The best things in life are free. That's why the word "free" is a powerful motivator for travelers. How many times have you heard about free miles, free upgrades or free breakfast?
Marketers know a certain number of consumers will change their travel habits just to get a freebie. Others will remain loyal to an existing brand because of free perks. These offers change all the time, but some stand out above the rest. In fairness, it's rare that you will ever receive a truly free travel perk. It's more accurate to say the perks and extras are available at no additional charge.
Free checked bags: When Alaska Airlines was working on their "Club 49" program, researchers were surprised how much travelers resented baggage fees. It's one reason Alaska allows two free checked bags in the program. To qualify, you have to be a member of the program — and the offer applies only to those flights that originate or terminate in Alaska. You can also get one free checked bag if you use the Alaska Airlines Visa card.
Delta also offers two free checked bags to Alaska residents, as long as you use your SkyMiles number. That means you cannot get 50 percent credit toward your Alaska Airlines mileage account. Additionally, the first flight must originate in Alaska.
JetBlue charges $20-$25 per checked bag. However, if you purchase the next-most expensive fare called "Blue Plus" for $15 more, you get a "free" checked bag.
Free in-flight entertainment: Alaska Airlines rents out individual tablets on their flights, while JetBlue, American, Delta and United have seat-back screens with a selection of free shows available. Delta offers all of its movies, TV shows, games and music for free, while the other airlines charge for it.
Free in-flight snacks: Unless you're on an international flight, you'll have to pay for most food on a plane. Oh, Alaska Air offers some pretzels. Delta has some peanuts. United recently began offering a "stroopwafel" (caramel-filled waffle) on morning flights. In the evening, it's sesame sticks or rice crackers.
JetBlue offers unlimited free snacks: Cheez-Its, dried cranberries, chocolate-chip cookies or Terra Blues potato chips. I couldn't fill up on the free snacks, so I bought a sandwich. But if you're starving and you don't want to buy a snack, it's great to know you can get all the Cheez-Its you want.
Free upgrades: Ah, it's the holy grail of freebies. That's because it comes with all of the other freebies: better food, drinks, quicker refills and extra legroom. To sweeten your odds at getting the upgrade, of course, you have to buy a more expensive fare. As many a travel freebie-lover has learned: the big print giveth and the fine print taketh away.
Hotel freebies vary by location — but there is a long list of available freebies.
Free breakfast: Be careful what you wish for. Many hotel breakfasts are nothing more than hard rolls, cold cereal and coffee. Most of the time I seek out a local restaurant nearby. But some hotels really go overboard for breakfast. I stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn in Albuquerque last year. The breakfast was delicious — and they cooked my eggs just the way I like them: with bacon.
Free parking: All you have to do is pay $50 for overnight parking once and you'll appreciate free hotel parking. It's a sad situation when it costs more to park your car than it does to rent it. Usually, if you're far away from the city center, it's a safe bet your hotel offers free parking. But not always. At the Doubletree Hotel near Sea-Tac airport, I got a great Priceline deal for just $75. When I checked in, the kind lady at the front desk told me it would be $24 (plus tax) to park overnight. Instead of paying for something I assumed would be free, I drove across the street to turn in my car. Since the hotel advertises a free shuttle, I called for a pickup. Well, they wanted me to wait another 15 minutes for the next scheduled departure. So I walked back to the hotel, collecting my "free" warm chocolate chip cookie at the front desk!
Free happy hour: Kimpton Hotels calls it a "wine hour." More hotels are offering "manager's receptions" and such. But I like Kimpton's commitment to offer varietal wines from the area. That's especially nice in Seattle's Hotel Vintage, where they even have rooms named after area vintners. The hotel even has a package which includes a tour of nearby Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville.
Free sundries: Some hotels have a mini-convenience store next to the lobby for late-night snacks. Others keep a large stash of many different items that you may have forgotten. For example, most hotels have toothpaste and shaving cream, plus razors and toothbrushes. But there's more. At Kimpton properties, you can get extension cords, fans, deodorant, super glue, a night light and other goodies.
Free phone: The Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong offers guests a free phone during their stay. It's an Android smartphone that you can load your Facebook, Twitter and Google apps on. Additionally, you can use it as a hot spot for your own smartphone. You also can use it to make local Hong Kong calls. International calls to the U.S., U.K., Australia and several other countries also are free on the phone. When you're ready to check out, there are clear instructions on how to erase all of your personal data from the phone.
Yoga mats, bicycles, umbrellas and local shuttle service: These are just a few of the freebies available at hotels today. It's worth it to check with your hotel the next time you travel to see what's "free" with your overnight accommodations.
Free perks for joining a loyalty plan: With Kimpton, Hilton and others, you can get free Wi-Fi at the hotels just by joining the loyalty plan. Then there are extra perks when you earn points or stay more nights. There's an entire subset of free perks for those travelers who use a particular affinity card, such as the "Starwood Preferred Guest" American Express Card or the Alaska Airlines Visa card.
At several hotel chains, if you have their credit card, you're automatically enrolled in a special tier for upgrades and other perks. If you travel frequently, it's worthwhile to do your own research on what loyalty plan and/or credit card will work best for you. Several specialty websites have sprung up to evaluate the cards and their ever-changing offers. I use CardsForTravel.com. Brian Kelly, aka "The Points Guy" also has a comprehensive page on his top picks for credit cards.
Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based marketing consultant, serving clients in the transportation, hospitality, media and specialty destination sectors, among others. Contact him by email at zoom907@me.com. You can follow him on Twitter (@alaskatravelGRM) and alaskatravelgram.com. For more information, visit alaskatravelgram.com/about.