5 Tips for Finding Summer Vacation Discounts
It’s that time—time to start planning your summer vacations. But when planning a trip, there are many questions to consider. Can I afford it? Should I use that money for something else? Is there any way to make a vacation more affordable? Should I just stay home?
I don’t believe in staycations. The whole purpose of a vacation is to VACATE your home! Vacations don’t are’t a financial vortex if planned correctly. We are here to help. Here are some tips to help you plan ahead.
1. Look for coupons.
You would be surprised how many destinations have discount books offered to incoming visitors. The only bad thing about these books is that you need to actively search for them. Contacting a destination’s Visitors Center or Convention and Visitors Bureau is the best place to start. Entertainment Book coupons are fantastic if you plan ahead. Ordering the book mid-spring means a cheaper price. The book usually sells for $30-$40, but during spring specials (usually around any holiday), you can get the book for $18 or less, and it potentially offers you hundreds of dollars worth of discounts. In addition to coupons, the purchase includes access to the “Entertainment Travel Discount” that can offer you up to 50% off hotel rates. It also includes coupons for rental cars, airfare, and attractions, which are very handy.
2. Consider Association discounts
Whether it’s AAA, credit unions, USAA, Teachers Associations, etc., they all offer discounted travel rates. Don’t leave any stone unturned when looking for a travel discount. You’d be surprised what you’ll find.
3. Call hotels
For hotel discounts, call the hotel directly. When you contact a hotel and ask for reservations, they usually transfer to their national operators. The problem with that is that the national reservation operators can only offer the rates available on their computer. There is no room for exceptions.
When calling a hotel, ask for “in-house reservations.” If they say they don’t have in-house reservations, ask for the front desk. At the front desk, ask for a manager. They will no doubt ask you if there is anything they can do to help you. Explain your plea for a discounted rate to anyone you talk to from this point on. They have the authority to offer you the lowest rate available, match a competitor’s rate, or even offer you a military discount that their computer (and the internet) might say is sold out. Be polite and don’t be presumptuous that they have to give you a discount. Remember, the nicer you are, the more humble, the more likely they are to want to help you.
4. Military discounts
Always ask if any military discounts are available. It never hurts to ask and the worst they can say is no. Military travel discounts are not like other discounts. They are not offered to entice you to visit (well, they are, but that’s not the only reason). Military discounts main purpose is to honor you as members of the military. The travel industry is always eager to honor you any way they can, so sometimes for asking, you can get a pleasant surprise.
5. Visit www.GuidetoMilitaryTravel.com
Here is a little known fact. I’m not just a travel journalist. I used to be in the travel industry for many years, which means I know the inside secrets. The travel industry treats me as an insider, which gives me access to deals and discounts not made available to anyone else. I work directly with popular destinations like Anaheim, Orlando, and San Antonio to encourage hotels and attractions to offer military discounts. Many of the discounts found on our site cannot be found anywhere else. We’ve done most of the research for you. If there is a destination we don’t have enough information about, contact us. I can contact my connections at that destination and start the ball rolling for them, compile a list of discounts you can use, and we can list them for others traveling to the area. All you need to do is plan ahead, let us know where you are traveling to, and let us do the research for you. It’s that easy!
You shouldn’t shouldn’t fall victim to the economy when taking a vacation. As members of the military, you have so many discounts to take advantage of. We pay a fraction of what our civilian counterparts would pay for the same vacation. It is a privilege we should take advantage of for the benefit of our family and our sanity.
For more information, visit www.GuidetoMilitaryTravel.com.
