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Gas Hikes & Travel Levys, Must be Summer Holidays!
Published on 21/06/08
by mwarf
Do you have a consipiracy theorist in your family? You know the guy, Uncle Phil who consistently rambles about gas hikes before a long weekend? Aunt Flo who figures that gas prices should be much lower in the province that produces the stuff? Sure, we all do - but don’t let ‘em get you down - there’s a few proven methods I’ll share that will enable you to enjoy your Summer vacation like a king, all while flying an offensive finger to airport improvement feeds, fuel surcharges, security screening lineups, confiscated bottles of shampoo and cologne, and the indignant metal detection routine involving your favourite pair of hanes
What if I told you I constantly stay in 4 star hotels, and never pay more than motel rates in major cities in the USA and Canada. Would you be interested? (wow, this is starting to sound like a Tim Ferris pitch!)
Because I might have watched dedicated US satellite programming at someone’s residence, I’m exposed to a ton of US advertising (this is the sort of thing the CRTC cringes at). Wiliam Shatner hawks a service called Priceline.com, and a trash talking newcomer called hotwire.com routinely remind me that both of them are vastly superior at making hotel reservations than I could ever dream. I thought these were only US-based services, until last year - when I needed last minute accommodation in Calgary - in the middle of wedding season.
Being a bit of an IT nerd (and having “Warf” as a last name), I listened to Captain James T. Kirk tell me about Priceline’s “Name your own price” service. The “Shat” promised me that if I told his service what area of the city I’d like to stay in, and what level of hotel I wanted to stay at - that if I named my own price, and paid up front - he could find me a deal that I could never get on my own. So I bit. I told Priceline I wanted a 4 star hotel in Calgary, downtown - for <$120. BOOM - I was handed the key to the Westin Calgary’s Starwood Member floor - a $330 room, for less than half price!
My wife and I were giddy that we could live like a salaried man, for the price fit for human consumption. I mean, the staff didn’t know we were squatting the luxury lifestyle - they opened the same door for me as the pretentious lady with the chihauha in her bag, they ran to fetch me the same cab - they just got a smaller tip (and then promptly figured it out).
Thinking this must be a run of good luck, with results not replicated - I tried again. And again, and again. I’ve stayed in nothing less than a 4-star hotel with priceline in Vancouver at the Marriot Pinnacle, in Edmonton at the River Cree Resort, and upcoming in Portland, OR at the Avalon Hotel & Spa. Usually at 50 - 75% off the web rate (which is usually lower than an agency or in-person rack rate). I’m totally sold!
That’s great you say, “but what about travel? cheap accomadations are great, but if you can’t afford to arrive at your destination - its not much of a deal!” I say POPPYCOCK! That’s right - you heard me! POPPYCOCK!
When we think of travel, we automatically think air fare. I say, get creative! Have you actually seen what airlines take in as profit from your $370 ticket to Vancouver? 90 bucks - nope. That’s their gross after all the taxes & fees they are required to collect - its a wonder any of them can afford to stay in business.
I live very close to the US border. In August, I bought tickets on Amtrack (the train!) to visit Portland, OR (a 15 hour drive). We get on the train in Cut Back (40 miles from the CDN border), at 6pm, and arrive safe and sound in Portland at 10pm the next day. We aren’t in a hurry, and the sunrise and set deep in the interior of the Pacific Northwest is photographer heaven!
Travel by train requires no early arrival, no baggage screening, no security strip searches, and you can bring a full size shampoo without anyone drawing their guns. The seats are much bigger, you can getup and explore the observation deck, the lounge, the dining car or simply walk around without anyone bullying you to stay seated like a kindergarten kid.
Where’s the realy benefit to the train? My return ticket from Cut Bank, MT to Portland, OR is $180. Expecting a series of surcharges upon checkout on the site, I braced myself for the actual cost of the fare. Guess what? I paid $180 all-in. You can’t drive for that price, even with carpooling, great for the environment - great for Amtrak.
Do you have travel tips you can share with me this Summer? If so - let me know in the comments.
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