Southwest Airlines

I am a big fan of Southwest Airlines.  If you have never flown with Southwest, you should definitely consider this different (and in some ways, better) airline. 

The number one thing I like about flying Southwest Airlines, is FLEXIBILITY.  There are no change fees, so you can book your flights and have maximum flexibility if you change your plans.

In the past when I bought airline tickets, I would wonder "AM I GETTING THE BEST PRICE?".  With Southwest Airlines, it is so easy to re-book your flights if the price drops after you buy.  It took me only 5 minutes on the phone with Southwest to get my savings when a flight went on "sale".  You receive a credit (that is linked to your confirmation code) that is very easy to use on future travel.  Just make sure you keep track of the credit, and don't forget to use it (it expires one year after purchase date).  Then, when you book a future flight online, it is just another form of payment...you enter the confirmation code and name, and it brings up the credit, and takes it off...super easy!

Southwest also flies direct (nonstop) to many of the smaller locations. This can save so much time! Usually, a direct flight option will cost less on Southwest. Unless the dates are really soon, and the flight options have been pretty well sold.

I also recommend their credit card, because they have incentives, giving new cardholders lots of points to use for free travel. I will say their fares correlate pretty closely to the points needed, so if you waited until the last minute to book a flight that has gone way up in price, you will also need a lot of points.

 

Seating

This is pretty different on Southwest. You do not get a seat assignment.  What you DO get, is a place in line.  When you arrive at your gate, you will have a letter and number on your boarding pass. Group A gets to line up first, and everyone in this group will literally stand up and get in order (it is kind of amazing how well this works, and how quickly people get organized in the line).

I recommend you either pay an extra $15 for "Early Bird" check-in, so you will automatically get a queue number...usually a pretty good one.  Or, if you are able to go online to check-in at 24 hours prior to your flight, they give out numbers, first-come-first-serve "style" which will print on your boarding pass. If you forget to do this close to 24 hours, you will probably get a lower queue number, like C40.  A1 being the best. They assign A1-A60, B1-B60, and C1-.... Usually.

And no bag fees! 

Tips for Timeshare Owners

1. Make sure you reserve your week before the end of the year so you don't lose your week.  Ideally, you will be reserving as far ahead of time as possible.

2. Be current in your maintenance fees.

3. Be organized about your weeks. Keep an Excel file with information on how you plan to use each year's week. This is very helpful if you own multiple weeks. Or if you don't use a week for a year and you have several weeks at your disposal to trade. It is also nice to see a history of how you used your weeks (and when).  Include expiration dates of weeks banked.

4.As soon as you reserve a week you plan to use (or get confirmed on an exchange) BOOK your plane tickets.  The earlier you buy, generally, the better the price. If possible, I recommend buying on Southwest Airlines, because they have no change fees, and even if the price goes down after you book, you can call and get a credit.

5. Don't forget to reserve a rental car (if needed). Again, the earlier you do this, the better the price.

6. Set up reminders of when to reserve your week. I like to reserve my week exactly 1 year in advance (because this is the earliest I can do so).  I put a reminder in my phone, or an event on my Google Calendar on the exact day I need to reserve. Especially if you own a high demand week (ex. week 51 or 52, Christmas vacation) ....you should reserve as soon as possible.

7. While on vacation, using your week/exchange, take advantage of activities and free events. Many resorts have free events for owners (welcome reception, wine & cheese socials, etc.).  Be sure to check out the Activities Department and meet the people on staff. We often find resorts have free DVDs and board games available to use.  I find that at these owner events, you can meet the person running the resort sometimes, or at least other owners, and share information about the resort or location.

Using TripAdvisor to your Advantage

TripAdvisor is written by travelers FOR travelers. And Trip Advisor is a great resource for researching your next timeshare exchange request.  Here are some tips for using Trip Advisor...

Reading Reviews

Look for trends when looking through the reviews for a resort.  If there is a single complaint about a strange smell, you should be much less concerned than if you see several different complaints. Trip Advisor can be very overwhelming, if you let it.  It is necessary to learn how to navigate all the reviews.  Realize there will be negative review for every property...even the best property. Look for a consistent theme.

Be aware of the date of the reviews. Both the season and the age of the review can change its impact.  For example, the ocean can be different at different times of the year (seaweed, wind/waves, etc.). Also, older reviews may have been remedied...especially if a property has undergone a renovation or upgrade.

Consider reviews by people similar to you. For example, a family with children may have a different experience than a couple traveling without kids.

Also consider setting a time limit when reading reviews.  For example, allow yourself 10 minutes to scroll through and read random reviews on one property, and avoid the temptation to read every review. 

Look at the Photos

Make sure you look at the photos other travelers have taken. They can be very revealing about a property, especially the ones that were recently taken. The photos used by resorts for marketing purposes are staged and could be taken a long time ago.

Post a Question

If you have a concern, you can ask a reviewer a question (sometimes, if they have allowed this in their profile).  You can also post a question to the general public within Trip Advisor.  I recently did this before going to the Marriott on St. Kitts, and received lots of helpful feedback, ranging from activities for teens to grocery store and restaurant tips.

More tips...

There is a City Guides App you can use on your mobile phone. And when you are researching you can click the "save" button and check your "Saved Trips" later. 

Check out other review sites

Trip Advisor is a great place to hear recent reviews, but there are other sites for research: Fodors, Frommers, Zagat and Lonely Planet.

Good luck in your research!