I booked a rental car today and then as I always do, I gave the booking to AutoSlash so they could find me a better deal. When I got the email saying AutoSlash had found me a cheaper price, I clicked through to see the deal, but I immediately knew something was different. The interface was different and then I realized they sent me to Priceline.
Seems like the end of the month brings us opportunities to buy miles and get some bonus miles to sweeten the deal. Now it’s United’s turn! Until September 29, United is running a buy miles deal where the top bonus is 75% more miles. This offer is open to everyone, which is why it caught my eye in the first place. I also like that the 75% bonus kicks in starting at a 30,000 miles purchase.
To say Basic Economy fares are frustrating and confusing is an understatement. Regardless of how often you travel, this fare category is something we all need to understand, especially so we don’t book these fares without intentionally meaning to. That’s what happened to my friend. Maybe it’s happened to you too? She’s not blaming the airlines, though. She didn’t quite understand and didn’t pay good attention to what she was booking. But she won’t make that mistake again! In talking to her, I realized it would be a good idea to explain what Basic Economy fares mean and to understand what restrictions are placed on your ticket.
The three legacy airlines all have a Basic Economy category. Delta was the first one to introduce these fares, but now United and American Airlines have them as well. Each of them have their own set of restrictions. In general, though, the restrictions usually mean: NO advance seat selection, NO carry-on baggage allowances (your personal item will have to fit under the seat in front of you), last to board, NO accruing miles for the trip, fares are non-refundable and non-changeable, and other restrictions. Delta’s policy is slightly different on a few of these, so check each airline carefully. The legacy airlines see this as competing with what we might call the Low Cost Carriers such as Southwest and JetBlue. Or competing with the Ultra Low Cost Carriers such as Frontier and Spirit.
Delta flight options with various fare classes
Summer is peak season for rental car rates, but now that Fall is here, we’re seeing some great deals and lower car rental rates. Enterprise just brought back their $9.99 weekend promo, but don’t be fooled by this Enterprise deal. There’s a catch, which I didn’t realize. There’s a limit to how many miles you can drive before Enterprise starts tacking on a steep per mile fee. This article by AutoSlash explains it all. That’s why I like and use AutoSlash when I rent a car. Besides saving me money, they never stop educating us as to what’s happening in the car rental world!
Have you ever used this Enterprise deal? Did it work well for you or were you surprised that your bill had extra mileage fees tacked on? Let me know in the comments below.
When you travel, do you download movies or shows beforehand so you can watch them whenever you feel like it? I’m sure you do! I do too. But there’s something that’s always bugged me. iTunes only gave its customers in the U.S. 24 hours to watch media once viewing started. Customers outside of the U.S. were given 48 hours. I know, not the most pressing of problems, but I did find it annoying. After all, whether at home or while traveling, we’re all busy and sometimes 24 hours just isn’t adequate. But iTunes must have heard me complaining because… Apple just extended it to 48 hours in U.S., too!
iTunes movie rentals. Image source: https://www.lifewire.com/everything-to-know-itunes-movie-rentals-2000458
Now, if they’d only increase their 99 cent movie rental choices to include something I want to see :))