Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Google Knows You So Well

I was having a more than a couple of drinks at a local restaurant/bar in my area when a friend walked in. The conversation was about women and our past girlfriends. The basic destruction of men in general. He was going to Asia and told me that he had the best way to get airfare. I listened and later the next day, I looked. Seems good and it's Google doing it. I know that Google kicks ass when it come to research and they have done it again. Google knows what you are looking at and where you go and markets you their ads. So, I looked at their flight center " https://www.google.ca/flights " and well I was impressed. Get the best flights to where you were looking. Hey, it works!

Friday, September 12, 2014

Purchasing a Timeshare on the resale market requires some due diligence


Purchasing a Timeshare on the resale market requires some due diligence.  Besides talking to the seller and getting the information on the timeshare, you need the third party verification on the deed of the timeshare and this comes from the Timeshare management.

This document is called an Estoppel Letter.

This is a verification of the actual ownership of a Timeshare Interval according to the Timeshare Resort's records.  These are commonly used by potential buyers to verify that the person selling the timeshare is indeed, actually the owner of said Timeshare, and to identify if the interval has any outstanding unpaid maintenance fees or taxes, as well as to determine if there are any outstanding loans against the Timeshare.

Now, how would you get an Estoppel Letter?

Only the owner of a Timeshare can request an Estoppel Letter (or a Licenced timeshare closing service) by a phone call or e-mail by the owner to the timeshare resort.  The Estoppel Letter is sent to the potential buyer directly from the Timeshare Resort Management.  Don’t accept anything less.

This is the best way to obtain confidence in a sale when considering the purchase of a deeded timeshare in the resale market.  It is a must in Timeshare resale transactions.

Here is what a Windham timeshare letter looks like.  There is a processing fee for transfer.  It is nominal.

Buyer be ware always!

 

  - Current Date Listed Here -

 Name of Company making the Request: (Example: Timeshare Closing Services)

 Name of Owner(s) ______________________________

 Contract Number**** ___________________________

 Member Number _______________________________

 Statement Type (M/A) ___________________________

 PAC (Yes/No) __________________________________

 Monthly/Annual maintenance Fee Amount * (Example 50.55 monthly)

 Current Due on Account: (Example -0-)

 Next Due Date: (Example: April 1, 2010)

 Points of Contract (Example 154,000 Every Year)

 Points Available: (Example: 0 for 2013/154,000 for 2014)

 Use Year of Contract (Expiration Date) (Example: 4/1 thru 3/31)

 Is Property Deeded Y/N __________________________

 Is Account in Collections Y/N _____________________

 Previous Year's Property Tax 2013**_______________

 Active Loan Y/N***_____________________________

 Maintenance Fees apply to current year's points on UDI contracts and to

 next years points on all Fixed Weeks contracts converted to points.

  *Information provided is good thru above date and is subject to change. If Buyer is a current FSP owner maintenance fees may differ from the above amount.

  **Only applicable to Florida Properties. Property taxes are included in maintenance fees on all other properties.

  ***Payoff quotes please call loan services @ 1-888-739-4016

  ****Contract numbers are required to obtain the information from the correct account. * Please allow seven days for the completion of all requests***

 All transfer of ownership requires a $100 processing fee. Please forward documentation to:

 Wyndham Vacation Ownership
 Title Services
 8427 So Park Circle Suite 500
 Orlando FL 32819
 FAX: 407-370-5222

Friday, August 22, 2014

Vacation Club Savings with Travel Points Credit Cards


Here is an idea to help build your vacation club savings.  Signup for a travel points credit card that has a signup bonus.  There are several cards which offer these bonuses.  This is only for people with good to very good credit.  You should check your credit score before you apply for more credit.  These type of cards require an annual income of $30,000.  You need to look for credit cards which will not cost a lot to maintain yearly and will give you a big chunk of travel points as a signing bonus.  There could also be my added benefits to some of these travel points credit cards.

You could get free insurance on air travel and car rentals by using your credit card.  This is a great advantage and savings for your vacation.  Check out the fine print as you might also get extended manufacturer’s warranty on purchases.

There are also the Frequent-Flyer Miles cards which almost every airline has got available.  Cardholders rack up miles at a rate of one mile per dollar spent or more.  Some of these Frequent-Flyer Miles cards have restrictions.  So, buyer beware, these cards are not all the same.   These cards can also offer bonus signups of air mile points which will boost your way towards a free or discounted airfare.  There is another collector program which can be used for more than air travel.

The Air Miles Collector Program is also a good addition to vacation club savings.  You can use this program with a credit card and/or with the collector card on its own.  Using the Air Miles Program with the credit card and the Collector Card will double your Air Miles points.  Air Miles sponsored retailers will give you additional points (and bonus points on certain items and services) if you shop from them.  Air Miles points can be redeemed for air travel, car rental, entertainment and consumer items from sponsors.

A good reason to use credit cards in general is that there is a safety factor with using credit cards.   Paying with a credit card makes it easier to avoid losses from fraud.  You just notify your credit card company of the fraud and don't pay for the transactions you didn't make.  The credit card company will always resolves the matter to your advantage.

The grace period with using a credit card is always attractive, but eventually you have to pay the credit back.  It is not a good idea to take a vacation on credit.  You are getting the credit card so you can take advantages of the bonus offer not to abuse the new credit you just got.  Live within your means and don’t go into debt.  Major credit cards have universal acceptance.  It is like caring cash.  Just have the funds ready to pay it down when you come back from the vacation.

Most rental companies require a credit card in case of damage to the rental which is a good reason to have one on your vacation.

You should also consider that you are building credit with this new credit card.  Credit card companies will report your payment activity to the credit bureaus.  So pay on time and try not to keep a balance on the card.

Credit and credit cards are great must have tools today.  One just has to use them wisely and take advantage of all the bonuses offered by the credit cards.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Have you heard of VRBO? Stay at a private residence while on vacation.


Have you heard about VRBO? 

It is a great idea if you want to save money on vacation accommodations.  What VRBO does, is bring home owners who are not staying at their home to offer to travellers who need a place to hang their hats when on vacation.

There are advantages for this.  The big one is cost.  Hotel room rates are 10 to 30% higher.  There is much more room (it’s a fully furnished home) and a kitchen to dine on your own time.

These vacation rentals are ideal for family vacations since they are homes and sleep several people.  There is also more privacy, pets are usually welcome and no hidden costs since you have discussed the rental with the owner and you know what you are paying for in extras.

This sounds like a great way to spend a vacation since you have so much choice.  There are 1 million plus properties in 100 countries to choose from.  Dwellings include loft apartments, beach front condos, mountain cabins, lake houses with docks, country farmhouses and harbour-side houseboats.

Here a link from VRBO to show you the comparison with their rentals vs hotels.  VRBO Rentals “Discover the Difference”.

To learn more about Timeshare and Vacation Club Savings and let us know what you are looking for, just click LINK HERE!

Monday, July 28, 2014

Cheapest Airline in the World is Firefly in Malasyia with 3 other Airlines that come close.

Here are the 4 Cheapest Airlines to fly with.

1. Firefly, Malaysia. (Wikimedia Commons)



2. SpiceJet, India.

3. Onur Air, Turkey.

4. FastJet, Africa.

If you are going to any of these countries and you want to hop around from city to city then this is the way to go.

These fairs are under $100 dollars USD.

Happy flying!

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Kayak.com's data for Airfare Savings

The article is about Kayak.com (Canadian launched travel/booking website) and the stats they pulled out for the first year of business in Canada.  The information is great for airfare savings.

Here are the biggies which will save you money for Canadian air travel but it seems that it works for United States and Europe.

1.  Flying Tuesday travelling domestically and returning on Friday is cheapest.

2.  Domestic flights leaving on Thursday and returning on Sunday are more expensive.

3.  Flying Thursday leaving the country is most economical with a return flight on Monday.

4.  International flights out of Canada are most expensive departing Monday and returning on      Friday.

5.  You will spend 15% more by flying on Saturday or Sunday.

6.  The cheapest month on average to fly is January with 20% discounts.      

7.   June and July have cheaper air fare than August if you are travelling in the summer.

8.  The best pricing with airfare for European travel is between 8 to 10 weeks in advance.

9.  The best deals for travel to Asia are 9 to 10 mounts forward.

Debby Soo, a vice president with Kayak, which handles 100 million searches a month makes a few more comments on specific travel to some destinations in the article linked here MSN Travel Canada.

http://tinyurl.com/lcv3b4o

Saturday, July 12, 2014

How to Pack for Air Travel


How to Pack a Carry-on or Suitcase for Airline Travel

There two thing to consider when travelling by air.  First, how long will you be staying and how fast you want to be out of the airport after you land?  Know the airline’s fees for checked luggage and the maximum allowed per person.  Stay within the limits to keep your costs down.
The answer to these questions will determine your luggage.

If you are travelling for holidays you will probably take more items to wear and thus you are not in so much of a hurry to go or come back.  Stay within the luggage limits of the airline.  This is usually one carry-on and one checked baggage.
If you are travelling overnight and back the next evening then travel light with just the carry-on baggage which will allow you to get in and out of customs and check points faster.  There is also no waiting for luggage.  This is more like business travel and the pace is going to be faster than that of leisure travel.

Plan out what you are going to ware and bring items which you can mix and match which will increase your changeable looks.
Check all government travel sites on what is acceptable for travel these days and then check your airline website for luggage weight and dimensions.  The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is for the United States and Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) for Canada.  Each country has its rules for air travel regulations and you should check the country’s authority for those rules if you are travelling overseas.

So now you know what to take for your trip.  Take every item of clothing and personable items out where you can see it all. 
Put similar items together for easy access.  The saving kit and tooth brush with tooth paste and shaving gel, soap and shampoo in a plastic sealable see through bag, double bag it for safety of accidental leeks.  It should be noted that any liquid, gel and aerosols of volume greater than 100 ml in Canada and total volume amount of 3.4 oz. for the U.S.A  needs to go in your checked luggage.  Also, note that when carrying on board the cabin label your liquids, handle and store them in large sealable plastic bags, and declare them with customs.

Clothing travels best with the rolling packing technique.  Just roll your clothes tightly and line the item side by side evenly across the length of the carry-on.  This method keep your items from wrinkling and allows for more space in the carry-on.  Portable Travel Clothing Steamers
When packing make sure to spread heavy items in your carry-on or checked luggage, balance is going to make your luggage more manageable.

Pack items which are prohibited on the cabin in your checked luggage.  These include sharp objects like box cutters, knives, scissors and cork screws, but not limited to tools, and sports equipment like bow and arrows.  Note:  cross bows are prohibited from both the cabin and checked luggage.

Pack foot ware at the top of the baggage.  Customs might want to look at these items carefully, thus give them easy access.
Get a doctor’s note for medications you are travelling with and any metal implants you many have to clear the metal detectors.  You really don’t want to be striped searched.

Finally, after packing make sure to measure the dimensions of your luggage and weigh it to insure you meet the airline requirements for carry-on and checked luggage.
Now you are good to go.  Bon Voyage!
Portable Travel Clothing Steamers

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Basic Instructions on How to Rent your Vacation Property.

Market your property for rent with compelling ad copy and pictures (a picture is a thousand words)of the surrounding area, the stores and recreation in the area as well as the interior of the property.  Make sure to mention any festivals or events happening within the time of the proposed rental.  Put a face to who they are renting from (the family or just you) and smile doing it.  Mention that you have security features and you can discuss it with them over the phone.  Give a full description of the property and how many will it sleep and where.  Mention if you have laundry facilities, a deck, dock, central air and any add-ons to give your prospects more comfort on their stay.  Use testimonials if your have any, it will be a big plus.  Give references to qualified tenants only. 

The most popular resources are Homeaway, VRBO and Craigslist. Homeaway and VRBO charge a small annual fee, while Craigslist is free.

Field inquiries from potential tenants. Create your list of what a desirable tenant is to you.  Tenants will likely contact you by email.  You would do best to create a separate e-mail address to receive these inquiries (the e-mail should be related to the property, orlandovacation@aol.com , < not a real e-mail).  I suggest an aol e-mail address which is free and easy to create.   This way when you check the email associated to your vacation property rental you will not loose any business and you will be on top of it as it is all on one specific account.

Take a security a deposit and at least a portion of the rent when you find a tenant interested in renting your property.  The easiest payment way for the deposit is Paypal (online payment).  It is easy to setup and fast.  Paypal allows credit cards as well, so you got it all covered.  Note:  Paypal will take a small fee for the transaction.

E-mail or mail your tenant a rental agreement, which they sign and return, and a booking confirmation letter.  You can go here to get a sample Vacation Rental Lease, Rental Agreements & Contracts from Homeaway.com
Your tenant needs to be able to get into the property.  Arrange communication with a local person nearby (who you trust) to let your tenant into the property (with local information verbal or in writing which will improve the tenant's experience).  This is the best way to invite your tenant to your vacation property if you are not there.  Let your tenant know who is going to greet them and give them his/her contact numbers.  The personal touch with someone handing off the keys is adding value.

How to Rent Vacation Properties by Owner, the Book

Monday, July 7, 2014

Watch Your Ticked Price After You Purchase.

There is a chance that tickets will lower from the time you bought your ticket.

Use a search engine for ticket pricing change to find out if the ticket you purchased is lowering and if so give the airline a call to get the lower rate.

In most cases the airline will refund you the difference in your purchase price.

Most travellers don't think about this.  The airlines profit from this price change to the tune of millions each year.

Always check your ticket prices after your purchase to see if it is lowering and get some money back. 


Here are a few sites who supply alerts, and every one of them has its perks. Yapta.com (www.yapta.com) permits you to track your specific itinerary, right down to the flight variety and dates of travel, and can allow you to grasp if the airline owes you a price-drop refund. Travelocity's easy-to-use FareWatcherPlus permits you to track up to 10 routes and you'll be able to choose to be notified either once a fare goes down by $5, $10, $25 or $50 minimum price drop once it goes below a price drop you decide on.  Orbitz conjointly offers alerts, as will Bing Travel (www.bing.com/travel), TripAdivsor (www.tripadvisor.com/Flights), FareCompare (www.farecompare.com) and Kayak.com (www.kayak.com).

Factor to note: Southwest Airlines and Allegiant Airlines are not on the alert system so check with these airlines separately to compare airfare or use airfarewatchdog.com's comparison chart to see what these alert sites offer.

Sign up for third-party fare alerts and save money on your airfare.

X-Airline Reservations Agent Exposes All


Friday, July 4, 2014

Vacation Club Review 2014

This Vacation Club Review was researched by http://vacation-club-review.toptenreviews.com/
This is a very comprehensive review of top 10 Vacation Clubs.  Go to the site to get all the details.


Marriott Vacation Club Disney Vacation Club RCI     Hilton Grand Vacations Interval International Club Med Bluegreen Resorts Hyatt Vacation Club Shell Vacations Club Perennial Vacation Club

Book Airfare to Include a Weekend Stay and Save Money.


Booking your air travel starting on a week day and going through a weekend will save you money on your airfare.  How and why is that? 

Well this is the reason.  Business travellers usually want to travel on Mondays and deal with their work on business days.  These are the week days.  They leave on Friday or before to get to their home offices or to get to home and family.

Airlines know that people travelling for personal reasons stay over the weekend and try to encourage over weekend stays to maximize their non-business trips.

Airlines give better rates to those who are travelling for personal reasons because they know that these individuals can’t afford expensive airfare.

Thus, book airfare through the weekend and you will save money.

Monday, June 30, 2014

The Best Time of Day to Fly for the Best Price.

Most last minute travel and business travel are between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm.  Travelling at these times is a premium on your fare.  Air travellers who book their flight departing and landing at undesirable times of the day will get a better priced air fare.

The red eye is the better price.  Leave late and land early in the morning.  Just remember to get some sleep on the plane because you will have a long day ahead of you.

Taking flights at odd time works best for personal travel as you have more flexibility.  If you are buying air fare and hotel accommodations are arranged you will want to know the check-in time of the hotel.  You may have to wait hours before you can get into your room.  Plan this part of your day so you are doing something worth while other than standing around waiting for your room to be ready.  You can store your luggage with concierge.  Now that the flight is out of the way and you want to save even more money just think if you know someone at your destination to accommodate your stay.

Staying with relatives or friends at your destination is a good way to save even more money.  Organise your arrival with who you are staying with, so you might get picked-up and they know your flight information to check on your status.  When I stay with relatives or friends,... I always leave a parting gift and buy dinner or take them out.  Don't be cheap,...you know what hotels cost.

Travelling at extreme times of the day will certainly save you on your air fare.  If you are flexible with your travel arrangement then go for it.  Keep in mind that you are arriving early in the morning,...so make arrangements accordingly.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

The Best Time of the Day to Look for Airfare Deals.


 

The best time to purchase airfare for online sites is Tuesday at 3:00 pm.  This the time that all the airlines put up their best pricing and sales.  Search agent sites and then double back to the carrier’s site to compare the difference.  The carrier site just maybe lower.  Carriers like Qantas reserve the best price for their site.

You should have a Saturday night stay and a 21-day advance purchase to get the best pricing for domestic flights.  Avoid black out date for airfare sales like holidays and spring break.

When booking international flights you need to start looking 54 days before your travel date.  Check the flights out for different airports in your area as the airport fees differ from each airport which could save you money.  Book a major carrier to your country destination and a local carrier to you final point of stay will save you money.

http://tinyurl.com/lcv3b4o
 

Airline Booking Agents (Websites) use Scarcity to make you Purchase Sooner than Later.


Here is a little known marketing directive served up from airline booking sites.  Test it yourself or remember if you witnessed it when you were looking for airfare.

This is what happens.  You are looking for airfare and you go to your favorite booking airfare site to compare rates, travel days and time.  You might find what arrangements you like and the price is just OK, but you are not ready to purchase at the time.  You think the price just might get better in the future.  Then you try again to see the pricing for your travel dates and time.  The price is gone higher and the available seats have gone down.  Humm.  You try a third time because you are now worried about the travel dates and times.  You are not so flexible and need to travel at those times.  The reality sets in and now you will have to pay more for the airfare you just looked at a day ago.  The airfare is even higher now and the seats on the carrier is also falling.  Your decision to purchase is made because you don’t want to pay more the next day and you want the seats before they are all gone. 

What really happened to your buying decision?  The marketing strategy of scarcity was used to make you purchase sooner than later.  The constant higher pricing and the lack of seats pushed you to purchase the airfare.

The site using this technique operate by putting cookies on your computer system when you visit them.  The site knows when you come back and pumps up the price and reduces the seat count.  Each time you come back to the site, you are identified and the price goes up while the seat count goes even lower.  The scarcity of the offer is now compelling you to purchase the tickets before the price gets higher and there are no seats available.

This marketing operation is common in booking and sales type sites.  There is a way to beat it and get your airfare at the best rate possible.  You need to close your browser, then go to your history and reset or whip it out and clean all your cookies.  You can do this trough your system or download programs which do this kind of maintenance for you.  I personally use a free PC tool called CCleaner.

Try this method and see if you get the original rate for the specific dates of travel.  What a surprise!!

Save your money and shop smart!

Saturday, June 7, 2014

What is The Deal with Vacation Clubs and Timeshares?


Vacation Clubs and Timeshares are both ways for travellers to get great deals on vacations and save money.
The one that works for you will depend on your finances, the amount of vacation you will take in a year and the type of accommodations you want.

Vacation Clubs
The Vacation Club membership is for individuals and families who want to travel to multiple locations per year.  Vacation Clubs can offer discounts on transportation, package deals, timeshare like accommodations, curses and car rentals.


Vacation Clubs allow you to trade your vacation allotment with others for different properties.  There is more flexibility with a Vacation Club.  Here are some Vacation Clubs.


·         Atlas, The Vacation Owners Club

·         Avalon Vacation Club

·         Aviawest Resort Club

·         Club Absolute

·         Club Casa Dorada

·         Club Intrawest

·         Club Navigo

·         Club Regina

·         Disney Vacation Club

·         El Cid Vacations Club

·         GeoHoliday Vacation Club

·         Global Exchange Vacation Club

·         Hilton Grand Vacations Club

·         Holiday Inn Club Vacations

·         Hyatt Vacation Club

·         ILX Premiere Vacation Club

·         Legacy Vacation Club (formerly Celebrity Resorts)

·         Marriott Vacation Club

·         Perennial Vacation Club

·         Raintree Vacation Club

·         Ritz-Carlton Club

·         Royal Aloha Vacation Club

·         Shell Vacations Club

·         Universal Vacation Club

·         World International Vacation Club

·         WorldMark, The Club
All major hotel chains offer either a Vacation Club or something called Timeshare.  There are also smaller groups who offer their multiple resort type of timeshare.
The main difference with a Vacation Club and a Timeshare is that you purchase a Timeshare like you purchase a property.  The difference is that you have use of the Timeshare based on how many weeks in the Timeshare you contracted for.  You also pay a yearly maintenance.  This is for upkeep of the property, cleaning, insurance and incidentals.  This fee is usually around 300.00 USD/year and can increase depending on what needs to be done to maintain the property.

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