With some hotels wanting 24 to 48 hours notice for cancellations and the uncertainty of making it to your destination, how do you make arrangements for a place to stay when nonrevving international?
This is one of my biggest fears that have deterred me from flying international.
It is frustrating, especially with many chains going from day of cancellation to 48 hours prior. That said, you either have to have lots of backups (connections, zeds, etc) or wait until you get to your destination to book a place to stay. On a recent trip to YUL, I had a confirmed hotel in downtown but ended up flying in the night before and staying at an airport hotel.
Planning/Flexibility is key. To quote BRITSKI “Have a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C etc…and when you run out of letters…start on the numbers.”
Play the odds, travel shoulder/off season and be mindful of the weather wildcard. ZED makes things easier Hubs give you options and trains between cities, especially in Europe, give you still more options. I contact the hotel directly to cxl a reservation – I’ve only had to do it twice, once the fee was waived and the other I was able to rebook for a later date. And as isppilot indicated a first night at an airport hotel can be a wise move.
One last thing- an old non-rev travel adage
“Getting back is always harder than getting out.”
Also, with so many flights now having wifi it is worth the $15 or $20 to get the wifi and reserve room on the flight to where you are heading.
I have used the wifi to book confirmed connecting flights when ZED's were not an option.
Ugh, been there, done that. Wide open A330, so I booked a charming B&B in Trastevere. Broken bathroom and a downgrade later, I got to lose 150 euros. Lesson learned! I agree with the suggestion to book the first night once on the plane. I have seen it where nonrevs are boarding and they're clicking on Hotels.com. If the plane has wifi, even better, and wait until you take off! I never have that boarding champagne, I always know that I need to be able to hop onto a jumpseat if necessary.Quote:
Originally Posted by rolliematheson
Don't let it deter you, absent traveling in wicked high season or a special event like Mardi Gras, you'll always be able to book some kind of room, it may not be what you'd prefer, but it's just a place to drop your bags and lay your head until you get to where you really want to be. A crappy first night hotel is a bargain versus paying airfare. And then you'll REALLY appreciate the charming B&B!
I also totally agree- for some reason it's always easier going than coming back, so pad your return, don't HAVE to be anywhere or Murphy will have lots of fun with you.
We mainly book at places that allow cancellation up to 6pm local time on the day of arrival.
Once, we booked a hotel upon arrival at ICN, and another time, we booked ATH once cleared at JFK(Flight had less than 20 open seats).
We have become a huge fan of Airbnb lately, but the cancellation policy is pretty strict, so we only book those if the flight is wide open.
Nothing is safe though, as you could even have full fare tickets and have a flight cancel.