How to save money on hotel and flight this holiday season

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The holiday travel season is rapidly approaching! You may have gotten a head start on planning your travel accommodations this year. This process can be both exciting and nerve wracking especially with today’s current rising prices. The prices of flights and hotels have increased immensely. 

Don’t let these high prices discourage you from traveling this holiday season and enjoying your trip. You can save some extra money by comparing different airline and hotel brands. Don’t have the time to spare? No need to worry. I did the research so you don’t have to! I created a list of three hotels and three airlines that’ll make it easy on your bank account for the 2022 holiday season.

Airlines
Three airlines that have great deals on plane tickets and offer the customer benefits are Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and American Airlines.

Southwest Airlines is a very economical option for traveling. This airline allows passengers a personal item, one carry-on, and two checked bags for no cost. Southwest offers a variety of airline perks to make your trip as pleasant as possible. They offer complimentary beverages, free music on every plane, and no changing fee. It is likely you won’t have to pay anything beyond your ticket price. They have also brought back, Companion Pass. This is the benefit that allows you to choose one person to fly with you, free of airline charges (does not include taxes and fees from $5.60 one-way) every time you purchase or redeem points for a flight. To qualify, simply fly 100 qualifying one-way flights or earn 125,000 qualifying points* in a calendar year, and you’ll earn Companion Pass for the following full calendar year, plus the remainder of the year in which you earned it. IMPORTANT NOTE - You need to goto southwest.com to get the additional details on the companion pass.
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United Airlines is another money saving option. This airline allows passengers a personal item, a checked bag, and the ability to pick your seat at no extra cost. These are great features for the frequent and infrequent travel. They also have Mileage Plus. More Places. More Miles. More Adventures.

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American Airlines can be a great choice for traveling as well. This one I personally use a lot and have status which means I arrive I get to go in the priority lane, get one bag checked at no cost and very often bumped to 1st class. American, like most, allows passengers one personal item and one carry-on for free. However there is that pesky cost of $30 per checked bag but for some passengers, like those in the military, are eligible for free checked bags. The other important note, you checked bag can only weigh up to 50lbs.
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Hotels
Three hotel chains that are considered to be the most economical and offer some interesting benefits are the Marriott, Hilton Hotels, and Candlewood suites.

Marriott is one of my favorites. As a matter of fact, my status is now Gold Elite. I hear they have money saving options for this winter.  You can join their Bonvoy loyalty program which offers great rewards such as discounts on future hotel stays, late check out and things like that. You can sign up for their credit card to rack up perks and special rates whenever you book a trip. If you are considering that I encourage you to check out this podcast episode of travel hacking to ensure you understand the pros and cons of taking on their credit card.

Hilton Hotels is another great option. You can join their loyalty program and get discounts on future stays at their hotel chains. They have an affiliated credit card that delivers substantial savings. You earn points off of every purchase and can gain access to elite status perks. Hilton has eighteen brands under its name. Each brand differs in categories, target guests, luxury levels, and much more.


Per Brokebackpacker.com, Candlewood Suites is broaching into midscale territory. It is noted that Candlewood Suites is the best inexpensive hotel chain for long-stayers! It also states, each suite comes with a fully-equipped kitchen decked out and ready for cooking some cost-effective meals from the comfort of your room. With choices between studios and one-bedroom rooms for solo travellers or the larger suites for families and couples, there really is something for everyone at Candlewood Suites.

So there you have it. I encourage you to do your own research ensure whichever hotel you lock for yourself and your family it is in a safe neighborhood. You can't put a price on safety. You can also check. out this blog post on travel hacking which can help you as you coordinate your holiday travel.

If you have used any of the notes airline to hotel chains, let us know below in comments.