In the Budget Travel Game, Persistence Pays Off

I know, I know—awhile back I said that the real key to successful budget travel was to be informed. Well, here’s another absolutely critical element in the cheapskate traveler’s makeup: tenacity.

Last week I was contemplating a quick trip to Atlantic City, and while browsing hotel websites I came across a great web-only deal: $39 per night, for a premium room. But when I tried to book two nights—at $39 each, plus about $10 in taxes, coming to a tidy total of $88, right?—the total showed up as $114, with no explanation of where the extra $26 was coming from. Puzzled, I tried rebooking as “2 adults,” in case it was a hidden single supplement, but no dice. I tried opting for a standard room, also listed at $39, in case I was facing a hidden upgrade fee. Again, nothing changed.

I called the reservations line for Harrah’s, the hotel’s parent company; they directed me to call e-Harrah’s, who sent me back to the main reservations line again. On my fourth call, a sensible-sounding woman told me to call the hotel directly and ask to speak to someone at the front desk—only when I reached a front desk staffer, she said she had no control over reservations. At that point, I asked to speak to a supervisor, and when I got one on the line I explained to him (politely and calmly) that since his hotel’s website was faulty—because those hidden fees had to be a glitch, not deliberate policy, right?—I was going to make my reservation, through him, over the phone, and that he was going to honor the advertised rate, web-only sale or no. And sure enough, he did.

It was a reminder of how often “saving” money on the road is really a matter of spending time and energy. Did I spend more than 26 minutes saving that $26? Sure. But since I have more time to spare than money, it was a worthwhile exchange. Plus, there’s some satisfaction to be found in winning these little battles, right?

Thanks to my persistence, this week I’ll be headed to Atlantic City—on a discount bus line, not the luxurious new train, of course—knowing I got the best deal I could find. And I’ll be packing sandwiches for the trip.

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