People are generally more familiar with how to find common cheap traveloptions, such as cheapairplane tickets, cheapfares, discount hotel rooms, discounttravel deals, cheapdeals, and cheap vacation packages thanthey are on how to find really good flight deals that the airlines would preferremain hidden.
The following are travel hacking tips that the airlineshope most travelers remain unaware of and can be rewarding, but risky,according to Maureen OHare:
Hiddencity ticketing is an approach whereby a customer purchases a one-way ticket toa destination, but gets off at one of his flights stops along the way becausethis is the cheapest way to get to his desired location. If you decide not to fly to the destinationon your ticket, then you will need to travel with carry-on only since checkedluggage will be taken to your tickets final destination.
Skipping portions of your itineraryviolates fare rules on many airlines and frequent flier privileges can berevoked and miles even confiscated.
Manufacturedspending is when you earn air miles without flying with the airline and reallyeven acquiring any debt. By applying formultiples credit cards that offer attractive sign up bonuses you can often earnlots of airline points. Banks typicallyhave minimum amounts that you have to spend on each account and once you reachthat amount the points go on your account.
Given that these minimum spend requirementare often far greater than an average persons daily expenses, some people rackup points through manufactured spending. This is accomplished by signing up for a credit card with rewards. Then purchase a gift card and use the giftcard to purchase a money order. Finally,you deposit the money order into your bank account to use it to pay off thecredit card.
Be aware that certain credit card companieshave stipulated in their terms and conditions, Thou shalt not manufacturespend. Another risk is that if you slipup in your calculations, you could get caught in spiraling debt.
FrequentTravel University is a US based company that organizes regular seminars toteach the latest tips, tricks, and methods to help its students travel cheaper,better, and more creatively.
This University shows its students how toredeem miles for trips than can cost as much as $20,000 one way and how to bestutilize elite status. They also offertips on airline alliance and Fifth Freedom routes which are flights where anairline from one country has the right to operate between two other countries,often at heavily discounted rates.
Banks and airlines are constantly becomingfamiliar with hackers tricks and promptly shut them down. This is why this University hosts so manycourses every year. Their techniques andinformation are constantly changing which is why they have so many repeatcustomers, year after year, session and session.
Creditcard shuffling can enable you to maximize travel points:
1) Acquire as many credit cards as the banks willgive you. Credit scores often improvewhen the holder has multiple credit cards, if managed properly.
2) Sign up for at least one hotel credit card. Such cards often provide the holder elitestatus with that hotel. When asked,other hotel chains will often match the status a member has at a competinghotel chain.
3) Find a premium credit card, such as an AmexPlatinum, a Citi Prestige, that offers worldwide airport lounge access.
4) Earn additional miles by having your familymembers sign up individually for the same credit cards so that you can earndouble the benefits.
The downside of the above approach is thatif you mismanage your credit card purchases and drop behind on your payments,then your credit reputation can eventually be destroyed.
Lookinto bidding for airline seats in live auctions. Seatboost enables users to bid for the lastremaining first class seats 90 minutes before departure. It takes bids for Virgin America available premiumseats on certain routes.
The risks here are that you might bid toohigh and win the upgrade but pay over the odds for your seat or bid too lowand miss out on your upgrade and remain stuck in coach.
www.cheapfares.com