Helpful Travel Links
Here are some of the websites that were most useful (and still are) as I was getting into travel. So if you’re new to the travel world or want a better travel experience but may never get into points, credit card bonuses, or the finer points of loyalty programs, this post is for you!
These sites can make a big difference in your life and require minimum knowledge and time to understand:
- Seat Guru– The #1 way to instantly improve your trip is selecting your seat in advance of the flight. Seat guru makes provides a diagram of each plane with notes on each seat letting you ensure you’re not picking a seat by the lavatory, under the a/c vents or that doesn’t recline.Tip: If you don’t get a seat you want, log back in every couple of days to see if seats have opened up.
- Betterbidding.com– Know what you’re getting on Priceline and Hotwire, so you can stay nicer, save more and avoid the scare of getting a hotel you didn’t want. (I relied heavily on Priceline and Hotwire hotels all the time before I acquired points and hotel status).BetterBidding.com identifies hotels likely to come up based on region and star rating. They also have forums for people to post their winning bids and rates and, my favorite, a calendar that shows winning bids by dates. This lets you know what the going rate is, so you can you make informed bids and hit that perfect price range. Biddingfortravel.com offers similar things for Priceline but isn’t as up-to-date.
- Cashback sites – Extra cash = more travel opportunities (and more opportunities in general!). Make sure you’re making the most of your online purchases. There are many sites out there, but if you want to focus your spend Ebates and Fatwallet consistently have good cashback rates, they also have forums that alert you to mistake pricing, discounts, and coupons.Tip: Even if you can’t put business expenses on your personal credit card, you might be able to earn cashback for your purchase. Expedia, Quill, GoDaddy.com, and other sites offer cashback and mileage earning options. One of my friends earned more than $1,000 to use towards travel.
- evreward.com – See the best cashback, point or mileage offer for each store at a glance. Evreward lists all earning options available per retailer, including cashback, hotel and airline shopping portals, and credit card sites (like Ultimate Rewards). It also has current discounts and free shipping codes.Embarrassing confession: I was caught gushing “He’s totally into evewards. It’s SO sexy!” But who doesn’t find someone maximizing their point and mileage earning opportunities completely attractive!?
- Slickdeals.net — when used in moderation, Slickdeals is a great way to stay on top of clearance and other excitingly priced items at online retailers. It’s one big forum for folks to post all the bargains they’ve found. I sometimes prefer Bradsdeals.com, because its a little more selective in its inventory.
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Heels First is the travels and tribulations of two twenty-something frequent fliers jumping into the world of travel. Join Keri and Jeanne as they tackle mileage runs, elite status, and of course–the perfect travel accessories.
This is a awesome blog! Thanks for posting this information. I found it to be very useful.