How to Score Free Flights

It's the holidays and usually that means packed flights and lots of drama from some passengers who think it's all about them. What this means for you is a good chance of getting bumped or the chance to volunteer to get on the next available flight. Why would you do this? To get a free flight, of course. 

Everyone has heard the term “bumped”. If you haven’t – or if you have and are not sure what it means – it is the term given to a person who has the misfortune to get to the airport too late (read: after almost all the other passengers) to check in for their overbooked flight and loses their seat. They are “bumped” from the flight. With the amount of overall flights being reduced, there are now more people who want to fly on those that are available most days. There are a certain number of no-shows or ticketed passengers that miss their flights each day. The airlines have always planned for this, but in these tough economic times they also want to fill their seats on the limited flights they have, so they overbook. (This was always a common thing on their most popular flights before the recession.) Sometimes everyone shows up and that leaves around 3-5 people without an actual seat. The airlines will rebook them on the next available flight, but will also always ask if others are willing to be bumped instead. This is how you get comped free travel/hotel/food.

Tip: Ask for a credit voucher instead of a free flight voucher. This works like a gift certificate for the airline and allows you more freedom when booking your flight with it (i.e. you can use it for international airfare if you wish or to buy more than one cheap ticket).

When you get to the gate, you will normally see on the monitor at the check-in desk if there is a list of passengers. These people are already on the “waiting” list. They may have checked in after everyone else or were able to be put on stand-by. If someone else doesn’t show up, or someone gives up their seat willingly, they get to board that flight. If you aren’t in a hurry to get to your destination, then maybe you wouldn’t mind volunteering to hang out until the next flight. The more people on the list, the more willing the airline will be to work with you in giving up your seat. Go up to the airline employee and ask if they need volunteers to be bumped. If so, ask what you will be compensated. Usually, because you have been helpful and friendly (this is certainly key in any customer/customer service conversation), they will give you a voucher for a free flight or credit to use at a later date. You’ll, of course, not have to pay extra for being rebooked on a new flight.

This is what everyone seems to look like during holiday travel

Depending on how long of a wait it will be until your next flight, you might also be able to negotiate a free hotel room and/or dining vouchers for the airport while you hang around and wait for the next flight to come in. While you end up with a free flight (and probably more), the airline doesn’t really lose any money by giving you these things in exchange for your seat. They will be flying that future flight anyway and your seat was already paid for by the passenger who will be filling your seat when they purposely oversold the flight. You get all the perks for just being nice (even if it was selfish) and you might have made someone’s day by letting them take your place. This is a great way to be able to stretch your dollars and be able to vacation more throughout the year. You’ll also get more frequent flyer miles added to your account (if you are compensated with a voucher for a dollar figure and not a free flight)!

Tip: If the airline pays for you to stay in a hotel overnight, they must also pay for your transportation to that accommodation.

Want to avoid getting bumped? Make sure you get to the airport early instead of the last minute. It just takes that one person to get there before you for the flight to be full. I always suggest getting to the airport at least one hour early for domestic and at least two hours early for international. Of course, I get excited for any travel I do and want to allow time for anything that might delay me (traffic, long security lines, etc.), so we tend to get to the airport two hours ahead of any flight. We use the extra time to browse shops, watch people and eat. It’s always nice to be able to sit down and have a decent meal, instead of grabbing fast food right before you get on the flight. It gives you time to relax if you stress right before you travel. It also boosts your energy and helps reduce jet lag. Make sure you drink lots of water, too. I always buy a big bottle of water after security to take with me on the flight, since I am often thirsty, flying dehydrates you and I don’t always want to wait 45 minutes to an hour before they bring around the drink cart.

Tip: Want to finally get into the fancy schmancy airline lounge? Ask for a pass to use it if you’re bumped and have to wait a few extra hours.

More tips on getting “bumped”:

• If you want to get bumped, it helps to get to the airport early as well. Get your name on the list of volunteers before anyone else.
• Book on a flight that is likely to be overbooked (holidays, afternoon flights, early evening flights, last flight of the day, red eye, etc.)
• Be polite. Don’t demand higher compensation than what they are offering you. If you know they are desperate, you can use it to your advantage, but negotiate in a polite manner.
• Know the flight schedule. This can be just as useful to you and your travel plans as it is to the airline employee rebooking you.
• Make sure you’re booking on an airline that does overbook flights. Some airlines do not. (Of course, this information is also helpful in not getting bumped.)
• Be willing to fly on a different airline or a different route. This makes it easier to rebook you as well.
• Pack light. While this doesn’t really help you to get booked, it does ensure that you keep all your belongings with you and the airline doesn’t have to figure out how to reroute your bags in addition to you (and your travel companions).
• Fly through busy airports when possible. Obviously, these airports have more passengers flying everyday and have more overbooked flights than smaller airports.

I haven't had the chance to get bumped yet, but I am open to it. If it can help me budget a trip for cheaper the next time I travel, then it’s totally worth it. What about you? Have you ever purposely volunteered to be “bumped” in order to receive free travel?

Websites and Apps for Awesome Travel During the Holidays

We all know that holidays can be totally stressful, especially when you ad traveling to the mix. As much as I love to travel, when the airport is just a crush of people and you are looking at a security line so long you can't even see the front it just doesn't seem all that enticing. Usually I enjoy the trip to the airport – yes, I know that makes me a crazy weirdo – because I love the excitement of being there, knowing I'm going to be jetting off to a cool place, eating at places I only get to visit a few times a year or shopping/browsing the unique stores and watching the planes take off and land before it's my turn. When the holidays come around, it seems like everyone is on edge and there's hardly anyone having a good time waiting to get on the plane. 

If you want your holiday trips to be less stressful, or you just want to make your general travel more fun, I've rounded up some great apps and sites that will make you wish you'd known about them sooner. 

Get Away from Everyone

Can't fathom spending your whole stay with family? Get a vacation rental where you can retreat after you've had enough of the hundred people at the family host's house. I always love using Airbnb, but now you can also find rentals to fit your budget with Tripping, which compiles all the available rentals from sites like HomeAway, FlipKey and Roomorama, and Dwellable Vacation Rentals, which has over 250,000 listings in the U.S., Mexico, Europe and the Caribbean.

Make New Friends

If you aren't visiting family or friends, but want to make some and/or immerse yourself in a new culture, check out both BeWelcome and MealSharing. BeWelcome pairs you up with a host at your destination that will play tour guide for you, show you how they live and will also allow you to stay in their house. This is the perfect way to make international (and domestic) friends and fantastic for those that might like to travel solo, but don't want to "travel solo". 

MealSharing is an awesome site that matches travelers up with meal hosts. Maybe you'd like to have dinner with new friends or you'd like to invite others to your home when you aren't traveling. And, this year they are promoting their second annual ThanksSharing event, where they encourage others to spend Thanksgiving with others. Maybe you're traveling somewhere over the holiday and can't make your own feast. Why not find someone else you can celebrate with?

Do Something Completely Different

Want to see something other than the same boring tourist attractions? (I'm not knocking tourist sites, because I love them, but maybe you've already done them.) Let others give you cool new suggestions with the HeyLets app. The app is especially geared toward families with kids who enjoy doing something a bit different. Add your family's travel style to the app to get personalized tips on what to see and do. App users can add their own inspired activities to make the app even better and help other families travel better, too.

Where the Heck are the mashed potatoes?

Whether you're traveling to see family or they're coming to you, invite your family to join Cabin, where you can skip the multi-texts and phone calls while trying to organize everyone for the big day (or a vacation). With Cabin, you can send messages to all or individuals to make sure everyone knows when and where to show up, what to bring and more. Is Aunt Cindy not there with her famous green bean casserole yet? Cabin tracks where everyone is, so you can find out if she's on her way or just around the corner without having to call her every five minutes asking if she's lost or not. Imagine how easy this will make planning other family gatherings, too. 

Keep All Your Travel Plans in One Place

Not all great apps are about connecting with others. One of my favorites is TripIt. I use it online and as an app on my phone to keep all my reservations, confirmation numbers, important addresses and itineraries at my fingertips. If you are like me and hate to print out a ton of unnecessary paper, TripIt is the ideal travel app. Only print out the things you need to and everything else can live solely on the app for you to call up on your phone or computer when needed. it has saved us several times when we've needed an address for a cab driver or to get to on public transportation or to find the phone number to call and get directions or change a reservation.

Have you ever used any of the above apps/sites or do you have a favorite app or website that helps you travel or live better?

2015 Holiday Gift Guide for Travelers

It's that time again. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are here, which means gift-giving time. We all have that person on our list that is tough to buy for. They have everything or are super picky. Perhaps they are big on traveling and that makes it just a little bit easier to choose a gift for them. I've broken the list into three categories, depending on how much you can spend, with at least a few **suitable for packing in your carry-on** when you are traveling for the holidays and don't want to spend extra to check your bags or to ship ahead of time.

Splurge {$100 or more}

**1. Airline or Hotel Gift Cards: These technically can fit into any category, because you can get them in any denomination. You're basically giving them a discount on travel, which is always appreciated. 

**2. CityPASS: Another great gift for those that are traveling and you know their destination city. CityPASS can save up to 50% off attraction and activities. $79 and up at CityPASS

3. Anatomie travel clothes for women: Anatomie sells luxury travel clothing that packs light and flatters the boy without looking like travelwear. $100 and up at Anatomie

4. Anti-theft React Tote from Travelon: A good, sturdy carry-on bag is important. One that looks fab is a bonus. This one from Travelon helps you stay organized, has a padded laptop compartment an slides onto your roller bag. $110 at Amazon

5. Skyroll or Skyroll Spinner: When you travel a lot for business and need the convenience of a carry-on, with the functionality of a garment bag. These are great when you want to bring suits or formalwear, like going on a wedding weekend or on a cruise. The garment bag fits right around the main bag, making it the best of everything you want a carry-on to be. Original $149.99 at Skyroll | Spinner #299.99 at Skyroll

Moderate {$50-100}

**1. Bluff Works Work + Play Pants for men: Hate bringing dress up pants that you may or may not wear when you travel? Bluff Works look boardroom-worthy, but are made like travel pants, so they breathe and wick moisture, plus they don't wrinkle and resist stains. Wear them to a work function then out rock climbing. $93 at Bluff Works

2. Travelon 3 Compartment Crossbody: Need an attractive handbag that is secure and safe from thieves? Travelon has certainly hit the nail on the head with this handbag. All the features of a travel bag without looking like a tourist. $65 at Amazon

**3. HP Tablet 7: A tablet is the ultimate travel gadget. Use it to check your email, play games, watch videos and more. This one is affordable enough to get for the kids, but has all the features you need to get a little bit of work done, too. $99 at Amazon

4. TLS Mother Lode Weekender Convertible Junior: Got a real adventurer on your list? The Mother Lode goes from shoulder bag to backpack in just a few seconds. Perfect for camping near home, a weekend in Vegas or backpacking through Europe. With several compartments, everything is kept in its place and it even expands for when you make a few too many purchases and need extra room coming home. $79.99 at Amazon

5. Portachair Harness: Travelers with little ones can make sure there's always a seat at the table with the portachair. It works as a highchair, by holding your child safely in any chair with a back. It also makes for one less thing to rent at your destination and keeps them from having to use those restaurant ones that might be full of germs. $50 at Uncommon Goods

6. Noise-cancelling Headphones: The roar of the plane engine and the murmur of other passengers and the cries of that baby behind you can really make the travel experience suck sometimes. A pair of noise-cancelling headphones can help drown those noises out and help you relax. You can find many different types, like these that are $64.95 at Amazon

**7. Kindle Paperwhite: I am a big reader. Knowing I have a whole library at my fingertips is comforting and means I don't have to weigh down my bag with traditional books. yes, books, because I often finish one on my trip and then need a second one. This way, I have that option, and variety. $79 at Amazon

8. Chloe Hoodie from SCOTTeVEST: I'm always cold, but I like to be comfy and cozy. The Chloe Hoodie is my go-to layering piece, plus it allows me to carry everything with me without a purse. Perfect for your winter travels for warmth and security. You can also get a comparable hoodie with all the pockets for men as well. $90 at SCOTTeVEST

Budget {under $50}

We don't all have a ton of money to spend on gifts, especially if we have a lot of people to buy for. All these budget gifts can slip into your carry-on for wrapping when you arrive.

**1. I Was Here travel journal: I always wish I wrote down stuff each day I travel, but then I never do, because I don't have a journal. I have had this fantastic journal on my list for some time. I think I just might need to cave and get it before my next trip. As much as it's fun to add all your travel details online, nothing beats putting a pen to paper and writing down some travel reminders just for yourself. $13.56 at Amazon

**2. iGo multicharger: I hate to pack a million cords when I travel. My iGo goes everywhere with me, because it allows me to charge all my electronic devices - with the exception of my laptop - with one adapter, either in the car or at a wall outlet. You purchase tips for different devices, based on the type of plug it uses. I have a splitter for mine, so I can charge two items at once. $14.97 for wall charger at Amazon | $6.51 for car charger at Amazon

**3. Quik Pod Monopod: how many times have you gone on vacation and tried to get you and your partner or family in the same shot with no luck, so you end up never being in the photos unless you ask a nice stranger to take a pic? Quik Pod fixed this problem. We have two of these monopods and, though we may get some strange looks, they have helped us get some great photos. $27.05 at Amazon

**4. Crumpled city map: The absolute worst thing about paper maps is having to figure out how to fold it back up. Stop looking like a lame tourist with a crumpled city map. You never have to refold it. Just scrunch it up and put it in your pocket or bag. Awesome! If you know your recipient is going somewhere specific, get them one for their destination city. From $7.19 at Amazon

**5. Hoodie Pillow: Give them the best of both worlds when they travel. A hoodie to block out light and cold and a pillow to help them get comfortable and sleep without getting an achy neck. It's made of super soft material and you'll want one of your own, too. This is a perfect gift for younger recipients, like teens and college students. $19.99 at Amazon

**6. Travelon Convertible Crossbody Duffel: It's a purse. It's a duffel. It's both! This is a great gift for the shopper on your list or the active person who likes to go on weekend trips or hit the gym. It comes in fun colors and makes a great extra bag for traveling and bringing home purchases. From $27.34 on Amazon

**7. eBags packing cubes: Sometimes it is just nice to be organized. Also, if you're not good at packing light, limiting yourself to what fits in a packing cube set may be a lifesaver. These bags are breathable, lightweight and have handles, so you can just take them out and pop them into a hotel dresser drawer. $19.99 on Amazon

More Budget {under $50}

**8. Adult Coloring Books: It's the new hot thing in being a grown-up. You want to relax and do something different. These great books from Skyhorse Publishing are easy to take everywhere you go and you can color right alongside your children. $8-13 at Amazon

**9. Laken vacuum insulated thermos: I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best thermos ever. It keeps cold stuff cold for up to 24 hours and hot stuff hot for around 18. We took ours to Orlando and still had ice at the end of long theme park days even when it was 90+ degrees outside. They come in all sizes and colors, so you can find one that fits everyone's personality. $18-50 at Amazon

**10. CardNinja cell phone wallet: Keep all your cash, credit cards and ID in one spot with this fun little stretchy pocket that fits right on the back of your mobile or the case. It's perfect for travel days, going to the club/bar or for leaving your purse at home. $10-12 at Amazon

**11. Travelon RFID-blocking tri-fold wallet: Men love a good leather wallet. My husband has had his for over three years and it still looks brand new. He loves all the card slots and the dual pockets for cash, so he can separate his receipts, plus the RFID-blocking reassures him that his card info won't be stolen, especially when traveling to crowded areas. $14 at Amazon

12. Butterfly Twists Foldable Flats: A great pair of flats can elevate any outfit and can really save space in a travel bag. These foldable flats are stylish as well as comfortable to walk in all day. Everyone loves a great pair of travel shoes that they can wear in all situations with all types of outfits. $20-45 at Amazon

**13. Posh puzzle books: Logic problems are fun to me, but I know others like crosswords, accrosstics, word search or cryptograms. Whatever you like, there's a posh puzzle book for you. The small size makes them easy to slip in a pocket or purse and keep with you everywhere you go. These make great stocking stuffers, too. $6-10 at Amazon

**14. Universal 3-in-1 lens kit for cell phones: Sometimes you don't want to drag your camera around, and in some situations you might find your phone does a better job than your trusty point-and-shoot. Make your phone even more awesome with these clip-on interchangeable lenses that bring more to your pics. You get a macro lens, fish-eye lens and wide angle lens in this set. Great for Instagrammers and up-and-coming photography buffs. $10 at Amazon

Would you like any of these gifts for yourself?