Seven Amazing Travel Secrets Revealed
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Travel Tips
While we mere mortals schlep our suitcases epic distances, squint at confounding signs and pretend to know where we're going, veteran travelers blow by us with an effortless stride. What do they know that we don't?
If you want travel to become painless, or at least slightly more gratifying, check out these expert travel tips to save yourself time, money and headaches.
Up First: Speed Through the Airport -
Speed Through the Airport
Log on to the Transportation Security Administration's Web site, which lists security checkpoints at every U.S. airport and publishes average wait times by the hour at waittime.tsa.dhs.gov.
Up Next: Scoring a Room in a Sold-Out Hotel
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Scoring a Room in
A Sold-Out HotelHotels, like airlines, overbook reservations because they know that not everyone is going to show up. But some of their inventory goes to third-party travel sites like Expedia, Hotels.com and Travelocity, which contract with hotels ahead of time to sell a preset block of rooms.
Up Next: Upgrade Your Room
Without Paying More
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Upgrade Your Room
Without Paying MoreIf you wait for the front-desk person to hand you a key, you're likely to get the least fancy accommodations. But if you make nice, telling them it's a special occasion or that you have a lot of work to do, and you do this before they've locked you into a particular room, it's much easier for the agent to hook you up.
Up Next: Get the Most for Your Miles
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Get the Most for Your Miles
You may have to pay a fee to talk to an airline reservation agent, but it's worth it: Your odds of getting what you want greatly increase. That's because airline reservation agents can access inventory from partner airlines. This is something that you can't do online. They can also easily try different routings, using connecting flights or alternative airports.
Up Next: First-Class Seat for a Coach Price
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First-Class Seat
For a Coach PriceThe trick is searching for a fare code designation that's called a "Yup" or a "Q-up." How do you find these magical fares? Check out FareCompare.com, which has an online tool that searches specifically for them.
Up Next: Upgrade Your Rental
Car for Free
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Upgrade Your Rental Car for Free
Rental-car companies overbook, just like airlines, and the economy cars are usually the first to go. By booking the most popular model, you're likely to get a better car without even asking for it.
Up Next: Play the Bumping Game
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Play the Bumping Game
When you get to your gate, ask if the flight is overbooked. If it is, ask what the airline's initial offer is and get on the volunteer list. Being on this list doesn't obligate you to take what the airline is offering; it just gives you the right of first refusal.
Read More on This Tip -
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