Planning a vacation should be fun, not stressful. I'll help you decipher some commonly used travel terms. (Photo courtesy of asiaportal.org)
Whether you are planning a trip a year in advance or trying to grab a last-minute deal, it’s a good idea to be familiar with various travel terms to help you discern what the best options are for your particular trip.
There’s nothing worse than making travel plans and not really understanding what it is that you are reserving. After all, vacations are big-ticket expenditures for most of us. And while it’s always good advice to “read the fine print”, if you don’t know what the industry terms are then you may just become more confused. I’ve compiled a glossary of sorts to help you along. Here are a few key phrases to know when booking your next vacay!
All-Inclusive: An all-inclusive resort is a resort that, besides providing all of the common amenities of a resort, charges a fixed price that includes most or all items such as lodging, tax, gratuities, unlimited food, drink, sports activities, and entertainment. However, inclusions do vary from resort to resort so be sure to investigate exactly what is included before booking.
Airport transfer: A transport service to/from an airport to a hotel, etc. Normally, airport transfers are prepaid and are more common and encouraged outside the U.S.
Availability: How many empty seats are available on a flight or how many empty rooms are available in an accommodation.
Bed & Breakfast: Typically a renovated home or mansion converted into a hotel-like accommodation. Guests spend the night and enjoy a full breakfast (included in the price of the room) in the morning. Some rooms may not have a private bathroom. Most B&Bs are located in residential areas and are often steeped in the local characteristics and history. Many travelers see these establishments as a pleasant alternative to hotel accommodations.
Blackout Dates: Blackout dates typically fall on or around major holidays or other peak travel seasons during which certain special offers (such as cheaper fares or hotel rates) or discounts are not available. The term is typically used with loyalty or point programs. Subscribers to the Welcome Rewards program from hotels.com never have to worry about blackout dates when using their reward nights.
Connecting Rooms: A hotel room that shares a wall with an adjoining room and is connected by a private door.
Cancellation Penalty: A fee that an airline passenger must pay if the passenger cancels flight plans after reserving a seat. Prices vary amongst airlines. Cancellation penalties are also incurred when a customer cancels an already paid for and confirmed hotel booking after the policy deadline. Unlike most travel companies, hotels.com does not charge a change or cancellation fee.
Condominium: A condominium is one of a group of housing units where each homeowner owns their individual unit space, and all the dwelling share ownership of areas of common use. Owners can then rent out the condo through property management companies making them available for tourist use.
Change Fee: A fee imposed when a traveler makes a material change to an already purchased ticket or reservation. Some airlines allow for temporary holds on reservations before paying for them so that unnecessary charges don’t occur. Many hotels allow for changes up until a certain time before the actual date of the booking.
Damage Deposit: A fee often required in condos and vacation rentals by the unit owner imposed on guests often during specific times such as spring break and special events. Be sure to ask about additional fees before you book.
Double Occupancy: Most hotel room pricing is quoted based on two adults to a room. This is also the way in which most cruises and tour packages are quoted. Additional persons in a room or to a cabin may incur added fees.
Family-Friendly: A term for accommodations or types of entertainment that are considered suitable for all members of the average family. Family-friendly hotels often provide portable cribs, children’s menus, play programs, etc. to guests traveling with children.
Before you start relaxing at the hotel pool, brush up on your travel lingo. (Photo courtesy of Manchester Grand Hyatt flickr.com)
Glamping: Otherwise known as glamorous camping. It’s a trend that has become quite popular in the past five years which supposedly satisfies the craving for the outdoors without sacrificing comfort.
Group Rate: Negotiated hotel rates for conventions, trade shows, meetings, family reunions, etc. Group reservations and rates are often based on the needs of the groups and are therefore unavailable online but handled by a separate team within a hotel or travel company.
Hostel: A budget-oriented, shared-room (“dormitory”) accommodation that accepts individual travelers (typically backpackers) or groups for short-term stays, and that provides common areas and communal facilities.
Hospitality Charges: Otherwise known as Resort Fees that are charged to guests in addition to the reservation fee. As hotels and resorts have had to lower reservation prices to stay competitive, many are levying these fees on customers to recoup and grow revenues. These fees include but are not limited to early departure fees, Internet fees (both Wi-Fi and Ethernet), newspaper fees,
telephone call surcharges, room service delivery surcharges, mini-bar restocking fees, and in-room safes.
Here are some tips on sidestepping Hospitality Charges:
- Be proactive. Ask when you book if there are any mandatory fees (and taxes) that will be added to your bill.
- Politely complain at check-in with the front desk if you know you will need or use the services on which fees are being charged and ask for them to be waived. Desk clerks often have the authority to remove them. If not, ask for the manager.
- Check your bill carefully before you sign it. It’s easier to dispute a charge at checkout than afterward.
Limited Service Hotel: A hotel without a restaurant or food service on the premises.
Non-Refundable: In travel, reservations deemed “non-refundable” cannot be refunded either in cash or via a credit card credit; very seldom is there an exception. Be sure before you book a tour, hotel, transportation, etc. that you understand the refund policy.
Timeshare: An arrangement whereby several joint owners have the right to use a property as a vacation home under a time-sharing scheme. These involve individuals purchasing the ownership of accommodations for a specific period of time, usually one or two weeks a year. Owners may also have the unit rented out by the management company making the unit available for public consumption.
Off-Peak: A less expensive time to travel as result of lower consumer volume during this period. The off-season, as it is also referred to, is different by region, country and continent.
Pre-paid Booking: Also known as a reservation of a hotel room paid in advance. The payment is generally held until the arrival date or until checkout time the next day.
Package Deal: A fixed price travel product that is based on bundling travel options together for one less expensive price than the alternative of booking each piece separately. These pieces could include airfare, accommodations, restaurants, entertainment, cultural activities, sightseeing and car rental.
Price Match Guarantee: In travel, a customer who finds a better price for a hotel, airline ticket, tour, etc may have to meet a set of requirements to guarantee a price match. These requirements may include but not be limited to a window of match identification, exact itinerary match, identifying better deal before reservation is made, etc. Hotels.com will actually price match a hotel room rate right up until the date of a hotel’s cancellation policy regardless of when you booked the reservation.
Rack Rate: The price of a hotel prior to a discount.
Saturday Night Stay: In order to receive a specialty airline fare or accommodation discount, a Saturday stay over is sometimes required.
Shoulder season: The period of time between busy and quiet seasons in which prices are typically at a midpoint.
Suite: A hotel room that usually offers a living room and kitchenette in addition to the bedroom. All-suite hotels are becoming more popular and are a great value for families providing more space and comfort than a traditional hotel. Additionally, kid suites are becoming a popular option for families.
Vacation Rental: A vacation rental is a fully furnished property, such as a condominium, townhome or single-family-style home. Vacation rental properties are typically rented for a designated period of time, such as on a nightly basis similar to hotel rooms, although the more prevalent vacation rental industry practice is typically weekly rentals. Many offer the same services hotels offer to their guests, i.e., front desk check-in, 24-hour maintenance, in-house housekeeping, and concierge service. Vacation rentals are most common in Florida, Hawaii, and California. Once difficult to locate and secure, these spacious and cost-effective rentals can easily be found on hotels.com.
Let me know if there are any other words or phrases I can decipher for you before you go on your next vacation!
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