TravelHacks

Flying domestically in the US and planning to pack some kid snacks in my checked luggage. Things like granola bars, protein bars, trail mix, small Pringles packs, etc. I’m planning to put everything in ziplock bags just in case something breaks open. My bigger concern is...

I’m about to take my first really long flight (much longer than 2 hours) with multiple connections: about 3 hours, then 7 hours, then 13 hours. I’m trying to figure out what snacks I should bring so I don’t get too hungry during the trip. Right now I was thinking about packing...

Spent about five years collecting and planning points to build an over the top honeymoon itinerary almost entirely with rewards. In total around 2.38 million points were redeemed, covering roughly $90,000 worth of travel, with about $10k paid out of pocket. The trip included...

Looking at flights where a one way ticket costs about €1400, but the same route as a round trip is only around €800 with Lufthansa and Air Canada. Because of that, thinking about just booking the round trip and not taking the return flight. No refund request or anything, just...

Got into the habit of screenshotting hotel prices after getting burned once in Lisbon. Paid about $180 a night for a room that dropped to $95 two weeks later. After around six months of tracking prices across roughly 40 cities, a few patterns started to stand out. The “book on...

I normally travel with a roll-aboard, but on a recent trip I ended up using a duffel bag instead. Surprisingly it worked out better than expected. Even though the overhead bins were packed, the duffel squeezed right in when a hard suitcase probably wouldn’t have. Saved me from...

Looking at flights from the US to Dublin this summer and the price difference is pretty crazy. A direct one way to Dublin is around $1400 in economy. But flights to other European cities that connect through Dublin are only about $400 to $600, even though the first leg is the...

Planning an international trip this winter and want to fly business. It’s an expensive destination, but I have a good stash of miles with two different airlines. Thinking of booking one airline outbound and a different airline for the return, both as one ways using points. Has...

Someone pricing out Montreal on American found roundtrip premium for two at $883. Booked as two separate one ways, same flights, same dates, total was $753. That used to never happen. Roundtrip was almost always the better deal. Only downside is the tickets are separate, so...

I’ve got an early morning flight and need to go straight to an event in a full suit. No hotel stop, no place to steam or iron. Trying to figure out the best move. I’ll probably want to sleep on the plane, so wearing the full suit sounds uncomfortable. But I’m also worried about...

I’m pretty new to Bonvoy and just realized I’ve got 50,000 points expiring in about 3 weeks. No hotel stays planned before then. What’s the simplest way to generate activity so they don’t expire? I saw you can link Starbucks. If I connect it and just buy a coffee, does that...

Just realized some airlines list a weight limit for the backpack that goes under the seat, not just size limits. I’ve definitely seen the little sizer boxes for dimensions, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a scale for personal items. Do they actually weigh under seat backpacks...

I’ve been booking hotel rooms for 2 people lately, even when I’m traveling alone. At a lot of Accor properties, this can mean: • Extra drink vouchers • Occasionally a few more perks • No weirdness if you bring someone into the lounge It obviously doesn’t work everywhere, and...

My wife rented from Budget for a work trip and a couple weeks later we get an invoice for $105 for tire damage and resetting the TPMS light. She said the tire light was on the whole time she had the car. She didn’t document it, which in hindsight we should’ve done. But there was...

This story is nuts and honestly makes me angry just reading it. Going from a $650 rental to $1400 after the fact is insane, especially when the car was returned full, undamaged, and basically just lived in for 3 weeks. Crumbs and a few coins is normal wear, not some deep clean...

I actually love this idea. Washi tape is one of those things that sounds silly until you realize how often duct tape would be useful, but you don’t want to carry duct tape. Non damaging, tears by hand, super light, and weirdly versatile. Covering hostel lights, taping zippers in...

The empty bottle tip is one of those things that sounds obvious but saves so much money and hassle. Most airports really do have fountains if you look, and that Water at Airport site is surprisingly useful. My go to tips are way less glamorous. Screenshot your boarding pass even...

My girlfriend is flying Bangalore to Dubai on IndiGo on March 6. Standard ticket includes 7kg cabin + 30kg checked, but she has two big suitcases, about 30kg each. I checked excess baggage and IndiGo wants around 30,000 INR for an extra 30kg. Her actual ticket only cost about...

I’ve been looking at flights from Europe to Southeast Asia and keep seeing these wild options pop up. Trips that normally take under 20 hours suddenly become 35 hours with two or three connections, sometimes even self transfers. And the savings are tiny, like maybe €100. Some of...

Yeah, I know, rookie mistake. I booked a hotel in Prague through hotels.com for 3/19 to 3/24 and somehow selected non refundable, which I never do. Realized after that my flight doesn’t even arrive until the 20th. I don’t want to cancel, I just want to show up a day late and...

I rent from Avis pretty often for weekend trips and usually use a solid corporate discount. Super annoying thing keeps happening though. If I return the car even one day early, Avis drops the corporate rate and re-bills me at the full public price. Every single time I then have...

First time renting a car on my own and could really use some advice. Rented from Avis on 1/28. Booked the reservation using Klarna via Apple Pay. At pickup they needed a card for the incidentals hold. I didn’t have a physical credit card with me, but after some extra...