city he teaches in has a Marriott, or one of the variations like Fairfield Inn or Courtyard, so he always stays there.  The Marriott card is great for him because of how he uses it.  However, if you prefer other hotel properties, you might consider a different card.

Credit Card Terms 
In addition to the hotel chain your prefer or vist most frequently you should also consider such items as interest rate, annual fee and other fees. Pay attention to foreign transaction fees if you frequently travel abroad.

Also, make sure you understand blackout dates, and redemption policies. You want a card that is convenient for you, and makes it easy for you to redeem your free stays when you want to.

Credit Card Usage
Consider your spending habits as well. If you are a frequent traveler, and stay at hotels, using a hotel card that helps you earn large amounts of points quickly can be beneficial. However, if you do a lot of other shopping, and only use your points occasionally, you might want a card that offers extra points for regular, every day purchases.

Happy travels! Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post on some airline credit cards you should check out.

How To Squeeze Value Out Of a Cruise

Relaxation at sea can come at a hefty price if you let it. Finding the right cruise can be challenging. You have to consider cost, cruise length, number of stops or destinations, and what level of room you want.

Identify Important Trip Aspects

Identify what is most important – room with a view, or will smaller do Before you can look for the best cruise deal, you need to know what you are really targeting. There are so many options available: a week in Alaska, 3 days in the Caribbean, or 2 weeks in the Mediterranean. But the options don’t stop there. Consider these items first:

Cruise length: Do you want to be gone for more than a week? Or are you looking for a short trip for some quick rest and relaxation?

Cruise cost: How much are you willing to spend?

Destinations or stops: Do you just want to sit on the deck sipping a beverage and soaking up the rays, or are you looking for adventure at multiple destinations?

What type of room: Are you willing to be in the belly of the ship to save money? Or are you wanting an ocean view? You can take a longer trip if you take a lesser room, if you’re comfortable with it.

Finding the Best Cruise Deal

The web gives you lots of options for landing great travel deals. Although there isn’t really a “one stop shop” that can find the absolute best deal on everything you should stop by the best travel websites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, and Kayak.

The major deal websites are a great place to set your baseline of what deals to expect. All four have dedicated cruise sections to their websites (although Kayak’s is hidden under “More” on the left). Be sure to check with a travel agency or with your credit card’s rewards or travel program after you have a baseline of what to expect from the major websites. You might get lucky and find a deal that fits your desired itinerary.

To really dig in and do your research it helps to find a group of cruising enthusiasts in an online forum. One of the largest is a place called Cruise Critic (http://boards.cruisecritic.com). The forum has nearly 1.3 million topics and over 27 million individual posts inside those topics. Surrounding yourself with experts with a strong passion for what you need advice on is a great place to be. You might also consider Cruise Addicts (http://www.cruise-addicts.com), with over 166,000 threads and almost 1.5 million posts about cruises.

Watch for Extra Charges

The price you see when you first look at a cruise itinerary isn’t the price you pay at the end of the day. Be sure to calculate the following costs into your calculations:

• Port fees and taxes: Be sure to read the fine print, as you can’t avoid these charges.
• Travel to and from where the cruise starts: If you live in the city where the cruise kicks off from, you can disregard this. For most, travel to the ship can be a huge addition to the total cost. Check out ways to save money on airline tickets.
• Excursions: All the fun everyone is having at that new destination? That parasailing or jungle tour? All cost additional money.
• Fuel surcharge: With high oil prices come fuel surcharges for almost every type of travel. Airlines do it, cruises do, too.
• Exclusive dining options: Be sure to read the fine print on your dining options. Your cruise price may come with only the baseline food options. Exclusive dining rooms with nicer menus will come at a cost.
• Popular drinks: Basics like water will be free, but if you want a soda or alcoholic beverage you will pay for it.
• Spa treatments: Want to get a couples massage looking out over the water? Prepare to pay for it.
• Tips: Gratuities are included in most cruises, but you should still have the option of lessening the tip if you have a bad experience.

Taking a regional road trip in a rental car doesn’t have to break the bank, especially when compared with flying across the country. Instead of increasing your maintenance costs or worrying if your car can survive a road trip, you borrow the rental agency’s car for a known cost and call it a day. If the car has maintenance problems that weren’t caused by an accident, it’s not your problem. They’ll swap you out into a new car and get you going.

Tips for Saving on Rental Cars
Renting a car can also get pretty expensive, but not if you know how to look for the best deals. Use the following tips to maximize your savings on rental cars. I worked in the rental industry for about a year and this is how I would go about getting the best deal.

Finding the Best Deal
There is no one best way to find the best deal on rental cars, but knowledge is power. Things you need to know:

What’s the business model? Rental car agencies go after different types of business. Some focus on repair work while your car is in the shop. Others focus on business travelers and only have airport locations. Knowing the company’s business model will help you determine their down times. You can get a better deal during slow periods when they have a lot of extra cars on hand.

• For example, Enterprise has thousands of locations across the country. They focus on being in “your neighborhood” and deal with a lot of insurance and car repair rentals. That means their cars are in high demand Monday through Friday. On Friday the body shops finish up, and the agency has extra inventory over the weekend. You can get amazing deals on the weekend. More on this in a moment.

What’s in demand? During the summer months the most in demand vehicles are SUVs and minivans. This is especially true around holidays like Memorial Day or the 4th of July. You’ll need to book well in advance or risk missing out.

Know the car sizes. Check out the company’s website and be familiar with their car classes. Booking a smaller vehicle will save you money, but don’t be surprised if it is really small.

Check Online Specials First
The internet is one of the best places to find widely advertised deals on rental cars. Check all of the popular agency’s websites first. You know these deals are legitimate because it is coming straight from the source. Follow that up with a check of large travel aggregation websites like Kayak. They’ll be able to spot some of the secret or less advertised deals that you can’t find without a lot of extra work.

For example, say Enterprise has their $9.99 weekend special going. You can pay as little as $10 per day for three days, and get 300 total miles to use on your rental for a compact size car. That’s a 60% discount off the regular rental price of $24.99 in my area. A full size car can be had for $19.99 per day – that’s 43% off the regular price of $34.99.

Budget has a similar deal. They offer $5 off for every weekend day you have a rental. A 3 day rental (Friday to Monday) would have $15 knocked off the final price. How can they afford to do this? Again, they have a lot of inventory on the weekends. Having vehicles on the road for as little as $30 in revenue is better than having the cars sit on the lot for $0 in revenue.

One way to make the deal even sweeter is to use a rental car credit card that offers rewards or discounts when you reserve your car online.  Just be aware that not all deals can be combined so you might not be able to use the credit card discount along with an advertised special.

Pick Up the Phone
Pick up the phone and call your local branch. Have their website pulled up and know what discounts they are currently offering. Let them know of your plans, and have them walk you through the best deal they can offer. When they’re done telling you the price, tell them that’s not low enough or ask if there is anything they can do to get you to reserve the car today. They may be able to find a discount to put on your rental to drop the price down a bit. Talking to a live human being that works at your local branch gives you an advantage over computer systems.

Book with Travel Partners
You can also try booking with travel partners. If you’re booking a hotel room you may be able to get a package deal with one of their preferred car rental agencies.

Negotiate at the Counter
You have negotiating leverage. Unlike hotel reservations, many rental agencies do not charge you for not showing up for your reservation. Once you are there they want to make sure you leave happy. You can book a lower class vehicle and try to negotiate your way into a larger vehicle at a discounted price.

In fact, the representative behind the counter may try to do convince you first. Many companies will run “up-sell” competitions and rewards their reps for selling you from a smaller vehicle class into something bigger, even if it isn’t at full price. They’re getting more revenue for having your reservation out on the road. You can also try asking for discounts based on:

• The rate your insurance company gets (which is much, much cheaper than retail). You likely won’t get the full discount, but they may knock the price off a bit.
• Memberships you have (AAA, AARP, etc.)
• Your company’s corporate discount

Granted, this only works when the company has a lot of excess inventory sitting on the car lot. You won’t find much negotiating room if you’re renting their next to last car. If they don’t rent to you they’ll find another customer to put into that car.

Consider Gas Mileage
With gas nearing or over $4 per gallon in many parts of the country, be sure to check on gas mileage first. Taking 4 friends on a road trip to the beach? Riding in style in a massive SUV may seem great, but you’ll be guzzling gas the whole way (along with paying higher rental costs in the first place). Those 4 people would easily fit into a standard or full size car, saving you money on gas and rental charges.

Document the Car’s Condition
Make sure you document the car’s condition very well. Renting cars happens very fast. There is important paperwork you sign, including an agreed upon condition of the car. If you don’t mark any of the current damage (knicks, dings, dents) on the contract you may be held liable for them when you return the vehicle. Read the fine print on the rental car insurance and make sure you understand what’s covered and what’s not. In this technology covered age I would recommend taking photos or a video of the walk around on the car on your smartphone or camera. It will help defuse any situations that pop up when you return the car.

During off-peak times, you can usually find fantastic deals at different resorts. Many people in my state like to take advantage of off-season Disneyland deals, since you can state at a Disneyland resort for cheap. It never hurts to call the resort and find out what is available. Find out if there are some “kids free” deals for younger children, or if you can get a fourth night free when you pay for three nights. If you are looking for some ideas (other than something Disney, of course) here are some resorts that offer family deals:

Bahia Principe
This company actually owns a number of resorts in Mexico, the Caribbean and Spain. If you travel off-season, you can find great deals. Even if you go the hotel-only route, you still end up with access to the pool and other options. You can find plenty of activities to enjoy at the resort and nearby. Plenty of special offers, and even vacation packages. The Gran Bahia Principe Akumal, in Mexico, will make you feel as though you are in the jungle, with plenty of nature and activities nearby.

Kahala Mandarin Oriental, Hawaii
You can find a number of family options and deals at this resort. There are dolphin programs, history classes and more. A free shuttle will take family members into Waikiki as well. You can spend time at the beach — where the water is calm and shallow, or take little excursions.

Tortuga Lodge, Tortuguero, Costa Rica
If you are looking for eco-tourism, you might find some good deals at this resort, which is owned by Costa Rica Expeditions. You can see plenty of wildlife, and enjoy great deals starting at $99 for doubles. Look for other vacation packages and deals for Costa Rica.

Earthshine Mountain Lodge
Enjoy the great outdoors in Appalachia. This lodge is located in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, about 50 miles from Asheville. It’s an all-inclusive resort that includes three all you can eat meals each day. You can go hiking, visit a Cherokee campsite replica, go through the zip-line course and enjoy a climbing wall.

Amelia Island Plantation
Located in Florida, you can choose all-inclusive packages, or hotel stays. The all-inclusive packages can be great deals, offering three meals a day, as well as access to activities like tennis and golf. There are biking trails, fishing opportunities and family crafts.

Sunriver Resort
Another outdoor lover’s paradise, this resort near Oregon’s Cascade Mountains is not all-inclusive. But it has a lot to offer — especially if you go between Thanksgiving and New Year: Horse-drawn sleigh rides, bonfires and dogsled tours. There is hiking and fishing for other times of the year, and even an observatory for star-gazing. A nature center and fish hatchery are fun for the kids. You can ask about specials on horseback rides and other activities.

Look for Good Value

Sometimes good value doesn’t always mean the cheapest. Years ago, I stayed in a cheap hotel in St. George, Utah. It cost $30 a night — as opposed to the $45 another hotel was charging. After spending the night there, I wished I had spent the extra $15. The front desk was unavailable after 6 p.m., which happened to be just after we checked in. So there was no one to ask about the dirty sheets (my husband and I turned up the heat and slept on top of the blankets), container of curdling milk in the ice bucket, and the broken alarm clock. (This was before the widespread use of cell phones, and we had to buy a cheap alarm clock at the store.) A very harsh lesson in true value vs. cheapness.

If you want good value, Consumer Reports recommends trying Microtel Inn & Suites. It’s a budget hotel chain that feature usually clean rooms, and a continental breakfast. All of the Microtel hotels I have stayed in have had indoor pools, as well. If you just want a basic place to sleep, you can get good value at this chain. Consumer Reports lists Drury Inn & Suites as a good value in the moderately priced category.

Consider Rewards Programs

My parents are involved in Marriott’s rewards program. It includes Marriott brands like Fairfield and Courtyard, in addition to the more upscale Renaissance and other brands. My parents use a Marriott Rewards card, and every year they end up with multiple nights free. You can consider programs offered by different hotels, including Choice Hotels, which includes a number of brands. However, you need to be careful, and understand what you want in a hotel, or a rewards program may not be worth the trouble.

Tips for Saving Money on Hotels

Of course, there are other ways to save money when staying in hotels. The biggest tip is to look online. Check with travel web sites like Hotwire.com, Priceline.com, Orbitz.com and Travelocity.com. Sites like Kayak.com can help you look through a number of travel web site prices and compare. You can also check online at the hotel to see if there are any specials. Sometimes, you can find a better rate by contacting the hotel directly. Other items to consider:

• If you are flying, including a hotel as part of a vacation package can result in a better price.
• Stay during the week, rather than on weekends. Rates are often lower when you stay Monday night through Thursday night.
• Look locally. In some cases, a local establishment can offer lower prices than a chain. Even if it is more expensive, some local chains have amenities that make them more attractive.

No matter your plans, it is possible to save on a hotel, getting the best value for your money as you travel.

The Southwest airlines credit card is one of the highlights of the new Rapid Rewards program from Southwest. I flew Southwest this week and learned that the new Rapid Rewards program will be based on points instead of miles and the Southwest rewards card offers ways, other than flying, to earn those points.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Points

Apparently one of the benefits of Southwest using a rewards points system is that it’ll be easier for the rewards program to add more partners into its network.  The points make it simpler than the system of credits to work with partners to offer travel rewards.

While there’s been a mixed reaction to the new rewards program, the ability to earn more points with the Southwest card has been one of the areas that Southwest customers are most pleased with.  You earn two points for every dollar spent on Southwest tickets or with Southwest Rapid Rewards partners.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Partners

The primary Rapid Rewards partners right now are the hotel chains and car rental companies below:

• Rental Cars (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, Thrifty)
• Hotels – Best Western, Hilton Honors, Hyatt, La Quinta, Marriott, Starwood Preferred Guest, Wyndham, Choice Hotels International

These partners all earn double points and you’ll also earn an additional 600 points per stay at Rapid Rewards hotel partners.  Some of these hotels, like Marriott and Starwood, have their own rewards cards but people that fly Southwest frequently will likely prefer the Southwest rewards.

One of the changes in the new Southwest rewards program is that points don’t expire like they used to.  As long as you fly every 2 years or use one of these partners every 2 years your rewards points don’t expire. 

Southwest Rapid Rewards Dining

You can also earn rewards in the rapid rewards dining program.  To participate in dining rewards program you register your card on the Rapid Rewards Dining site and earn points when you eat out at restaurants or bars in the dining rewards network.  You can search for local restaurants by zip or address on their site. 

The card you register doesn’t actually have to be the Southwest credit card; it can be any American Express, Discover, MasterCard, VISA credit card or even a debit card. Once you’ve accumulated enough points in your rewards dining account they transfer it over to your rapid rewards account.

If you do use the Southwest credit card from Chase then you’ll get an additional point per dollar spent.  Earning one point for each dollar you spend is the standard rewards rate for purchases not made from Southwest partners.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Bonus

The Southwest Rapid Rewards card does have an annual fee ($69 Signature/ $99   Premier ) but you get 2 free flights when you sign up for the card and use it the first time. 

I stopped by the signup booth to check out the card features on our return flight. I was able to ask a bunch of questions about the card and Rapid Rewards program but then our flight started to board so then all I had time for was this picture of the Southwest counter. 

It’s probably easier to just check it out on the web anyhow. To read more about the details of the rewards and the card – check it out here.