Watch Out for Bad Advice

While there can be some great deals on airfare, hotels, and tour packages, you really need to consider Is this the trip I want to go on? 

If you're spontaneous, and you really appreciate just getting away and experiencing new things, finding random "hot deals" can offer a fantastic opportunity for you to go on a new adventure and try some things that you maybe haven't done in the past. But if you have your heart set on a certain experience, maybe you should wait until the right deal comes up. In some cases, you might just want to save up for the dream vacation that you really desire. 

Spontaneity can be a fun way to randomize your travel experience, but it can also result in additional expenses that you didn't anticipate—such as low airfare but high hotel costs—or sometimes seasonal disruptions to the real reason why many travelers might otherwise opt for that destination. Imagine wanting to go to that bright, sunny beach in December but finding out the water is cold. How would you feel if you wanted to see flowers in the desert, but they don't bloom for another month?

When a deal catches your attention, always compare it to other options. Look for slashed-out prices, and check other sources to see what the normal year-round or seasonal cost might be for that trip. You might find that, sometimes, the shown price was artificially inflated so that it looks like you're getting a discount, but it's actually not the cheapest option. 

Also be wary of all-inclusive trips, as they may not provide the experience you want at a particular resort property; and going-off property may result in some substantial expenditures that were not part of the budget. In many cases, "all-inclusive" means food and drinks (usually alcoholic) are included with the resort fee, but it might not include recreational activities, shows, and other events that may have an added cost. 

So, deals can definitely be an option. Still, do your research. Never jump on the deal without fact-checking and finding out what that locale is like this time of year: climate, crowds, and cost. 

We get that, sometimes, people just need their space. But we also find that experiencing a journey with someone else can be just as refreshing as well as entertaining. 

Something to really pay attention to is the safety aspect of traveling alone, especially when traveling abroad. Plan beyond preventing yourself from getting mugged, or worse, and think of what might happen (or what might need to happen) if you were to get sick or become injured during your trip? Who would be there to find help? Who could call your family to let them know of your status? 

If sharing a room isn't really your vibe, can you have separate rooms or find a hotel that has cheaper alternatives to make that option more viable? What about a two-bedroom suite or rental house? 

Karaoke night just isn't the same when you're by yourself. 

A couple's getaway can be a much needed experience. But we also really value our time together as a family. 

While traveling with more people brings added costs and some other potential difficulties, being a family is important to us. As a blended family, we missed a lot from each other's past lives; so that time we share is time we can't get back as we age and find new life paths. 

Make memories while they're able to be made. Remember that the memories aren't just yours but for your kids as well. Someday, it'll be all they have of you. 

It's a common myth that checking in first means that you'll be guaranteed to be in the front of the line for seat upgrades on your flight. This is way more complicated than you might expect. 

Many travelers just don't understand the intricacies of how flights are booked beyond the ticket sale. First off, some airlines don't even have a First Class or Business Class cabin—usually referred to as low-cost or express carriers. So, you need to understand what the seating arrangements are for the airline that you're traveling on. 

Does the airline allow a purchased upgrade option? A lot of air carriers allow their passengers to purchase an Economy Class seat which includes an add-on option (extra cost) to be upgraded if a higher class seat becomes available. Passengers who pay for an upgrade will usually be next-in-line. Be careful that some airlines let passengers use mileage point toward their upgrade. Money will always outweigh points in this case. 

Here's an example of a major disappointment scenario: We were on a flight from Chicago to Honolulu when these two passengers sat down in the First Class seats behind us. Now, our seats were purchased in First Class at the time we booked out flight. As it turns out, these two passengers had used their mileage points as a trade-in to upgrade from Economy to First Class. Before the boarding process ended, they were asked to return to Economy under their original booking. As it turned out, two other passengers had purchased the upgrade option but were bumped from a previous flight and rolled to this flight. Those individuals were afforded those First Class seats that they were supposed to get on their previous flight. It actually made for a very awkward and uncomfortable situation to witness. 

Does the airline even have a mileage points program, and are you a part of it? A lot of upgrades are complimentary due to a flyer's frequent travel status on that airline, racking up a lot of points over the past year or so. The more you fly, the better chances you have of the upgrade. Compare it to being as a hotel and spending a lot of money at the casino, getting that high roller status that comes with moving your room to a suite. But this can be totally random, and you're basically competing with the other passengers on the flight to learn who flies on this airline the most. If you aren't a member of that airline's mileage points program, you won't even be a candidate for the upgrade, or at least you'll be so far down the list that you won't have a chance. 

Are you flying internationally? Some airlines even have a policy that prohibits upgrade passengers on international flights, attempting to incentivize passengers to make the purchase for the seat upgrade. It's not uncommon for airlines to offer these upgrades to their employees traveling aboard the flight (not acting crewmembers, but employees traveling on corporate business). 

So, we absolutely encourage making the up

 No, no, no, no, no! 

In case we weren't clear:  NO!

Don't ever not go to the airport because the flight might be delayed! Similarly, do not leave the airport now that your flight delayed and you think you have more time. 

Those flights can and do go back on time, or earlier than the forecasted delay time. Go to the airport when you were originally supposed to be there, and just relax until your departure.

Yes, it's possible that you might have an issue with your bag when it gets checked. No, it's not as likely to happen as you think. 

While keeping your bag as a carry-on can help to alleviate some of that What's going on with my bag? stress, it's not a foolproof approach. For starters, depending on what you need to pack for your trip, it might just not be practical to try to cram it all into a carry-on. Checking your bag might be the only option. You also need to plan for any souvenirs you might want to bring home. 

As flights become more filled to capacity, that overhead bin space can become a challenge in itself. You might have to check your bag anyway if there just isn't any more room up there. 

NOTE:  If you are gate-checking your bag (meaning you're asking the agent at the gate—once you're already through the security checkpoint—to take your bag), make sure that you know if you need to collect your bag at the baggage claim of your final destination or if you are supposed to claim your bag once you get off the aircraft at the next airport. 

This probably varies for each travel, but it's common that people want to avoid overspending on non-essentials, such as food. 

Our advice is to ask yourself Is food part of my experience? Let's skip the conversation about how non-nutritious the cheapest option might be and go straight for the reality: If you're looking to get by without worrying about what you eat, grabbing some gas station snacks might be suitable for you. But if you're looking to really take in the culture, you need to consider what you're missing by purchasing bags of chips and candy bars at the local convenient store versus stopping to eat where the locals eat. 

You don't need to spend $100 on a meal to enjoy your trip. You also don't need to spend $10 on pure garbage snacks. Ask the person working at that gas station where the best local food options are. Ask them where they go to eat, and don't be afraid to throw some prices out there to give an idea of what you're hoping to spend...or hoping not to spend. 

What if you went to Italy and only ate pre-packaged finger sandwiches from grocery store? Is that really the experience you were hoping for? 

What if you went to Hawai'i, and you stopped at the neighborhood diner away from the hotel to eat a plate of macadamia nut pancakes with guava and coconut syrups for $14—costing $2 more than it does to get a stack of plain buttermilk pancakes with a slice of Canadian bacon in Ohio?