AIRFARE HACKS
Airline miles are an effective way to offset flight bills, mentioned Mr Wong, who prefers to fly enterprise class on long-haul flights and makes use of his miles to improve his tickets.
“The miles required for premium financial system are 80 per cent of enterprise class, and the consolation depth is so completely different,” mentioned Mr Wong.
For these whose jobs or commitments enable them the pliability to journey on brief discover, Mr Wong mentioned that final minute flight offers may help reap financial savings in miles.
Singapore Airways’ (SIA) Spontaneous Escapes, for instance, is a month-to-month promotion that provides financial savings in miles to chose locations throughout the airline’s community, he mentioned.
“The concept is that you just e-book it this month, you are flying subsequent month and it can save you as much as 30 per cent off the traditional required variety of miles,” mentioned Mr Wong. “It is a direct means of having the ability to discover last-minute award area at a less expensive value than regular.”
Other than the same old journey festivals and bank card or financial institution promotions, Mr Wong mentioned that flight {dollars} can be shaved utilizing cashback companies.
Connecting flights are additionally usually cheaper than direct flights, mentioned Mr Wong, however cautioned that there needs to be a stability between value and journey time.
“(It’s cheaper to transit) by means of Kuala Lumpur whereas flying to Bangkok (from Singapore), however take into account if it’s value spending the extra time transiting for a short-haul flight. However for a far flight, this may help save a number of hundred {dollars},” he mentioned.
Journey search companies akin to Google Flights or Kayak make evaluating flights and fares simpler, added Mr Wong. The Discover characteristic on Google Flights additionally permits customers to enter data akin to dates, pursuits, and price range, earlier than churning out choices to select from.
“(Discover) reveals you all of the attainable locations which you could go to for that point interval and that price range. So if you happen to’re not fussy about the place particularly to go, you simply know ‘I’ve bought $500, I need to journey for one week throughout this era’, this helps you see from a hen’s eye view all of the completely different potentialities,” he defined.
Mr Wong additionally makes use of third social gathering platforms for actions, saving 15 to twenty per cent for every reserving throughout his journey to New Zealand this 12 months.
Nonetheless, Mr Wong mentioned that third social gathering reserving companies needs to be used with cautious consideration, as any change in itinerary can be a trouble to handle, with customer support, wait time, and circumstances differing from direct bookings.
He additionally cautioned travellers towards utilizing a 3rd social gathering reserving website if the area is seeing volatility or disruptions.
ACCOMMODATION HACKS
Value of lodging may be lowered by means of factors or loyalty programmes. Mr Wong defined that some inns promote factors, which the general public can purchase and redeem for rooms while not having to turn into a member.
Mr Wong mentioned he took benefit of this factors system throughout his current go to to California, United States, when resort charges had been “by means of the roof” because of a tennis open match. He bought factors and ended up paying for his lodging at a 3rd of market value.
“Round peak intervals, whereas the price of a resort room may be very variable, the vary of factors tends to fluctuate inside a smaller band than for money charges,” he defined. “Taking a while to find out about resort loyalty programmes may help with some financial savings.”
IMPORTANCE OF TRAVEL INSURANCE
Mr Wong additionally confused the significance of journey insurance coverage.
“I am a agency believer that if you cannot afford journey insurance coverage, you possibly can’t afford to journey,” he mentioned, including that insurance coverage needs to be bought earlier than going abroad, no matter COVID-19.
With the present journey chaos in airports, journey insurance coverage is all of the extra essential within the occasion of flight cancellations or misplaced baggage, Mr Wong mentioned.
“Journey insurance coverage will cowl in case your bag will get misplaced, delayed, mishandled – you need to ensure you’ve bought some protection to your content material. Your flight could possibly be cancelled, you might need to e-book a resort, you need to ensure you are coated from extremities akin to these,” he mentioned.
Mr Wong shortlisted three areas of explicit protection significance when selecting a journey insurance coverage coverage – critical accidents leading to demise or incapacity, medical bills, and journey inconveniences.
He additionally emphasised the necessity to learn fantastic prints as a substitute of going straight for a coverage with the best protection, as some phrases and circumstances might make claims troublesome.
“You additionally would need to take a look at issues like definitions as a result of, in case your bag is delayed, sure insurance policies might pay out after a four-hour delay. Sure insurance policies may make you wait six hours (or longer). So it isn’t sufficient to only take a look at the quantum of protection … it’s essential to take a look at the qualitative components as properly,” he mentioned.
Mr Wong additionally mentioned that no matter how properly protected by insurance coverage travellers are, they need to all the time carry essential objects akin to identification, medicine, and communication instruments of their carry-ons.
Monitoring units such because the Apple AirTag are additionally nice methods to maintain monitor of bags.
“It’s no coincidence that AirTags are bought out now as a result of lots of people are shopping for them, placing them of their baggage, as a result of they do a a lot better job of discovering the baggage than some airways,” he mentioned.
