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Going to Europe can be extremely expensive, especially if you want to do all of the touristy things while you’re there. You want to save where you can, even if you do have the money, because that means that you can do more.

Not quite sure where to save money? Here are some tips:

Get Your Passport in Enough Time

If you don’t have your passport, that is a huge expense you want to consider. Aim to get your passport in enough time so that you don’t have to pay for expedited shipping. This will save you a few hundred dollars right off the bat.

Public Transportation is Key

Renting a car or using Uber might be a better way to travel in style, but it isn’t a good idea for your bank account. Instead, do some research about the local public transportation systems and use them. If worst comes to worst, make sure to pack a comfortable pair of shoes so that you can walk from place to place. In some instances, walking will be much, much quicker than driving anyway.

Be Flexible on Your Travel Dates

Since you are planning ahead, you should be able to have some flexibility in your travel dates. Be smart about it and plan to fly during the week instead of on the weekends – you’ll get a better rate that can save you a lot of money. You also want to consider different times of the day when flying.

Look for Package Deals

Though they get a bit of a bad reputation, sometimes package deals, where you get a free rental with a hotel or a free flight if you stay in a slightly pricier hotel, will work out better than buying everything on its own. You’ll have to do some math and figure it out for yourself, but it shouldn’t be that hard to do with a phone calculator and some online searching.

Use Airline Miles

One of the most expensive things you will buy for your trip to Europe will be your plane tickets. While no one wants to admit it, flying overseas can be expensive and can be one of the top reasons why someone will decide against going on a trip to Europe.

Consider signing up for a credit card that will give you enough credits so that you can get a ticket, at least in coach.

Most importantly – look for free things to do. That’s the best way to save and you’ll still get a great feeling for the country you travel to.

Picking out a business credit card for your company can be difficult because you have to weigh the pros and cons of each one – and there will be pros and there will be cons. A lot of it has to do with your spending habits, business habits, and even what you do in your personal life.

Here are a few tips for picking a business credit card:

Know Fees

Almost every credit card has fees. You have to look through the paperwork you sign, sometimes reading into the find print, to see what exactly you are paying for when you sign up for a credit card. Know about yearly fees, interest rates, and even penalties for not using your card. You may want to check out late fees as well – some are much higher than others.

Amount

What is the limit of your credit card? Each card will go about finding a limit for you in a slightly different way. It is up to you to determine how much you need. When you are just starting out, you might feel like you need more, but that isn’t always available. Do your best to seek out cards that will give you what you need, but won’t allow you to overspend.

Benefits

Sometimes, certain carts will give you benefits that you might not get anywhere else. Airlines, hotels, restaurants, and more will give you access to their ‘premier’ spaces just by using your card. SOmetimes you’ll get a free upgrade on your room, free breakfast, free wi-fi, or just a more private space to hang out while you wait for a flight. These might not make a huge different for everyone, but some people will enjoy the little perks.

Earning Miles

Do you travel quite a bit for work? If so, earning miles through your credit card points could be a great way to save you some money. Make sure to pick a credit card that goes with your favorite airline (they don’t all work together) and focus on which cards give you the most rewards.

Some cards will give you more points for shopping in grocery stores, office supply stores, or going out to eat at certain restaurants. These are all things you use in your daily life and your business life – so why not make them work for you?

The most important thing you can do when picking a business credit card is to focus on the cards that will do more for you.

Donating your airline miles can be one of the best ways to ensure that your miles don’t go to waste if you aren’t going to use them. It can be a little confusing at times, especially if you aren’t sure about the company you’re sending your miles to or the method through which you have to donate.

Know How Many Miles You Have

Knowing how many miles that you have can help you to make the most impact when you donate. Some airline mile donations can be in any increment, but some airlines will only allow you to give a certain amount or in certain amounts. Others will have a minimum and a maximum amount that you can donate.

Know how many miles you have and how many you want to donate:

Find an Organization to Fit Your Desires

When donating, you want to find an organization that fits in with your ideals and that you feel comfortable donating to. You can either go through the airlines themselves, but looking at their website and seeing which ones have programs (we’ve outlined a few below, but each airline will likely have their own system) OR by going to a charity’s website and seeing how you can submit miles. It is likely that the charities will push the airline that gives them the most for your donation.

American Miles For Kids In Need

One of the best organizations to send your miles to includes the American Miles for Kids in Need. This is a program that touches the lives of kids involved with many reputable charities, including Make-A-Wish, the Starlight Foundation, A Wish With Wings, and others. For every three miles you donate, American will contribute one mile as well. This is a fantastic way to ensure that children get your airline miles to live out their dreams.

For more information, you can call 800-882-8880 or visit http://www.aa.com.

Delta Skywish

Delta is another airline with their system. If you have over 5,000 miles, you  can donate them to SkyWish, which also helps selected charities, like the United Way, Make-A-Wish, and CARE. See their website for more information or call 800-325-3999.

Donating miles is a fantastic way to make a difference, especially if you don’t use your miles all that frequently. Just make sure that you follow all the rules of the donation so that it goes as far as you want it to go.

Getting bumped on an airline isn’t always a bad thing – even though most people don’t look forward to it. However, for people who aren’t in that much of a hurry, it can be a great way to earn some airline vouchers. If you travel on peak travel days (Monday, Friday, Sunday, and holidays), you have more of a chance of getting cut. Some people strategically book those day so they they have a better chance of getting bumped and thus earning those elusive vouchers. What are some other ways to do so?

Check Flight Loads

Flights with solid booking without gaps are much more likely to bump you than those that have open spaces. If you can’t pick your seats, just check to see if you can get a seat through the airline. Sometimes they will tell you whether or not a flight a has been oversold. Even if you can’t get on the flight, this will give you some insight into whether or not it happens.

Arrive Early

On particularly heavy travel days, checking in early may present you with the opportunity to bump. Some airlines will just ask you if you want to be bumped so that they don’t have to scrounge up seats at the last minute.

Volunteer

It may seem simple, but you can volunteer to be bumped. If you notice a gate agent that isn’t busy, simply ask him or her whether the flight is oversold and needs volunteers. Ideally, that person will say yes and you can move to the next step in the process. This doesn’t always work, but it can be a relief for both you and the gate agents.

Get a Cash Voucher

The most important tip is to ensure that you get a cash voucher, not a flight voucher. Flight vouchers are typically very difficult to redeem with any semblance of sanity because of restrictions and blackout dates.

Have an Alternative At the Ready

Other flights are probably oversold if yours is as well. Since gate agents are busy, they probably won’t have time to tell you whether you can get onto another flight. Do your own research to determine whether you can still get to your destination in time.

While these tips won’t work every time, they are pretty great options to really have a chance at getting bumped for another flight.

If you are looking to take a flight that is coming up quickly, there are plenty of ways that you can save money and stay within your budget. Here are just a few:

Be careful of fees

Fees can add a significant amount of money onto your ticket price. Sometimes cheap flights are made not so cheap based on the fees that come along with the flights. Always read the fine print and look at the total balance before you hit “accept” for the ticket. Also consider baggage fees if that doesn’t come along with your ticket.

Call the airline

If you are really running last minute because of a death or another serious problem, some airlines will offer bereavement fares. You have to call on the phone to the airline and you need to travel within the next two weeks. Sometimes you will need to provide the name of a relative and the name/phone number of the relative’s doctor and/or funeral home.

Sometimes you’ll get a special rate and sometimes you will just get a discounted coupon code. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America, Alaska Air Group, and Delta Air Lines offer special rates as well.

Use Your Rewards

Rewards, either from the airlines themselves to rewards credit cards, can be used to help make your last minute flight that much cheaper. Make sure to calculate the amount that you would spend in cash and the equal value in points to see if you are really getting a good deal.

Stay flexible

Everybody knows that when trying to find a flight at the last minute, you need to be extremely flexible about what you want. When it comes to choosing those last minute flights, you are likely to be choosing from seats that no one wants. It also means that you might have to choose a different airport than what you are used to. If getting there quickly is of the essence, sometimes renting a car when you get there could save you some precious time.

Book as early as you can

As soon as you know that you need a flight – book. Otherwise, you will start to pay fees and premiums that you probably wouldn’t have had to pay in other positions.

Most importantly, make sure that you are getting to where you need to go on time, spending a little extra money or spending more points could be more important.

Redeeming airline miles for holiday flights can sometimes be one of the worst things that you will ever do. Depending on when and how you do it, you will probably end up paying more than you need to, end up compromising on your flight, or just not have a good time. It will almost seem like using your miles is not worth it at all. But do not go home in a bad mood! There are many ways you can make your search for holiday flights easier:

Check Out Partner Airlines

Air travel points can be redeemed on one airline or a few airlines, depending on partners. And w with some airlines, your miles will go a lot further. Make sure to check if you can link up with other airlines to get better seats or better deals. There are plenty of options out there, you just have to see which one works best for you.

Call An Agent

Calling an agent to book your tickets can be the best decision you make during a busy travel season. It will help you to get through the system much more quickly and easily than doing it yourself. However some airlines have phone reservation fees, so be careful of those additional fees. But it can sometimes be worth it, as an agent has more information than you do and can see available sets in real time — sometimes it takes a few minutes for the system consumers use to update. They will also be able to help you with booking on partner airlines.

Pick the Best Seat

A little known fact is that business class seats are better for holiday travel than coach seats because fewer “business” people are traveling. They may cost a bit more, but if you are using your airline miles, it could be a good trade off. It will certainly put you in a better mood when you arrive.

Do Your Research

The most important tip for scoring holiday flights with your airline miles is to do your research. Not all cards will allow you to use your miles on holiday travel, but if you have some flexibility in your schedule, you can work around blackout dates. Some airlines will allow certain tiered reward members to fly, so keep that in mind as well. If you can move up a tier within a few weeks, it might be best putting off your search.

Booking flights for the holiday season does not have to be tough as long as you know what to do!

We all dream about traveling in luxury, but we have to ask ourselves if it is worth spending the extra money. Many of us do not think of our frequent flyer miles or reward miles as money, but it is something that we must also consider.

Before paying upfront, find out if you can upgrade your seat using miles. Not all airlines allow you to do this, and sometimes it will depend on how you gained your miles in the first place. Many times, upgrades may only be allowed at the last minute unless you are a VIP.

But remember that upgrading is expensive and can cost you. Throughout the entire process, you also have to remember to be flexible. Sometimes you will be able to upgrade and sometimes you will not. It really just depends on how many people want to go where you are going when you are going, and whether or not they are willing to pay for the upgraded seats.

To upgrade using your miles, you can either go through the online portal or you can talk to a ticketing agent via phone or at the airport.

Is it Worth It?

Determining whether upgrading your seat is worth it will vary by airline. If you have crossed the country multiple times and have so many rewards points that you do not know what to do with them, upgrading might be worth it. For others, who may not be able to afford another ticket, it may not be worth spending miles on an upgrade when you could possibly get another trip out of those miles.

But for longer trips, the added luxury and additional leg and elbow room might be worth it. It could also be worth it if this is a trip you have been planning for a long time. You will also want to consider how you are paying for your ticket — are you using money to purchase it and just upgrading with miles or have you purchased the entire ticket with miles. This will help change the amount of rewards points you spend.

One thing is easy to determine: everyone wants to travel in comfort. But the question becomes then: would you rather have quality or quantity? The answer depends on each person.

When traveling, many people think there are only two classes: economy and first class, however this is not  the case. In fact, there is a middle class — business class. These are the seats that are not quite first class but are not nearly as bad and uncomfortable as economy.

Here is how you can break the differences down even more:

Waiting Game

At many airports, first class gets a separate space to wait. This means that they get some perks that most people do not — privacy, quiet, and even a few snacks. Sometimes business class gets included but more often than not, they are left outside with the regular people.

Personal Space

You get more room in both business and first class than you would in economy, but you will certainly get more personal space in first class. On some airlines, you will get a pod like room where you can move around in first class, whereas business might only offer you some extra leg or elbow room. But mostly, people seem to appreciate the privacy one gets with first class: partitions, walls, and even private bathrooms.

Food and Drinks

You will get better quality food in both business and first class than you might in economy (think things that are actually heated), but dining in first class is exactly as you would expect it to be. You get better tasting, better prepared food. Your cocktails and drinks will also taste quite a bit better. Sometimes you will also get more snacks and the staff on board are more likely to hurry your orders than they would for someone in business or economy.

Amenities

Even more, some people in first class get welcome packs that business class does not. From pajamas to sleeping masks to hand cream, first class can be like going to a hotel, especially on international airlines. What you get is of higher quality than anything else too. Your bedding will not be itchy nor the slippers thin.

Attention

Maybe most importantly for some people, the care and consideration you get from the airlines and airport employees will multiply if you have first class seats. You will be amazed at how well you get treated, even if you are only there because of a deal or because you used your airline miles. They have no idea who you are, so they will treat you as well as any other first class passenger just in case you are someone special.

Airline baggage fees are getting outrageous. So much so that you have to figure them into your budget when you plan a trip. For many of us, we just suck it up and pay the bill. However, it does not have to be that way. There are quite a few different approaches you can take so that you do not have to pay for those airline baggage fees. Here are a few options:

Use a Carry-On

Currently, the most obvious way to avoid baggage fees is to eliminate the need to check your bags at all. If you are only going on a trip for a few days, you can pack everything you will need in your carry-on bag. This will ensure that you have everything with you, your baggage will not be misplaced, and you will never want for anything on the plane ride.  (However, check before you travel as some airlines are starting to charge for carry-on fees. If your airlines is one of them, weigh the pros and cons between checked and carry-on.)

Pack Light

Even if you do have to check your bags, consider going lighter. If your bags are over a certain weight or size, you can expect to pay even more. Sometimes, it might even be smarter to use two bags over one that is severely oversized. Make sure to read up on the rates to determine what is best.

Book First or Business Class

By booking in either first class or business class, you can skip the need to check your baggage. You will be able to use a bigger bag in some cases, and in others you get more freedom with checking your baggage. Sometimes you will get a free bag or specialty boarding so that you can ensure your bags come to you first.

Loyalty Programs

Whether you go through a credit card or other means, many loyalty programs have a perk where you do not have to pay for your checked bag. This is a simple way to save yourself some money. In order to get into the program, you can either sign up for a specific program through the airline, or even better, sign up for a loyalty credit card. This will enable you to earn miles using your card as well as save some time and money with their perks. You can upgrade your seats so that you can get some of the other perks as well.

There are a few different ways to game the system, but you have to be creative. No matter what you choose, it’s a win-win situation. What are some of your favorite tips to avoid airline baggage fees?