Ever wondered what’s the best way to save on airplane tickets on non-budget airlines?

Get the Top 10 Picks of Travel Hacks from InsureDIY now that will help you and your loved ones fly smarter and travel better.

1. Set up airfare alerts & monitors

Instead of staying up on a Tuesday till midnight (which is believed to be the cheapest time to book for flights), you may choose to let the monitoring app work for you. 

The website Hooper makes recommendations about when is the best time to book a flight, based on the actual data from millions of flight searches per day. You could even get suggestions on the nearest and cheapest airport and the best dates for your flights!

 Skyscanner is another popular meta-search engine to go to for flight search. By setting up alerts, you can track airfares 24/7, with or without specified destination or route. Press the “buy now” button only when the price falls within your budget.

2. Earn miles and use them

Each airline has its own loyalty program. Other than flying every week, you can earn miles out of almost anything, and the most accessible way is to use your credit card to accumulate air miles.

By choosing the right credit card and using it to pay for your everyday purchases, you can easily maximize your miles earned.

More importantly, remember to redeem the miles before they expire. Be surprised by how often you can get to the business class with points.

3. Check last-minute hotel deals

Always dream of staying in hotels under the celebrities’ favourite list?

Spend a night in your dream hotel paying only fractions of the market average by checking last-minute deals with a one-stop booking app: HotelQuickly has a strong base in Asia Pacific and HotelTonight is most popular for hotels in USA, Europe and Australia.

One thing to note is that you might only be able to fix your accommodation from a week to a day in advance. It can be hectic for family travellers, but definitely a good deal for solo/couple city explorers.

4. Check last-minute hotel deals

Luggage delay, pickpocket, hotel room theft etc. can cause you a lot of trouble and inconvenience. No one can foresee when and where should these events happen, and it is very often way too late when you come to realise it.

It is therefore a wise precaution to keep a copy of your important documents before you start your trip – both hard and electronic copies.

They include your passport, driver’s license, itinerary, important phone numbers etc. It can be helpful, especially when you need to apply for the reissuance of your travel documents.

You may also consider saving this information on a cloud storage and at the same time, emailing the copies to your family at home.

5. Get the right travel insurance

Get a travel insurance policy that serves you! 

 Other than giving you peace of mind, insurance is actually your most reliable companion in the worst-case scenario.

You are normally entitled to claim for trip cancellations, agent bankruptcy (68 out of the 110 travel agencies reportedly closed down in January 2017, according to STB), overseas medical treatment and emergency evacuation, amongst other emergencies.

You are normally entitled to claim for trip cancellations, agent bankruptcy (68 out of the 110 travel agencies reportedly closed down in January 2017, according to STB), overseas medical treatment and emergency evacuation, amongst other emergencies.

If you are heading for activities like scuba diving and hiking, be sure that the policy you choose includes amateur sports coverage. There is not a big difference in price, but a huge difference when you need to make the claim.

6. Research on activities

Gone are the days when we purchased a lonely planet guide to get ready for the annual trip.

Researching on the activities you are planning to embark on your trip is highly recommended, and you can save more money!

Many cities now offer free walking tours or comprehensive bike maps for visitors to discover street-to-street scenes and explore the neighborhoods at their own pace. Sightseeing can be done at a relatively low cost.

For inaccessible spots or excursions in the outskirts, you may try to arrange tours with local agencies, which charge much lower than those international ones with English websites.

Tips: Always book online for admission tickets, say to theme parks or museums. There are always passes and special fares for tourists, which can be 2/3 cheaper than the price when you buy right at the spot (what’s more: you skip the long queue!).

7. Make lunch reservations at star restaurants

Very often, you only need to pay half the price for lunch as compared to dinner at famous and branded restaurants.

Sometimes, there are even lunch set menus which make the meal even more value for money! Most importantly, you can enjoy the atmosphere and even get an appointment without a half-year reservation wait.

Remember to mark your meal with Facebook and Instagram photos to reminisce the memories!

8. Spend an afternoon in local markets

Apart from the freshest food in town, you are exposed to the local community in the market – listening to local’s daily conversations in their local language, seeing what average households buy for family meals and diving into their culture subconsciously.

It is so lively and fun to stroll from one stall to another to discover surprises and learn new things! Many markets offer unbelievably delicious street food at affordable prices, so you are promised to get both your stomach and curiosity satisfactorily filled.

9. Withdraw local currency from ATMs

Compared to money converters, bank ATMs at the destination usually offer better rates for buying foreign currency.

 In order to prepare cash for public transportation, you are advised to first withdraw money from the airport ATMs. But keep in mind that your bank may charge you an additional fee for each transaction, so take the amount you will need for your trip.

 For a longer stay, you might wish to separate the sum into two, as to limit your times of withdrawal.

10. Save on roaming costs by using a wifi map

For those who desire round-the-clock connectivity, purchasing a SIM card in the airport would be the best option. However, before you decide whether you want to get the SIM card for data only, you might want to take a look at the wifi availability in the city. For example, Taipei is one of the tourist cities with the best wifi coverage supported by their government. In that case, do you really need a SIM card if not for work purposes?

For a 3-day trip, you can probably survive on wifi, just remember to download the app Wifi Map, so that you can be informed of the closest wifi spot and access the network for navigation at all times.

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From InsureDIY – Your Best Travel Partner

InsureDIY has financial advisers that can help you make the right choice and answer any of your questions. Simply email us at [email protected] anytime!