Time-Saving Hacks to Find Flights and Hotels
Most people think that the only ways to travel with a full time job are to maximize your PTO and optimizing your travel time. But did you know there are more?
There are a ton of smaller hacks that anyone can use to save time and effort when planning your travels. One of them can be to streamline your process when booking housing and flights.
Finding the right flights and hotels can feel daunting and honestly annoying, so having some guidelines before you go into it can be helpful. Let’s get into it!
This is part 3 of a 4 part series on learning how to travel with a full time job via travel saving hacks.
Reduce Booking Time via Searching by Purpose
Finding the Right Accommodation in Less Time
Everyone has their own preferences for accommodation (hotels, Airbnbs, etca). From luxury to budget stays, there are options for each and every person. It all just depends on what you are looking for as well as what credit cards you have.
Step 1: Figure out what type of stay you are going to book.
For huge group trips
I recommend Airbnb/Vrbo/homestays. These are the perfect group trips where you can get bigger houses and all stay together. This works best for cabin trips or places outside of cities.
For group trips
It depends.
- If you’re looking to explore in a city, I recommend hotels. They often have the best locations within cities to get to explore more while you’re there, cutting down your commute time while there. Only caveat here is you might choose different hotels from your friends based on the pricing that everyone prefers.
- You could also go for Airbnb’s, but they’re often similar pricing for less service.
- If you’re looking to explore outside of cities/the countryside, I recommend Airbnb’s. You’ll have much more variety this way, plus the stays are often unique and can accommodate everyone staying together.
- This also depends on the location. Some places have more/less availability of Airbnb’s/Vrbo’s, so do some research on some travel blogs about what most travelers do on their way there.
For adventure trips
I recommend hotels, but still check Airbnb/Vrbo. By adventure trips, I mean exploring a bustling city where you are going to be out and about most of the day with your partner and/or a few of your close friends.
I recommend hotels because you are more likely to find something in a better location AND one of my biggest pet peeves about Airbnb’s is that you have to clean up at the end… even though you’re still paying to stay there. Plus, you can often hack hotels to get them for free.
However, I wouldn’t skimp out on at least checking Airbnb’s, since some places have better location availability with them.
For solo trips
I recommend hostels. Yes, this isn’t everyone’s flavor (I usually like to stay in 4+ star hotels), but it’ll provide you with the biggest thing you’re missing by going alone: companionship. Hostels provide the easiest environment to meet people you never would have otherwise!
They also often have single rooms you can rent out, so it’ll almost be like a hotel without the extra perks they usually offer. I personally think it’s worth the sacrifice, since you’ll make some fun friends to have a great time.
All you have to do is go to the bar/social space and introduce yourself to people. Most are super receptive and you can even do activities with them.
Step 2: Find the Airbnb/Hostel/Hotel
Based on what you choose above, you’re going to want to search on the respective sites. You won’t be able to use miles for Airbnb/Vrbo or hostels, but you will be able to if you are staying at a hotel.
To make the most out of your points for hotels, I would recommend looking at the transfer partners of your credit cards. Look at their websites (ex. Marriott, Hyatt, etc.) and see where they have their hotels. Choose the hotels based on how many points you have and the location you desire within your destination. This way, you can see all of your options and how many points you’re able and willing to spend on the stays. You also generally get the best deals by transferring to travel partners, up to 50% savings sometimes.
If your transfer partners are too expensive or not in the right location, then search your credit card’s travel portal. This is the portal they offer in their system showing what you can directly book through them. This is a second option to directly transferring points because it’s often more expensive, depending on the credit card.
If you can’t find hotels to book with your points, my favorite engines to search for hotels are Expedia, Kayak, and hotels.com. You just won’t be able to use your points.
Finding the Right Flights
First, I choose dates that I’m looking for based on the PTO hacks and seasonality. From there, the fastest way to find flights is by using google flights. It’ll give you options across 90% of the airlines in existence for those dates, plus it’ll give you a calendar to show dates that are cheaper. Find the cheapest options there and then use your points/miles to book.
To search by points instead, you can use something like Award Tool in order to see what flights you can get for the least amount of points. That’ll help you make your points go the furthest way!
If you’re a big Southwest person, you’re going to have to search there + Google Flights. It’s the one airline that’s not on there pretty much.
Conclusion
Planning your next adventure doesn’t have to take all of your free time outside of work. By streamlining your process and knowing exactly where to look for flights and accommodations, you can save time and reduce the hassle of trip planning. Whether you’re traveling solo, with a group, or seeking adventure, these hacks will help you find the perfect place to stay and get the best deals on flights. With a bit of prep and the right tools, you’ll be spending more time exploring new places and less time stressing over logistics.
This is part 3 of the time saving hacks series. If you’d like to see part 4 of the series, all about building an itinerary quickly without sacrificing quality, see here.
If you’d like to see my other hacks, check out the series here.
