Flight Tricks & Hotel Picks – Travel hacks from runway to check-in

While travelling may be something that some people want to just book and be done with, many people would be pleasantly surprised at the amount of “hacks” that exist within some large organizations. In the article today, we are going to look at a few lesser known hacks that exist in the travel world.

We will kick things off with the airlines and of course I’m going to begin with Southwest. This airline is famous for running very random, last-minute sales that will last for just a few days. There is a key with these deals that many travelers do not pay attention to. Southwest has one of the most flexible cancellation policies that allows you to cancel minutes before the departure time. They also allow for changes to your flight at no additional “change fee.” Some of these particular notes will change with the roll out of their new policies; however, the premise remains the same.

The note we want to check in on is when the perfect storm of Southwest arises for a trip you have had booked. Say you have a flight booked for a summer trip, as I actually do, but you suddenly see a 3 day long promotion from Southwest offering 30% off fares. While you may think you are out of luck, there is actually a chance you can book your same flight (booked with points or cash) for a lower price and actually be refunded the difference. 

I typically select the option to cancel my flight to get a reminder on the amount of points/money it cost me and then do an updated search of the flight. Oftentimes the promotion code can save a few thousand points or a few bucks! This trick can also be employed by just choosing the change flight option and seeing if the flight you have booked has gone down in price due to the flex pricing done by the airline. The image attached shows an example of what this case would look like. If this was your 9:10am departure flight, then you could “rebook” the same flight and get back almost 1,600 points! Not too shabby for a quick check.

Saving nearly 1,600 Rapid Rewards Points!

The next interesting way to get a few extra points without any fancy tricks is coming from another airline, Delta. While Southwest’s hack takes some effort on your end, the Delta version actually rewards you for their lack there of. As one of the largest airlines in the country, Delta relies on being orderly and timely as the backbone of their organization. When they fail to execute on these principles, they will actually reward you. They have what is known as the “20-Minute Bag Guarantee” which is exactly what it sounds like. If your checked bags are not at the gate within 20 minutes of the plane door opening, the airline will credit your SkyMiles account with a pretty generous 2,500 miles. While you won’t be booking a flight on this gesture of points, but if you travel often, they can start to add up.

Delta form to fill out if bags are 20 minutes late.

The overall process is very easy and I’ve been employing it for years now. When the plane door opens I go ahead and start a timer on my phone. I head on over to baggage claim as I would after any other flight and look for my bags. Once i grab them I check to see what the overall time was. If it was over 20 minutes I pull up this webpage and enter the associated details regarding my trip. Next thing you know, 2,500 miles are in your account ready to help take you to the next adventure.

The last of these tricks we will discuss is one I am currently on a mission to complete. It comes from my favorite hotel chain, Hyatt. This way of earning extra credit won’t necessarily take a ton of effort on your end but rather a little more exploration while booking.

Hyatt Brand Explorer Checklist

The exploration I’m referring to is not one of vast countries or destinations but rather of Hyatt hotel brands. Hyatt offers its members 1 free night for every 5 Hyatt branded hotels they stay at. As you can see, I currently have 3 brands explored and am looking to close in on my 4th and 5th in order to secure a free night at any Hyatt category 1-4 hotel. For instance, by just switching up which branded version of hotel I stay at, I could earn a free night at a hotel like the new renovated Hyatt Regency that has a beautiful view of downtown Manhattan and save over $350.

Amazing hotel to use a free night on!

While none of these tips and tricks in and of itself will be deal breakers or earn you incredible status, they are worth knowing about. Across the 3 mentioned, I have saved and earned thousands of additional points and am about to earn a free hotel night. These methods are just scratching the surface of what travelling hacks exist but are a great place to begin. What simple travel hacks do you employ when going on the road?