IFlyHarder

My favorite secret?
I'm the one who passed gas on the PBI-EWR flight last weekend.

jg3

so that is where the new plane smell comes from....

WiscAZ

Never check bags unless I have to. Too many variables that are out of my control. If you have status bringing a carryon is not a problem nor is lugging it around with 4 wheels. Checking adds time (more worried about after), potential for a lost bag, stolen bag, damaged items, etc.

Mr. Style

There are no good tips there - just people saying I have a secret but I'm not telling you.

Mr. Style

If you only need a couple of hand tools like knives, hammer, screwdrivers (over 7" long) that TSA won't allow in carry-on then you can get a "Father's day" gift tool kit for $19.99. I consider these to be supplies, not tools.
You tell your manager that checking them is $25 each way = $50 OR $20 for the tools = $30 savings for the company. The time it takes to buy the tools is much less than the extra time at the airport to meet the bag drop/checked bag cutoff times.

I've stood in a "bag drop" line with my pre-paid bag voucher for United at LAX for over 30 minutes, missed the cutoff time for bag drop by 1 minute, and had to switch my flight to another on Continental just to get my tool case with me to my destination. I could have easily made the gate for United (I still had 44 minutes to get to the gate - United is draconian with their cutoff times) if I threw the tools in the trash and went thru security - not to mention the change fee for the next flight.
If your elite on every airline and get free bags (or travelling on SWA), this may not apply to you - but my original post was for newer travelers.

Mr. Style

You don't buy the Starbucks gift card with your company corporate card. You buy it with your personal card and go online and set it to reload automatically with your personal card. Once you buy so many drinks, Starbucks will mail you a gold card with your name on it.

When you buy a latte, you pay with the gift card and are given a receipt. You submit that drink receipt on your expense report for reimbursement. After you buy 12 drinks, Starbucks will e-mail you a code for a free drink which you use on the weekend or you save for use when you are on vacation.

If you have a morning meeting with a client, you can call them on the way over to confirm the meeting time and offer to bring them a coffee or latte. After all, its rude to bring a drink for yourself and not for them. Since all coffee at work tastes awful, they will be very happy to get one. You pay with your starbucks gift card for both drinks and after 6 morning meetings, you have a free drink for yourself. If you are meeting with a couple of people, then it can be even quicker.

ft101

Maybe you should read it again. Plenty of what you said but some tips as well.

pinniped

The tools thing is very niche. If your travels are always requiring a cheap set of consumer-grade hand tools, then knock yourself out at Home Depot. The only people I know who take business trips where they need to work with tools are bringing specialty gear for their trade that you wouldn't just pick up at Home Depot for $20.

Tread softly on the hotel status matches. They're tighter than they once were and any straight gift of status is going to be once in the lifetime of the account. Better bet is probably to align with a credit card that confers a decent hotel status.

Airlines have also gotten much more formal about their matches. My corporate travel agent has a detailed form for a United match - two pages of rules, formally published by United, and a "once per five years" rule. The other big rule: they won't match any other Star Alliance status. In other words, no Aegean Gold to United Gold backdoor.

I don't get the latte thing. OK, you drink latte on business trips and expense it. You earn free lattes through the Starbucks program. How is that different from earning FF miles or hotel points? We earn them on business trips, redeem them for vacations. I used to use iDine on business trips before that program was gutted. Same concept...

I like the Google tip - next time I travel I'll see if it's that easy. Lots of apps do that, but I do like the idea of being able to quickly say my flight number to my phone and (maybe) have it give me some valuable information back without me having to launch an app.

jason53

My travel tip/ not so secret "secret" is to get a nexus card for travelling between US & Canada. It has saved me so much time at the airport and driving through the border.

slawecki

some of the airlines allow purchase of 100k miles for $.02 a mile. only takes 100K (2000$)to do a RT tatl in"I" class which is biz class. avoid LH, they want over $500 in fees.

Martinis at 8

Married businesswomen traveling solo

Efrem

True, but annual purchase limits (60,000 miles per account per year on AA, similar limits on most other airlines) mean you have to plan this trip quite a ways in advance even if you only need one award ticket from the account.

shocky

Not all airline reps are created equal.

jerry305

(Please don't tell me none of these are really a secret. I know that.)


Rental car prices can change:
Book rental cars well in advance of your trip. Then, re-check the prices often as your trip approaches. Change the reservation if it suits you. I once changed a reservation 8 times, reducing the price from $400 a week to $89. Immediately after that, the location was sold out of cars.

Air pressure on flights:
Chewing gum or sucking on candies on the descent helps (me) reduce ear congestion.

Baggage claim:
Everyone's bag looks the same. On your luggage, attach a unique ribbon or label that is bright and impossible to miss. That has stopped a few people who grabbed my luggage off the belt.

Quiet space:
Every airport has a chapel. Some airports, it's the only place where you can sit without the din of CNN Headline News in the background.

Phone cards:
As a Canadian, when I'm travelling in the US, my mobile roaming costs can be huge. Calling cards from payphones, while not elegant, only costs me 4 cents a minute. It's saved me big money.

Wash your hands often when travelling:
Cruise ships have sterilizers everywhere for a reason. People are filthy.

Frequent flyer miles are worth it:
I didn't travel on Delta much, and I didn't travel on Northwest much. But I collected the points anyway. So when the merger happened, my points merged, too. Suddenly, I had enough points for a flight. I no longer pass up FF miles, no matter what program it is.

Pick your own seat on any plane:
Most people won't put a fuss if you just take "their" seat. There's room; they'll find another seat. (KIDDING!)

VivoPerLei

Make fully flexible hotel reservations and change at will, only accepting the the non-refundable rate (if significantly lower) a day or two before you are scheduled to arrive.