Frequent flyer miles an increasingly bad option

July 1, 2008

Frequent flyer miles are supposed to be all about loyalty. You get free exotic trips all around the globe for flying one particular airline, right?

Wrong. The airlines have duped us and things are getting even worse. One example of this is those fake award charts. They advertise that you can go somewhere for X amount of miles, but you have to use double the miles if you want to go where you really want to go! And that's if you can find the seats.

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Clark used to value frequent flyer miles at around a penny per mile, but now that's down to less than half a cent per mile.

To add insult to injury, airlines are now feeing you to death when you use your miles. There's usually a fee to book the miles and then a fuel surcharge on top of that. For example, Christa recently redeemed some of her husband's frequent flyer miles and wound up paying $75 per ticket in junk fees alone.

So Clark's advice is to burn through your miles now as he's doing. In the future, fly the airline with the best deal or the one that's the most convenient for you. Don't waste any effort chasing frequent flyer miles, which are like fool's gold.

Travel deals still available

June 30, 2008

Looking for a great deal to Hawaii this summer? Clark was looking at VRBO.com for a relative who wants to go to the Aloha State. This site -- offering vacation rentals by owner -- was surprisingly packed with availabilities at great prices.

Why Hawaii, why deals? Recall that both Aloha and ATA Airlines failed this past winter, so that drove up the cost of air travel to the Islands. But fewer travelers has meant less demand for accommodations. Fortunately, the drop in price of hotel and resort bookings is outpacing the rise in the cost of air travel. So you can still win on a weeklong vacation in the long run -- even if you are paying more for the flight.

Try finding a fare on Kayak.com, SideStep.com, FareCompare.com or Mobissimo.com (for international travel). They are all "screen scrapers" and search hundreds of sites to find the best deals. You'll probably find better deals than you would on Orbitz, Travelocity or Expedia. Kayak is now testing an option to calculate the true "fly-out" price for a ticket. Their beta actually factors in baggage handling fees, the price of an in-flight beverage if you select that option, etc.

But what if you're driving rather than flying to your vacation destination? Some hotels are offering free gas card deals. You may, however, still be better off with a condo or a cheaper room rather than opting for the lure of a free gas card.

So for those who can afford a vacation, they are more affordable. Clark's golden rule is when you see a deal, grab it. Then figure out why you want to go there!

Hotels offering gas incentives

April 28, 2008

The run-up in price for a barrel of oil has created terror in the travel biz as more and more people opt for "staycations." That's when you're off from work yet you stay home to save money. ... More

Slow economy, soft travel means globe-trotting deals

April 16, 2008

We're paying an all-time record high for gas, adjusted for inflation. That makes this the perfect market for low-cost luxury bus service to expand around the United States. Companies like Mega Bus, Bolt Bus and others run city-to-city throughout the Midwest, the Northeast/New England and on the West Coast. On-board amenities typically include hi-speed Internet, HDTV and comfortable seats. The Wall Street Journal reports that business is up 137% in the Midwest for one company. ... More

Slow economy, soft travel means globe-trotting deals

April 1, 2008

As the economy slows, there will be bumps along the way in the travel industry -- along with some opportunities. ... More

More recent Travel & Leisure Tips from Clark:

• Travel substitution the key to cheap international vacations 
• Hotels offering gas incentives 
• Bolt Bus, Mega Bus offer bus travel on the cheap 
• Slow economy, soft travel means globe-trotting deals 
• Orbitz responds to complaint 
• Clear program goes a long way to ensure air travel security 
• Greyhound launches ultra cheap Bolt Bus 
• InsideTrip.com offers new perspective on air travel 
• Travel junk fees are out of control 
• CouchSurfing.com may appeal to low-budget travelers 

Complete list of Clark's Travel & Leisure Tips