This week in the BE YOUR OWN TRAVEL DETECTIVE contest, we asked you to share a holiday saving tip. It was nice to see that PeterGreenberg.com readers know the best days to travel and are comfortable traveling on off days and with creative routes.
A few shoutouts to some notable entries before this week’s winner.
- Victor Caranante who knows you can save more if you drive a little longer. As Victor put it succinctly, “Get Mom and Pop to pick you up at a regional airport.”
- Jennifer Frost knows how to benefit from her zip code, “Living in FL, I like to keep an eye out for Resident discounts on Cruises or hotels. The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be a slower time and if you have some flexibility with dates you can find some good deals.”
- Teresa found a creative way to pack light and give back: “Pack clothes you intended to donate to charity. Wear once or twice and leave behind. New purchases have a place in your now-empty suitcase.”
- Betsy Sprouse knows when to hit the theme park, “Family-friendly resorts and attractions often have great deals available the week between Christmas and New Year’s, when families tend to stay close to home or travel only to relatives’ homes. So forget about the couples-only resorts and check out the prices at Disney or Hershey parks.”
These were great tips, but JOSHUA ARCHEY has won The Travel Detective of the week with his price savvy holiday solution:
During the holidays, even more so than normal, flexibility is key. I have saved $150 or more per airline ticket by being willing to fly to see family on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and return on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. At Thanksgiving, if I am traveling by air, I fly out at 6 am on Thanksgiving Day. I save hundreds on airfare, and I’m still there in time for the family meal. One year, I flew from Kalamazoo, MI to my grandmother’s in Huntsville, AL on Thanksgiving morning for $154 roundtrip. Both of these airports are smaller, more expensive airports. The same goes for a rental car. This year, I paid $125, including all fees, for one week’s rental car (standard/full size– a Kia Optima) over the 4th of July holiday by adjusting my dates one or two days. The airfare was $212 from Detroit to Nashville nonstop.
And shout out to Jayne Chambers with our favorite tweet on #TravelDetective:
Joshua is the honorary Travel Detective of the week. He’s now eligible to win a NCL cruise along with the following prizes.
- The Grand Prize is a 7-day, Caribbean cruise for two from Norwegian Cruise Line on Norwegian Getaway, Miami’s newest ship.
- First Prize will win a $150 American Express gift card from InsureMyTrip
- Second Prize will win a $50 American Express gift card from InsureMyTrip
The challenge questions are over, but you can Tweet to Enter!. Follow @TravDetective and enter to win by tweeting your favorite travel tips using the hashtag #TravelDetective. Remember to post and follow on Facebook too.
