Rookie Travel Tips with Shannon and Earn Miles Paying your Taxes on $3.89

April 15, 2011 - Shannon

Last weeks winning tip goes to Arpita S!

“Always check out the credit score and inquiries on your credit report before applying for a new card. There are some free trials that rick features from time to time. However, one needs to cancel these trials in order to ensure that there is no charge.

So, it is better to enroll in two totally free services: 1) creditkarma.com shows your transunion credit report and FAKO score. 2) Quizzle shows your Experian credit report and FAKO score.

You can update your your creditkarma score as frequently as you wish. You can update your Quizzle score twice in a year. “- Arpita S

This week I had a second chance to do Vegas and I came out much better this time. As many of you already know, I went to Vegas last month as a Rookie traveler and it cost me big. I wasted a lot of money getting ripped off by cabbies, eating expensive food, and missing a 1 a.m. flight that cost me an extra $800. No frugality in that one.

I went back last week and vastly improved on my traveling skills thanks to a ton of great tips from you all. I flew in on an award ticket, made all my flights, checked in online, and I went 100 percent carry on.

For me going to Las Vegas carry-on was an accomplishment in itself. One thing I did learn from my last mishap was that if I checked bags and had a cancelled flight, or missed a flight, the airline would only rebook me to my original destination. In the past I have been able to be rebooked into a city close to my home town and had a friend pick me up. or taken the shuttle home. Living in the middle of South Carolina I have four airports from which to choose, all about an hour and a half drive from me. So that gives the airlines some options when I have to rebooking.

Also, going carry-on opens me up for bumps and the award vouchers that come with them. When I was waiting for my plane, the U.S. Airways flights were all overbooked due to earlier cancelations and they were offering a $500 voucher and ground transportation to CLT for anyone who would give up their CAE-CLT flight or take a later one. That day I wish I had flown U.S. Airways.

I arrived on time and used your tips about the website toandfromtheairport.com to choose the cheapest commute from LAS to my hotel. Toandfromtheairport.com is a great site for information on all different forms of ground transportation from hundreds of airports all over the world. My options were: taxi, limo, public bus, or shuttle bus/van. The site told me where each type of transportation could be found in relation to the airport and its terminals, the approximate cost, the time it would take, the different companies, their websites and/or phone numbers, and a bunch of additional insider tips.

LAS to the strip:

By taxi: $12-15 dollars and 10-15 minutes

By Limo: $ 40-70 dollars — not this time. But I do have a funny story regarding limo transportation: My husband’s flight from CLT to CAE was cancelled the last time he flew in late from Vegas so he and five other guys shared a limo ride to CAE and split the cost, which ended up being the most affordable choice for them. Also if you can get with a group of people going to the same place, the cost of a van or limo can be reduced to less than a taxi. But as a lone traveler, this was not the cheapest travel option for me.

City Buses: Route map included on the site. Cost $1.75 per adult. I didn’t feel comfortable taking the city bus and my husband said it was a no-go. But this would have been the cheapest option.

Shuttle: $6 and about an hour of your time. They service both terminals. I went right outside baggage claim and bought a token at the ticket booth. Note to all: They only accept cash. The driver loaded my stuff, it was comfortable, air conditioned, and full of tourists. Took about 45 minutes to an hour but I got to drive around and see the strip, which was a great orientation for me.

I subscribe to Livingsocial.com and groupon.com and while there I logged into the Las Vegas daily deals. They were not all applicable to me (dental cleaning, a dozen cupcakes). Although, had I opted for 12 gourmet cupcakes, a dentist would have been a good idea! Groupon ran a 50% off bus tour special to the Grand Canyon that would have worked out but I couldn’t be gone all day.

On about.com I searched cheap buffets in Vegas and found a great list of cheap eats:

Circus Circus Buffet: Breakfast, 7 AM to 11 AM: $8.99, Lunch, 11:30 AM to 2 PM: $9.99,
Dinner, 4:30 PM to 10 PM: $10.99 Phone: (702) 734-0410

Fantasy Market Buffet: Palms: Breakfast, 8 AM to 10:30 AM: $5.99, Lunch, 11 AM to 3 PM: $7.99,
Dinner, 4 PM to 10 PM: $11.99 Phone: (702) 942-7777

Ports O’ Call Buffet: Gold Coast: Breakfast, 7 AM to 10 AM: $5.95, Lunch, 11 AM to 3 PM: $6.95,
Dinner, 4:30 PM to 10 PM: $10.95 Phone: (702) 367-7111

Roundtable Buffet: Excalibur: Breakfast, 6:30 AM to 11 AM: $10.49, Lunch, 11 AM to 4 PM $11.49,
Dinner, 4 PM to 10 PM: $14.49 Phone: (702) 597-7777

Sahara Buffet: Sahara: Breakfast, 7 AM to 10:30 AM: $7.99, Lunch, 10:30 AM to 4 PM: $8.99,
Dinner, 4 PM to 10 PM: $10.99 Phone: (702) 737-2111

World’s Fare Buffet: Riviera: Breakfast, 6 AM to 11 AM: $9.99, Lunch, 11 AM to 2 PM: $9.99,
Dinner, 4 PM to 10 PM: $15.99 Phone: (702) 734-5110

On my second day I looked up all the free stuff to do there on Vegas.com. I took a cab up to MGM Grand and saw the free lion exhibit then walked the strip back, stopping in all the random stores. Along the way there was a booth selling half-off tickets to the shows and I managed to get our show tickets at about $30 off. On my walk back I saw a “hole in the wall” reflexology foot massage place and stopped in for a 20-minute massage. I ended up getting a full body, two-hour massage for a fraction of what the spa charges. It was worth every penny.

All in all, Vegas can easily be an expensive trip. But with a little research and a commitment to finding the deal, it can be done on a budget. This trip I made all my flights on time and left feeling like I had added another great experience to my book of travels. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Tips Tips please! Submit your experiences and tips under comments!

-Shannon

Pay Your Taxes with Your Visa Debit Card Only $3.89 Flat Fee and Earn Miles

If you have a Visa debit card it only costs you $3.89 with this special promo.

Link

Thanks Randy

Ted

Rick, you had posted the same PR churn possibility post in your 4/7 post.
FrugalTravelGuy

Ted: Brain Cramp Thanks
Rahul Sharma

Hi Rick
Great Blog. Quick question – would these offers only apply for US Residents or can residents from other countries also apply for them. Am currently based in Switzerland and thus the question.
Thanks
Rahul
Dan Peake

What has been your experience with kiva? How much have you given and what is the average rate of return? Thanks.
Anonymous

Rick,

Where are you getting all $100 gift cards just to give away?
Ann

I don't know about AA mileage redemptions to make a blog post about it, but I did redeem 1,000 AA miles to get a great rate at a Holiday Inn. AA was offering stay 2nights, get one free for using miles for that hotel. It was the best price I could find.
Carol in MN

I, too, would like to know more about using AA miles for hotels and any ideas for getting more AA miles, aside from sign-up bonuses (I have all their credit cards) and flying.

I would also like to hear from anyone who has used Discover America's Daily Getaways for hotel rooms; how the process worked, how easy or difficult it was to actually book a room etc. I am especially interested in the Comfort Inn and Comfort Suites limited offers coming up in a few days.

The Comfort Inn offer, for example, says "Stay 3 Nights for $156" … "Available April 19th at noon ET" … "Only 480 available" …

I find their description of these offers rather confusing. It says, "What You Receive: '36,000 points', valid for a 3-night stay, deposited into your Choice Privileges® account". Later, it says, "When you 'purchase this 3-night stay at any participating Comfort Inn', you will receive 36,000 points in the Choice Privileges program.".

Are you purchasing 36,000 Choice Privileges points online, to be used only at certain participating locations? If so, what do they mean by "When you 'purchase this 3-night stay at any participating Comfort Inn, you will receive 36,000 points in the Choice Privileges program, good for a 3-night reward redemption'? Does that mean you would first need to pay for a 3-night stay out of your pocket and then you would get 36,000 Choice Privileges points to use on another 3-night stay? Or are you purchasing 36,000 Choice Privileges points for $156 that you can use without purchasing additional nights??

I'm hoping someone can shed some light on the Discover America's Daily Getaways for hotel rooms offers.
wise2u

@carol in MN I bought them last year, they give you Choice reward points that you can redeem for any property, go to choice rewards to learn the details, the points expire Dec 31 two years after you buy them, so if you get them next week you have until the end of 2013 to use them…they wont let you book very far out with them unless you have status, so they are best used for last minute kind of trips….they can also be used for all inclusive stays at certain Barcelo resorts and even ascend collection properties (High class places with high point redemptions) in case comfort inn isn't your style.

@Rick….for a chance at $100 giftcard, I will share my experience with the AA miles. I just have to find the time to do it
Bob

Thanks for mentioning KIVA and the MilePoint team. So far, two people have joined today and made loans.
Like you Rick, I have made through both the FT and the MP teams. Both teams do great work.
98.5% of Kiva loans get repaid, so the risk is very small.
I think of it as another way to travel the world and connect with people from all over – and it can all be done from your home or office with ease.
FrugalTravelGuy

Rahul: Typically need social security number.

Dan: No rate of return these are zero interest loans. Payback is in the high 90% range.

Anon: I'm buying the gift cards.
Jason

Great link to the Milepoint team, as I had been meaning to start doing some small lending on Kiva and this was the perfect opportunity. Thanks!
Angik S

I am not sure why there is always an 'Anon' commenter who is critical of everything Rick does!

Rick's blog is one of the few that are helpful even to newbies. I am not sure why someone doesnt appreciate that and does not even have the courage to spell out his name.

I apologize for the rant but its irritating because this has become a regular feature in the comments on almost all of Rick's blog posts
Anonymous

Angik S said…
I am not sure why there is always an 'Anon' commenter who is critical of everything Rick does!

And not to forget, that Rick also doesn't approve posts as well….much like the Communist Party in China does.

You'll understand fraud when it slaps you on the left ass-cheek Angik. All you want is the greed to get miles and points without earning them, or gaming the system with help from someone else other than yourself.

Now, if it were Hong Kong and not mainland China, then Rick wouldn't be such a coward to answer the "tough questions" in public.
FrugalTravelGuy

Anon; go ahead ith your "tough questions". Oh by the way, what is your name?

Rookie Travel Tips with Shannon and Earn Miles Paying your Taxes on $3.89

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