Fast Five Travel Tips: Great gifts for travellers

Christmas is around the corner. Are you still looking for ideas on how to treat your favourite traveller? Here are a few suggestions sure to please.

1. Gift card to have photos printed. And/or the offer of your time to help organize travel photos and put together an album.

2. Bamboo socks. They are a little pricey ($10-15 a pair) and would be a great treat to the frugal traveller. Bamboo is comfortable, breathable, naturally antimicrobial, quick to dry and made from a renewable resource.

3. "Plane pack" a little gift bag with all the necessities... hand sanitizer, gum, kleenex, ear buds, peanuts/crackers/dried fruit.

4. Phone charger. Who couldn't use a spare?

5. Gift card for a popular hotel chain, or Air Canada. You can pick these up at the post office, or at www.aeroplan.ca  You can even use your own Aeroplan miles to pay for them.  (The other Canadian airline does not offer gift cards.)

Tips worth repeating

I'm often asked how I find the travel bargains, or how I can afford to travel with my kids in hockey. Well, it's like anything, you have to plan, save and be on the lookout (constantly) for the deals.

My top tips for travelling on any budget, are worth repeating.

1. Travel when others aren't. Travel after long weekends and major holidays and you'll pay 40% less than those travelling ON the long weekend.

2. Know the average price of what you want so you can RECOGNIZE the bargain when it appears. Then act quickly. Bargains disappear as quickly as they appear. You can miss the boat (literally) by waiting a day. Travel is a commodity dramatically affected by supply and demand.

3. Collect points. Whether you choose Air Miles, Aeroplan, Sky Miles or others, get their credit card and start accumulating your points at the grocery store, gas station etc. This is a great way to SUBSIDIZE your travel. Even your hockey expenses can contribute to future family vacations.

4. Read reviews. It's no bargain if the hotel is a dump or the airline constantly strands passengers. Read Trip Advisor for recent reviews every time you consider something new.

5, Be FLEXIBLE! This is my absolutely most important tip. If you can be flexible in choosing your destination (I know I want a Caribbean beach, but am open to try any of 5 islands) then you will have greater chances for bargains rather than ONLY looking for bargains in The Bahamas. And, be flexible on your dates. Check a grid (like on tripcentral.ca) because sometimes the difference in dates can be $500 or more, even when choosing the EXACT same airline and/or hotel.

Last Minute Flights from Aeroplan

This week's Aeroplan flight offerings are as follows:

With just a few clicks of a mouse you can cash in your points and be on your way to somewhere warm, somewhere cosmopolitan, somewhere culturally rich or somewhere sporting! The choice is yours.

No points? You can change that too. To sign up and start collecting Aeroplan points is free. Just visit their web site. To get a free flight, sign up for one of the Aeroplan branded credit cards. Then start earning mega miles on grocery and gas purchases. It won't be long before you're in the air!

Like Aeroplan?

If you collect Aeroplan points, it's a great time of year to pad your account. Convert your smattering of hotel miles and your banking points and put them all into your Aeroplan account!
Soon you could be jetting away to your favourite destination.

Converting points is easy. You will need to follow the steps on-line, and of course, have your other account numbers handy.

Tips for Newbies

Thinking about taking your first plane trip? I have a few tips...

1. Get yourself a travel app like "On The Fly" "Hipmunk" or "Kayak". Something that will effortlessly search all possible routes, airlines and prices for you. My preference is "On The Fly". It never ceases to amaze me with the price differences it can spy.

2. Once you choose your airline, sign up for their frequent flier program BEFORE you book. Even if you think it's just one flight, I can tell you with certainty... it's not. You'll book again. Collect points, tune in to their offers.

3. Sign up everyone in your family individually. Travellers can't collect points for family members. Even your 6 year-old can gather Aeroplan. This was a big mistake on my part. Each of the kids missed out on their Skymiles to Maui. They'd be at a free flight level already if I had know this ahead of time. For whatever reason, I thought if I booked and paid for all four flights I would get points for all four. I was wrong. I missed out. 75% loss.

4. Know your airport security rules... liquids, scissors etc. Don't delay the lines and frustrate other travellers with your naivety. Cdn TSA Guidelines  Don't wear bulky layers of zippered clothes thru security. Seriously... I will give you THE LOOK. Or if you do, please let us go ahead of you.

5. Most airlines only accept credit cards for inflight purchases of drinks or snacks. Don't assume pop or coffee is free anymore. Bring your own kid friendly granola bars etc, if you think your kids might need a snack on the plane.

6. If you think you might be delayed, research ahead of time and know what your alternate flights are. You'll be soooo much further ahead if you can re-book yourself at a kiosk or on your smartphone.

Delta's App and real-time options are far superior to anything else I've ever seen. We were in the air and I received Delta alerts that our flight delay would mean we would miss our connection. They have FREE in-flight wifi access to their site so I was able to follow their alert link instantly. They gave me all my no-charge options and we had a plan before we even landed the first flight. I was incredibly impressed with the technology.

7. Have your ground transportation thought out. Are you renting a car, looking for a taxi or taking a shuttle bus?  I know that after 7 hours in transit and making flight connections my family does not have the patience for a shuttle bus. Free or not, it does not work with our personalities. Best $100 I spend on a trip is having a town car waiting. Pre-arranging it you can generally have this service for $20 more than a regular taxi round trip.  I might pursue the bargain rabidly, but I am not willing to risk a meltdown over $20, a shuttle bus and tropical heat.  Of course, if it's just a direct flight and 3 hours of travel in a day, they can suck it up and wait in line with me for a taxi.