Tag: bill

Hotels Embracing Airline Fees Example

Hotels Embracing Airline Fees Example

Total fees and surcharges collected by U.S. hotels decline to $1.55 billion last year.  Such fees are expected to rise to $1.7 billion in 2010 as a result of a number of factors:

  • Hotel room occupancy projected to increase by 3 to 4 percent due to improving economy
  • Broader adoption of hotel fees
  • More serious enforcement of and increases in existing fees

Hotel fees and surcharges started showing up at high end hotels in the late 1990s for the right to use to resort amenities such as the pool, putting greens and tennis courts.  Currently fees are generally charged on a by-location basis rather than chain wide.

Hotel fees currently being charged include for services such as:

  • Internet access, whose daily rate generally ranges from $9.95 to $19.95.
  • Room service, tends to range from $2.50 to $5.95, not including tips.
  • Minibar restocking fees, varying from $2.95 to $5.95 daily, plus the cost of the food consumed.
  • Fee for leaving early or canceling a reservation without adequate notice usually runs the cost of one night’s stay.
  • Parking fees can run between $20 to $30, or even higher, per day.
  • Storing luggage, costs $1 and up per bag.

Hotels, even more so that airlines, feel that they have a very limited ability to increase their average daily rate, but they can improve their bottom line by charging more add on fees, over 90 percent of which are often pure profit.

Currently the lower priced, budget hotels, are the ones more likely to be offering free internet service as well, in many cases, as free breakfasts.

Travelers can avoid some fees, particularly internet access fees, by either participating in a hotel’s loyalty program or by earning elite status in those programs.

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A New York City Sports Vacation

A New York City Sports Vacation

There’s no city in the world like New York City if you want to see what a sports vacation feels like.  No matter which time of the world you decided to visit, there’s always some kind of game or sporting event going on, whether it’s professional or college.
Everything starts and ends with Madison Square Garden.  This is the home of the New York Knicks basketball team, the New York Rangers hockey team the St. John’s College basketball team, and many professional boxing matches.  It’s located right in the heart of Manhattan on 7th Avenue, known as the Fashion District, and is surrounded by stores, restaurants, bars, and within a short walking distance to both Broadway and off-Broadway shows.  Even on days when there’s no game going on, you’re apt to see a professional athlete hanging around the Garden.
Once you decide to leave the middle of the city, there’s so much more.  There’s obviously the new Yankee Stadium, which is close to the original Yankee Stadium, and it’s a $1.5 billion dollar masterpiece that was properly inaugurated in its first season of existence by bringing a world championship in baseball for the New York Yankees.  And when you’re ready to leave the Bronx, it’s a relatively short drive by distance, if not by time, across the city to Queens and Citi Field, home of the Amazin’ New York Mets.
Maybe you want football instead.  You can decide go to Shea Stadium to see the New York Jets, or head through the tunnel or across the ferry into Bergan County, NJ, to see the New York Giants play at Giants Stadium.  We’re also not through with hockey, as you can head out to Long Island to see the New York Islanders have a go at the Stanley Cup.
There’s more, of course.  Every year there’s the New York City Marathon.  There’s the Belmont, one of the Triple Crown horse races.  There’s the New York Red Bulls soccer team, which also plays at Giants Stadium.  There’s the annual Big East Basketball Championships and the National Invitational Basketball tournament.  There’s the U.S. Open tennis tournament held every late summer.  There’s the annual Millrose Games, indoor track and field held at Madison Square Garden, and the Golden Gloves Championships, also held at MSG.
All those professional games, more minor league and college games, and there’s even cricket.  You can hardly find another place where you can get your fill of sports.  And, in some circumstances, you can book your event at the same time you book your travel arrangements.  This is proof that there’s always more to see in New York City.

How to Travel for Free After Graduation (Almost

How to Travel for Free After Graduation (Almost!)

There’s apparently no such thing as a free lunch – so if that’s the case, is there such a thing as free travel? Well, you might still need a credit card on hand, but it is possible to still see the world, even if you have got mountains of student debt hanging over you:

Teaching English abroad


Want to spend 6-12 months getting paid to spend time in amazing places around the globe? Sounds a little far fetched, but there’s a massive demand for certified TEFL teachers, everywhere from Indonesia to Italy. You’ll need to spend a few hundred quid/dollars getting a TEFL certificate, but with 2 billion people learning English around the world, the opportunities are huge.

Contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need teaching experience, you don’t need to speak the local language and sometimes you don’t even need a degree. There is the snag that you’ll still need to pay for flights and vaccinations. However, some schools will reimburse you the costs of your flights when you finish your 12 month contract, and some will even pay for your ticket upfront. So, with a little bit of penny-watching you could come home with money in the bank.

For more information about how to make it happen download your free Graduate’s Guide to Teaching and Travelling Abroad: http://www.onlinetefl.com/graduates.


Working holiday in Australia


OK, so this is hardly free – flights to Australia cost upwards of ?600, but once you’re there you can keep your costs down by working as you go. Luckily the Aussie economy hasn’t suffered as badly as the UK’s in the recession, so there are plenty of jobs around for bright-eyed backpackers. Most people who get a year-long working holiday visa spend six months or so working in one of the big cities then another six months moseying around the country burning through the money they’ve earned. So, not free, but certainly a blast.

For more details check out http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/.


Volunteering on a farm


If you’re hankering after the simple life, how about working on an organic farm? WWOOF (http://www.wwoof.org/) sets people up with farmers around the world and your hard labour (generally around 4-6 hours/day) pays for a roof over your head and food. The experience isn’t always trouble-free: some farms are very remote and it’s generally a surprise as to where you rock up, but it can make for a very fulfilling and relaxing experience. Again, it’s not exactly free though: you have to pay for a list of farms in the country you want to visit (generally around ?20-?40), flights and vaccinations.

Visit http://www.wwoof.org/ for the lowdown.


Hitching a ride on a yacht


Do you know your port from starboard, your mainsail from spinnaker? Probably not, but even without knowing one end of a boat from another you may be able to hitch a free ride in return for cooking, cleaning or general deck-handing on a yacht.

Check out websites like Crewseekers (http://www.crewseekers.net/) or the Cruising Association (http://www.cruising.org.uk/) for details of jobs.


Or, for some cheekier options…


Busking


Possibly the most wildly optimistic option – get a guitar and set off on your merry way. Just watch out for police and rival buskers. Oh, and have a credit card handy to bail you out if your strumming turns out to not be as good as you thought…

Joining religious groups


Almost everyone knows someone who did the Alpha course for the sandwiches afterwards. This is just the large-scale (and infinitely more ethically dubious) version. Search out religious groups around the world and worm your way in for free food and lodging. Best not to think about the long-term consequences though…

Save Money on Vacation

Save Money on Vacation

The following are money saving tips:

  • Turn off your air conditioner or set the thermostat around 85 degrees. 
  • During the summer you can save between 2 to 3 percent off the air conditioner part of your electric bill for every degree you increase the setting on your thermostat.
  • Turn off your water heater at the circuit breaker or fuse box.  If you do not do this, your water heater will keep water warm while you are gone, costing between $4 to $10 per month. If your water heater is gas, turn it to pilot only. You may turn it completely off, but you will need to relight the pilot when you return.
  • If you own a pool, use a timer so that the pump does not operate all of the time.
  • Turn off lights except those being used for security reasons.  Make use of timers or motion detectors so that lights are not on 24 hours a day.
  • If you know your neighbors, make them aware of your travel plans. This is one of the most important plans as neighbors are many times the ones that notice suspicious activities around your home.
  • Unplug all electrical devices that do not need to remain cool (i.e., your refrigerator) during your absence.  Appliances, cable boxes, computers, DVD players, and TVs, still use power to run features such as clocks and remote controls.  Studies have found that standby power can be responsible for as much as 10 percent of your electricity bill.
  • Make sure if you rely on a sump pump, to have a backup plan such a battery backup, or at least, have someone check the house regularly. This is really important in cold climates where temperatures can plummet causing pipes to freese, them burst when the temperature goes back to normals.

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