Anthea @ The Granite is Albuquerque, NM’s premiere extended stay hotel and corporate apartments, but we also view ourselves as ambassadors to the quirky night life and entertainment hub that Albuquerque has become! Please,  stay awhile, and check out what New Mexico has to offer!

Refused                               June 1^st                                 7:00 PM

Sunshine Theater

 

Built to Spill                         June 1^st                                 7:00 PM

Launchpad

 

ABQ Isotopes vs. Fresno Grizzlies             June 1^st                 7:00 PM

Isotopes Park

 

The Imperial Rooster                                      June 1^st                 9:00 PM

Low Spirits

 

Ballet Folklorico Fiesta Mexicana Classes               June 1^st                 6:00 PM

South Broadway Cultural Center

 

The Grapes of Wrath                      June 2^nd                                7:00 PM

Kimo Theatre

 

Tony Furtado                                     June 3^rd                                7:00 PM

House Concert

 

Brad Paisley                                        June 3^rd                                7:00 PM

Isleta Ampitheater

 

Ryanhood                                           June 4^th                5:00 PM

ABQ Folk Festival

 

Mike & Ruthy                                    June 4^th                5:00 PM

Balloon Museum

 

The Honeycutters                            June 5^th                8:00 PM

Low Spirits

 

Heights Summerfest                      June 11^th              5:00 PM

North Domingo Baca Park

 

Festival Flamenco Internacional de Albuquerque                              June 11-18

National Hispanic Cultural Center

 

Disney’s Newsies: A Performance                            June 21-26

Popejoy Hall

 

 

 

 

It wasn’t that long ago that travel photos were a much-joked about social gathering—friends of returning vacationers would gather round the Kodak carousel for an evening of reminiscing and showing off those exotics locales.

These days, we show off our adventures on social media more so than among friends—but that doesn’t mean you get to slack off on the quality of your photos! Learning to take better photographs will help spice up your Instagram feed—and could lead you to capture something much more visually interesting than the stereotypical vacation snapshot.

Here are 9 tips to energize your vacation or travel photos and take them to the next level—even if you’re using a smartphone!

Use Your Nouns! People, Places, Things, First.

That old grade school adage for nouns has a place here! This is a handy guide to a fantastic vacation photo. The best travel photos often include all three of these. For example, A rainy day in Paris visiting the Eiffel Tower. You could just take a photo of the tower, but hasn’t everyone done that? Put your kids in the photo (people), positioned with the Tower directly over their shoulders (place), with the edge of your umbrella just barely peaking into the frame of the shot (thing) and you have a great shot!

Lighting is Everything; View is Not.

Our eyes are absolutely more intelligent than the lens of even the most sophisticated cameras. What you see when standing in front of the intended subject of the shot may not be what the camera reproduces. When you’re facing the sun, you can see colors and people, but the camera is going to reproduce mostly shadows. Also, in shadowy shots, you may be able to see features of the subject, but the camera is going to reproduce a lot darker of a shot. This is when it helps to…

Know the Position of the Sun Relative to Your Shot

The most flattering shots end up that way because they are in the best light. If you want shiny faces in your shot, turn your subjects so that the sun is shining on their faces. Take a photo worthy of the brochures of your cruise ship by getting the sunny side of the ship. Want to catch the glistening light on the surface of the ocean while at the beach? Take the shot when the sun is low and bouncing off the waves.

Make Sure to Fill the Frame.

A good rule of thumb is to make sure that the interesting parts of your scene start at the left edge of your viewfinder and end at the right edge. The subject should fill the frames in such a way that the edges of the photo include as little ‘noise’ in the imagery as possible.

This philosophy gives you a couple of distinct advantages. First, the subject of your photo is clear to anyone viewing; second, the photo becomes a perspective that is different than an average view of the world—more or less in 180 degree panoramas due to our peripheral vision. Photographs can isolate and ultimately amplify the human experience, turning out to be one of the attractions of travel itself.

Utilize the Rule of Thirds.

Sticking something into the middle of the frame, the photo is solely about that thing. Utilizing a slightly lesser known tactic to create visual interest in what would otherwise be a routine shot: frame the shot in such a way that the subject is not dead center in the photo, but is off center in the frame of the shot. An easy way to do this is to divide the frame into three sections—left, center, and right—and then put the main subject of the shot into either entirely the left or right section…or even the line dividing the two.

Choosing which side to place your subject is easy! Stick the subject on the side with the least overall background interest in the frame. This little trick makes the shot look like you took a photo of both the subject and what was happening in the world around them—putting equal emphasis on both.

Another way to do this is to divide the photo vertically into threes—with a grid of nine squares total to work with. Read up on this tactic as the Rule of Thirds.

When Your Subject is a Person, Put Emphasis on Them.

When you are taking shots of traveling companions, it’s typical to have the urge to just prop them up in front of something interesting and then take the picture. Taking the effort to get an attraction behind your friends and cutting off the top of someone’s head or cutting the photo off at someone’s socks means that you have a good photo of the location and an awful picture of your friend. Frame the person first and then manage the background to make it a terrific shot all the way around.

Move Around!

It is too common that a decent photo could have been a fantastic photo if only the photographer had just moved around a little bit. Reframing the photo slightly, putting something interesting into the background can really amplify your shot. Try to move a few steps forwards or backwards, shift to one side or the other, crouch down—see what it can do for your shot! You have much more control as the photographer over what you’re doing or where you’re standing than you do over the subject matter—just standing lead-footed in one spot will be reflected in your photographs.

Give Your Attention to the Edges and Corners of Your Shot.

Great photos are defined by what is left in as well as what is left out. This is giving you considerable control as the photographer—while it is normal human behavior to look directly at a subject in a concentrated way at the things that are most interesting, cameras behave differently.

It all depends on what the focus is and how much ‘noise’ and distractions that you include in your shot—your friend could be a speck in the middle of a nondescript background…but if you take all that stuff out, you could have a great shot.

Shoot for Shots that You ‘Didn’t Have to Be There.’

Taking great photos and not just snapshots of traveling companions in a location requires you to think about how a complete stranger would interpret your shot. Photos that are intrinsically interesting first enhance and retain interest in a broader sense—they tell a story without any words needed to be spoken.

 

Anthea @ The Granite is Albuquerque, NM’s premiere extended stay hotel and corporate apartments, but we also view ourselves as ambassadors to the quirky night life and entertainment hub that Albuquerque has become! Please,  stay awhile, and check out what New Mexico has to offer!

American Indian Week: Pueblo Days       through May 1^st                9:00am-5:00pm

 

Spring Pastel Flower Show                           through May 1^st                9:00am-4:30pm

 

Cinco de Mayo Celebration                         May 5^th                 6:00pm

1701 4^th St SW

 

RoboRave International 2016                      May 6^th-7^th          8:00am-4:30pm

401 2^nd St NW

 

Albuquerque Turkish Festival                     May 7^th                 11:00am-7:00pm

7901 Mountain rd. NE

 

Downtown Grower’s Market                     May 7^th                 7:00am-12:00pm

Robinson Park

 

Mother’s Day Concert at the Zoo              May 8^th                 10:00am

903 10^th St SW

 

CMYE: Tasty Tuesday @ Hyder Park         May 10^th               5:00pm-7:00pm

700 Richmond Dr SE

 

ABQ Brew Dash                                                May 14^th               1:00pm-6:00pm

Civic Plaza

 

Downtown Grower’s Market                     May 14^th               7:00am-12:00pm

Robinson Park

 

28^th Annual Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival

May 21^st-22^nd        7^:00am^– 12:00pm

Balloon Fiesta Park

 

6^th Annual ABQ Beer Week                          May 26^th-June 4^th 9:00am-4:00pm

 

Albuquerque Wine Festival                         May 28^th-May 30^th 12:00pm-6:00pm

 

 

 

 

It’s a generally accepted law of physics when traveling—you will cram whatever bags you travel with within inches of their life.

The majority of travelers intend to attempt the nobility of packing less, but most of us often find it difficult or near impossible. Breaking away from what you perceive that you need is tough. And just saying ‘pack less’ is a bit esoteric and not at all actionable. Here are our top 5 essential rules to packing light:

Don’t Pack Anything Cheap

Institute a basic rule: whether it be shampoo or sunglasses; if it costs less than $10, buy it at your destination.

Being flexible on brands is a huge asset in this case- if you can forgo any liquids in your bags, this saves time and hassle going through security, and also save space!

Focus on ‘Must Have,’ Not ‘Just in Case’

In order to pack light, you must be ready to make sacrifices. Don’t bring clothes for every possible situation. Focus bringing what you would wear on an average day.

Here’s a place where something like the Pareto Principle applies well- the 80/20 principle.

What this means is that 20% of what you pack ends up being 80% of what you wear. This is what should make it into your bag.

If you end up needing something you don’t have, it’s easier to just purchase it during your travels.

Buy a Smaller Bag

This sounds like it should be obvious, right?

But clothes somehow have a way of expanding to fill their space. Limiting the size of your bags will help you become a minimalist much more quickly—promise.

Giving yourself constraints is important and useful!

 

Leave Toiletry Gadgets At Home

No bathroom appliances. No electric shaver.

These items are for beauty. They are not necessities. You’ll need other electronics, of course. Things like a laptop and a cellphone are acceptable to bring along. But a good rule to follow is to leave any bathroom gadgets at home. It frees up space and is less of a hassle.

 

• Pack Layers, Not Bulk

If you will travel during winter, dress in layers.

Focusing on packing multiple thin layers not only takes up less space in your bag, but it also offers more flexibility than packing bulkier items like coats.

Dress for cool mornings, warm afternoons, and cold nights. Then you can remove or add layers as you see fit.

 

Anthea @ The Granite is Albuquerque, NM’s premiere extended stay hotel and corporate apartments, but we also view ourselves as ambassadors to the quirky night life and entertainment hub that Albuquerque has become! Please,  stay awhile, and check out what New Mexico has to offer!

 

Mayday Parade                                           Sunshine Theater                                                April 1st

Albu-Quirky                                                Hold My Ticket                                                    April 1st

Dial M for Murder                                     Kimo Theatre                                                       April 1st

Kaminanda                                                 The Historic El Rey Theater                             April 1st

Barnyard Stompers                                   Low Spirits                                                           April 1st

Opening                                                       Indian Pueblo Cultural Center                        April 2nd

Richard Smith                                            Apple Mountain Music                                      April 2nd

Alex G                                                          Rio Bravo Brewing Company                           April 3rd

Fiestas De Albuquerque                          Historic Old Town                                              April 16th

Albuquerque Film & Music Experience                                                                               April 18-24th

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat                                                             April 21-24th

Gathering of Nations Pow Wow                                                                                            April 28-30th

Albuquerque Renaissance Faire                                                                                            April 30th

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have a fear of flying?

Even if you love traveling, flying can be a stressful event. Even with seeing all the statistics in the world on how safe flying is, the irrational side takes hold with a death grip—once it does so, it’s like fighting off a whirling dervish of irrational fears. Even though you realize that they’re irrational, they can still be quite frightening.

As with most anxieties, the fear of flying can be as stubborn and temperamental as a two year old on a sugar crash. It can steal the joys to be found in traveling causing stress and greatly reducing your ability to enjoy your trip. That being said, there are ways to prepare for your fears; even if your fear of flying surfaces, you can be ready to tackle them like the foes they are. Here are a few ways to conquer your anxieties over travel:

Conquer Your Fear of Flying in 5 Steps:

• Be Open!

Talk to the crew when you get to the airport– starting with the gate agent at check-in. Sure, this seems vulnerable, but you’ll be surprised at how empathetic airline employees can be- it’s estimated that approximately 35% of all airline crews, flight attendants and pilots also have either a fear of heights or a fear of flying.

• Breathe!

It sounds completely cliché, but science is behind this! Anxiety is a bio mechanism tied to our primal fight or flight instincts. When we are anxious, our breathing becomes shallow as our bodies prepare for a potentially life-threatening situation (like a fear of flying). An easy way to snap your body out of these primal responses and calm yourself down quickly, try square breathing:

• Breathe in deeply for 4 seconds
• Hold for 4 seconds
• Breathe out slowly for 4 seconds
• Pause for 4 seconds

Repeat this 4 times in a row, as often as you need throughout your flight.

• Front is best!

 

Trying to face your fear of flying during a long flight can be overwhelming for anyone and it is not advisable. When you check in on longer flights, try to get seating as close to the front of the plane as possible. The rear of the jet is where the majority of the force from turbulence is felt, so avoid the back of your plane whenever possible. Also shoot for shorter flights if you can—even when that means you have a layover.

 

• Don’t just fly, SOAR!

 

If your fear of flying is starting to take hold, download the SOAR app; containing calming tools while you’re in-flight, it also has a G-force meter. Most airplanes can withstand up to 5 G’s of turbulence—all are built to stand up to 2.5. Mild turbulence scales from .8 to 1.2; moderate is .6 to 1.4; sever is .4 to 1.6 G’s. The next time your flight gets a little bumpy, just open the app and set your mind at ease.

 

• Avoid cocktails or coffee

Anxiety can be bad; being over-stimulated, dehydrated, possibly drunk, and anxious is worse. Forget the caffeine if you have a fear of flying—stimulants make anxiety worse. The same goes for alcohol- and it can become a crutch, hindering more than helping you.

 

By taking the time to prepare for a little extra self-care, you can stand up to those fears! Try and see if you can shrink your fear of flying down a little bit every time you travel!

 

 

Anthea @ The Granite is Albuquerque, NM’s premiere extended stay hotel and corporate apartments, but we also view ourselves as ambassadors to the quirky night life and entertainment hub that Albuquerque has become! Please,  stay awhile, and check out what New Mexico has to offer!

Metric                                   March 2^nd, 2016                                 8:00 PM

Sunshine Theater

 

The Outer Vibe                 March 2^nd, 2016                                 6:00 PM

Marble Brewery

 

The Little Mermaid          March 2^nd, 2016                                 10:00 AM

Kimo Theatre

 

The Henchmen                 March 2^nd, 2016                                 9:00 PM

Low Spirits

 

A Good Trip with Shane Mauss March 2^nd, 2016                 8:00 PM

The Box Performance Space

 

Jackson Tillman                 March 2^nd, 2016                                 9:00 PM

Dirty Bourbon

 

Women in Technology Celebration          March 3^rd, 2016                 8:30 AM

Sandia Golf Club

 

Three Bad Jacks                                March 3^rd, 2016                                 6:00 PM

Low Spirits

 

Best of ABQ City Tour     March 3^rd, 2016                                 11:00 AM

ABQ Trolley Co.

 

National Fiery Foods Show          March 4^th, 2016                 3:00 PM

 

Albu-Quirky                        March 4^th, 2016                                 3:00 PM

Hold My Ticket

 

John Ellis                              March 4^th, 2016                                 7:30 PM

Outpost Performance Space

 

Women of World Poetry Slam    March 4^th, 2016                 9:00 PM

Low Spirits

 

The Arcade                         March 4^th, 2016                                 9:30 PM

The Box Performance Space

 

Once: A Performance    March 8^th, 2016                                 8:00 PM

PopeJoy Hall

 

Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival    March 11^th, 2016         10:00 AM

 

Treasures of the Earth: Gems & Minerals    March 18^th, 2016   10:00 AM

EXPO: New Mexico

 

Southwest Chocolate & Coffee Fest        March 19^th, 2016         10:00 AM

EXPO: New Mexico

 

Albuquerque on Stage                  Thru March 31^st

City Wide

 

Planes aren’t exactly the easiest mode of transportation to get a good night’s rest on. But there are ways to make it easier for you on those long flights where you’d like to get some shuteye onboard.

Some of the reasoning behind your troubles in-flight getting a good snooze aren’t always as obvious as they should be, but you will want to take steps to re-create your sleeping environment at home as much as possible.

Here are some of the things that are sleep-killers in-flight:

• Noisy Flights

The wind rushing past the plane and the engine noise can create a stressful environment and keep your body in alert mode—preventing sleep. You can combat this by wearing earplugs (silicone or foam plugs that can reduce noise by 30 dB or more will do). This doesn’t block out all noise, but it will reduce it enough to make a different.

• Light in the Cabin

All the window shades on the plane could be down and light could still be a factor. Most jets have those seat back video screens that throw light off all night long—not to mention those lighted signs in the cabin. Bring a pair of eyeshades—not many people use them. Some flights hand them out in amenity kits on international flights, but they’re usually of poor quality—make sure to bring your own!

• Turbulence

Turbulence doesn’t need much of an explanation as why it would jar someone awake—it can be scary! The easiest way to alleviate any stress from incurred turbulence in-flight is to choose a seat that’s over the wing if at all possible. These seats are more stable than the seats located at the front or the rear of a plane. The type of plane matters, too—some, more so than others, can experience more turbulence in flight—ask a flight attendant the next time you fly which of their company’s planes has the best ride!

• Dry Air

The air inside of a cabin of a plane at altitude is the exact opposite of humid. This can prevent sleep as much as taking a snooze in the Sahara desert. Drinking tons of water won’t really help—drinking too much may make your bladder so overactive, you wouldn’t get any sleep anyways! The way to avoid this is to fly on planes that are made of composite materials—the Boeing Dreamliner 787 is a good choice. The cabin air on this jet is humidified at 10-15% (in comparison to around 7% on other planes).

• Alcohol

Having a few drinks before or mid-flight may make you drowsy initially—but beware: alcohol dehydrates you and this is the last thing you need while you’re flying in an aluminum or composite can. Make sure to try and limit yourself—one glass of free champagne won’t kill you. Enjoy!

 

 

Anthea @ The Granite is Albuquerque, NM’s premiere extended stay hotel and corporate apartments, but we also view ourselves as ambassadors to the quirky night life and entertainment hub that Albuquerque has become! Please,  stay awhile, and check out what New Mexico has to offer!

Key Largo                                                                          February 7th                                               2:00 PM

Kimo Theatre

Rudy Boy’s Blues and Brews                                         February 7th                                              –

ABQ Free Press

Superbowl Party & Potluck                                           February 7th                                               2:00 PM

Low Spirits

Flamenco del Pueblo Viejo Presents Luz                   February 7th                                               7:00 PM

Outpost Performance Space 

Saintseneca                                                                       February 8th                                              7:00 PM

Launchpad

Lone Pinon                                                                        February 9th                                              12:00 PM

South Valley Library

Naughty by Nature                                                         February 9th                                              8:00 PM

Sister

Anthrax                                                                             February 10th                                            7:00 PM

Sunshine Theater

Ballyhoo!                                                                           February 10th                                           7:00 PM

LaunchPad

Brillz                                                                                  February 11th                                            7:00 PM

The Historic El Rey Theater  

Server  Industry Night                                                   February 10th                                            6:00 PM

Dirty Bourbon

Nathan Dean & The Damn Band                                 February 11th                                             9:00 PM

Dirty Bourbon

Tech on Tap: 10 Lesson Learned at Apple                February 11th                                             4:30 PM

Rio Bravo Brewing Company

Purple Rock                                                                    February 11th                                              9:00 PM

Ned’s Bar & Grill

Albu-Quirky                                                                   February 12th                                             3:00 PM

Hold My Ticket

KEYS N KRATES                                                         February 12th                                               7:00 PM

The Historic El Rey Theater

10th Annual SW Burlesque Showcase                     February 12th                                                8:00 PM

Kimo Theatre

Sheryl Underwood with Mike Washington & David Raibon     February 12th                         9:00 PM

Kiva Auditorium

A Year with Frog and Toad Kids                                February 12th                                               9:00 PM

South Broadway Cultural Center

Shelley Morning Song                                                  February 13th                                               10:00 AM

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

BUGarium Love Bugs Event                                       February 13th                                                5:30 PM

Albuquerque Botanical Garden

Levi the Poet                                                                  February 13th                                                 7:00 PM

Toothfeather Bones Palace

Pre-Indoors Nationals Tournament                         February 13th                                                 1:30 PM

Archery Shoppe

Los Ranchos Growers’ Market                                 February 13th                                                   –

ABQ Free Press

Marcus Anderson                                                         February 14th                                                 5:00 PM

Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North 

Aquarium: That’s A Moray Even                              February 14th                                                  5:30 PM

ABQ BioPark Aquarium

Dancing With Fire                                                        February 14th                                                  12:00 PM

Warehouse 508

Albu-Quirky                                                                   February 19th                                                 3:00 PM

Hold My Ticket

The Great Gatsby                                                         February 19th                                                 7:00 PM

Kimo Theatre

Monster Jam                                                                 February 19th                                                 7:30 PM

Tingley Coliseum

Rebel Heart                                                                   February 19th                                                 9:00 PM

Dirty Bourbon

The Saltine Ramblers Farewell Show                      February 19th                                                 9:00 PM

Low Spirits

Michelle Sparks                                                            February 19th                                                9:00 PM

The Historic El Rey Theater

The Comedy, Magic, & Mentalism of Max Krause February 19th                                              7:00 PM

Max’s Magic Shop

Albuquerque Tribute to David Bowie                       February 19th                                             8:00 PM

The Library

Albuquerque Jazz Festival                                         February 20th                                             7:00 PM

Eldorado High School

The Last Tycoon                                                           February 20th                                            7:00 PM

Kimo Theatre

A Tribute to Miguel Caro                                            February 20th                                           6:00 PM

South Broadway Cultural Center

Youngsville/Ugly Robot/ Fox White/ Alabama Deathwalk February 20th                          9:00 PM

Low Spirits

Lone Pinon                                                                    February 20th                                           4:00 PM

Tony Hillerman Library

Kubatana Marimba Southwest                                 February 20th                                           7:00 PM

Outpost Performance Space

14th Annual Breakin’ Hearts                                    February 20th                                           2:00 PM

The Historic El Rey Theater

The Langer’s Ball                                                        February 21st                                            2:00 PM

Metalachi                                                                      February 21st                                           8:00 PM

Launchpad

New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Routes         February 21st                                           2:30 PM

Kimo Theatre

Plumb                                                                         February 22nd                                         7:00 PM

D.R.I.                                                                          February 22nd                                         6:00 PM

Launchpad

Big Daddy Weave                                                     February 22nd                                         7:00 PM

Sagebrush Community Church

Chelsea Grin                                                             February 23rd                                           7:00 PM

Launchpad

MarchFourth!                                                          February 24th                                            7:30PM

Dirty Bourbon

Hawthorne Heights                                                February 25th                                           6:00 PM

February NMTC WIT Breakfast                           February 25th                                           8:30 AM

UNM Continuing Education

Chad Freeman & Redline                                     February 25th                                            9:00 PM

Dirty Bourbon

 

 

 

 

Traveling can be very expensive—but it doesn’t have to be! There are all sorts of ways that you can give your pocketbook a break while jet-setting around the world—often, with just a little bit of planning. The more you are mindful of travel costs while on your trip, the more often you can explore this wonderful world that we’re living in! Learn how to travel cheap while hitting the road, airports, wherever your sense of adventure takes you!

 

1.)    Don’t stick to just U.S. travel sites

Everyone knows about the U.S. domestic sites—things like Expedia.com, Travelocity, Orbitz, and Kayak are all great for saving a buck and are very convenient to book vacations through. But you could be missing out on deals by relying solely on these sites—they don’t search all companies internationally, limiting your search to these sites could be costing you money instead of giving you the best deals.

Be sure to check sites like Skyscanner, Momondo, HolidayPirates, Laterooms, Agoda when traveling internationally to save money on things like flights, hotels, vacation bundles and more.

 

2.)    Booking Flights and Hotels too early

When planning a vacation, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of traveling. To commit themselves in the heat of the moment, people tend to book their flight right away. The flipside? They forget and wait until the last second to make plans—both of which are problematic.

It’s best to book your flight about two to three months early—that’s where the lowest fares usually lie. The price increases have four main variables dictating flight costs: competition, supply, demand, and the price of oil. None of which are under anybody’s control (besides the oil barons), but putting the focus on making concrete trip plans can help alleviate the pressure that these variables put on price. Another quick tip: make sure when you’re price shopping or browsing and making plans that you use incognito browsing while doing so. Most of these search sites use cookies on their sites to track consumer behavior—which ends up manipulating the price if they notice a visitor has a particular interest in specific destinations.

 

3.)    Relying on Guidebooks for Food

 

People all too often make the mistake of relying on guidebook suggestions for eating out, and it costs them way too much money. These particular restaurants are usually aware of their mentions, and they know who their customer base is. If they’re seeing an influx of customers due to press or guidebook mentions, they may increase prices accordingly.

 

However, smartphones have put the power into the traveler’s hands—by relying on sites/apps like Yelp, Foursquare, Time Out, and others! These are huge, vast sources of information that allow travelers to get recommendations from locals on amazing restaurants everywhere.

 

4.)    Not Comparison Shopping After You Buy Your Ticket

Another way people waste money when traveling is during their flight-booking process. Most people make the mistake of thinking that once the flight is booked and the hotel is reserved, that the task is done when they’ve made their purchases. However, the majority of airlines allow you to cancel ticket purchases without any fees within 24 hours—meaning you can rebook the flight if the price drops during that period!

Hotel accommodations can drop after booking—although, it’s more difficult to watch these fluctuations. However, this can be avoided by booking with an online travel agent site (we like Tingo.com—they refund the difference if the rate drops lower than what your reservations are charging). However, there are quite a few hotels that don’t allot rewards points for reservations through Tingo. If you’re a frequent traveler, you may want to keep an eye on this yourself.

 

5.)    Not Utilizing Rewards/Incentive Programs

Rewards programs should be an automatic part of your regimen when you begin traveling. No matter if it’s an airline or hotel chain, whether you think you’ll be a returning customer or not, it’s simply just beneficial. Accruing points tend to happen more than most people think—some programs offer awesome inside deals! Another thing is that you never know what sorts of discounts that companies offer—always ask!

Also, if you put the focus on earning points, read the fine print. Many hotels require users to book directly with the company and don’t count them if they book through a third-party site.