5 Travel Deals That Are Just Too Good to Be True

Today I got a text message on my phone telling me I had won a free trip to the Caribbeans. To claim my prize all I had to do was phone a number with an 809 area code. I knew this was a scam of some kind, so I checked with AT&T. They told me to be cautions when responding to phone calls from this area code. Even though 809 is a legitimate area code for the Dominican Republic, it has also been used to lure gullible people into paying large international call rates.
And that free trip? There is no such thing. Just like there is no free lunch.
There are as many travel scams as there are con artists. Here are a few of them.
1. The "Cheap flight on a Major Airline" scam
If someone won't tell you what major airline it is, then beware. Those major airlines suddenly turn into minor ones that stop at ten different places enroute to your destination.
My advice: ask for details. If they can't give you specifics, then walk away.
2. The "Fly for only $48" scam
Remember, that's only one way. After they add service charges, processing fees and taxes, the total jumps significantly. And don't forget the other incidentals such as checked baggage fee and seat assignment request fee. To add insult to injury, they won't even give you water for free. Friends of mine bought a $2.00 ticket from Heathrow to Venice, and ended up paying $160 (not bad for a European holiday, but notice the jump in price).
My advice: check the fine print.
3. The "Travel Discount Card" scam
Groups that make these offers are known as "card mills" because they sell cards identifying you as a credentialed travel agent who can travel at free or reduced rates. The problem is that many suppliers of travel do not accept these cards.
My advice: Go to the American Society of Travel Agents website or call them to see if these cards are legitimate.
4. The "Offer Expires at Midnight" scam
This is just a high pressure tactic that travel scammers use to intimidate you into making hasty decisions. They know that this doesn't give you time to do a background check into their company.
My advice: Run a "background check."Vet the travel company on the Better Business Bureau's Web site to see if they are members of ASTA.
5. The "Hollow Suitcase" scam
This happens frequently in train and bus stations. A traveler gets distracted and takes his eyes off his bag. In a flash someone with a hollow suitcase puts it over the traveler's bag and then wheels the suitcase away. A variation of this happens on trains when someone runs through and grabs your case just as the train is pulling away. He hops off and you are stuck on a moving train.

Get Paid to Travel the World

Wouldn’t it be great to travel the world and get paid for doing so? When most people think about traveling, they think of the two outdated ‘travel models.’

1)    Work really, really hard and save a lot of money. Once you have ‘enough cash,’ you travel for as long as you can before going broke and getting another job (or go back to your old one).

2)    Travel as a part of your job. These would be low-paying jobs like working on a cruise ship, as a tour guide, bartender, adventure sport instructor, or simply getting a regular job in an exotic location. A better option, to be sure, but…

How can you travel wherever your heart desires, ‘working’ at something that fascinates you? The answer is closer that you may imagine, and a lot more attainable. No, you don’t have to sell anything to your friends or join a cult. I present to you option 3.

3)    Utilize simple technology to automatically provide people with value. For doing so, you make money.

Sound like fun? It definitely is.

The underground movement of travelers who hold no jobs and ‘work’ out of internet café’s and on laptops a few hours a day (or a week) grows larger every day. Here are some quick ways you can join this group.

•    Film your travel adventures and drive Internet traffic using your videos. You’re taking pictures and videos anyway, so why not make some money for doing so? Did you know you can use sites like YouTube and Flickr to send traffic to websites that will PAY you for the traffic?

•    Write about your travel adventures. Most ‘travel writers’ work like mad to make a few measly hundred bucks selling their stories to travel magazines. Instead, land a high-paying job on Elance or Guru… or better yet, post your stories to your own easy-to-create blog and make a Google Adsense income off of your readers.

•    Become a salesman for the biggest store in the world… Ebay! This is one of the most under-appreciated travel-income methods of all time. Most people think they have to ship a physical product on Ebay… which limits your inventory to what you could fit in your luggage or backpack. Unfortunately (fortunately for you!) this is completely wrong. You can sell digital products like e-books and courses on Ebay and never pay a red-cent for shipping. For physical products, you can also easily setup a fulfillment center that will ship your stuff without your ever having to lift a finger.

•    Drive internet traffic to sites using simple techniques. Can you get on an online forum and answer other people’s questions about a subject? Then you’ve got enough skill to drive internet traffic! If you send traffic to websites looking for customers on your subject, you can get paid for it.

Making an income while traveling isn’t as difficult as it may seem… you just need to take action on a few simple steps that not many people know about. Soon, you will be making more money while traveling than you would if you had a 9-5 job! The only thing stopping you is taking action.

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Travel the Cheap Way 5 Most-Know

Travel Guide: 5 Most-Know Tips 


Travel Tip 1 - Shop Around

Shop on the Internet or visit your local travel agents. Different travel websites, and different travel agencies often have access to various specials and sales. So be sure to shop around for these hidden travel deals.

Travel Tip 2- Pick The Right Season

Consider traveling during the off-season. The hotels that are overbooked and expensive in the high season are often available at really attractive prices once the high season is over.

Travel Tip 3- Group Travel

Many airlines and hotels offer discounts to groups. So if you are traveling with your friends and family, you may be able to save some money.

Travel Tip 4- Last-minute Travel

If you have flexible employment, you should take advantage of some fantastic last-minute deals.

Travel Tip 5-  Package Travel Deals

For many destinations, especially exotic locations, airfare tends to be expensive. So package travel deals can be significantly less expensive than making your own arrangements

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How to Pick the Perfect Hotel When You Travel

How can we find a balance between quality and price when we are looking for hotels? You have to keep in mind that hotels are rated in stars and the higher the number, the higher the price. Of course, if you find a place with a higher number of stars at a lower cost, you are more likely to come back when you can, right? The first thing you have to do is decide what you want and then hit the internet for some reviews. You might want to rent a hostel instead but this depends on what you want. You wouldn't do that for your honeymoon of course but it could work if you are on a road trip with some friends.

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How to Find the Cheapest Travel Deals

If you are planning the next vacations or looking for flights for any reason, the first thing you need to do is find a computer with internet access and spend a few minutes doing some research, you will be amazed at the deals you can find. Tickets online are so much cheaper than travel agencies, they are also even cheaper than going directly to the airline. There are a few things you should be aware of to find the best price available. One huge factor is the time of the year. Tickets get more expensive in holidays season, the best way to find the cheapest price price for holidays would be buying the ticket in advance as much as you can, here you cannot do much. The next thing to check is if you are traveling to an international airport. The bigger the airport the more chances are to find a cheap flight. Nocturnal flights are definitely another option to find a cheap deal. I you are a student ask for student discount directly to the airline and compare it with the fares you found on the internet.

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