Why Gas Prices and Airline Fees Shouldn’t Stop You From Traveling
High gas prices and rising airline fees may be keeping you closer to home than you’d like to be… but they shouldn’t.
Sure, it’s easy to complain about the extra $15-$20 many airlines are tacking on for “premium” seats and checked bags. But don’t let that turn you off. Because, really, when you put things in perspective, flying is still a bargain. And the experiences you’re rewarded with when you hop on a plane and visit an exciting city are priceless.
It’s even easier to be up in arms about the price of gas. But when I compare what it cost me to drive from D.C. to South Carolina last year to what it will cost me this year, I’m looking at a $17 bump. And I’d be a fool to let that keep me home. I spend more than that on a bottle of wine.
Meanwhile, if you look around, you’ll find that hotels, travel websites, and rental car agencies are making it even easier for you to ignore those increases by putting a nice marketing spin on them in a bid to keep your business.
For example, Expedia.com now offers a free $25-$75 gas card when you book your hotel stay through them. And most Loews and Kimpton hotels have introduced a “baggage buy-back rebate program,” which reimburses guests for their checked-baggage fees.
Those are just two examples. You’ll find more if you Google “free gas card hotel” and “checked-bag rebate.”
