Travel Vouchers: Get 'Em While They're Hot!

For some, air travel might not be easy. There's so much schlep and waiting and boredom and far too many annoying gate agents trying to confiscate your brand new Tweezerman's...I mean, STRESS CENTRAL.

But if there's one thing I've learned in my past few years of travel it's that going home with a little goody bag from your airline makes it all worthwhile.

LET ME OFF THE PLANE, I said I'd do it!!!
Photo Credit: laviechildfree.com

Every once in a while when life is really on your side, your flight will be oversold. When this happens, don't you dare settle into your latest "airplane playlist" and slip down your sleepy mask. You have a job to do. YOU BETTER BE LISTENING for the flight attendants when they ask for volunteers to get off the plane. I repeat, if volunteers are requested, you need to catapult yourself into the arms of a flight attendant, grab your bags and get your little behind off the plane. Why, you ask?

Because compensation for volunteers ranges anywhere from $300-$800 plus hotel accommodations (if necessary) and meals...and you'll get a seat on the next flight out. I don't care if I have a wedding to get to, I'm getting off the plane!

The last time I was fortunate enough to be booted off my flight, I was given a $350 travel voucher, a flight refund, and immediate rebooking. After all my prizes were awarded, they ended up putting me back on my original flight. I may have gotten the death stare from an entire airplane of people but hey, who's the one with a purse full of presents? THIS GIRL! I'll take a $500 walk of shame up and back from my aircraft any day.

So tonight when you're brushing your teeth in the bathroom mirror, be sure to practice your swift, assertive hand-raising skills...because voucher-snagging is an art and you've gotta be quick.

Kayak.com, not for water lovers

Traveling the world ain't easy, especially when you're trying to stretch out your Bat Mitzvah money. Been there. Done that.

Having backpacked in Southeast Asia, lived in a West African village, been all over Europe/the UK, Israel, and road-tripped across the US, I think my total spending on all those trips combined only comes out to like $4500...pretty crazy, huh?

If there's a deal to be had, you better believe I found that shit. What's my secret, you ask? Kayak.com

Photo Credit: Kayak.com

Kayak.com allows you to stalk the living shit out of airlines; it's a beautiful thing. Because flight prices are constantly changing, fill in your designated time of travel/destination, search, and then click price alert on the next page. There, you can double check your settings and then enter your email to create the alert. You will be notified as flight prices go down, and you can even keep an eye on fare charts to see which dates are cheapest to travel within your time frame. This is especially helpful if your travel dates are flexible. Look on the right hand side of the screen to find this little calender of prices.

Another amazing feature of kayak.com is the fare chart. The fare chart shows you the rise and fall of prices within the last 30 days, so you can see if flights are taking a dip or getting rapidly more expensive. 

Photo Credit: Kayak.com

Kayak.com is just a search tool, and though they tell you exactly where to go to find the best prices, you can't actually book through them. SO, once you've found your booking agent (Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, etc) be sure to seek out additional discounts. You can do this by looking directly at the airline website for extra promos or by googling "Orbitz promo code 2012". If something good exists, retailmenot.com will probably pop up as your #1 search result.

Sometimes flights (especially international) are much less expensive out of major airline hubs like Chicago and NYC. It definitely pays to check and compare those prices to the ones out of your departure city because you can always book your connection separately. For some reason it's easier to find promotions on domestic flights and you can often save a couple hundred dollars booking that way. Patience and persistence is key!