Find Your Travel Hook Up
Finding the best deals, programs and tricks is a snap on the internet. There’s someone out there who’s either done what you want to do or is trying to do it, too. So hooking up with that group is a great way to share intel and ensure that you’re getting the most from your travel – even if you’re not paying for it. Here are a few places to start finding your travel soul mate:
FlyerTalk.com
Flyer Talk has a forum for every hotel, car and airline loyalty program and is populated by some serious business travelers who keep track of every bonus opportunity, every upgrade trick and every promotion that could score points. Want to get to the next tier on your airline or hotel loyalty program? Check out specific forums on so called “mileage runs” and “mattress runs” – combinations of airport-hopping flights or hotel stays designed for no other reason than to earn the maximum miles possible.
Twitter
It’s not crazy – the people who run different travel sites read this stuff. Got a problem? Post your note with the right hashtag and you could get someone to help you faster than you could actually reach a customer service agent. Going somewhere? Post a note with the tag for the hotel or airline, and some hotels have even started to contact guests about pre-arrival requests. Some airlines also run specials, and watching the right travel gurus like FareCompare.com’s Rick Seaney or AirfareWatchdog.com can save big bucks.
BoardingArea.com
Looking for success stories, rants and other info from regular business travelers who blog? Boarding Area is filled with blogs from regular business travelers who share stories of great perks and promos, big problems and the basic experiences involved in day-to-day business travel. Curious to know if that boarding pass for your iPhone or Blackberry actually works at the airport or just want to commiserate with someone dealing with the same problems, it’s here. And if you’re enterprising, you can apply to start your own business travel blog.
– Elaine Richardson