Tag: priceline

Pack Like a Pro, Save on Baggage Fees – Best Packing Method

The best packing method I’ve found via Red Oxx


Now that you’ve cheated at Priceline and/or Hotwire, you’ve got to pack your bags!  Unfortunately, most domestic airlines charge $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second bag.  To smack those fees down fast, we need to be smarter than the airlines (easy).  Bundle Wrapping benefits you by allowing you to use a smaller bag so you can carry it on with you avoiding baggage fees altogether or allow you to pack everything into one bag versus two, saving you the extra baggage fee.  Additionally, bundle wrapping also reduces wrinkles since you don’t crease any clothing.

Bundle wrapping requires some easy prioritization of your clothing.  Start by having your jackets zipped, shirts buttoned and pants folded in half.  Have your socks, undergarments, dob kit and other soft goods together; this will form your core to bundle your clothing around.

When you begin bundle wrapping, you should keep all shirts and jackets face up, unless it is a tailored jacket, which should travel face down.  Start by laying the jacket out flat first <step 1>, if one is being packed, then lay a shirt in the opposite direction <step 2>.  Continue alternating until you’ve packed all jackets and shirts.  Next, lay the waist of your pants at the under arm portion of the shirt <step 3> and continue alternating until all the pants are packed.  Lay your core <step 4>, the soft goods mentioned above, in the center.  Now, take your pants and wrap them over the core <step 5> and wrap the shirts around the bundle <step 6> that you’ve built.  Wrap the final jacket or shirt around the bundle <step 7> and place it in the suitcase, then strap everything down <step 8> to minimize shifting during travel.

This packing method may seem complicated, but you only need to review the diagram (courtesy of Doug Dyment, OneBag.com) once and it becomes a snap.  For your convenience, I’ve included the diagram above as a pdf. Your choice to pack efficiently can now save you the $15 first bag fee that most airlines charge and even the $25 second bag fee.

You’re ready to have a great time on your next trip.  Safe travels on your next adventure!


How to Cheat at Priceline and Hotwire

We were recently booking travel for the Fortune Small Business Sales & Marketing Summit in New Orleans. The rooms at the host hotel were going for $159 per night and we have four people going. Thanks to my secret weapon, we were able to get the exact same hotel room for $60 per night.

What if you knew what hotel you were going to win via Priceline and Hotwire before you placed your bid and sent off your credit card number? Would it make previously impossible trips possible again?

I’ll walk you through the process on how to take the guesswork out of Priceline and Hotwire to make those trips a reality again.

With the Internet becoming an increasingly social place and people being willing to share more about their experiences, there are numerous forums (Web sites where people share information) that provide details on what travel accommodations a person was able to secure.

Two Web sites that I like to use when bidding on Priceline and Hotwire are: Better Bidding and Bidding for Travel.

For a step-by-step walk-through on how to cheat at Priceline with Betterbidding.com, take a look at the video below (full screen is suggested). I use the Marriott in New Orleans as an example.

Are you a fan of Hotwire? To learn how to cheat there with Betterbidding.com, have a look at this video (again, full screen is suggested). This time, we’ll look for a 3-star hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.

Now that you’ve learned how to apply these tactics, why not take the time to register on betterbidding.com and post your travel deal wins there? The more people that join and add their information, the better the experience is for all of us!

If you have a question or comment, please feel free to drop me a line here. You can also find me on twitter.

As seen on MySA.com