Avoid Surprises When Calculating The Cost of Your Vacation

Have you ever been intrigued by a vacation offer, but then been disappointed when the total cost is much more than the advertised price? I have!

Over the next few weeks, inspired by an article by my colleague Monica St. Pierre, I'll review expenses that are incurred (but perhaps not anticipated) in nearly every vacation - with the hope that this information gives you what you need to budget realistically for your next trip - including some different options for managing some of these expenses. This week: Getting There.

How Much Will My Vacation Cost?

Vacations have several components, all of which contribute to the total expense of your trip. Typical promotions depict happy travelers in a beautiful destination and may include a "Starting At" price. What does that mean? When referring to lodging, the "Starting At" price point refers to the smallest accommodation in the least desirable location with the fewest perks. And for many travelers, this is just fine! If your travel philosophy is "I'm only going to be in my room to sleep, because I'm going to be out exploring the destination during my waking hours," booking the "starting at" rate may be a good strategy to budget more of your vacation dollars for other experiences. But bear in mind that if you are looking for unique features (a swim-up pool attached to your room, an ocean view, a club floor) your cost will be greater than the "starting at" figure. In the airline arena, "Starting At" may now refer to "Basic Economy" fares which are very restrictive and limit the traveler's ability to get seat assignments, carry a piece of luggage onboard a plane, or even earn miles/points for the flight. Again if you just want to get there in the most economical fashion, this fare may be fine. But if you want extra legroom or even a seat comfortable enough to sleep in during an overnight flight, expect to pay more than the lowest advertised fare.

GETTING TO YOUR DESTINATION

Where are you going, and how will you get there? If your destination is within driving distance, using your personal vehicle will save the expense of renting a car in your destination - but do you have the time and inclination to spend part of your vacation driving from point A to point B? If you are traveling a significant distance, flying may make sense - and if you're headed to Europe, unless you sail on a transatlantic ocean liner, you'll be flying. I advise clients to budget $1,000 per person AT MINIMUM for flights between the US and Europe. There are several strategies to minimize this expense:

• Travel during the "shoulder season" - High Season is the time of the year when travel is most in demand - for example, during summer when the weather is nice and schools are on vacation is a time of year when many people want to travel so demand is high. Spring Break and holiday times are also high seasons. If your schedule permits you to schedule travel outside of this time period travel should generally be less expensive (and destinations should be less crowded.)
• Be flexible with your travel dates. Once you've determined when you'll travel, being flexible with respect to your departure and return dates can make a difference in your travel expenses. I typically start my fare search with Google Flights, which has a grid showing airfare variation by day.
• If you live in a location served by multiple airports, check your fare starting at all of them. If you're not parking your car at the airport, you can play with your return airport as well - search for "multi-city" itineraries. If your destination has multiple airports, check flights into all of them.
• Use a Travel Advisor! We have access to consolidator fares - which are basically airfares bought in bulk to be resold to the travel trade. The greatest savings with consolidators are found on international flights. We also have access to companies that package air and lodging - in some cases purchasing a package results in a significant saving for the traveler.
• If you are cruising, ask about airfare purchased through the cruise company. The benefits include competitive pricing, plus if there's a flight delay the cruise company will make sure you get to your ship. The downside is that the itinerary will likely be shared closer to your travel date - it's up to the individual traveler how comfortable they are with not having flight information in hand until closer to departure.
• Use your miles or points. This one is challenging - if you have miles or points accumulated, either through frequent travel or purchases with an affiliated credit card, you may be able to find flight "awards" in exchange for miles and a cash payment for taxes and fees. The challenge is in finding availability to your destination for the dates that work for you. There are services that will help you book award travel - for a fee - but if you are looking to fly business class, paying a fee for the service in addition to the taxes and fees is likely to still cost significantly less than purchasing a business class ticket.
• Reserving your seat on the plane may incur a fee. Most airlines assign seats to passengers - and most have implemented a fee schedule with additional charges for seats that are considered desirable, or for the ability to board the plane earlier than other passengers. Having advance seat assignments may be important if you want to be certain that you and your travel companions are seated together - or if you want to avoid a middle seat. Depending on the airline seats may be assigned without a fee - but this may be an additional expense to consider. Domestically Southwest does not assign seats - they have an "open seating" policy - but passengers may pay extra to board earlier and have a greater selection of seats.
• A final note to consider with respect to flight expenses: your luggage. Domestic flights may assess a charge for luggage. Southwest permits two checked bags free of charge; other airlines may waive the baggage fee if the passenger holds a co-branded credit card or is flying first class or business class. Be familiar with the maximum weight and dimensions for luggage; luggage is weighed during check-in and extra charges may be assessed for bags that are overweight or oversized. When flying internationally typically one bag may be checked for free, but international carriers are very strict regarding weight and size allowances - this extends to purses and backpacks.