Out With the Old, In With the New

Can you believe 2015 is practically over? I can't. It's been a good year all around. We got a remodeled a bathroom, got a bunch of landscaping done and a new side fence. We've had a lot of fun parties and get togethers and had some memorable trips that we won't soon forget. I'd say we're ready to welcome 2016. 

We can't wait to see what the next year has in store, though we know for certain it brings a trip to Vegas and New Orleans. Let's look back on some travel highlights from 2015.

Eric and I in the big shoe at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas

As Wayne & Garth at Walt Disney's Halloween party

Some beautiful scenery in Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Orlando

This beautiful stairway at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida

At Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom

We did this great scavenger hunt in Portland with family // photo credit: Anthony Botteron

I've achieved a few things this year, including being included on a few great blogging lists: 

• In January I was named as one of the Top 50 Frugal Bloggers by Grocery Coupon Network.
• February, TrekEffect named me as one of the Top 50 Travel Blogs to Follow.
• Over the Summer, I was honored by being included in a list of bloggers that TripAdvisor put together giving our tips on the best budget-friendly travel destinations.
• This month I was added to the list of Best Budget Travel Blogs to Read in 2016 by CreditDonkey.

I'm still hoping to get something published in a newspaper or magazine this year, but I've got a good feeling about my workload. I'm working with a new website called Travel-Wise and contributing monthly with my travel tips.

photo credit

So, it's a definite that we will be hitting up New Orleans in 2016, to eat beignets and seafood, listen to jazz and possibly encounter a ghost or two. We also hope to get to Disney and Universal Hollywood before the year is out and I may make it back to the Travel Goods Show for new and innovative travel gear.

photo credit

I'm looking into a solo trip (with the pup) in the spring to Montana. I've never been, but I hear it's beautiful and we'd love to take advantage of their dog-friendly cities and gorgeous outdoor spaces.

photo credit

We're also planning ahead to 2017 and have a tentative plan to visit the great city of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. We've not seen much of our Neighbor to the North, besides the very brief glimpses we've had of Vancouver and a short trip I took years ago to Victoria, BC. This is going to be a week of Canadian immersion and probably a visit to Niagara Falls.

Keep up with my achievements, extra tips and guest postings by following me on Facebook and Twitter or signing up for my newsletter (it goes out just twice per month). Get a little more inspiration by joining me on Pinterest and Instagram. I look forward to bringing you more travel tips, overviews and reviews in the new year. If there's something in particular you'd like to see more of (packing, a specific destination, car rentals, etc...) please, please, please leave a comment about it. I want to bring you valuable info that you can use. 

And if you have suggestions for what I should see or do in NoLa, I'd love to hear them!

What to Do if You're Bumped From Your Flight

These days, it’s almost mandatory that airlines overbook flights in order to make money and also fill each and every seat on the plane. There is a small percentage of people who arrive too late to make their flight or just don’t show up and the airlines take this into account when booking seats on each flight. Unfortunately, this means that planes are often crowded and many people each day get bumped and have to sit around the airport for hours waiting for the next flight going to their destination. This is especially true during the holidays. Of course, getting to the gate early could have prevented that from happening. While you could dwell on all the things you dislike about overbooked flights, it’s just as easy to look at the bright side and see how fewer flights per route and stuffed airplane cabins can work for you.

You want to get to your destination just like everyone else, but unless you have reservations to do something right after you arrive or are traveling for business, you can easily be a Good Samaritan and give up your seat to someone who really needs to arrive on time. You may be doing a good deed for someone else, but you’re also getting something in return, besides karma points. Airlines hope that people will volunteer to get bumped and are willing to reward you for doing so (even though they will reward Passenger X, too, when he arrives late and can’t get a seat). Maybe his ride was late or there was traffic or his alarm didn’t go off and he’s in a bind. Let him have your seat and wait for the next flight out. You will end up getting to your destination a bit late, but with some extras in your pocket.

While Passenger X happily gets to his work meeting on time, you can browse the Internet, grab lunch or peruse the shops. You might even want to start planning your next vacation, because your empty seat can net you a free ticket on a future flight. That’s right! You now have two tickets for the price of one! The fuller the flight is, the more desperate an airline will be to have people volunteer to be bumped. This gives you leverage. You can haggle for anything from a credit for future travels (a credit is always better than a free ticket, because you can use it like a gift certificate) to a hotel room to free drinks at the bar. Since the seat you gave up was, essentially, paid for twice by you and Passenger X, the airlines aren’t losing money by rebooking and also giving you a free fare certificate for the future. Of course, what you can bargain for also depends on how long after your initial flight your new one is scheduled. The longer the wait, the more you may get.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has imposed a mandatory compensation for all those bumped from a flight and it always helps to know what you are owed, just in case. For flights arriving less than two hours after your original flight, you should be rewarded at least the cost of your one-way ticket, up to $650. For flights arriving more than two hours after your original flight, airlines are required to compensate you twice the cost of your one-way ticket, up to $1,300. 

If you are looking to get bumped in order to score some free travel, arrive at the airport early, check in at the gate to see if the flight is oversold and travel with only a carry-on to make it easier to get your stuff to your destination with you. Do something nice for someone else and reap the benefits in big ways. Now you can travel practically for free again in the future, helping you to stretch your trip budget enormously. Woot!

Have you ever been bumped from an overbooked flight?

Making the Most of Airline Perks

When you travel, you want to make the most of your dollars, so you get the most value on your trip. Frequent flyer programs can help you get free flights, upgrades and more, but 1. You need to sign up for them and 2. You need to know how to use them. Double-dipping is bad when eating chips at a party, but it's totally acceptable and, I dare say, necessary and encouraged when it comes to travel. Ebates knows the best way to stretch a dollar with cash back and promo codes, and now they want you to travel better, too. Check out their infographic below to see how to make the most of your airline perks. 

Are you a member of any airline frequent flyer program?