Travel Tips: "Hidden City" Flights, Temporary Credit Card Numbers and More!
As a follow up to to the previous article I posted titled VIP Travel Tips, here are some additional travel tips that might be useful to keep in the back of your mind:
24-hour cancellations
Most major airlines offer a 24-hour flight reservation cancellation with no penalties. Check out these articles on The Points Guy and Consumerist to get a general overview, but also cross check the airline's website you are booking travel on for the most up to date details.
Flexible travel booking
Fareness.com has solved the issue of browsing lowest priced domestic and international roundtrip fares over a longer period of time. You can actually compare fares for up to 7 months at a time and see which destinations pop up.
GTFO - Get the Flight Out is an app that is best for more immediate travel needs. It allows the user to find and book the best available roundtrip flights leaving from a specific location within the next 24 hours.
Hopper is a great app for determining the best time to buy a flight. It breaks down price options over a 6 month period with 95% accuracy.
Foreign transaction fees
If the person you support is going overseas, it pays to research if their credit card(s) incur foreign transaction fees. These fees vary (I have typically seen around 3%) but can add up fast. There are a few credit cards that do not charge these, like Capital One and some AMEX cards. Your principal will appreciate the savings.
"Hidden City" flights
You might be able to save your principal money if you look into a "hidden city" flight, which can be found at skiplagged.com. Basically, it's a flight where you get off at the layover rather than the final destination. Obviously it is a tradeoff since there is no option to check bags, as well as a few other tradeoffs listed on Skiplagged's FAQ page, but if the savings are significant enough it might be worth presenting it as an option.
Shred that boarding pass
Be sure to remind your principal to not leave their boarding pass on the plane; I recommend having them get into the habit of either shredding it or bringing it back for you to do so. According to the article Shred Your Boarding Pass by the Odyssey, a person's boarding pass can be used to retrieve their name, phone number, frequent flier number and flight information which can then all be used to access an account and take control of it.
Temporary credit card numbers
I recently learned that some credit card companies and banks allow their customers to create one-time credit card numbers. The card number will only be used one time for a specific vendor and amount.
Unaccompanied guardian fees
If you ever need to book travel for your principal's children and they are flying alone, there are often hidden unaccompanied guardian fees that will need to be paid later on, usually when it comes time to check into a flight. These fees can be as little as $25 per flight leg (ex: Alaska Airlines), but they can be as high as $150 per leg (ex: American Airlines). It pays to research the exact amount and the age these fees are required.
What travel resources do you use? Please share in the comments below!
