A Week-long Series About Travel
In my moment of zen in the breakroom (this is where I sit for ten minutes with a coffee or chocolate yogurt and a women’s magazine on my break), I read a tip yesterday: when you travel and, for example, book a hotel, ask if they have a business rate. Just ask like you do it all the time.
Now other than paying for my car mileage to film local events, my company doesn’t really make a globetrotter out of me. But apparently, just asking about a business travel discount will usually get it for you, even if you are shopping with your sister.
Speaking of the business of sisters, mine is a first grade teacher (and, by proxy, a saint) and saves a teacher discount of 10-20% on hotel rooms at the Comfort Inn and related hotels when she travels. She even gets a free stay occasionally. (I couldn’t find the exact discount on the website… and I’d call my sister but she’s at school!) Check with your professional organization or employer if there are discounts they offer. There may be no "newspaper employee discounts" for me but I do get a Ellsworth Chamber card (2-10% of local businesses) and a discount off my monthly YMCA membership. Just ask around the office.
Outside of "the business", you do have other discount travel options, often for which you pay a nominal fee. For students, there is the Student Advantage card which saves you money at many locations (not just travel). I had in college and just saving 15% off for Greyhound and Amtrak a few times more than paid for the price of the card (and now it looks like they have way more sponsors then they used to have back in the day). The adult version of a discount card would be AAA, which I now have. Sean gets a membership for Christmas every year and I added my name to his account (and got my own card) for $40 for the year. And trust me, I drive the backwoods enough to feel safe knowing I can call a tow truck 24-7 (or you know, get 20% off my tour at the Woodlawn Museum if I never do run into a moose again).
So mentioning being all business when you travel may save you some cash. Just ask for a discount and if that doesn’t work, whip out your card. Happy trails!