One of the easiest ways for you to get annoyed or stressed on vacation is the headache caused by waiting and delays. Here are some tips to save you some of your precious vacation time:
1- When an amusement park is in your plans, make reservations for your rides. For instance in the Disney parks you can get something called FastPass—it’s free and essentially offers you a way to make a reservation for your ride. Similar programs are available at Great Adventure, Hershey Park, Knott’s Berry Farm—but be advised ahead of time, the offering is free at Disney but other parks, like Great Adventure who offers Flash Pass, have a fee attached. At Six Flags the privilege of going to the head of the line is $50. Check the website of your destination to see what they offer.
2- Many museums and attractions nationwide offer you a chance, and sometimes money-saving opportunities if you buy your tickets online. It’s a simple step you can take to cut down on wait time in some of these destinations which are typically crowded, especially during school breaks.
3- When you’re getting ready to leave the hotel, take advantage of the TV option in your room that allows you to review your account before the piece of paper is slipped under your door on the morning of your checkout. Make sure to review this bill thoroughly as many travelers overlook overcharges hidden in hotel bills.
4- If you’re staying at a resort where room charges go according to the number of your room and your name, make sure to check your bill before signing off on final charges at the end of your stay. It should come as no surprise if you’ve been charged for something that someone with a similar name or room number is staying in.
5- If airport security lines drive you mad, there are steps you can take to stop you from ripping the hair on your head out. Join an airline loyalty program. They tack on a service fee to your ticket that gives you the right to get ahead of other passengers waiting on line. As you’re passing many fellow travelers by on huge snaking lines, you’ve forgotten about the extra cash the privilege cost you.
6- Although we don’t encourage opening credit card accounts on a whim, if you can get an airline credit card that offers you free miles and bonus features when flying, you should definitely do it. Recently I got an American Express True Blue card to enroll in Jet Blue’s reward system. The deal was that you had to charge $1,000 within the first three months of having the card in order to get 20,000 free miles. Unfortunately it’s all too easy to spend a thousand bucks and I had the free miles credited to my account within 45 days of opening the card. Investigate offers from the airlines you fly on and see about getting free checked bags, access to lounges and some other features in addition to the bonus miles!
Happy Trails To You!
