Ok, so I know that most of us have kiddos, but I have been doing lots of flying this year without Baby Girl. Here are a few things that have been working for me:
Online Ticket Booking–Yep. I’m one of those people. The kind of folks that will price shop for hours online to get the absolute best deal on a flight. Best deal does not necessairily mean Best Price. I look for several different things when pricing airfare. 1. airline, 2. route, 3. time. Only a few times has the airline been an absolute deal breaker. Route is more frequently a deal breaker. I don’t want to go past my destination only to have to land, connect, and then backtrack. Its annoying, but most importantly, it is inefficient (not green) and a big wast of my time. Time of day is also a big deal breaker for me. I will pay more for a flight that meets my first two criteria and is at my preferred time. It is just more convenient to me. I can usually get something else done to justify the cost of the better timed flight. Even if it only means that we get to spend a few more hours with family….to me, that may be worth a few extra bucks.
Once you find the flight your like, you can book it, pay for it, and even choose your seat assignments online. They will email you an e-ticket. You will need it for…
…Online Check-in—oh how I love you. Once you get your e-ticket in your inbox, you can use your record locator to check in for your flight up to 24 hours prior to departure. This means that armed with your name and record locator, you can access your boarding passes from outside the airport. This will save you MUCH time when flying. Print these babies out before you head to the airport. If you have to check bags, you can use the “express line”. If you only have carry-on baggage, proceed straight to security. It is AWESOME to be able to bypass the check-in desk.
Online Rental Car Reservation (Specifically Budget FastBreak)–Budget has this great program where you can sign up for a “60-Second Rental”. What is even more awesome about it, is the fact that you can reserve online, take a bus or shuttle to the rental site (when they are not in the airport baggage claim) and look at the monitors out on the lot. Your name, and a number pop up on the monitors. The number corresponds to a section of the parking lot, and you are allowed to choose from any car in that section. You get in the car, fill out the tag that is hanging on the rear-view mirror, and drive to the check-out booth in the parking lot. Show them your hang tag and driver’s license, and you are on your way. No waiting in line. I love it. Return is just that easy. Just drop it off in the lot and go to the airport.
Hotels–Now, when you get to your destination, if you don’t have anywhere to stay, I would totally recommend Microtel Inns. They have a rewards program called MicroPass, where you stay 9 nights with them and get the 10th free! On top of that, they have awesome prices ($66 for a Queen Suite last Sunday). They also offer free local calling, free long distance calling, and free WiFi. Our rooms have always been nicely appointed and clean. Some single rooms have been a bit on the small side, but for $40 what can you expect? We are on our way to getting our free night!
Pair all of those things with an AirCard for Eve, a good book by Jennifer Weiner, and a couple Captain Morgan’s & Diet Cokes and I’m much happier about traveling. These are all things that are working for me. What works for you? Head over to Rocks in My Dryer to find tips and tricks that are working for other folks!
Filed under: Babble Belt, WFMW Posts
