FLYING LIKE A BOSS

Originally Published the Week of June 20, 2018 in Western Outdoor Publications

Summer vacation is upon us and I thought I’d share some travel tips if you’re planning on coming down to Baja or traveling into Mexico.  After almost 25 years of running trips here and thousands of clients, we’ve accumulated some things that might make your planning a trip a little less frantic and stressful.

My wife, Jill is quite the travel ninja for booking travel.

So, credit-where-credit is due, a good many of these are her tips.  In addition to living here in Baja, we also travel extensively.  We also fly extensively and (for better-or-worse) spend over 300 days a year in hotel rooms!

For flights, Jill starts looking and comparing prices right away.  Don’t bust your chops and stress by waiting until the last minute.  She starts looking.  She does not necessarily purchase.  This is her starting point.

Travel experts say you should be ready, however, to purchase anytime from 50-52 days out from your trip.  That’s the most likely time to find the lower prices.

You waited? The WORST time is 3-7 days out.

Be prepared to pay a premium if you sat on your hands.  That’s when there’s just a few seats left.  The airlines can jack the prices knowing they’ll be able to sell those seats. . . to someone like you!

In our experience, the most crowded flights are Fridays to fly out and Sundays to fly back.  For obvious reasons.  It’s the weekend.  It’s a resort area.  Everyone needs to be back to work by Monday.

Sunday is also the most expensive day to fly.

When I would fly in and out’ve Cabo, I had a neat trick.

I used to plan flying out of Cabo on Sundays in the middle of the crowds. However, I  would tell my office in Califorania that they might not see me until Tuesday or Wednesday.

On Sundays, I’d go to the Cabo Airport and check the lines.  If the flight was full, I’d offer the airline people to give up my seat.  For a price!

They were always happy and I would usually walk away with one or two free hotel nights; vouchers for meals; AND…free vouchers to fly again ANYTIME!!!

Sometimes, I’d do it again on Monday when I returned to the airport and SCORE again if the flight was over booked!

There was a time, back-in-the-day, where I had a handful of free vouchers to use and didn’t actually pay for a flight for a good 4 or 5 years!   All from selling my ticket back to the airlines.

Friends who run travel agencies told me that Tuesdays are the best day to actually push the button and purchase tickets.  If you can, night flights are the cheapest flights of the day.

Another little “hack,” if-you-will, that my wife discovered is how to best use your accumulated travel points.

Do NOT waste all those precious points to buy your ticket.  If you do that, the airlines always applies it to the highest price tickets they sell.  It’s a waste.

What she does is purchase the cheapest ticket she can find online or on the phone.  If possible, she’ll use the airline credit card so we get travel points.  PLUS, there’s sometimes a discount PLUS, if it’s an airline like Alaska, the companion fare is discounted.

Then, Jill will use the points to UPGRADE us to first class to go in style and live large.  Yes, I believe I will have another glass (not a plastic cup) of champagne!

Sure, the seats and perks are nicer up in the forward cabins, although I’d much prefer the burgers and cheese plate back in economy over the foo-foo food they sometimes serve in first class.  But, for me, the best part is that first class also has better baggage allowances.

Often you get one or two free bags or at least they will often discount your extra luggage.  That’s well worth it when you’ve got fishing gear, rods, SCUBA gear, etc.

It might just be me, but I think they also handle the 1^st class baggage better too.  But another little tip is that I get some of those stickers that say “FRAGILE” and I put those on every piece of luggage.

It couldn’t hurt.  At least, I hope to makes the baggage handler think twice before he shot-puts my suitcase or tackle box across the tarmac.

That’s my story!

Jonathan

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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter.com.  They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront.  If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com

Or drop by the restaurant to say hi.  It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!

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