Now’s as good a time as any to start planning a vacation!
A vacation should be stress-free, but oftentimes the planning process can feel anything but. If you’re interested in prioritizing convenience, flexibility, and the utmost value from your travel and rewards, here are seven tips to bear in mind when planning and booking your next vacation.
Try to get everything done in one go
Flights, accommodations, car rentals, vacation packages, activities… there’s a lot to keep track of when planning your getaway, which is why booking everything under one platform can save you a lot of time and frustration.
RBC’s Avion Rewards travel platform makes it easier to streamline your travel, and Avion Rewards members, including RBC Avion Visa cardholders, can enjoy an easier and more flexible travel planning experience.
Pay with points
A vacation is a great excuse to treat yourself a little. So if you’ve got points to use up, why not put them toward the nicer hotel or maybe a room with a view? Avion Rewards members can pay with Avion points, a credit card, or a combination of both.
If you’re a super-saver, you could put enough points toward your booking to cover a significant portion of the cost. So, your share of the girls’ trip to Mexico could end up requiring a lot less out-of-pocket spending!
Leave some wiggle room
Sometimes the best travel plans are the ones that leave a little room for spontaneity! If your schedule allows, consider being flexible with your travel dates, flight times, or even the destination itself. Shifting your plans by a day or two can sometimes open up very different options and price points.
And the same goes for when you arrive. You don’t need to map out every hour before you leave. Having some downtime makes it easier to discover a neighbourhood, a new restaurant, or even get chatting to locals.
Track price drops
Speaking of better prices, how will you know when one comes along? Well, you can constantly refresh your airline page until you see the results you’re hoping for — a process equal parts tedious and unreliable. Or, you can take advantage of a handy web tool that does the work for you.
Another feature available through the Avion Rewards Travel platform is Price Watch, which allows members to set alerts and receive notifications when fares change. Look at that, your European getaway just saw a major price dip. Time to book!
Book the hard-to-get stuff in advance
Once you know where you’re going, figure out which parts of the trip are most likely to fill up. Flights and accommodations are the obvious ones, but popular restaurants, tours, concerts, and other experiences can book up well in advance, too.
Make a short list of the things you definitely don’t want to miss, and prioritize those. Easy!
Earn extra points wherever you can
Avion Rewards often runs promotions where members can earn extra points, and one such promotion is on now. For a limited time, members can earn 3X Avion points on select hotel bookings made through Avion Rewards Travel until Oct. 31 when they pay using an eligible RBC credit card that earns Avion points.
Additionally, new applicants for the RBC Avion Visa card can earn up to 70,000 Avion points (that’s the equivalent of up to four short-haul round-trip flights), including 35,000 points on approval. How’s that for a bonus?
Use a price prediction tool
Book now, or wait for a better price? It’s an age-old conundrum, only made more complicated by conflicting advice across the internet. Nothing can predict the future, but there are online price tracking tools that come pretty close.
One such tool is Price Prediction, a feature available through Avion Rewards Travel. It uses data-driven insights to help travellers decide whether to book now or wait for a potentially better price. Now you can rest easier knowing that something better could be on the horizon, or that you’ve likely made the right decision at the right time.
If you’re ready to start planning a vacation, these tips can help get you started and maybe even save you some money in the process. To learn more, visit Avion Rewards and start exploring the membership features for yourself.
Kendall Bistretzan
Branded Content Writer
Kendall Bistretzan is a Calgary-based writer, reporter, and coffee enthusiast. In her spare time, she loves to read, have dinner with friends, and sing in her car. She is currently querying her debut fiction novel. You can find her on Instagram @kendallbistwrites.
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