BK's Q&A: Our Top Travel Tips
Q&A
BK's Travel Trips
It’s no secret that Brian and I love to travel! Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about how to become more savvy travelers so today he will be answering your most asked questions and sharing some of our favorite tips for booking and making travel easier. From booking flights, to how to make the most of our travel perks, things to save vs. splurge on and much more! Without further ado, take it away BK!
FROM OUR PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENT PHOTOS in NYC: DRESS (XL) | BELT (L/XL) | SIMILAR BELT | SIMILAR BELT | MY SHOES ARE SEVERAL YEARS OLD, SIMILAR OPTION | SIMILAR SHOE OPTION | COAT (16) | BAG | PEARL HOOP EARRINGS
Q: Best way to save money on flights while traveling?
A: Funnel all of your spending through an airline or travel rewards credit card!
Q: Recommended Credit Cards for Travel perks?
A: Without getting too complicated, there are many options out there. Based on how we travel, we currently split spending between the Marriot Bonvoy Boundless Visa, Jet Blue Plus Mastercard, and the Delta Amex Reserve. We try and stay on Marriot properties as much as possible when we travel, the points, free night certificates, and status upgrades are great, and we’ve got to experience some awesome properties otherwise out of our price range, like St. Regis in NYC. If you can, pick a hotel chain and stay loyal because the nights (and benefits) add up.
As far as the airline cards go, we use one for business and the other for personal spending. Buffalo, unfortunately, doesn’t have a ton of direct flights, so we fly JetBlue when going anywhere they service directly from Buffalo and then fly Delta for all connecting flights. I would probably go with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card if you want the best all-around travel rewards card with a low annual fee. However, I prefer company-specific rewards cards. The most important thing when taking advantage of these cards is funneling all of your spending through them! We really try to be as intentional as possible with our purchases only on credit cards to accumulate points and jump status tiers, immediately paying them off. This could be a whole post in itself, but in the meantime, The Points Guy is a great resource for finding what fits your lifestyle the best. Many cards have sign-on bonuses to take advantage of and almost certainly add up to a few free flights!
Q: Any tips for monitoring or comparing prices for flights before you book?
A: Google Flights is a great resource, you can set an alert and track specific flights to get real-time notifications when the price changes. My recommendation is however, to book the flight for the dates you want and if the price goes down, cancel the flight and rebook! You could even try calling and asking for a price adjustment. Even if the flight is non-refundable you’ll receive an E-Credit to use and if you book on points, they are typically refunded immediately after canceling. If your travel dates are flexible, check other days of the week around your ideal travel dates, leaving on a Tuesday is usually cheaper than leaving on a Thursday or Friday. Caralyn has previously used the Hopper app too but Google Flights seems to be the most reliable in real-time.
q: Best advice on booking travel?
Be obsessive with checking flight prices and times daily when preparing for a trip. Trip Advisor and google Maps are your friend when figuring out what to expect when picking a hotel or resort. Do your research, so you know what to expect, and how long it will take to get there during the time of day you’ll be arriving (unless, of course, you prefer a more easygoing approach and can go with the flow).
Q: what are your favorite airlines?
A: Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest, but this is mostly because this is what we have most readily available in our preferred destinations!
Q: How do we learn to navigate Airports? It is My biggest travel anxiety.
A: I used to just follow Caralyn around since she used to travel weekly for modeling when we met and was an airport expert. However, the roles have since shifted, and I have since become the pack leader. It’s really simple; just pull up an airport map before your trip to get a feel for the terminal you will be landing in. If you have a connecting flight, make sure you are aware before you land how to change terminals and make your connecting flight. Most airports are pretty well-marked. I still walk to my gate to ensure it exists at every new airport I visit. Worst case scenario, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Most gate agents and help desks located throughout the airport will happily help. Most airlines have their own apps and updated information on connecting flights in real-time, but FlightView is a great app/resource to use when traveling (or tracking someone else’s flights).
Q: Most important thing to keep in mind while traveling?
A: For me right now is to stay flexible and not get too upset if a trip, travel day, or location isn’t up to your expectations. The beauty of travel is getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing new things. I remember when Caralyn and I first started dating; we booked a trip to Cancun. Our connecting flight was canceled, and we had to spend the night in Fort Lauderdale. While it was an inconvenience, we made the best of it. Now, every time we are in Fort Lauderdale, we bring up that trip and how we got stuck in an airport hotel and how Caralyn almost stepped on an iguana. *Disclaimer* This viewpoint is subject to change once Baby K starts tagging along on trips!
But in all seriousness, I think it helps to keep an open and flexible mind when traveling. Not everything may always go to plan, but that’s all a part of the journey and gives you more experience as a traveler!
Q: Do you get travel insurance?
A: We got it for the first time when we booked the trip to the BVI in February, just strictly because CMK is pregnant, and I wanted to be sure if anything changed and we weren’t able to go, and the cancelation policy for the Marriot property was one month before arrival. Most properties we stay at have a full refund policy 3-7 days before arrival, so travel insurance typically isn’t necessary. As far as the airlines go, some offer fully refundable fairs. Otherwise, you can cancel a flight at any time before takeoff and receive an E-Credit back. We have canceled flights on our way to the airport and rebooked through another airline since the initial flight was significantly delayed.
It’s important to note that most travel insurance policies (even when booked through the airline website) are a third party. So if/when you do have an issue, you have to jump through all of the hoops through that separate company to file your claim and seek resolution, something worth noting that most people don’t realize.
Q: What to splurge on and what to skimp on?
A: Splurge on comfort and what makes the most sense to you while traveling! For example, the flight may be cheap, but does it leave and arrive at a reasonable time? How many stops are there? Is the layover over 3 hours? Is there a direct flight that is marginally more expensive? Are you going to be comfortable in a middle economy seat from NY to Hawaii for 10 hours, and will that impact your mood when you arrive? Spending the least time in an airport and airplane is a non-negotiable for us. The hotel, on the other hand, CAN be a skimp depending on the trip. Are you traveling to NYC? Maybe you don’t need to stay at a top-tier hotel and can stay at something more budget-friendly if you are sleeping there and not spending much time in the hotel room. On the other hand, if your vacation is the hotel/resort, that may be a different story. Each save or splurge decision will be personal to you, your comfort level, and budget for each trip!
Q: How to get the most out of weekend trips?
A: Depending on your profession, book around holidays! If a holiday falls on a Monday or a Friday, leave on a Thursday night after work or come back on a Tuesday morning. The less PTO to burn, the better!
Q: are you team Carry on or team Checked Bag?
A: I am team carry on…until I start packing and realize my stuff isn’t going to fit. If bags are included with your flight, check a bag! Once Baby K joins our travel crew, we will have no choice but to check bags, so I am making it a point only to do a carry-on for the last few trips we have lined up.
Caralyn weighs in: I think this depends on the trip, season, how long you’ll be gone for, and what amenities you have access to while you’re there. Could you do 12 days to Europe during the winter in a carry-on? Yes. Did I love it? No. As a size 11 shoe girly, packing can get tricky in cooler months. I do have several posts on how to pack smart on the travel tab of the blog I’ll reshare here, such as how to go anywhere with these five essential packing tips, how to use packing cubes, and several trip roundups and recaps with what I brought on several trips!
Q: Did you ever find your ring?
I did not, but if you are ever diving around the Willy T in the BVI’s, keep an eye out for it! Luckily I found an under $12 replacement on Amazon that’s been doing the trick.
Q: Can You book our trip for me?
A: I can try to help! DM me for CMK’s Intern Travel services… Kidding, kind of! I hope this post helped, feel free to leave any questions below.
a few of our favorite travel items
Above, you’ll see some of our favorite/most used travel items I’ve previously covered on the blog and social media. One of our favorite tips is to use Apple Air Tags and place them inside our luggage just in case we get separated, or it gets lost upon arrival to our final destination. I also have more travel essentials saved to my Amazon Storefront on this curated list! Let us know your thoughts or any questions we may have missed. Thanks for reading!
xx CMK +BK