Should you be earning airline miles? The answer is definately YES! The worst they can give you is a free flight. If you don't use them, then you are not out anything.
So, how should you go about earning miles? Here are a few pointers:
1. Find out what airline operates their main hub at your airport. Why should you know this? Since it is the airlines main hub you are going to find the most destinations, diverse itineraries, and most direct flights from your airport.
2. Now that you know what airline will give you the most options, sign up for their frequent flyer program. It's free!
3. Do some research on all the possible ways to earn miles. You don't just earn miles when you book flights. You can earn them with car rentals, hotel reservations, and even shopping.
4. Get a credit card that earns miles for your airline, or that earns points that can be used for any airline. One advantage to the points is if you decide not to fly with your points you can turn them in for cash, or other products. DO NOT pay an annual fee for a credit card. There are many cards that do not have fees. Do your homework, and find the best card for you. Use this credit card for all your purchases, but treat it like a checkbook. DO NOT charge more than what you have in your bank account!
5. DO NOT PAY FOR ANYTHING WITHOUT GETTING MILES FOR IT!!!
By doing these simple things you will be surprised at how fast the miles add up. Really, there is no reason not to do it, because the worst you can get out of it is a free flight. If your points expire for some reason then oh well, you didn't pay anything for them. This is something every traveler should do.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Timeshares???
A question that many people ask me is should I buy a timeshare? My answer to about 9 out of 10 of those people is No. Now, before you read further you need to know that I own a very large timeshare. I love my timeshare. Timeshares can be a good thing, or a bad thing for people. So, before you buy a timeshare please read about how I got involved in my timeshare.
My wife and I were in Vegas shortly after we were married. We knew nothing about timeshares at this point. A man stopped us and said he would give us free show tickets if we took a tour of their resort. We said sure. We took a tour of a very nice resort, and then sat down with a salesman. We went over how much we pay each year for vacations, etc. Remember we were very young and knew nothing about timeshares. Then, he made his proposal. He said, "Once your loan is paid off you have free vacations for life. They failed to focus on the fact that you still pay maintenance fees for life. (These maintenance fees never go away. In fact, they will increase a little each year. When you pass your timeshare onto your children they are required to pay the maintenance fees also.) He said, "You can go anywhere you want." I asked, "Can I go to Hawaii now?" He responded, "Ya, you can go to Hawaii anytime you want." To us, it was a lot of money that they were asking for a very small starter package. But, we looked at it as an investment, because we wanted to travel throughout our lives. We bought it!
I went home all excited to book my first vacation. I dialed the number and eagerly told the person on the other end of the line that I wanted to go to Hawaii! They told me I couldn't because there was no availability. I was crushed. I said, "But we were told that we could go anywhere we wanted to." The person said they were sorry, but Hawaii was not available. I had other plans, and none of them worked out either. I felt betrayed. I felt like I did not get what I paid for. I was so stressed trying to learn everything about the timeshare "system."
I learned more and more as time went on. We went on vacations, even though it was not always where we wanted to. We decided to upgrade. We felt like with more points and VIP status that we could get more of what we wanted. Again, we continued to enjoy some vacations, but not always what we wanted. I finally decided that I had had enough. I was going to sell, and maybe I can make some money off of it.(OK stop laughing!) I had our timeshare listed for two years. I dropped the price multiple times. I never received one offer. (Timeshares are not investments. You will probably never get what you paid for it if you try to sell. There are hundreds to thousands listed on Ebay for $1 and they never even receive a bid. Timeshares are only worth the enjoyment you get out of them.)
At this point I felt like I was at a crossroad with my timeshare. I could either keep it, invest more into it, and learn more about how to use it to my advantage. Or, I just needed to get rid of it, even if it meant giving it away. We had been able to go on some great vacations, and I had learned more about how to work the "system." I decided to keep it and invest more into it. I had a feeling it was going to be a good thing for my family. So I upgraded to another VIP level.
Enough time had gone by that I had really learned a lot about how to get the most out of my timeshare. I started to be able to do the things that I wanted to do. Were things the way that the salesman had described them to me? Of course not. Each time I have upgraded I have met with a different salesperson. There is only one person out of many that I truly believed was honest with me and cared about my interests.
So you are probably wondering how I could have gone through all this and love my timeshare. I go on multiple vacations every year. I stay in 3 bedroom condos with my family instead of a hotel room. I stay at resorts that I could never afford otherwise. Here are the reasons why I can enjoy it:(These things are what I tell people are a must if they are going to buy a timeshare. If they do not have all these things I would not do it)
1. I know the "system." I know how to get the most out of my points. I spent a lot of time and frustration studying the system and asking questions.
2. My work is very flexible. I work 3 days a week as a nurse. If I schedule myself right I can go on a vacation for a week and not use any PTO. I can travel in the off-season. I can plan far in advance, but I can also plan last minute. My family usually goes on more than 6 vacations a year.
3. I am going to travel every year, and spend money traveling every year. So, I don't mind paying maintenance fees, because I would spend that money anyway and I know how to get the most out of the maintenance fees.
So, the conclusion to all of this is know what you are getting into. Talk to people who own timeshares. Research timeshares. Decide if you can obtain the 3 qualities that I described. If you do all this, and feel like timeshares are for you, then they probably are.
My wife and I were in Vegas shortly after we were married. We knew nothing about timeshares at this point. A man stopped us and said he would give us free show tickets if we took a tour of their resort. We said sure. We took a tour of a very nice resort, and then sat down with a salesman. We went over how much we pay each year for vacations, etc. Remember we were very young and knew nothing about timeshares. Then, he made his proposal. He said, "Once your loan is paid off you have free vacations for life. They failed to focus on the fact that you still pay maintenance fees for life. (These maintenance fees never go away. In fact, they will increase a little each year. When you pass your timeshare onto your children they are required to pay the maintenance fees also.) He said, "You can go anywhere you want." I asked, "Can I go to Hawaii now?" He responded, "Ya, you can go to Hawaii anytime you want." To us, it was a lot of money that they were asking for a very small starter package. But, we looked at it as an investment, because we wanted to travel throughout our lives. We bought it!
I went home all excited to book my first vacation. I dialed the number and eagerly told the person on the other end of the line that I wanted to go to Hawaii! They told me I couldn't because there was no availability. I was crushed. I said, "But we were told that we could go anywhere we wanted to." The person said they were sorry, but Hawaii was not available. I had other plans, and none of them worked out either. I felt betrayed. I felt like I did not get what I paid for. I was so stressed trying to learn everything about the timeshare "system."
I learned more and more as time went on. We went on vacations, even though it was not always where we wanted to. We decided to upgrade. We felt like with more points and VIP status that we could get more of what we wanted. Again, we continued to enjoy some vacations, but not always what we wanted. I finally decided that I had had enough. I was going to sell, and maybe I can make some money off of it.(OK stop laughing!) I had our timeshare listed for two years. I dropped the price multiple times. I never received one offer. (Timeshares are not investments. You will probably never get what you paid for it if you try to sell. There are hundreds to thousands listed on Ebay for $1 and they never even receive a bid. Timeshares are only worth the enjoyment you get out of them.)
At this point I felt like I was at a crossroad with my timeshare. I could either keep it, invest more into it, and learn more about how to use it to my advantage. Or, I just needed to get rid of it, even if it meant giving it away. We had been able to go on some great vacations, and I had learned more about how to work the "system." I decided to keep it and invest more into it. I had a feeling it was going to be a good thing for my family. So I upgraded to another VIP level.
Enough time had gone by that I had really learned a lot about how to get the most out of my timeshare. I started to be able to do the things that I wanted to do. Were things the way that the salesman had described them to me? Of course not. Each time I have upgraded I have met with a different salesperson. There is only one person out of many that I truly believed was honest with me and cared about my interests.
So you are probably wondering how I could have gone through all this and love my timeshare. I go on multiple vacations every year. I stay in 3 bedroom condos with my family instead of a hotel room. I stay at resorts that I could never afford otherwise. Here are the reasons why I can enjoy it:(These things are what I tell people are a must if they are going to buy a timeshare. If they do not have all these things I would not do it)
1. I know the "system." I know how to get the most out of my points. I spent a lot of time and frustration studying the system and asking questions.
2. My work is very flexible. I work 3 days a week as a nurse. If I schedule myself right I can go on a vacation for a week and not use any PTO. I can travel in the off-season. I can plan far in advance, but I can also plan last minute. My family usually goes on more than 6 vacations a year.
3. I am going to travel every year, and spend money traveling every year. So, I don't mind paying maintenance fees, because I would spend that money anyway and I know how to get the most out of the maintenance fees.
So, the conclusion to all of this is know what you are getting into. Talk to people who own timeshares. Research timeshares. Decide if you can obtain the 3 qualities that I described. If you do all this, and feel like timeshares are for you, then they probably are.
Introduction
If someone asks me what my hobby is, I usually say traveling. They might ask how can traveling be a hobby? A hobby is something that you spend your free time doing. True, I can't travel during all my free time. However, when I spend my free time thinking about travel, researching travel, and planning travel it becomes a hobby. I have two reasons for writing this blog. First, it is an opportunity for me to bring all my travel thoughts and experiences together. The second reason is the most important to me. I love to help others have great vacations. If this blog in any way helps you enjoy a vacation then I have succeeded.
I am in no way an expert. I would love to learn from you as well. So please feel free to comment and share your experiences.
I am in no way an expert. I would love to learn from you as well. So please feel free to comment and share your experiences.
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