Save your vacation this summer with a reward credit card
School is out and summer is upon us. Unfortunately, gas prices hit an average of over $4 per gallon and that may prevent some people from driving much of anywhere outside of necessity this summer. But for those that made their vacation plans to include air travel, hotel stays and car rentals, making those reservations ahead of time may have saved you a bundle compared to today’s prices. If you still plan on taking a vacation this summer despite rising prices, a reward credit card can help you still save money.
Airline Tickets
Rising fuel prices definitely affect the cost of airline tickets. Recently, we had a family member check ticket prices and they were 200% or more of what they have paid in the past. To help them and you there are several tools available to help find and track airline ticket prices like Yapta and Travelocity’s Fare Watcher. If you are loyal to a particular airline and use it often when you travel, consider choosing from several different airline miles credit cards. Depending on which card you choose, you’ll receive bonus miles which are typically good for one free ticket when you apply. Not having to pay for one ticket can save you hundreds of dollars. Plus, enjoy the flexibility of redeeming your miles for other travel expenses like hotel stays and more.
Hotel Stays
Finding good deals on a hotel stay is pretty easy. Search some of the top discount hotel reservation websites and you can find hotel deals as much as 50% or more off the regular nightly rate. What if you could stay at your favorite hotel brand with points you earn from purchases you make every day? Sound good? Sure it does, and you can easily with a hotel rewards credit card. Find credit cards from Hilton, Choice, Starwood, Wyndham and more. Together these hotels provide thousands of available location to stay worldwide. Just use the card in place of your debit card, cash or check book each time you make a purchase and earn points towards free hotel stays and more.
Car Rental
If you need to rent a car this summer for your vacation, consider this proposal. As fuel prices rise, so does the demand for economy-sized cars. As demand rises for these types of cars, car rental companies raise prices on this category of cars. However, you can take advantage of lower priced cars in other categories. When shopping for a car rental, be sure to check prices on full-size cars and SUVs because it may actually cost you less. Car rental companies have a tough time renting these categories of cars because customer demand is lower. The price you pay to rent a larger car like this may far outweigh the increased cost of fuel versus an economy-sized car. There are also many travel rewards cards that let you use points towards car rentals too.
See, saving money on your vacation this summer isn’t as hard as your think.
