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travel hedging reviews

  • Use Travel Hedging To Lock In Upgrades, Save Points & Avoid Disaster

travel hedging reviews

  • February 4, 2024
  • Rick Fojtik

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Travel Hedging

Travel has become quite different over the last few years. Booking airfare is a lot more flexible than it used to be, as travelers can now cancel flights without large penalties or fees . This flexibility can change the way one travels, and books, depending on travel preferences. In sports betting, hedging a bet means you make an additional wager, different from an already existing wager, in order to reduce the risk of a net loss or guarantee a net profit. With travel hedging, your bets means booking multiple flights for a trip. This method can be used with points, miles or cash. The major difference being cash may result in travel funds being left in your account. Also, do not forget to use our airline incidental credit guide which may help as well.

Table of Contents

Travel Hedging

Why Use Travel Hedging?

This reason may vary for some, but for me, it is a combination of reasons. First, different airlines may respond differently to irregular operations (IRROPS). This means while a storm or issue in Detroit or Atlanta may severely impact Delta (DL), it may have almost no impact on Alaska Airlines (AS). If something goes wrong and my Delta flight gets cancelled, or I see issues ahead of time, I can cancel and keep the Alaska flight.

Secondly, I use travel hedging because of my airline status. Some who have status may prefer to fly in a better class of service or better seat. While we do not recommend chasing status , for those that fly a lot, it can be valuable. Once an upgrade clears on one, you could cancel the other. Additionally, I may not like a price on my flights but can book and monitor for price reductions and take a cheapest option.

Finally, it may just be not knowing what time of day you want to fly. For me, if I am trying to get the day off, I may book one flight in the morning and one for after work on different airlines. For those wondering, booking multiple flights on one airline, on the same day, may result in the flights being canceled. This varies by airline. Usually the flights need to be possible to be taken for it to have a chance to stick. So the further spread apart the better your chance.

Being Flexible On Routing Can Help Too

I will note that I am known to book some crazy routes and itineraries in the interest of time or saving points, miles, and cash. Sometimes I use this method in combination with repositioning. I once flew Seattle to Las Vegas to save tons of points on a Delta flight to Baltimore. It is not for everyone. You can use travel hedging and / or repositioning to make sure you get what you want in terms of price, class and seat. That is on ToP of using travel hedging to ensure you get to your destination, or home, when you need to.

Travel Hedging

How I Book My Trips, Leveraging Multiple Airlines

Once again, this may vary based on where you live and what airlines you fly. I still use all the award booking tips we have shared in the past, and I follow the award booking guide step by step as well. Many of these steps, such as identifying routes and airports, works for cash bookings as well.

A lot can depend on your home airport too, and that plays a role for me as a Seattle (SEA) based flyer. I have often discussed how I chose a secondary airline in my hub. This means potentially less competition for upgrades, especially on west coast routes. Delta has been my primary airline for quite a few years, even though Alaska is the big dog in town. This does create more reasons for me to get into travel hedging.

I guess two airlines weren't enough for me, and I ended up obtaining American Airlines(AA) Platinum Pro status via a status match last year. I kept it past the match period by utilizing shopping portals and credit card spend. While my attempt was frustrating at first , I was able to maintain that status long term. Many might be wondering why a Seattle based traveler got American Airlines status? The key to my decision is that Alaska Airlines is a Oneworld partner which means my American Airlines status gets me upgrades on Alaska Airlines.

My final option I go to most of the time is Southwest Airlines (WN). For me, routes are not as good, but it provides me another option and gives me even more flexibility. If I have issues during my trip, but can get to a Southwest hub or airport with a heavy presence, it may save me.

Travel Hedging Booking Example

Here is a breakdown of a recent booking I had to Tampa. I will go over the different options I lined up and how I used travel hedging to my advantage.

Flight 1 – Delta

I had my Delta flight booked on Delta early on, locking in a good price.

hedging your bets

Flight 2 – Finding My Own Way

I thought that flight may get in too late since I had things that needed to be taken care of early in the morning. It could be possible for me to get out work early too, so I decided to do some more searching.

Google Flights is my usual first stop. If not that, then I go to the airport's Wikipedia page to see which airlines fly through there.

Other flight options

Unfortunately, the Alaska price was too high for my liking even though the time worked out well. The fact that I had paid significantly less for my Delta Flight was also front of mind. So, as I often do and recommend in travel, I built my own itinerary as a back up instead.

Travel Hedging

I started searching for other routes out of Seattle, like this flight to Atlanta. Why Atlanta though? Alaska Airlines can have very completive pricing on Delta routes, and my upgrades have a better chance of clearing. I finalized the trip with this Southwest flight because it was cheap on points.

Booking multiple flights

This gets me in to town about 5 hours earlier, although I sacrificed with the layover. Wondering about my short connection time? Our guide may ease your fears. Plus, I already stated that I do some crazy things in travel and I am comfortable with this airport. I have routinely switched terminals and airlines in under an hour here.

I had another option out of Seattle with American Airlines and then Southwest, but I liked this set up a little bit better.

Travel Hedging The Delay

Finally, I have checked later flights and if anything went wrong I have multiple airlines to bail me out. This includes low cost carriers like Frontier.

That is important, since I am booking flights from two different airlines to build this trip. If the first airline is delayed, then the second airline won't help get me on a later flight because it wasn't their fault I was late. This is a risk you need to be aware of and decide if it is worth it for yourself. If the entire route is on the same airline then they will help rebook you on another flight since it was their fault.

I Find Myself Booking Multiple Flights More & More

The above example is just one recent such example. However, I find myself doing it more and more. Some of my recent flights where I used travel hedging were bookings from Seattle to Las Vegas, Seattle to Mexico and Seattle to Milwaukee.

For a trip to Detroit I booked both Delta and Alaska, even though both were non-stop flight around the same times because of upgrades. Detroit can be tough for upgrades on Delta, but my Alaska Flight upgraded with ease.

Bad Weather Reminder

I wanted to wrap this up by reiterating that a storm will not impact every airline the same. Last year, I had American Airlines cancel my flight leaving Dallas DFW and the Travel On Point(s) meet up in Dallas. I was able to instead use Alaska who flew in and out of Dallas with no issues. That was all while the departures board was lit up with cancellations from Southwest and others.

Hedging Your Bets: ToP Thoughts

While it is not for everyone, I love travel hedging with multiple flights and find myself doing it for most trips now. I use it to help improve upgrade chances, monitor for different price drops or schedule changes and have back up options when issues arise. It will require some more planning and monitoring, so like many things in the hobby you must be organized. Above all else, remember to cancel the flights you don't use !

Do you book back up flights too? Come over to the ToP Facebook group and share your thoughts.

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'Hotel Hedging' Is The Trick That Could Save You Money On Travel In 2023

Senior Entertainment and Lifestyle Editor

Service please!

As a new year rolls in, many of us will be beginning to make plans to escape the UK for a much-needed break in the sunshine

However, the cost of flights and accommodation can add up quickly, so we’re always on the lookout for ways to save.

Fortunately, one travel expert has taken to TikTok to share how ‘hotel hedging’ could save us a packet on accommodation abroad next year.

Alexis Gould ’s method involves booking hotel rooms in advance of a trip, but ensuring that they’re cancelable and that you can get a refund on them.

The TikToker frequently shares ‘secrets’ and tips to bag free upgrades and save money on travel.

She shared in a video, which has amassed almost 1.8k likes since posting: “Hedging is a hack that hotels don’t want you to know about, which is why it’s my biggest secret yet.

@alexisgould.com BIGGEST TRAVEL SECRET YET - Hotel Hedging why booking a refundable room is definitely worth it #travelhack #travelhacking #travelsecrets #traveltip #travelbloggers #travelblogging #hedging #hotelhedging #travelbetter #lextravels #luxurytravelhacks #luxeforless #luxuryonabudget #letstravelbettertogether ♬ Summer day - TimTaj

“Let’s break it down – you’re going to make a regular advanced reservation when you book your trip. Now, the most important thing to do here is make sure it’s cancelable and refundable within 24 hours of check in.”

You do this to ensure that you have somewhere to stay, should your hotel hedging not work out, Gould explains.

As your trip grows closer, take a look around for cheaper last minute deals – Gould describes how many hotels are only at 60% occupancy most nights, so will sell off the remaining 40% of rooms at a highly reduced rate to fill them up.

“If you put the proper plans in place, you can take advantage of this,” she says.

Here’s her step-by-step guide for hotel hedging:

  • Book a refundable hotel room
  • One to two weeks before trip look into last minute hotel deals
  • Find same hotel or better at a lower price and book
  • Cancel your original room, get a refund and save money

One hotel worker commented on Gould’s video: “As someone who worked in hotels 16 years, that’s one of the smarter suggestions I’ve seen.”

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Key takeaways

  • Travel hacking can help you score free or discounted flights, hotel stays and more by strategically using rewards earned from credit cards.
  • To get started, set a travel goal for yourself and investigate various airline rewards programs. You'll then want to choose a travel credit card based on factors like your credit score, interest rates and the ability to transfer rewards to partner programs.
  • Using shopping portals and dining rewards programs is another way to score extra points, along with taking advantage of card-linked offers from programs like Amex Offers and Chase Offers.
  • Stay on top of "mistake fares" by signing up for notifications from airfare deal sites, and consider booking travel during award sales or off-peak travel seasons.

Over the last decade, travel hacking has become a mainstream phenomenon. That’s largely thanks to social media, with influencers showing off exotic destinations on Instagram, reached through the clever use of rewards.

And the appeal is widespread. Families can significantly bring down the cost of a Disney vacation , while the aspirational crowd can book first-class tickets for pennies on the dollar.

As someone who has been travel hacking for over a decade, I’ve seen and done it all. It’s a rewarding hobby that can open up a world of travel opportunities. By hacking flights and hotels, you can save substantially on these expenses.

What is travel hacking?

Travel hacking typically refers to the variety of ways you can earn points and miles toward future travel, often without flying or staying at hotels. It involves strategically using credit card points or miles, or those earned with airline and hotel programs, to score discounted (or free) travel and other perks.

How to start travel hacking

If all of that sounds exciting and you’re eager to get going, here are some tips to help you get started:

The first step in your travel hacking journey is to set a travel goal. Earning points without knowing what you’re working toward can be an exercise in futility. When I started back in 2011, I made the mistake of mainly accruing Delta SkyMiles and American AAdvantage miles for a trip to Europe. I learned pretty late that American Airlines had a weak route network to Europe at the time, and that United MileagePlus miles would have been a much better option back then.

Think about where you want to go well before you start focusing on how you’re earning points. Then, research the best rewards programs to get you there. Bankrate’s travel toolkit highlights a variety of credit card, airline and hotel rewards programs to help you make the best choice.

Find the right rewards credit card

The easiest way to boost your points balance is with a rewards credit card . After you sign up and get approved, you can typically earn a welcome bonus of 50,000 or more points after completing a spending requirement over three or more months. While welcome bonuses are a significant draw, you can also take advantage of category bonuses and annual spending bonuses to maximize your everyday spending long-term.

Those ongoing rewards should be an important factor in your travel rewards card decision . Most people will benefit from credit cards that earn transferable rewards like these:

  • American Express Membership Rewards
  • Citi ThankYou points
  • Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • Capital One miles

These currencies offer flexibility because you can transfer them to several airlines or hotel programs at a 1:1 ratio. If one transfer airline doesn’t have award space on your desired travel dates, then you can transfer them to one that does. You’ll have options and stay protected against possible program devaluations as well.

Once you have a general sense of which credit cards to apply for, make sure you qualify and prepare to meet any application requirements. Here are a few things to consider:

  • Your credit score . As you might expect, the best travel rewards cards require good credit . To incorporate credit cards into your travel hacking strategy, you’ll need a score of at least 700. If you’re still working on it, consider waiting to apply when you have a better chance of approval.
  • The application rules . Every bank has its own rules pertaining to credit card approvals. Chase has the infamous 5/24 rule that restricts welcome bonuses if you’ve applied for five or more credit cards in the last 24 months. Amex’s once-per-lifetime restriction means if you’ve earned a welcome bonus for one card, you likely won’t be able to earn the same bonus again. There are many more credit card application rules to be aware of. Knowing them before you hit “apply” improves your chances of being approved for a travel rewards credit card.
  • How much you’ll pay . If you struggle with paying your credit cards off every month, travel hacking with credit cards is probably not for you. That’s because the interest rates on these credit cards are generally high and will negate any rewards you earn. If you’re not confident you can pay off your balances, you’re better off skipping these credit cards and using alternate methods to earn points and miles .

Use shopping portals

Shopping portals are the way to go if you want to further maximize your points and miles earnings. Nearly every major loyalty program has a shopping portal you can earn rewards with, whether it’s your card issuer or your airline of choice. You’ll earn at least one extra point per dollar spent, plus the points from your credit card.

You can even more easily ensure you’re earning the most points possible with a shopping portal aggregator like Cashback Monitor . Type the name of an online merchant, and you’ll get a list of shopping portals alongside their earn rates.

Many shopping portals also offer spend-based bonuses around the holidays and right before the school year starts. These can be pretty lucrative and help you reach your travel goals faster.

Sign up for dining rewards

Dining reward programs are similar to shopping portals in that they require minimal effort to earn extra points. You can join one of seven airline and three hotel-affiliated dining programs to earn up to 8 additional points per dollar spent, including:

  • Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Dining
  • American Airlines AAdvantage Dining
  • Choice Hotels Eat & Earn
  • Delta SkyMiles Dining
  • Hilton Honors Dining
  • IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn
  • JetBlue TrueBlue Dining
  • Spirit Airlines Free Spirit Dining
  • Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Dining
  • United Airlines MileagePlus Dining

These programs can even offer first-dine bonuses and extra points when you write reviews or meet certain spending thresholds every year.

You can join all of these programs, but since they’re all part of the same network, you can’t register the same credit card with more than one program at a time. That shouldn’t be too challenging, even if you only have one credit card. Simply register your card with the program of your choice, earn the first-dine bonus and repeat with the other nine programs until you’ve earned them all. Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns bonus points on dining to maximize your earnings.

Get creative with earning rewards

Once you’ve gotten into the habit of maximizing your everyday purchases, it’s time to get creative. What else can you charge to your credit card while still maintaining a balance that you know you can pay off at the end of the month? I once convinced my boss to let me pay a $35,000 supplier invoice with my credit card. I’ve earned thousands of points on rent and mortgage payments through Plastiq . I’ve also used retail arbitrage to flip dresses worn by Kate Middleton and earn spending requirements.

Think outside the box and you could be well on your way to discovering new ways to boost your points.

What are the best travel hacks?

There are countless travel hacks out there, and the best ones are top secret (for good reason). But if you’re just getting started and want to keep things simple, here are the most valuable hacks to know:

Card sign-up bonuses

Credit card sign-up bonuses are by far the best way to get a lot of points within a short time frame. You may even piece together a luxury vacation by strategically applying for credit cards .

Just make sure you’re aware of any issuer rules that take into account how many cards you’ve applied for in the past. You should also be careful when applying to more than one card in a short time frame. Not only will you need to spend even greater amounts to get more than one bonus, but you can hurt your credit score and make yourself look risky to potential lenders.

Double (and triple) dipping

Double- or triple-dipping is one of the best travel hacks out there. Stacking travel hacking methods can help you earn significantly more miles. For example, let’s say you’re in the middle of a home renovation project — you’ve got expenses, and they’re big. If you can do some shopping online for your project, you can double-dip by earning rewards on your credit card and through an online shopping portal.

If you happen to have an Amex card, you could triple dip by taking advantage of Amex Offers . I’ve managed to do this for large expenses like travel bookings and furniture purchases. Before you buy, think about all the possible ways to earn points and find opportunities to combine them.

Mistake fares

There’s more to travel hacking than just earning and redeeming points. One of my favorite ways to hack travel is through mistake fares. Sometimes airlines mess up and publish fares well below market value. I’m talking about a $450 round-trip business class ticket to Shanghai or a $120 economy class ticket to Abu Dhabi. Over the years, there have been dozens of great mistake fares that travel hackers have taken advantage of.

In most cases, airlines have honored these mistake fares, which has been great for savvy travel hackers who managed to book them. Just know that you may need very flexible travel plans and dates to take advantage. A great way to stay on top of mistake fares is to sign up for alerts with Airfarewatchdog and The Flight Deal . These sites parse the web for amazing deals and share them on social media and their websites when they come around.

Maximizing award redemptions

When you’re ready to book that dream vacation you’ve been saving for, there are three types of awards you should look into: Sweet spots , off-peak award charts and award sales. Sweet spots, in particular, can help you save significantly on award flights.

Many airlines and hotel chains offer peak and off-peak award pricing. By being flexible with your travel dates, you can stretch your hard-earned points further.

How can I travel for free?

Despite what travel influencers like to put into their photo captains, there’s no such thing as free travel. You will almost always pay a fee to earn or redeem points. Whether it’s your credit card annual fee, award flight taxes or resort fees , there will always be costs.

But by leveraging credit cards, points and loyalty programs, you can book incredible travel experiences at a fraction of the cost.

The bottom line

Travel hacking can allow you to travel further and in bigger ways than booking with cash. From hotel, airline and transferable points currencies, you can travel for little to no relative cost by using credit cards to pay for your everyday expenses.

If you’re thinking about opening a travel rewards credit card, keep in mind your travel goals, the card’s sign-up bonus and benefits and how you plan to redeem the rewards you earn. From there, you can try more advanced methods of earning points such as through shopping portals or dining programs.

Don’t forget the responsibility that comes with credit card usage. Travel credit cards have higher interest rates, so be sure to pay your card off in full each month as often as you can.

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Speculative Travel Hedging

Do this now : Book any speculative AA and Hyatt awards today for any potential travel in the next year.

Why? Both Hyatt and AA are expected to make major award price changes over the next few days.

1. Hyatt is going to introduce peak and off-peak pricing for hotel award bookings sometime in mid-October for stays in March 2022 and beyond, and last I checked October 14 probably counts as sometime in mid-October. The new chart can be found here . I’d book absolutely every hotel stay with Hyatt that you may possibly take next year, assuming your point balances allow it. If the price goes up you’ll be locked in at the old rate, and if it goes down you can get the lower price and the difference in points back, so the downsides are minimal.

2. AA is going to devalue AAdvantage mileage awards really soon, according to twitter personality JonNYC who has inside sources and is almost always correct. As a result, I’d book any business/first class international awards that you may possibly take in the next 330 days right now. If the trip or timing doesn’t work, you can always cancel the trip and redeposit the miles with no fee under current AA policies, but if you end up taking the trip you’ll be locked in at the current prices.

Remember when Citi added AA as a temporary transfer partner for ThankYou Points in July? It brings me absolutely no pleasure to report this, but the prediction that AA would devalue soon as a result of this partnership seems to be correct. I’d say that the US dollar would be good hedge against AA devaluation, but that seems to be undergoing a major devaluation of its own . I guess it’s time to hedge with pumpkin futures, just remember to sell them before Halloween.

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Ricky Zhang

All About the Refundable Hotel Trick

Earning points at an advanced level is all about drawing upon a wide range of tricks and strategies to help you accomplish your goals, some of which might not be immediately intuitive and/or might require a fair bit of creative thinking. In this post, I wanted to discuss what’s known as the “refundable hotel trick”, which is essentially a way to manipulate your credit card balances in a way that’s helpful in many situations. 

What’s the Refundable Hotel Trick?

When booking a hotel, the cancellation policy can vary from strictly non-refundable, to prepaid but refundable at any time before check-in, to a totally flexible rate that you don’t need to pay until you arrive at the hotel. The second case is particularly interesting, since you can charge the stay to a credit card of your choice and know with 100% certainty that you can get a refund on it at any point before the date of the reservation.

Booking a refundable hotel, with the intention of eventually cancelling it, therefore generates an artificial, temporary travel-related purchase on your credit card which can be used to accomplish a variety of goals, as I’ll discuss below. 

Note that the same thing can be accomplished with any refundable item, such as airfare pr retail goods. However, hotel reservations tend to be the easiest for these purposes, for the following reasons:

It’s pretty easy to generate a charge for the exact amount you require

Unlike airfare, the cancellation policies are relatively straightforward, and a fully-flexible hotel stay is relatively easy to find

Unlike retail goods, a hotel stay is a travel-related purchase, which is a prerequisite for some of the below-illustrated reasons that you might want to use the trick

Note also that if the time between creating the reservation and cancelling it spans a period of multiple months, then you may have to float the money in the meantime by paying off your credit card bill. You will eventually get your money back once you receive the refund, but the money being floated in the meantime may have some opportunity cost associated with it, such as the income it could earn if it were put into investments. So that’s something else to consider.

Now, why on earth would someone want to make dummy reservations at hotels around the world? Well, let’s see…

Meet Minimum Spending Requirements

Some of the credit cards with the best bonuses also tend to have the highest spending requirements in order to attain those bonuses. For example, the American Express Business Gold Card requires you to spend $5,000 in the first three months in order to avail of the welcome bonus of 40,000 MR points. These days, the Business Platinum Card has an even higher spending requirement of $7,000 in the first three months. Even the personal Platinum Card has recently seen its spending requirement raised to $5,000 in the first three months as well.

These spending thresholds can be onerous for many individuals, and you never want to spend money that you wouldn’t otherwise have spent, since that defeats the whole purpose of using points to save money on your travels. Instead, one of the best ways to tackle the spending requirement is to use the refundable hotel trick to buy yourself as much time as you need to achieve the spend organically. 

Here’s what I mean. Say that you’re targeting a spend threshold of $5,000 in three months, and by the two-month mark you find that you’ve only managed to spend $2,000. At this rate, you’re going to fall short of your goal, which would mean missing out on the signup bonus and spurning a precious “hard check” on your credit report.

To avoid that unfavourable outcome, hop on Expedia, find a $3,000 refundable hotel reservation, and charge it to your card. Make sure to look for the “Free Cancellation” remark. To make your life easiest, ensure that the hotel stay is scheduled for a long time from now – say, 11 months in the future. 

As you’re making the reservation, make sure you select “Pay online now” rather than “Pay at the hotel”, since you want to be charged immediately. 

Once that’s all done, you’ve now technically met your $5,000 spending requirement, and you should see your bonus points come through shortly.

Of course, you still need to spend that extra $3,000 before processing the refund of your hotel stay (or else the bonus points that you’ve received will simply be clawed back), but the good news is that instead of being faced with a one-month timeline to spend the remaining $3,000, you now have 11 months! 

Continue spending normally on the card until you’ve reached a point such that refunding the hotel would keep you above $5,000 in total spending. After that, you can safely cancel the hotel reservation, since you know that your total spending won’t dip below $5,000 and thus won’t invalidate your welcome bonus. You then get back the $3,000 you’ve floated and complete the spending requirement on your credit card in a stress-free fashion.

Thanks to the refundable hotel trick, you’re able to apply for the best credit cards on the market without feeling intimidated by the spending requirements. Note that I wouldn’t use this trick to meet the spending on US-issued credit cards, since they’ve specifically added terms and conditions to call it out , but it works pretty well for the cards in the Canadian market. 

Cash Out Travel Credits

Some credit cards provide a “travel credit” as part of their benefits, which can only be applied to travel-related charges, such as airfare, hotels, car rentals, or vacation packages. The best-known example is the American Express Platinum Card and its annual travel credit of $200. Meanwhile, the CIBC Aventura Visa for Business includes a travel credit of $120 as part of its signup offer.

However, not everyone may be able to find a use for these credits. For example, if you travel primarily using points, then it might be rare for you to spend $200 or more on a single travel-related transaction.

Furthermore, most if not all of these travel credits stipulate that they can only be applied to bookings made through the financial institution’s very own travel agency (such as Amex Travel or CIBC Rewards), making it impossible to apply the credits to ancillary charges (such as taxes and fees on award flights) or stuff that the travel agency can’t book through their systems (such as low-cost budget airlines in Europe and Asia).

It’s therefore popular to use the refundable hotel trick to “cash out” these travel credits. This is done by making a dummy hotel reservation and applying the travel credit at the time of booking, and then receiving a refund of the full reservation amount later on. The travel credit has therefore been transformed into a statement credit.

Take the Amex Platinum for example. The annual $200 travel credit is often used to offset the $699 annual fee on the card; moreover, since the travel credit is available every calendar year, you can use it twice within your first membership year and then cancel the card before you get hit with the second year’s annual fee, reducing your net outlay to $299. 

You do this by finding a refundable hotel reservation on the Amex Travel portal that’s worth at least $200. Let’s take the example below, which comes in at $269.54.

Make sure that the cancellation policies say something like “Hotel cancellations made X amount of time prior to check-in are subject to a fee of Y” – the implication being that cancellations made before X are subject to no fee.

At the time of booking, you avail of the option to apply your $200 travel credit, bringing your net charge to $69.54.

And after the charge posts to your account, you call up Amex and request a cancellation, at which point the full $269.54 is refunded to your account. This offsets against the $69.54 charge, meaning you now have a credit balance of $200. Cash in hand.

Use Points for Purchases at a Favourable Ratio

Semi-related to the above, but with points instead of a fixed-value travel credit. There’s lots of credit cards out there with their own proprietary points systems, and the signup bonuses on these cards are often marketed as “$X towards travel”. The Scotiabank Gold American Express , for example, currently offers 15,000 Scotia Rewards points, which can be redeemed at a ratio of 1 cent per point (1cpp) for $150 towards travel purchases of any kind. (Historically, the card offered as much as 35,000 Scotia Rewards points, which was $350 towards travel.)

Note that these points can typically be used for redemptions of merchandise or gift cards, but at an unfavourable ratio. To illustrate this, let’s imagine that you were interested in redeeming your points for a spanking new KitchenAid® 4-Slice Long Slot Toaster with High Lift Lever. As you can see, the Scotia Rewards website indicates that the toaster of your dreams will cost you 20,300 points.

But if you were to go on Amazon, you’d see that the same product can be had for $99, so it really ought to be valued at 9,900 points as a Scotia Rewards redemption, if you were somehow able to use the 1cpp valuation of Scotia Rewards points that travel-related purchases enjoy.

In fact, you can achieve exactly that, by making the purchase on Amazon using your card, applying the refundable hotel trick on a $99 hotel, and thus effectively cashing out 9,900 points for a $99 statement credit that offsets the cost of your toaster.

In general, then, the refundable hotel trick can be employed to use your points for any purchase at the same ratio as the travel-related purchases. Don’t feel “locked in” to redeeming your points on travel just because the program tells you so.

A similar principle can be applied to, say, the Platinum Card or the Cobalt Card . These cards allow you to redeem Membership Rewards points at a ratio of 1cpp for travel purchases and 0.7cpp for all other purchases; with the refundable hotel trick, you can effectively redeem MR points for all purchases at 1cpp (although that’s a sub-optimal way to redeem MR points and you should definitely aim for even better value).

Which Points Programs Work?

Lastly, note that while the trick works pretty well with most programs, there are a few exceptions. Some program might refund the points to your account rather than the full charge, thus leaving you in the same position you started and negating the trick. 

Most anecdotes seem to indicate that TD Rewards and CIBC Aventura are programs that do this. If you were to refund a hotel reservation that was partially booked using points, these programs seem to send the cash portion of your payment back to your account, and the points portion of your payment back to your points balance, thus leaving you right back where you started. The same is true for the travel credit that comes as a benefit on, say, the CIBC Aventura for Business .

Meanwhile, there are data points indicating that the trick works well with Amex and Scotia Rewards. The jury’s still out with RBC Avion and BMO Rewards, so feel free to comment below if you have any data points to contribute.

The refundable hotel trick is useful in many situations that you inevitably face while you’re out there chasing signup bonuses and racking up the points. It allows you to apply for the best cards without hesitating over the minimum spending requirements, and also lets you easily turn your card’s travel credit benefits into cold, hard cash. It’s a great trick to keep handy and ready to be deployed whenever a situation that calls for it arises.

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  • Earn 80,000 MR points upon spending $15,000 in the first three months
  • Plus, earn  40,000 MR points  upon making a purchase in months 14–17 as a cardholder
  • And, earn 1.25x MR points on all purchases
  • Also, receive a $200 annual travel credit
  • Transfer MR points to Aeroplan and other frequent flyer programs for premium flights
  • Unlimited airport lounge access for you and one guest at Priority Pass, Plaza Premium, Centurion, and other lounges
  • Credits and rebates for business expenses throughout the year with Amex Offers
  • Bonus MR points for referring family and friends
  • Qualify for the card as a sole proprietor
  • Annual fee: $799

26 Comments

I also wonder once scene points turn into statement credit via the hotel booking trick, can you request a cheque with the negative balance then? Thank you so much for sharing!

When you do this for the “Use Points for Purchases at a Favourable Ratio” how soon do you cancel your booking for the hotel? I ‘m wondered if I do this too frequently it will flag my account.

Hey how does this work in regards to Monthly Spends, such as spending $500/month on the Cobalt for 12 months. I’ve already hit the $3k spend to get the 20k MR points but now am trying to make future purchases on more lucrative cards [Aeroplan Reserve for the time being 😉 ]. How does it work, does my annual total have to be $500×12=$6000 if I use the hotel trick for a few months here and there or you think that’s too risky?

Hi Ricky, is this trick still applies to AMEX Plat? Haven’t use it yet since the pandemic but my anniversary date is coming up shortly, so want to get the most of the card, thanks.

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Yes, it still works with the $200 annual travel credit.

Refundable hotel trick… what if you transfer points out, and then get your refund… and you fall under your MSR?

If I make a fully refundable hotel booking with the $200 Amex Travel Credit and need to cancel it, can it be done online or do you have to call in?

Does the ‘cash-out’ credit still work for the Platinum card?

As far as I know, yes!

should edit the article to reflect the changes on the travel credit.

I have a questions on the refundable hotel trick. So let’s say I have a credit card with a minimum spend requirement to achieve a bonus. I book a hotel using this method for the minimum spend and then I organically reach the minimum spend over a period of time. When I cancel the hotel at this point and I receive a refund, it will be onto the credit card. So the credit card will be left with a positive balance of the minimum spend requirement. In order to liquidate the refund, I will need to spend the minimum spend requirement again so I will effectively spent double the minimum spend requirement. This is fine if the card has a good earn rate but if I have other cards with better earn rates then I’ll be at a loss. Am I missing something here? I guess you could do a cash withdrawal using the card for the refund amount. You shouldn’t be hit with a cash advance fee given that the card has a positive balance.

Hi, Does the Refundable hotel trick to extend the accumulation window work on most Canadian credit cards. Any known Exceptions?

No exceptions that I know of.

Please be advised that effective January 1, 2019, we are changing the date when your $200 CAD Annual Travel Credit will be renewed. As of January 1, 2019, the $200 CAD Annual Travel Credit will be renewed each year on the anniversary date of your Platinum Card membership and will be available for use for the 12 months following your anniversary date. It will no longer be renewed based on calendar year. If you have not yet used your 2018 Annual Travel Credit, you will still have until December 31, 2018 to use your 2018 credit. Example: If your next Platinum Card membership anniversary date is April 1, 2019, your next $200 Annual Travel Credit will be available for use from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020, and annually thereafter.

Thanks Jon. Yep that’s sad news for sure, although to be fair it was always a pretty obvious loophole that would be plugged sooner or later.

Ricky – Thank you for this article. I am in a very tricky situation at the moment.

I booked a couple of hotels at a destination where ill be traveling next year, not with the intention of meeting minimum card spending requirements, but with the actual intention of coordinating with my friends. I booked these reservations with a premium tier AMEX card.

AMEX has somehow issued a VERY LARGE promotional AMEX MR bonus to my reservation.

Here is where im stuck – i plan on cancelling this card before i travel to this destination. If i cancel this hotel after i have cancelled the card i understand that i will receive a cheque for the refund from AMEX, but how will AMEX claim the points? Will they charge me for it?

I don’t think Amex will try to claim the points if you refund the hotel after the card is cancelled, unless the refund would bring you under the minimum spending threshold (and thus mean that you shouldn’t have gotten the signup bonus). In that case your points might be at risk, so do some extra spending on the card while it’s still open just in case.

Hi Ricky, Great post! Thanks for taking the time to share the knowledge. Question on 3k refund – can you ask for amex to issue a chq refund?

Yes, if your current balance is sitting at a negative amount as a result of a refund, you can get that amount cashed out via cheque.

Thanks very much for this very interesting article. I still have a question pending though… when cancelling the hotel and having the refund processed by Amex, don’t they look at the state of your account let’s say at the end of the 90 days following the approbation and see that the minimum amount spending has not been met?

Otherwise very great trick I might be using in a near future.

Thanks a mil for that

Hey Ricky, could you please give more details in regards to doing the hotel trick with CIBC Aventura program? Thanks

What happens if you were to get AMEX points by using this hack, immediately transfer them to Aeroplan and then cancel the reservation? Could AMEX actually get the points back? Great post!

I definitely don’t recommend doing that, not least because it’d be an easy way to get flagged by Amex for fraudulent behaviour. There are also data points of Amex issuing invoices to customers who have cancelled cards with negative MR points balances on them.

Regarding the $200 annual travel credit with Amex Plat, you can really cancel the reservation as soon as the charge posts? That’d be only a matter of weeks. I’d be worried about clawback.

Yes, it’s possible. While it’s always prudent to wait a while before cancelling, plans do in fact change all the time, so a cancellation soon after booking isn’t unreasonable.

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Travel Hacks That Will Save You Money

16 Min Read | Nov 1, 2023

George Kamel

I travel a lot . Sometimes for work, and sometimes to sweep my wife off her feet with a not-so-surprise vacation. (Hey, it’s hard to hide a weekend getaway when you do a monthly budget together.) And as much as I love meeting new people and seeing new sights, travel can be expensive, exhausting and anxiety-inducing if you don’t do it right.

But if you’ve got the travel bug and you’re gearing up for a trip, I’ve gathered up my best travel hacks for you to make the most of your next adventure. You’ll learn how to travel smarter, travel cheaper, and make long flights more enjoyable. So, keep reading for my trusted travel tips, tricks and hacks to save money, time and stress.

Packing Travel Hacks

Save money on baggage and spare yourself stress when you follow these packing tips.

1. Print a copy of your passport, driver’s license and debit card.

Just in case you lose your most important documents during your travels, keep a printed copy of your passport, driver’s license and debit card in your carry-on (or leave a copy with a trusted family member back home). Bonus hack: Having a digital copy of your ID on your phone can help when you’re in a bind too.

2. Bring a carry-on, not a checked bag.

A great packing hack is to travel light to avoid pesky baggage fees. Most airlines will give you one free carry-on bag along with a personal item (a large purse or backpack). You can save anywhere from $25 to $50 per bag when you take a carry-on. Just check the size restrictions ahead of time for the airline you’re traveling with—they’re all a little different.

3. If you do need to check a bag, you can do it for cheap.

Choose airlines that include free checked bags, like Southwest (which includes two free checked bags that can weigh up to 50 pounds each). If you’re traveling with a spouse or kid, think about sharing one big checked bag. Yeah, you can do that.

4. Use packing cubes to stay organized.

If you haven’t heard of them, packing cubes are nylon bags with zippers you use to organize your clothes in your suitcase. They’re a fantastic tool to make packing easier, and you can get a set on Amazon for about $25. I use these on every trip I take, and it keeps everything super compact and tidy.

5. Use an app to plan your packing list.

Never forget sunscreen, earplugs, sensitivity toothpaste or your mouth guard again. Make your own travel checklist so you don’t forget anything at home, or keep track of your packing list with PackPoint . It’s an app that makes a packing list for you based on the location, dates, weather and activities you want to do during your trip.

Airfare Travel Hacks

When it comes to  buying your flight , you can time your purchase to save lots of money. Here’s how: 

6. Shop for airfare early.

Industry experts recommend booking your ticket anywhere from three and a half months to three weeks out. If you’re going to a super popular or international destination, try to go with the longer lead time.

7. Depart on the cheapest travel days: Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday.

The most expensive days are typically Friday and Sunday. Coming and going on weekends can cost hundreds of dollars more than scheduling your flights for weekdays. If you’ve got some flexibility in your schedule, Tuesday and Wednesday are typically the cheapest days to fly . But if you’ve got to fly on a weekend, Saturday is your best bet.

8. Choose cheaper places to travel .

There are plenty of amazing cities and countries to visit that aren’t the top tourist attractions. Why not explore a smaller city or somewhere off the beaten path for a unique (and affordable) travel experience?  

9. Use a travel app.

I love using all the different apps and websites out there that are designed to help save me money. In fact, I have over 200 apps on my iPhone right now. Do I use them all? No. But before you judge me, do you wear all the clothes in your closet? I didn’t think so.

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Here are some of my favorite sites and apps to help you find a great deal on airfare:

  • Skyscanner  
  • Google Flights  
  • Scott’s Cheap Flights  
  • Hopper  

Don’t miss out on the great deals that can be found online and in travel apps.

10. Ask for a free upgrade.

Ask the ticket agent nicely if there are any seats available that are better than the one you have, and you might just get a free upgrade. You never know unless you ask!

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Airport Travel Hacks

Between the people-watching, flight delays and entertaining ticket agents, hanging out at the airport can be its own adventure. Here are a few ways to make the most of your time at the airport.

11. Call the airline instead of waiting in line to rebook canceled flights.

If your flight gets canceled while you’re at the airport, call the customer service line. They can help you immediately instead of you standing in line forever. You can also call while standing in line in case one is faster than the other.

12. Bring your own mobile charger.

Rumor has it, some USB ports in the airport can be infected with malware, and you don’t want to risk identity theft . A mobile charging port is a lifesaver, and you can use it on the plane to keep your downloaded movie marathon going. I always put mine on my travel checklist and charge it up before a trip.

13. Don’t listen to music when you’re waiting at the gate.

I know it can be super boring to listen to nothing—especially when you get to the airport two hours before your flight like any savvy traveler. But if you’re plugged into your devices, you could miss important announcements about your flight, like delays or gate changes.

14. Head to the security lines on the left.

For some psychological reason, people typically turn to the right when it’s their turn to enter the security gates. Make a beeline for the left—that’s usually where the faster lines are. You’re welcome.

Travel Hacks to Save Money

Travel doesn’t have to be stressful when you’re prepared. Here are some ways you can travel smarter and keep the chaos at bay.

15. Don’t exchange money at the airport.

If you need to change currency because you’re traveling overseas, don’t do it at the airport—it’s one of the most expensive ways to trade U.S. dollars for foreign money. Instead, order currency at your bank or credit union. Alternatively, you can use a debit card that has no foreign transaction fees or ATM fees.

16. Take advantage of special occasions for special perks.

Celebrating a birthday or anniversary? Tell the world! Or at least the hotel staff. You might be gifted a surprise upgrade to your hotel room or get a fun perk, like a bottle of champagne or chocolate covered strawberries in your room when you check in.

17. Call your debit card company to authorize use for foreign travel.

To avoid a hold being put on your debit card when you try to buy margaritas in Mexico, call your bank or visit the website to authorize foreign travel transactions before you travel. Just don’t forget to notify the bank when you get home.

18. Travel during “shoulder season” to get lower rates.

The shoulder season is typically April through mid-June and September through October in most areas of the world. You’ll get decent weather, fewer crowds and enough daylight to still enjoy tourist activities. And the good news is travel rates will generally be lower during this time.

19. Book tours and local experiences through Airbnb.

Airbnb experiences are in-person or online activities hosted by local experts. Guests can get a feel for their host’s daily life with outdoor activities, cultural events, cooking classes, sight-seeing tours and more.

20. Bring your own reusable water bottle.

This is one of my favorite travel hacks: Pack your own reusable water bottle . You can carry it into the airport (empty, of course) and fill it up at a water fountain or tip an airport bartender to fill it. Voila! You just saved about $8 on a bottle of water. And you can keep refilling it throughout your trip to cut back on paying for more water bottles (unless you’re traveling somewhere where you definitely don’t want to be drinking the water).

Hacks to Make Travel Easier

I know traveling can be a hassle. There are so many details to take care of. But with these tips, you have a good chance of smooth sailing and traveling easier.

21. Get TSA PreCheck.

Lines aren’t my favorite, especially at airport security. That’s why I signed up for TSA PreCheck . For about $78, I can skip the long security lines for five years—and zip through a faster, easier security screening to get on my merry way. I highly recommend. It’s worth it just to never be barefoot on that filthy airport floor ever again.

22. Download Google Maps offline.

When you’re in a new city, you don’t want to be standing on the street corner fiddling around with your map app and no Wi-Fi or a folded paper map that sticks out like a sore thumb. Instead, download Google Maps offline so you can reference the locations you need without an internet connection and without drawing attention to yourself. In the Google Maps app, search the city or town, then swipe left and click the Download button.

23. Get a city travel card or transport pass for a discount on attractions and transportation.

Many cities offer a culture pass that gives you access to multiple museums and attractions for a fraction of the cost of individual tickets. Check with the tourism department for rates and included attractions.

24. Weigh your bags before you get to the airport.

Don’t wait until you get to the check-in counter to discover that your blow dryer, snow boots, mini waffle iron and croquet set put your bag over the weight limit. (Where on earth are you going that you need snow boots and a croquet set anyway?) Instead, order a luggage scale for about $10 on Amazon. If you don’t have a luggage scale, here’s a pro tip: Get on your bathroom scale at home with and without the checked bag, then do the math to make sure it’s under the weight limit. There are few things worse than frantically unzipping your checked bag at the airport and trying to get rid of stuff because your bag is overweight. So cut out the extra weight before you get to the airport—otherwise it’ll cost you.

Travel Hacks to Make Long Flights More Enjoyable

Try these travel hacks to make your long-haul flights more comfortable and fun.

25. Sleep tight with noise-canceling headphones and an eye mask.

When I’m on a long flight, I use noise-canceling headphones (AirPods Pro for me) and an eye mask so I can block out the glow of my seatmate’s iPad and drift off to sleep. These are must-haves for any long flight.

26. Bring a moisturizer or face mask for the plane.

Airplane air is dry—even more dry than British humor or a London gin. To keep this baby-soft skin feeling fresh, I bring a travel moisturizer in my carry-on. That way I can keep that epidermis hydrated pre-, mid- and post-flight. I’ve even seen some people go all out with one of those moisturizing face masks with the eyes and mouth cut out. Not the kind of mask I think about on a plane, but if it makes you feel dewy and fresh, who am I to judge? Treat yo’ self.

27. Download movies and podcasts on your phone or iPad.

Unless you want to be stuck watching B-rated movies from the in-flight entertainment menu, bring your Netflix queue with you. You can download your favorite shows and movies to your device before your flight. Just make sure to do it over Wi-Fi before you leave the house so you don’t use a whole bunch of cellular data. (And because I have trust issues with airport Wi-Fi.)

28. Bring a travel pillow and blanket or scarf.

Unless you’re flying business class, you’ll want to bring a few items to make your long flight cozier and more comfortable. I like to bring a neck pillow (mine’s inflatable because I’m extra ), and my wife always wears a scarf or jacket that can double as a pillow or a blanket to stay warm.

29. Splurge on the in-flight internet.

To me, a long-haul flight is anything over five hours. And if I’m crossing an ocean, that definitely counts. In which case, you bet I’m going to budget for internet access to check some emails, research my destination, and post a travel blog (kidding—I’ll leave that task to the fancy travel influencers).

30. Pack snacks.

Ladies and gents, if you want to make a long flight more enjoyable, buy your own snacks before you head to the airport. You’ll save money (nothing makes me rage like airport snack prices), and your snacks will probably taste better and be healthier than the chips and crackers the flight attendants pass out on the plane.

Lodging Travel Hacks

When you travel, you’ve got to stay somewhere, obviously. And let’s be honest, staying with family is nice (and cheap), but sometimes you need to have your own space. But I don’t want you to stay in a dump just to save money . . .

31. Find hotel deals online.

I want you to stay at a nice hotel but get a great deal on it. I like to start with  Hotels.com  to see what’s out there and check out the reviews. They’ve got a great app as well.  Trip Advisor  is also a great place to read reviews.

Once I’ve done my hotel research, I go to the hotel’s website so I can compare rates to make sure I’ve got a good deal. Another trick is to call the hotel and see if they’ll compete with and negotiate against the rates you’ve found online. (They’re usually happy to match prices you find online to get you to book directly with them.)

If you want to get an even better deal, check out Priceline’s Express Deals or Hotwire’s Hot Rates to get a cheaper price on a hotel within your preferred star-rating range—the only catch is you won’t know exactly what hotel you’re staying at until you book it. (Life hack: You can use Google Images to search the sample photo and easily figure out which hotel you’d be booking.) The key here is flexibility—the more flexible you are, the better deal you’ll be able to find. I also like to check out the HotelTonight app for last-minute hotel deals.

32. Stay in a house.

Another great option is to live like a local through sites like  Airbnb  and  Vrbo . Both Airbnb and Vrbo have options to book places entirely to yourself. And these places actually feel more like home—because they really are someone’s home.

Just read the specific rules for each location and pay attention to the extra fees (like cleaning fees) so you stay within your budget.

33. Rent a private room in a hostel or Airbnb.

If you’re a grown adult reading this, I’m not suggesting you relive your college backpacking days by renting a $12 bunk in a dorm with seven strangers. (Hey, if that’s your thing, no one’s stopping you.) But if you want to save money and get that cultural experience, some hostels and Airbnbs rent private rooms that are cheaper than hotel rooms.

Transportation Travel Hacks

Transportation is another great area to find some deals. Here are my best travel hacks for transportation at your destination:

34. Save money with public transportation.

If you’re going to a big city, consider saving money on transportation with public transport. I grew up in the Boston area, so I’m comfortable taking subways, trains and busses. They help you catch the vibe of a city. And bonus: It’s always cheaper than renting a car or Ubering around.

35. Find deals on rental cars.

If you need to rent a car, there are still some great ways to save money. One of my favorites is to use  Costco Travel .

Always do your research and shop around when getting a rental car (and pay attention to costs like rental car insurance ). Note: Some rental car companies can make it difficult to rent with a debit card. Always do your due diligence and research on the debit card policy for the specific company you’re booking through. Some require extra documentation or an extra deposit or hold.

Another budget- and debit-friendly option for renting a car is using the Turo app . Turo is a peer-to-peer car-sharing company that allows car owners to make extra cash by renting out their vehicles to travelers like you. It’s like Airbnb but for cars.

36. Take advantage of ride sharing.

I’d rather have someone else drive me around a big city so I can enjoy the sights, sounds and surroundings. Both Uber and Lyft have apps where you can pull up your location and ask for a ride to your destination. Within a few minutes, you’re on the road to wherever you want to go. Pro tip here: I always check both apps and see which one has a cheaper ride in the moment.

37. Explore all-inclusive packages.

One of the coolest travel trends is an all-inclusive vacation package that literally includes  everything  you need:

  • Room service
  • Entertainment
  • Transportation/shuttles

Personally, I start by finding a great deal online through sites like  Kayak or  Expedia . Then, I’ll check the resort website to see how their rates compare, and even call the resort directly. There’s so much competition out there right now that the resort may offer you a better deal if you contact them. Tell them the deal you’re looking at online and the price it’s offered for—and then  ask if they can do better . Many times, you’ll get a better price or extra perks if you put in a few minutes and a little bit of effort. The resort staff are always very helpful, and they’re willing to go above and beyond to earn your business.

Plan for What Matters With a Travel Budget

I’ve said it a couple times: Being intentional and doing some research will help you save money. Before you hit the road , fly the friendly skies, camp in the backcountry, or do a little glamping, plan your budget. That way, you can save money and have a sweet, memorable vacation with no FOMO. No regrets. And no debt. My favorite tool to use is the EveryDollar budgeting app, and you can try it out for free!

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George Kamel

About the author

George Kamel

George Kamel is a personal finance expert, certified financial coach through Ramsey Financial Coach Master Training, and nationally syndicated columnist. George has served at Ramsey Solutions since 2013, where he speaks, writes and teaches on personal finance, investing, budgeting, insurance and how to avoid consumer traps. He co-hosts The Ramsey Show, the second-largest talk show in the nation. He also hosts The EntreLeadership Podcast and The Fine Print podcast, which has over one million downloads. You can find George’s financial expertise featured in the U.S. Sun, Daily Mail and NewsNation. Learn More.

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How to Save Money on Transportation

Most people think saving money on transportation means jumping through complicated technical hoops. The truth is, it’s much easier than that. Keep reading for simple tricks and tips.

Is Travel Insurance Worth It? Evaluating the Value and Benefits

Our experts answer readers' insurance questions and write unbiased product reviews ( here's how we assess insurance products ). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners ; however, our opinions are our own.

  • Travel insurance covers risks like trip cancellations, health emergencies, and lost luggage.
  • Travel insurance costs can range from 4% to 12% of your total trip cost.
  • Travel insurance is best for trips that are long, expensive, nonrefundable, and international.

Vacations can be very expensive. If you're paying a lot for yours, you might wonder if you should purchase travel insurance, especially when some costs are nonrefundable.

The answer isn't always cut-and-dried. Travel insurance isn't necessary for everyone. Whether you need it will depend on a variety of factors. Here are some key points to consider when deciding if travel insurance suits you.

Introduction to travel insurance

When planning a trip, it's essential to think about how you'll protect yourself from the unexpected. That's where travel insurance comes in. It can cover various risks like loss of personal belongings, checked baggage, and more. With the appropriate coverage, you can nullify or mitigate the potential losses. "Plain and simple, travel insurance is a layer of protection against financial loss," says Brad Cummins, owner and principal agent for Insurance Geek , an insurance comparison platform. "Whether it be lost luggage or a lost passport, travel insurance will cover the extra costs during these unfortunate events."

Benefits of travel insurance

Protection against unforeseen cancellation.

One of the top reasons to acquire travel insurance is to cover potential losses from trip cancellations. When canceling a trip due to a covered cause, travel insurance will reimburse you for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses. 

Some covered causes for travel cancellations include:

  • Sickness, injury, or death of traveler or family member of traveler
  • Inclement weather
  • Unexpected work or layoffs
  • Terrorist incidents in a travel location

Some travel insurance covers trip cancellations regardless of the reason. However, you make certain trade-offs when you enroll in a  "Cancel for Any Reason" (CFAR) insurance policy . These policies are more expensive and may only refund a percentage of your trip's cost. You can find our guide on the best CFAR travel insurance  here.

Financial security and peace of mind

While your travel insurance covers any unforeseen issues before your trip, it continues to cover you even after your flight has taken off.

For example, you don't have to be as anxious at baggage claim when your fellow passengers have claimed their luggage and yours hasn't come out yet. Travel insurance offers lost luggage protection and can cover any necessary purchases while you wait for your late luggage to arrive, such as toiletries and a change of clothes.

Medical coverage on travel insurance  can also offer peace of mind as most US health insurers don't provide coverage when you're abroad. A comprehensive travel insurance plan will cover you in an unexpected accident or emergency so you can seek medical attention for an injury sustained while traveling without worrying about mounting medical bills.

Evaluating the cost of travel insurance

The average cost of travel insurance is 5%-6% of your total trip cost. However, the exact cost will vary based on factors such as your age, travel destination, and where you live, and can be as little as 4% of your trip cost or as high as 12% of your trip cost.

If you're wondering whether travel insurance is worth it, you're not alone. There are a few things to consider. If an emergency arises on your trip, travel insurance can reimburse part or all of your vacation expenditure. However, this will depend on factors such as your trip type and whether it's refundable.

Cost vs. potential savings

In general, travel insurance is worth it if you're concerned about losing money if your trip is called off or delayed or if you're worried about medical bills while traveling. However, conducting thorough research and understanding the costs and coverage provided is critical before purchasing a policy.

For example, older travelers or those with pre-existing medical conditions may pay more for their insurance. Similarly, those traveling to high-risk destinations or participating in high-risk activities may also face higher premiums. 

Ultimately, it's important to shop around and compare quotes from different travel insurance companies to find the best coverage and rate for your needs. You can find our picks for the best travel insurance companies here. 

Cost-benefit analysis for different trip types

Travel insurance may be a wise investment if you've already paid for your and can't change or cancel your trip without penalty. Suppose your trip is canceled or disrupted due to a covered cause. In that case, travel insurance will cover the trip's cost and any other nonrefundable expenditures up to a pre-determined amount.

If you're heading to a country where your health coverage doesn't apply, or if you don't have any health insurance at all, travel insurance might provide the protection you need. Travel insurance can also assist you in case of medical emergencies. It's vital to understand that not all travel insurance policies are created equal. Be sure to carefully study the details and understand what is and isn't covered before purchasing one.

Scenarios where travel insurance is essential

Expensive vacations and long-term travel.

It's a good idea to insure trips with a high, nonrefundable price tag because you'll never forgive yourself if your expensive, once-in-a-lifetime trip gets canceled and your money and planning go down the drain. For these vacations, you'll want to find a policy that covers 100% of expenses.

Similarly, if you have long-term travel plans, you'll want to have a policy that protects against travel interruption in case something cuts your plans short. You'll also want medical coverage during extended stay outside the country.

High-risk destinations and activities

High-risk destinations include regions facing political instability, war zones, and areas prone to natural disasters. Travelers headed to these areas should look into travel insurance in case their trip is canceled due to an unforeseen event. 

Additionally, certain areas are known for the thrilling activities they offer, like skydiving and bungee jumping. If you have extreme sports on your itinerary or believe you might build up the courage to plunge down a canyon, you may want to invest in a travel insurance policy. Keep in mind that some travel insurance policies don't cover high-risk activities, so shop carefully.

When travel insurance may not be necessary

Low-risk, short, or domestic trips.

There are also some situations in which you might not need travel insurance. If you are traveling within the US, you do not need travel insurance for health reasons since most health insurance plans will cover you even if you're not in your home state. 

Additionally, travel insurance may not be necessary if you're only traveling over the weekend or exclusively booked refundable experiences.

Making an informed decision

There are a few key considerations when buying a travel insurance policy. The cost of the policy is one factor, but it's also important to look at the coverage limits and what is included and excluded in the policy. Be sure to read the fine print carefully and compare policies between different companies. 

It's also important to consider the purpose of your travel insurance policy. If you're going on a trip where you'll be doing adventurous activities, ensure your policy covers those activities. Finally, remember that travel insurance is there to protect you in case something goes wrong on your trip, so don't hesitate to use it if you need to.

If you decide that you need travel insurance, here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for a policy:

  • Read the fine print of any policy you are considering to understand what is and is not covered. This is especially important for those who want to add special coverage options. 
  • Compare policies from different providers to find the best coverage at the best price.
  • Purchase your policy well in advance of your trip so that you are covered in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
  • Ensure you're covered for pre-existing conditions because a number of policies will exclude pre-existing conditions if you don't pay extra for a waiver or additional coverage. 

Buying travel insurance can be a pretty quick and painless process, thanks to insurance aggregator sites like SquareMouth .

Using SquareMouth is one of the easiest ways to see multiple coverage options simultaneously. Once you've entered some personal details and information regarding your trip, you'll see a variety of insurance providers and plans from which to choose.

Assessing personal and trip risks

The first consideration you should factor into travel insurance is how much of your trip is already paid for. If you've prepaid for most or all of your travel expenses, you may want to purchase travel insurance if you have to cancel.

Another thing to consider is where you will be traveling. If you are visiting multiple countries, getting insurance that covers you in all of them might be a good idea.

Your age and overall health can also determine whether you need travel insurance. Suppose you are older or have pre-existing medical conditions, for example. In that case, it might be a good idea to purchase travel insurance if you need to cancel your trip or incur unexpected medical expenses.

Lastly, the value of your luggage can also be a factor to consider. If you plan to bring expensive items with you on your trip, it might be worth purchasing travel insurance to cover lost or stolen luggage.

Reviewing policy options and exclusions

When it comes to travel insurance, the ease of use will depend on the provider you choose. If you're working with a reputable insurer, then the process should be relatively straightforward. However, it's still important to understand what is and isn't included in your policy before you purchase it. This way, you can be sure that you're getting the coverage you need and that you won't be caught off guard by any fine print.

Travel insurance isn't necessary for everyone or every trip. But it can bring a lot of peace of mind during your travels and can certainly translate into significant savings if you're faced with a medical emergency while on your trip. It's best to do your research, compare plans, and understand your own level of risk when it comes to deciding whether or not to purchase coverage.

Travel insurance frequently asked questions

Travel insurance is highly recommended for trips that are long and expensive. For example, you should buy travel insurance for any international trips, cruises, adventure travels, and trips with significant pre-paid expenses.

To say that travel insurance will save you money in the long run isn't entirely accurate. Travel insurance will save you money when things go wrong, but it won't save you any money if your trip goes smoothly.

Short domestic trips don't necessitate travel insurance. Most health insurance policies cover you from state to state, so unless you're worried about unexpected cancellations, travel insurance isn't a must-have.

Travel insurance policies commonly exclude coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, extreme sports injuries, and travel to high-risk countries.

Cost-benefit considerations should include the total cost of your trip, the refundability of your expenses, your destination's healthcare costs, and your personal health and travel risks.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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' class=

Has anyone used Just Get Out of Town? I am signed up for their free alerts, but they offer a premium service. I haven't been able to find any reviews for them that are not on their facebook page.

182 replies to this topic

Yes - you have to book through another party. JGOOT just alerts you to the deals. You can't book through them.

I am interested in feedback on whether the premium membership is worth it.

travel hedging reviews

It’s really hard to know if it’s worth it without knowing the price.

I would have zero use for such a service, but many more might have different needs.

Rather than going somewhere, I plan my trips, for both business, and pleasure.

I hope this group (never heard of them), is legit, but have my doubts.

Still, others need someone else to tell them where to go, such as the TA Influencers, who tout taking “daddy’s smallest yacht,” for 100 of their closest friends, and going to a secluded, private island. Or taking one of their jets, to party somewhere, that the unwashed could never go.

Best of luck,

IrishFan #3,

Yes, “worth” is so very personal.

What is “worth it” to me, might seem crazy to another.

The cost is $249 for a lifetime membership.

By ‘worth it’ I meant has anyone used the premium membership and actually saved money where the membership pays for itself and then some.

travel hedging reviews

“The cost is $249 for a lifetime membership”

==============

And a “lifetime membership” to boot. Wow. Is that your lifetime or the lifetime of this combo who could go out of business this year or next, or just decide to shut up shop next week and pocket your money? Kerchingg for them, 250 bucks down the drain for you

Don’t touch them with a bargepole. The only live and genuine fare alerts are from the airlines themselves. It takes just a few minutes to sign up to offers directly with the airlines .

I looked at the website: justgetoutoftown.com

This website links up to: justgetoutoftown.com

The latter was registered in May 2019.

Here are the details of the registrant:

http://whois.domaintools.com/justgetoutoftown.net

http://whois.domaintools.com/justgetoutoftown.com

This is the registered address: https://www.berkshirehathawayhs.com/homes-for-sale/6286-Ellingwood-Point-Way-Castle-Rock-CO-80108-179060008

The website is more of a blog with all type of advice ranging ffrom houses, travelling to scuba diving.

The travel tips are very basic, to say the least: https://justgetoutoftown.com/blog/category/travel-tips/

Would I give them my money? Not based on what I have seen.

The saying that begins "A fool and his money ..." comes to mind.

Thank you for the research. This helps explain why unbiased reviews are not out there yet.

I will stay will my free service at this point.

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Travel Hedging 101: How to Protect Yourself from Risks and Emergencies

By knbbs-sharer.

travel hedging reviews

Introduction

Are you planning a trip soon? As exciting as it may sound, travelling can pose certain risks and uncertainties. From flight cancellations to lost passports, emergencies can happen at any moment, turning your dream vacation into a nightmare. That’s where travel hedging comes into play. In this blog, we’ll take you through the basics of travel hedging and how you can protect yourself from potential losses.

What is Travel Hedging?

Travel hedging is the practice of mitigating potential financial losses that may arise during a trip. Simply put, it’s all about avoiding or minimizing the impact of risk and uncertainty associated with travel. While it’s impossible to predict every possible mishap, having a safety net in place can help you stay calm and avoid financial troubles.

Types of Travel Hedging

There are several ways you can hedge your travel risks. Here are some of the most common methods:

  • Travel Insurance: This is the most widely used form of hedging in the travel industry. Travel insurance usually covers medical expenses, trip cancellations, lost baggage, and other unforeseen circumstances that may arise during a trip. While it may seem like an added expense, the cost of not having travel insurance can be much higher.
  • Credit Card Protection: Depending on your credit card, you may be eligible for travel protections such as trip cancellation/interruption coverage, rental car insurance, and baggage protection. Contact your card provider to understand the details of their programs.
  • Traveler’s Checks: Traveler’s checks are pre-printed checks that can be used as cash. They are safer alternatives to carrying large amounts of cash or credit cards, especially in areas with high instances of theft or fraud.

Factors to Consider When Hedging

While hedging can offer protection, not all forms of hedging are right for everyone. Here are some factors to consider before deciding how to hedge your travel risks:

  • Budget: Different hedging methods come with different costs. Be sure to consider your budget when choosing which option is best for you.
  • Travel Destination: Some travel destinations come with higher risks of medical emergencies, political unrest, or natural disasters compared to others. Research your destination to understand the risks associated with it.
  • Travel Duration: The length of your trip can also influence your decision on hedging. Longer trips may require more protection compared to shorter trips.

By hedging your travel risks, you can avoid undue stress and financial loss during your trip. Be sure to research your destination, budget, and trip duration and choose the right hedging method to suit your needs. Remember – it’s always better to be safe than sorry!

(Note: Do you have knowledge or insights to share? Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.)

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Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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Best travel consultant around

I cannot recommend Sarah from hedge travel enough ! We have just gone on our third trip that she has arranged, organised and booked for us and she gets it spot on each and every time down to the finest detail. She always gets us a good price and meets all my demanding needs 🙈, I would never book another holiday without her !!!

Date of experience : February 08, 2024

Reply from Hedge Travel

Thank you so much Rachael, it was a pleasure planning this for you and I can't wait to help on the next one! xx

Incredible Family Holidays thanks to Hedge Travel

I have booked several family holidays with Hedge Travel thanks to Sarah and her incredible ability to really listen to what you want and find amazing options for you within your budget. Sarah is so lovely to work with and has found us several really enjoyable family holidays, where as parents we have felt relaxed and enjoyed it as much as our toddler. Sarah always goes above and beyond even after you’ve booked. Last year my son ended up in hospital the day before we were due to fly and Sarah helped us so much, looking at alternative flights in case we couldn’t travel and various other options. We have enjoyed every holiday Sarah has found for us and Hedge Travel pricing is very competitive, we recommend Sarah and Hedge Travel to anyone looking to book a holiday.

Date of experience : August 08, 2023

Thank you so much Beth! I have loved booking your holidays and hearing all about them when you return! xx

She listens to every single word!

Amazing job, as always! After using Sarah a few times, we wanted to arrange an amazing long haul holiday with my mum. We ended up booking in Mauritius with one of Sarah's recommendations and had the most amazing time. I honestly do not know what to say about the hotel other than wow! It was absolutely spectacular. Sarah knows what she is doing, she does it with care and attention, she listens to every single detail and takes note. If you are hesitating in using her services, don't! We have used her a few times and continue to do so. Thank you Sarah.

Date of experience : November 14, 2023

Thank you so much Mandi! It was a pleasure booking this holiday for you all! So glad you had the best time xxx

Sarah is amazing..........

Sarah is absolutely amazing shen it comes to organising holidays that are within your budget and tailored for you. I've been on two holidays now, one to Lanzarote for a friends 50th and Disneyland Paris for my daughters 30th as a surprise. I gave Sarah information and within a day she had come back with a couple of choices. Would always go to her first as it made my life easier. Thank you!

Date of experience : August 23, 2023

Fabulous ‘bucket list’ trip

We wanted a 6 week ‘bucket list’ tour of SE Asia taking in Singapore, New Zealand, Vietnam and Thailand. After many positive experiences in the past we again used Sarah Heduan as our personal travel consultant. Sarah listened carefully to what we wanted and put together a fabulous package covering all travel logistics, hotels and excursions. The pick up and drop off from the airports was seamless throughout the trip. The hotels were all stunning and the excursions (including a 3 day cruise of Halong Bay, a Vespa tour of Saigon at night and a visit to the beautiful Milford Soundto name just a few) were exhilarating. Thanks to Sarah’s expertise and professionalism we enjoyed every minute of what was truly the trip of a lifetime. We couldn’t recommend highly enough - a gold standard service from start to finish

Date of experience : December 12, 2023

Holiday booking made so easy!

Booking with Sarah is always so easy! I couldn’t recommend it enough! Sarah is always so helpful and informative (providing information we wouldn’t necessarily know i.e. room locations etc) and makes booking a holiday so easy and stress free! 100% recommend! Thank you Sarah! X

Date of experience : November 03, 2023

Sarah helped book a 60th birthday…

Sarah helped book a 60th birthday family holiday to Rhodes which was amazing. She was such a great help throughout the process. Everything was super clear in terms of what we were booking, flights, transport, hotel and we arrived with such ease that meant we could focus on our holiday. Will definitely be booking with her again

Date of experience : September 14, 2023

Perfect Honeymoon Touches

Sarah helped us create the exact honeymoon experience in Thailand we were looking for. There were special touches at every stop, and great upgrades which made our trip extra special. Sarah is great to work with, she really listens to what you want and gives you great options to choose from (and advice based on her own knowledge and experiences). We’ve already booked a trip to Rhodes in September through Sarah and looking for a return to Thailand next year.

Date of experience : March 17, 2023

Thank you Nick! Loved planning this for you and so glad you had such a good time you have re-booked to go back to Thailand next year! I look forward to booking more holidays for you very soon!

Fantastic Honeymoon :)

Sarah has helped us tremendously. We were unsure where to go on our honeymoon and Sarah provided us with great support and we ended up having a fantastic honeymoon in Mexico. We highly recommend booking your next trip through Sarah and will definitely be booking future trips with her. Many thanks again.

Date of experience : March 27, 2023

Thank you Joel! So glad you managed to get the perfect honeymoon after all! I look forward to booking more holidays for you very soon!

Brilliant honeymoon experience!

Thank you Sarah! We recently booked and travelled on our honeymoon through Hedge Travel to Sri Lanka and The Maldives. We’d been to SL before so wanted a slightly alternative itinerary to the classic options, which Sarah was incredibly helpful to build to create something truly memorable. The special touches organised by Sarah leading up to the trip and whilst we were away made such a difference. We were recommended to book with Hedge Travel by a friend and have already passed on contact details to our friends as the service provided was so good. Will recommend to anyone that will listen! Thanks again Sarah!!

Date of experience : February 12, 2023

Thank you Nick! I loved putting this together for you and hearing all about it when you got back! Thanks again for recommending me to your friends too! I look forward to booking more holidays for you very soon!

Spot on as always Sarah

Thanks Sarah for booking the perfect holiday for me and Annie. The Amavi Hotel, Paphos was faultless, with magnificent rooms and fantastic food. But the really winner was the allocation of sunbeds on arrival, no sunbed wars here, it’s yours for the week, whenever you turn up.

Date of experience : July 28, 2023

Short Break

I asked Sarah for help organising a short break - by the sea, with a pool, walking distance to a town to wander around and within 3 hrs flight of London (not too much to ask ;))…and she fulfilled the brief perfectly. She organised the flights, transfers, accommodation and everything went so smoothly - was very clear throughout and very approachable with any questions I had. The whole holiday was perfect - I couldn’t have asked for more - will definitely be using her again!

Date of experience : June 23, 2023

Thank you so much for booking with me! I am so glad I was able to fulfil the brief for you and I look forward to booking more holidays for you in the future xx

Amazing experience

I've known Sarah since school and when I noticed she could help in booking holidays etc a few years ago I wanted to ensure I helped a small business as opposed to going through big chains. This is my second holiday I've booked through Sarah and both times she has been absolutely amazing. Most recently, I sent over a list of criteria my boyfriend and I were after including 'must haves' and 'nice to have', with no real destination in mind. Sarah sent over 4 beautiful places and we ended up booking one of them. I usually communicate over email with Sarah - she is very quick at responding and takes the time to answer any questions etc. Thank you Sarah for yet another amazing holiday. Can't wait to book the next one!

Date of experience : May 11, 2023

Thank you Melissa! I was so happy to book this holiday for you both it was just perfect for what you were after! I look forward to booking more holidays for you in the future! Sarah x

England Away

While Sarah has also booked a holiday for me and my Partner to Mexico previously (which was also brilliant), this was a little bit different and a trip to Malta to watch England play in the sun! Flight times were great, the hotel was in a perfect location and the whole booking process was extremely easy - thanks, Sarah!!

Date of experience : June 15, 2023

The most amazing and well organised trip!

Sarah planned a once in a lifetime safari trip to South Africa for me and I can't begin to explain how amazing and memorable the trip was! Everything was so well organised and well thought through and the accommodation and activities were exactly as I had requested and imagined (and more!). Sarah was extremely helpful and patient throughout the booking process, especially when a change of circumstances meant switching everything around at fairly short notice. Sarah continually provided advice and recommendations, as well as being around to answer any questions promptly. I could not recommend using Sarah for your holiday/travel plans enough, I don't think I ever want to plan a holiday myself again! Thank you Sarah :)

Thank you Sarah, I am so grateful to have booked this amazing experience for you! It was a pleasure! Loved seeing the photos and hearing all about it! Was a little jealous myself too!! Look forward to booking more holidays for you soon Sarah x

travel hedging reviews

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TRAVEL HEDGING 101

Discover rarely used features of Google Flights and Kayak that will allow you to find the best-priced 1% of flights in the world - any day of the week.

These are flights so inexpensive - you'll often be able to fly in business or first-class - for less than the cost of an economy flight. (Regardless of how much status or how many points you may or may not have).

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TRAVEL HEDGING 201

Discover a rarely used loophole in hotel loyalty programs that will allow you to stay in 4 & 5-star luxury resorts - completely free - with 1/2 to 1/10th as many loyalty points as what most people pay for a budget hotel.

And learn how to wash/rinse/repeat these free hotel stays - multiple times a year.

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TRAVEL HEDGING 301

Use simple, but powerful strategies that will allow you to "Hedge" your normal, everyday credit card expenses so you can:

1) Earn 3 to 20 times as many points as you're earning with your existing credit card.

2) Fly in lavishly luxurious flights worth thousands (if not tens of thousands) of dollars for nothing but points you can earn passively from daily household expenses, and a few hundred dollars in taxes.

*And you can do all of the above WITHOUT spending irresponsibly on credit cards, juggling lots of credit cards, or needing millions of frequent flyer points.

TESTIMONIALS

travel hedging reviews

"These strategies have seriously changed how we look at travel, how much we get to travel, and it's just made life a whole lot more exciting! I can't recommend this book enough."

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Renee and Paul

"Being able to sleep on the world's longest flight (17hrs 15mins) was wonderful! $8000 flights - all paid for with points I earned from normal, everyday household expenses on just two credit cards. Thanks for the guidance JGOOT!"

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Amy Osborne

"I was warned that Sydney was an expensive city. But the money I've saved on flights & hotels using JGOOT techniques has allowed me to splurge on some amazing experiences!"

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Kelly and Cezanne Cross

"This even works in peak travel times! With what we learned in JGOOT, we were able to fly during SPRING BREAK for only $22 in taxes! We also went to Belize over Thanksgiving for just $100!"

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David Adcock

"Off to Prague and Berlin in business class on KLM! Thanks JGOOT for showing us how to do it for a fraction of what others pay for economy flights!"

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Ashley Moyes

"Using JGOOT strategies, we took SEVEN trips this year--many in first class--and we paid less than ONE of our trips from last year!"

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL ALSO DISCOVER INSIDE THE BOOK:

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FLIGHTS

  • Hidden features of Google
  • Hidden features of Kayak
  • Find the best 1% of flights
  • Jaw-Dropping cheap fares
  • Guaranteed strategies to get 5X-25X more out of your frequent flyer points

SIMPLE MUST-HAVE FORMULAS FOR SUCCESS

  • Online cent-per-point calculators
  • Know if it's a good deal or not
  • Instant feedback on your finds
  • Simple formulas for repeat use
  • Easy-to-use tools

THE SECRETS TO GETTING FREE ACCOMODATIONS

  • Step-By-Step Directions
  • Turn $1K of points into $5K
  • Easily earn free hotel stays
  • Use the process over and over

NO BULL$%&t CREDIT CARD RECOMMENDATIONS

  • NO card-churning
  • No need for dozens of cards
  • Master points with just 2-3 cards
  • Learn the BEST cards for travel

STRATEGIES TO MAKE YOUR OWN TRAVEL SLUSH FUND

  • Create hundreds of thousands of points
  • No chasing sign up bonuses
  • No spending more than normal
  • Straightforward techniques
  • Have everything you need to travel more often , more comfortably , and for much less - for the rest of your life

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The JGOOT Way Of Travel

HOW TO TAKE A HONEYMOON-QUALITY VACATION EVERY YEAR

Flash sale! $27 $7

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More Testimonials

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Have we mentioned that this process is REPEATABLE?

Gil does it again!

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If this book doesn't drastically improve your vacations - I don't want your money.

If you're not 100% convinced this book will drastically improve the quality of your future vacations - email us at [email protected] any time in the next 30 days.

We'll issue an immediate refund with no questions asked.

Joel McDonald

Author: The JGOOT Way of Travel

EBook: $27 $7

Instant Digital Download

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Softcover Book $39 $24

with complimentary EBook

*Your purchase is protected by our "30-day no-questions-asked money back guarantee" and your personal information is protected by Stripe - the most reputable credit card processor for online purchases in the United States. In order to protect consumers of all digital products - Sripe uses SSL encryption, retains all credit information from your purchase, and never shares that information with the merchants charging your card.

Even More Testimonials

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Flash-Sale!

EBook Only $27 $7

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IMAGES

  1. Hopper Sells Travel But Its Fintech Hedging Drives the Growth

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  5. Hedging Reviews

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VIDEO

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COMMENTS

  1. What is Travel Hedging ? : r/TravelHacks

    Unlike travel/point hacking - Travel HEDGING focuses on two different approaches that get all of the benefits of point-hacking - without churning credit cards. This is done by. Rule 1: Finding the cheapest 1% of flights available on the internet and planning vacations around them. (This can be done using Google & Kayak's explore features, and ...

  2. Travel Hedging: Use It To Save Money & Avoid Potential Disaster

    In sports betting, hedging a bet means you make an additional wager, different from an already existing wager, in order to reduce the risk of a net loss or guarantee a net profit. With travel hedging, your bets means booking multiple flights for a trip. This method can be used with points, miles or cash.

  3. Travelers Hedging Bets With Double-Bookings

    Double-booking: Two trips, four itineraries. Bethany Corbin uses two different strategies. "The first is booking overlapping trips for the same time period (two different itineraries over the ...

  4. Travel Hedging: The simple way to traveling the world in luxury

    Travel Hedging 301. Discover advanced point hedging strategies that will allow you to "Hedge" your normal, everyday credit card expenses so you can: 1) Earn 3 to 10 times as many points as you're earning with your existing credit card. 2) Redeem hundreds of dollars worth of points for for international business, if not first-class flights worth ...

  5. 'Hotel Hedging' Is The Trick That Could Save You Money On Travel In

    Here's her step-by-step guide for hotel hedging: Book a refundable hotel room. One to two weeks before trip look into last minute hotel deals. Find same hotel or better at a lower price and book ...

  6. What Is Travel Hacking And How Do I Start?

    Travel hacking typically refers to the variety of ways you can earn points and miles toward future travel, often without flying or staying at hotels. It involves strategically using credit card ...

  7. Fare hedging, an emerging tool for the airlines

    Air France and Finnair are two airlines that have publicly expressed an interest in hedging airfare revenue. Christine Rovelli Photo Credit: Courtesy of Finnair. Christine Rovelli, senior vice ...

  8. Speculative Travel Hedging

    Both Hyatt and AA are expected to make major award price changes over the next few days. 1. Hyatt is going to introduce peak and off-peak pricing for hotel award bookings sometime in mid-October for stays in March 2022 and beyond, and last I checked October 14 probably counts as sometime in mid-October. The new chart can be found here.

  9. All About the Refundable Hotel Trick

    In fact, you can achieve exactly that, by making the purchase on Amazon using your card, applying the refundable hotel trick on a $99 hotel, and thus effectively cashing out 9,900 points for a $99 statement credit that offsets the cost of your toaster. In general, then, the refundable hotel trick can be employed to use your points for any ...

  10. JGOOT Village: Fly anywhere for free

    Our mission at JGOOT is to make travel affordable for anyone who wants to either travel more, or travel better. As travel coaches we teach travelers to earn 100,000 to 500,000 points per year ... We teach basic point-hedging principles that, when applied, will allow you to take at least a free vacation per year. ...

  11. Travel / hedging against currency exchange rate risk

    Hotels are about half of my expected cost so this might be a way to hedge half of the currency risk without paying conversion fees. Alternatively, I noticed TransferWise has an option to create a "jar" of savings in other currencies. I could, for example, convert $7,500 USD to Baht at today's strong exchange rate for a ~$48 fee.

  12. Travel Hacks That Will Save You Money

    2. Bring a carry-on, not a checked bag. A great packing hack is to travel light to avoid pesky baggage fees. Most airlines will give you one free carry-on bag along with a personal item (a large purse or backpack). You can save anywhere from $25 to $50 per bag when you take a carry-on.

  13. Just Get Out Of Town

    JGOOT Founder - Joel McDonald in a $12,000 private suite on Singapore Air that he booked for $26. Our mission at JGOOT is to make travel affordable for anyone who wants to either travel more, or travel better. As travel coaches we teach travelers to earn 100,000 to 500,000 points per year - and use them to travel for free...

  14. JGOOT (Just Get Out Of Town)

    102 reviews. 94 helpful votes. 4. Re: JGOOT (Just Get Out Of Town) 4 years ago. Save. Of course I can get alerts from other sites, but the difference with this site is that it sends you deals from your preferred airport. The other sites I get alerts from frequently require travel from an airport that is not convenient for me. The deals aren't ...

  15. Assessing the Value of Travel Insurance for Your Trips

    Travel insurance costs can range from 4% to 12% of your total trip cost. Travel insurance is best for trips that are long, expensive, nonrefundable, and international. Vacations can be very expensive.

  16. Just Get Out of Town (JGOOT)

    7. Re: Just Get Out of Town (JGOOT) 4 years ago. Save. "The cost is $249 for a lifetime membership". ==============. So $249 down the drain for "alerts" on "cheap flights " that you can get for free from other places, including here on TripAdvisor. The vast majority of those "cheap flights alerts" are completely useless anyway ...

  17. Travel Hedging 101: How to Protect Yourself from Risks and Emergencies

    Travel hedging is the practice of mitigating potential financial losses that may arise during a trip. Simply put, it's all about avoiding or minimizing the impact of risk and uncertainty associated with travel. While it's impossible to predict every possible mishap, having a safety net in place can help you stay calm and avoid financial ...

  18. The JGOOT Way of Travel: When You Just Get Out Of Town... You can

    You will learn how to master the art of "travel hedging," which is the perfect balance of earning and redeeming points without having to resort to credit card churning or chasing sign ... There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. K. Thompson . 5.0 out of 5 stars Travel book. Reviewed in the United States on ...

  19. Hedge Travel Reviews

    Hedge Travel has access to a wide range of suppliers and will take the time to find the perfect trip for you, saving you time and money. Please leave a review of my service here for others to see. Hedge Travel is a franchisee of Not Just Travel, ABTA K9413. ATOL Protected.

  20. JGOOT Book

    JGOOT Book. This book outlines a new travel strategy called "The JGOOT Way" - which allows you to take a honeymoon-level luxury vacation, every year, for less than what most people pay for a budget vacation. It gives you all of the perks of having top-status with airlines & hotels, WITHOUT juggling lots of credit cards, attending timeshare ...

  21. Hedging your frequent flyer miles

    The reward has been getting nearly free airline travel (with a small tax paid); and getting free hotel nights when the airfare wasn't the best use of the points. "I am committed to a miles ...

  22. Airline hedging travels new route

    Airline hedging travels new route. As airlines start returning to the skies, their treasurers are updating risk management strategies after the $1trn industry's 2020 crisis. The new formula: less fuel hedging, more revenue protection. As airlines start to move on from their 2020 crisis, they are changing hedging strategies significantly.

  23. Hedge Travel

    Hedge Travel, London, United Kingdom. 670 likes · 3 talking about this. Bespoke travel business, helping clients plan and book the holiday they deserve.

  24. The JGOOT Way of Travel: When You Just Get Out Of Town... You can

    Exclusive access to the pathway for ultra-luxury travel "Travel Hedging" is an essential resource for anyone who wants to take their travel experiences to the next level. Get the book and get your blueprint for taking a vacation of a lifetime every year for the rest of your life. ... My original review was this: "It's really not worth much ...