As we enter 2011, the beginning of a more stable yet value oriented Hawaii travel economy is readily apparent. Rates are trending up across the board, some faster, some slower. Given the fact that most of us haven’t seen that improvement reflected in our own personal economies, it is more important than ever to locate and seize the best Hawaii travel deals.
Let’s face it, negotiating isn’t something that comes easily to most of us. Having said that, I’ve turned it into a fun game, one that I’ve mostly come to enjoy. Here are my best tips for negotiating your best Hawaii vacation in addition to some other money-saving tips. You might want to also check out my earlier post entitled Learn To Haggle For Travel.
1. Determine what it’s worth today.
Before trying to negotiate anything (be it car rental, accommodations or activities), you need to see what the value is today, rather than what it was say last year. There’s no better place to start than the Internet. For example, if I plan to call a hotel to ask for a better rate than I can find from their website or an online travel agency, I want to know the comparables, including what similar accommodations are charging, whether the property has recently been seen on discount sites like Priceline, Hotwire, etc., and if so at what price. These give me a reference point from which to begin. The same would hold true for activities.
2. Ask for help in obtaining the best value.
It’s a great come from, and it’s frankly the truth. You want to make this work for the provider and for you. Ask if there is some way that they can help, or perhaps someone else in their company can help, if they are not authorized. Be kind, patient, even helpful yourself. If you have found better value elsewhere, ask if they can meet or beat your best comparable offer.
3. Haggle Technique number one.
Less is more. I’ve been known to just hang on the phone, or stand quietly at the front desk, if I don’t at first get the answer (or the upgrade) I want. Kind, gentle persistence definitely pays off. This technique, in fact, has virtually never failed.
4. Beyond negotiating, find where the best values are in Hawaii travel. Don’t forget often overlooked places to purchase. Here are just a few examples that have worked for me:
5. Pay cash.
This does not work everywhere (like hotels and car rentals), but face it, non-cash transactions cost someone money. It never hurts to ask. Maybe that surfing lesson can be yours for less money.
6. Last minute availability is always a money-saver.
Remember the magic 90 day window. That’s the time frame when most travel providers start to think about lowering the price of unsold inventory. It is therefore the time when you can work the best deals for activities, hotels, car rentals and sometimes even air fare.
7. Buy two instead of one.
Two tours, two hotel rooms, two of pretty much everything is enough reason to see if you can get an even slightly more advantageous price.
8. Don’t get stuck for extras you don’t want and don’t need.
This is especially true with car rental upgrades and insurance. Check our recent post Ten Ways to Save on Hawaii Car Rentals.
9. Check your car, your contract, and your receipt.
Don’t assume it’s all right, and don’t waste valuable time later trying to sort through have been overcharged. Find out before you leave if you got the right deal. On my last rental in Honolulu, I accepted a car with an almost empty gas tank. I forgot to check the gas level before driving off the lot. That cost me $40.
10. Beat of Hawaii’s new Post Alerts.
The cost of flying to the islands is also on the rise. Hawaii airfare deals are mostly short-lived and are often not publicized. But they can still found here on Beat of Hawaii.
We recently created Post Alerts for savvy and busy Hawaii visitors. It’s a unique notification system that immediate alerts you for just the deals you need to know about. The nominal cost is only about $3 per month.
Please share your Hawaii money-saving tips.
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