Back in the stone ages, well before the advent of all of these Do-It-Yourself travel sites, people used to turn to travel agents when they wanted to take a vacation. But with all of this new technology, do travel agents even still exist? That they do! And you may be surprised to learn that, although technology has changed dramatically in the past few decades, travel agents have not.

They are still the same patient world-travelers who have oodles of experience, helpful tips, great suggestions and they still offer better deals than most of the big travel booking sites. Read on to see why using travel agencies aren’t for the old-fashioned – they’re for the budget minded traveler who wants the best vacation experience possible.

Travelers are often bombarded with requests to join loyalty programs when they fly with a new airline, and these programs sometimes seem like a great way to claim a status and earn flights with an airline. But, are these perks worth it? Does it cost more in the long run trying to earn enough points with an airline for the free flight than if you just booked a cheaper flight to begin with? Are the free flights worth the aggravation of trying to find availability? Read on for our take on whether or not frequent flyer programs are a bargain or just a scheme airlines use to gouge their loyal customers.

How loyalty programs have changed over the years

Loyalty seems to be an arcane idea when it comes to businesses. Where loyalty programs used to reward travelers for the actual miles they flew with one particular airline (hence the names frequent flyer miles and loyalty miles,) now it’s all about the money. With many programs newly revamped, you now earn points based on how much you spend on your flights, not how frequently or how often you fly brand loyal.

If you’re still paying full price for first class airfare, you’re grossly overpaying. Getting free upgrades, and even free flights, isn’t as hard as you think and it doesn’t even take a lot of time, knowledge or luck! Take a look at these great ways to score free goodies the next time you take to the friendly skies!

1. Start earning points with the right credit card

One of the best ways to earn free flights is by researching and obtaining a competitive rewards credit card. Most cards offer substantial sign-up bonuses that can be redeemed for your first free flight! Be proactive and watch the qualifications and restrictions, though! Sometimes you need to spend up to $3,000 within the first 2 months to earn your sign-up points. We found that the quickest way to free flights is to use your rewards card for all of your purchases: from groceries to making your monthly car payment.

via www.nepal-uncovered.com

The other day, I sat down to book a flight to Cabo for a friend’s bachelorette party. I thought it would come out to 500. I felt so naïve when the total was almost 1000 dollars. What was crazier to me was that half my ticket price was made up of fees and taxes. I decided to do a little research and see what the cause of all these extra fees were and why I have been paying so much extra for my airline tickets recently.