How to make the most of your flight and hotel and save money doing it!

Now, Guy Ratcliffe, CEO and Founder of Upgradus, is sharing his financial know-how to enable hotel stayers to save, not just on their hotel but throughout their stay. Guy’s advice includes:

·        Free or cheap flights with airline points

Try and put all your daily household and business spending towards saving free airline points to get very discounted or free flights. Ensure you have credit cards that are linked to Airline loyalty schemes and ensure that you have two cards from different payment networks so you can always get points if one card type is not accepted in a particular business. “I personally have a British Airways Amex card and a Virgin Airlines Mastercard and have managed to take 20 flights over many years, all for a fraction of the retail cost”. To get great advice on how to earn and just as importantly how to use airline points head to www.thepointsguy.co.uk “

·        No bank charges

“Don’t want to get charged the exchange rate to pay your hotel fees on check-out, or  any other fees when you’re abroad? Invest in a ‘no foreign transaction fee’ card. Companies like Monzo even offer up to £200 ATM withdrawal free of charge. Furthermore, many card machines when you’re paying for shopping or meals abroad now ask whether you would like to pay in your home currency or native currency. It is almost always best if you select the currency of the country you’re staying in – it won’t save you hundreds but could easily add up to a pretty penny.”

·        Upgrade for less

“You might not get a premium room or suite upgrade for free, but if you’re willing to pay a fraction of the cost new website Upgradus is the go-to place. If you have an existing booking, Upgradus will liaise with your hotel on your behalf and, depending on availability, could offer you discounts of up to 75% on an upgrade (min 50% saving). The best thing is the site is free to use, and you can turn down the upgrade offer if you decide to, so you really have nothing to lose.”

·        Check before paying for airport transfers

“Do your homework before you fly. Most of us jump into the first taxi we see at the airport when we land, but some hotels actually offer their guests a free pick-up service or run transfers at a lower rate. If they don’t offer the service, then ask them about alternative transport options – they will certainly get you a better price and know the best routes to take. “

·        Utilise your hotel memberships or credit card point privileges

“If you stay at a particular brand of hotel such as Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, and Le Meridien, or pay with a specific credit card, then check out their membership benefits. Depending on who you stay with and how frequent your trips are, you can take advantage of a variety of privileges including free breakfast, free wi-fi, late checkout, access to the executive lounge, bonus points, snacks and even free stays. It’s not just at the hotel that you can take advantage; some airports offer access to their VIP lounges for a small fee. Not only is it a nicer experience, but with a whole world of freebies on offer, it can work out cheaper than paying for overpriced food and drink in the main departures area.”

·        Don’t always rely on tour operators for excursions

“If you want to get out and about, big package holiday companies will always greet you with a smile and a plethora of trips to choose from, but make sure you take your time to decide. Don’t get wrapped up in the moment and just book on the spot – your hotel concierge will know all the best local tour providers and may be able to get you a more personal experience for half the cost.”

·        Don’t pay for TV films, take your laptop and watch the big screen

“If you’re staying in a modern hotel then your room will undoubtably feature a high definition television complete with a HDMI port. If you don’t already have one, invest in an HDMI cable (super cheap online) before you travel. When you arrive you can hook up your laptop, connect to Netflix and voila – thousands of films at your fingertips straight on the big screen in your room.”

For more information or to request a heavily discounted hotel upgrade through Upgradus, visit www.upgradus.com