Smart ways to save money when booking a holiday

Good afternoon peeps,

I hope you all had a great weekend and aren't on struggle street too much because it's Monday. So let's face it no one wants to pay more than they have to on there holiday. But yet so many people do. I hear so many people say I brought my flights and they went on sale I could of sved $200. Or I had to change the date of my flight and it cost me my first born child. Not literally but you get what I mean. Travelling can be expensive at the best of times. But we have put together a few tips for you to help you save $ on your adventures.

 1. Purchase travel insurance

This may seam like a strange tip. But stay with me. Travel insurance an actually save you money in the long run. Different insurance companies cover different things but today I will use the company 'Covermore' which I have used before as an example. Let's chat about the ways by ouch asking this could save you money in the long run.

- you get a free global SIM card with great international rates. This means for you that you won't need to purchase a SIM card or pay outrageous international prices.  

- 24 hour emergency assist line. Which means for you you won't have to spend your time ringing the suppliers, websites or airlines that you booked and spending hours on hold with them you can give Covermore a direct call and they can help you night or day where ever you are in the world.

 - If you have to cancel your trip for any unexpected reason - you will have provision to claim what your trip has cost you so far. This will make sure your getting your money refunded to you. Trying to do this without travel insurance is hard.

- If a volcano happens when your suppose to be flying to Bali and you planes aren't flying you will have provision to claim what your trip has cost you so far. tying to do this without travel insurance is hard.

- if your luggage gets lost or stolen while you are away. They will give you money to spend until your luggage gets returned to you.... Free Shopping! This will save You money and you won't have to dip into your own pocket to replace those items.

- If your phone, iPad, laptop gets lost or stolen. You can claim how much it cost you to purchase this item through insurance. This will save You money and you won't have to dip into your own pocket to replace those items.

- If a family member gets sick while your away and you have to come home unexpectedly. You can claim through Covermore and could fly you home for free.

- If you have to go to the doctor or dentist for any particular reason you can claim what you spend through inusrance

- Hospital visits. This is a big one. If you have to go to hospital for any reason you have provision to claim through Covermore. The team at Covermore will also consulate with your doctors until you are better. If you are really sick they fly your family over to see you overseas. I think this is a particular important point. A lot of hospital covers can be quite expensive overseas. Especially when you are visiting the States. 

- if you broke your leg while on your trip and have to come home. Covermore could fly you home business class so you could have your leg lying flat. 

We know insurance can be a boring subject but insurance is really protection your investment (your trip), your money and your self.

                             

 2. hunt around for the best price then take it in to flight centre they will beat it for you. (Also is that the flight you want or do you just like the price. Some cheap flights may have an 3 x 8 hour stops before you get there. Ask the travel agents for the most direct flight for the cheapest price then decide)

3. travel agents also get great package rates for destination for bali, thailand, nz, fiji ski packages

4.buy your flights accommodation or tour at a travel expo 

This is when the best deals for the year are out. Flights are instant purchase but all other items such as accomadation and tours you can pay off.

5 or buy your flights when they are first realeased.

When flights are just released this is the best price you can get. It is very rare that the price will be cheaper than this price.

                          

6. don't just look for the cheapest accommodation. This might be out in the sticks. Write accom must has - safe location, walking distance to attractions, air con, own toilet, the star rating. This will really narrow down your search and you can find the cheapest accom of what u want. If you pay a little more for a central accomadation you won't spend your money on taxis, buses or trains while your there trying to get around.

7. Sign up for the frequent flyer card of the airline

Most of the frequent flyer programs are free to join. You can accumulate points and use the For free flights, airlines are more likely to upgrade you if you are a Member with them and your less likely to get bumped from the flight if the airline has overbooked.

8. Get breakfast included in your hotel 

This way you can save $ when you are there on food. And if you want to be sneaky like me I grab an apple or something off the breakfast buffet for a snack during the day.

9. Instant purchase rates can be cheaper than paying your holiday off

Sometimes paying for your hotel straight away instead of paying it off can be cheaper. Some hotels have cheap Instant purchase rates and other rates (more expensive) if you would like to pay it off. If your not sure if the hotel has it just have a chat with your travel agent. Most hotels online will be instant purchase rates but may not be the cheapest.

Should you book with a travel agent

Howdy guys....

I hope your having a great day so far. To book online or with a travel agent that is the question. So today I thought we would talk should you book with a travel agent and a little more about how there job works.

What is a role of a travel agent...
This might seem like a dumb question but people have different answers for this question like.

- An information service
- Someone who only books flights
- Works in sales.. does anything to get the sale
- Books travel for people

Some of the above statements are true. But the main role of a travel agent is to make your holiday easy. From the planning process through to  the holidays its self.

Travel Agent Role and how it works
A travel agent is there for you 24/7 they bend over backwards to help you. Most agency now have a 24 hours emergency assist line if you need anything at all where ever you are in the world. Travel agents:

- Fix issues with your holiday even if its not there fault. For example if a volcano explodes and you cant get to Bali they will spend hours on hold to come up with a solution for you.

- They are councilors. Nervous about your holiday... have questions they will answer them all until your happy. If they don't know the answer they will find it out for you.

- They like to find excaltly what you want. Ever been to a agency and they ask you a hundred and one questions. They dont just do this for fun. They are trying to get information out of you to give you the best holiday.

- They are also mind readers. For example people walk into an agency and say...
Customer: I want to go on a beach holiday.
Consultant: Sure, where would you like to go?
Customer: I dont know. Can I have a quote?

How hard would I be in that position.

- They cop abuse from angry customers. If there flights are delayed or the customer forgot to add bags to there booking.

- They work for minimum wage

So why should you book with an consultant

- They are some one you can bounce ideas off
- They will change your trip until your happy with it
- They will hunt around for the best price until they get what your looking for
- Allready booked and want to change a flight... give them a call they can do it. Try giving sky scanner a call to change a flight.... impossible
- They will become your friend
- You can ask them tips. Because they have been where your traveling to.
- If something bad happens on your trip you can call them and they will fix it.
- You can call, text or email them and they will answer
- They want to help you and make you happy
- By booking with them your helping there business grow
- They want you to book with them and tell your friends and family about their amazing service.
- They price beat hotels, flights, insurance - They will advise you on what visas you need for your travels.
- They do all the research for you. This saves you spending hours online trying to work out what to do and see on your holiday.

I have booked with a few different travel agents over my years of traveling. I would recommend if you haven't to pop into a store find a person you like and they will help your wildest dreams come true.

Have any questions about travel agents.... comment below...

S xxx

Top 10 things you may not known about Traveling

Hey guys,

Before deciding to go into the travel industry there was alot I didnt know. There is probably still heaps I dont know but I thought I would do a quick blog to in lighten you all with top 10 things you may not know about the travel industry.

1. If you miss or choose not to go on one of your flights you may accidently cancel the rest of your flight.

Listen to this.... if your flights are booked all on the on ticket and you decide not to take one of your flights it WILL cancel the rest of your ticket. If this happens to you and you Orginally booked your flights through a travel agency they will do there best to help you. But realistically you will be paying for a whole new ticket. Ok I will give you an example.....

If you booked the following flights

Melbourne to Christchurch
Christchurch to Auckland
Auckland to Melbourne

Lets say you decided to not catch your flight from Christchurch to Auckland cos ypu decided to hire a car. Because you didnt fly on that flight your flight home to Melbourne would be null and void. You wouldn't have a flight home.

My suggestion if you did decide when your over there that you dont want to take that flight. Call your travel agent that you booked with the airline will charge a cancellations fee. Or if you booked online call the site or the airline directly.

2. If one of your transfers dont show you can call your travel agent and get a refund.

This happened to me when I was in Scotland. I was fuming and had to catch a taxi to my hotel. I actually didn't think any thing of it until it happened to my friend and she called up and got refunded because it was the transfers companies error.

3. If you have travel insurance and your phone gets stolen you must get a police report or they wont pay out your claim.

This is a general rule with all insurance companies. This gives them proof that the event happened and your not trying to scam them. If this does happen make sure you go down to the local police station so you can sumbit a claim back through your insurance company.

4. All american airlines over book there flights. Pre book your seats in advance otherwise you may get bumped to the next flight.

This happens every day. All american carriers do it. If you prebook your seats its less likely to happen to you. If you book through a travel agent they can book your seats as soon as you book your flights. Otherwise 24 hours before you can jump online to preselected your seats.

5. If your travelling through Africa with your Children your will need there birth certificate.

This is due to the amount of people trafficking children through these areas. This is a non negotiable. They will not let you in if you dont have one.

6. You could be denied boarding for the following reasons
- your name is spelled differently on your ticket to your passport
- your passport does not have 6 months validity to when you get back into your country
- You do not have a visa for the destination  (if you need one)

7. Some travel agency have a 24 hour emergency assist lines.

This helps for any messy situation that you may find yourself in while you travel. Most website have a 9-5 call centre.

8. If you a book through a travel agency and then call the airline the travel agency cant touch your booking or help you with your trip anymore.

Some people call the airline direct to add there frequent flyer numbers or change your seats. Once you do this the travel agent looses control over your booking. So if you have to change your booking it will be you who will be on the phone with the airline for hours instead of tour travel agent.

10. Booking online may not be cheaper than a travel agent most website charge a service fee some up to 100.

Most websites will make it look like you are getting cheap flights until you pull ot over to the finally screen and they smash on a fee. For example webjet adda a $60 service fee when you book.

I hope my little tips have shed some light how complicated the travel industry can be.

Please feel free to ask any questions.

S xxx

Traveling with Anxiety

Good morning peeps,

Happy New Year!

I thought for my first blog for the new year  should be something close to my heart. So I picked travelling with Anxiety.

We all feel anxious time to time about different things. Little things like driving in the rain or bigger things like our work or family lives. Sometimes people feel anxious and can't explain why. If you have ever known someone who suffers from anxiety or if you had it yourself you know how crippling it can be. Anxiety can be expecially painful when you are traveling in an new environment.

In this blog I am going to break it down a little bit and talk to you about traveling with it and what you can do to manage it while your on your trips.

What is Anxiety
 Anxiety is more than just feeling stressed or worried. While stress and anxious feelings are a common response to a situation where a person feels under pressure, it usually passes once the stressful situation has passed, or ‘stressor’ is removed.

Anxiety is when these anxious feelings don't subside. Anxiety is when they are ongoing and exist without any particular reason or cause. It’s a serious condition that makes it hard for a person to cope with daily life. We all feel anxious from time to time, but for a person experiencing anxiety, these feelings cannot be easily controlled.

Symptoms
 The symptoms of anxiety can often develop gradually over time. Given that we all experience some anxiety, it can be hard to know how much is too much. In order to be diagnosed with anxiety, the condition must have a disabling impact on the person’s life. There are many types of anxiety, and there are a range of symptoms for each.

Emotional anxiety symptoms

excessive worry about the past, present or future
feeling apprehensive
feeling powerless
a sense of impending panic, danger or doom
mind racing, finding it hard to think
difficulty concentrating and remembering things.

Physical anxiety symptoms

increased heart rate
breathing rapidly (hyperventilation) or shortness of breath
sweating
trembling
feeling tired or weak
dizziness
choking
dry mouth
stomach or chest pain
diarrhoea
blushing
muscle tension and headaches
difficulty sleeping and nightmares.

Why it is close to my heart
My mum has been suffering from anxiety for years to the point where it causes her to have panic attacks. How she describes anxiety is it starts just by one thought. Like "that food taste a little strange" or "i dont feel 100% today". The little thought can manifest into "I am dying?" to "Im going to be sick". These thoughts start her to panic and makes her heart races. Her panic attacks sometimes have even taken her to the emergency room. I also suffer from anxiety but not as extreme as my mother. The anxious feeling can trigger in everyone differently for me it triggers when something is out of my control and my stomach. If my tummy is ill its more than likely Iam anxious.

Some if the things that trigger me
- When Im sick or got a sore stomach when I want to travel or go out anywhere.
- I have had a lot of bad experiences on planes so when I walk on one it makes me feel anxious.
- When I cant get home when I want to. When other people drive
- If I feel sick and Im meant to go out I feel like Im going to wreck others peoples night if I go.

How to overcome it while traveling
Now before I say the following I want to mention that Iam not a doctor. Im very far from being a doctor. So please if you do suffer from this talk to your local GP. But below Im just going to put some of my suggestions that have worked with my mild case of anxiety.

- First trick breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Make sure they are BIG deep breaths. This is a great way to reduce your heart rate.
- Distract your self. If your own a plane sip your water and watch a movie you like.
- Tell your self what is the worst that is going to happen. For example: Ok I feel ill. The worst I could happen is I have to go back to the hotel room early. Thats not too bad.
- Play the game "what can I see, feel and smell". If you dont have any entertainment on a flight this one game is a great distraction. For example: I can feel the arm rest on my arm, the seat against my back, I can see the air hostest with brown hair and clouds out the window and I can smell dinner. This gives you a sense of control.
- Have a ginger tablet or a mint. Espically if your not feeling well. This will settle your stomach and make you burp.
- If Im on a day tour and Im panicking I will talk my self through what's happening next. For example: "ok Sarah, it takes 2 hours to get to Pompeii from where we are. We are on the highway and Im in the air conditioning we will be there in no time.
- Have your hand bag packed with anything you need. So you know if anything happens your prepared. For example I pack
- Tissues
- A snack
- Panadol
- Reine tablet
- Mints
- water bottle
- headphones  (and ipod or phone)
- A map of where I am
- Emergency contact numbers (My family, The hotel and the Embassy)
- Wallet with some emergency cash
- Fully charged phone
- Hotel Room Key
- A phrase book app or phrase book (for none speaking english countries.
- Depending on the weather a jacket. Sometimes I cuddle it if I feel anxious  (dont judge me)
- A poncho or umbrella
- Sunglasses
- And a watch

I know for some of you especially people that suffer from mayjor anxiety these tips may not help you. But I just want you to know that you are not alone. If you have anxiety you can travel to. Start with a small trip somewhere you feel comfortable going. I hope this blog helped. If you do need any more information or help see the link below for Beyond Blue or see your health care professional.

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety

The photo below was taken about 30mins after I Arrived in London. On my first solo trip. Although it may not look like it I had just spend 26 hours on planes getting there, I was sick as a dog. I had been vomiting on both planes and I was extremely anxious. Or maybe my face does look anxious you can decide.

Until next time 

S xxx