The reason for writing this article is this: I’m planning to go to Japan, right? So, I was checking tickets to Japan, and direct flights are just outrageously expensive…
A one-way ticket costing over 6000 yuan is something I’m reluctant to buy.
So, what are my options at this point? I bought a multi-segment ticket. First, I flew from Hangzhou to Tianjin because I happened to have work to do in Tianjin as well. After staying a few nights, I flew from Tianjin to Tokyo. The total cost, including tax, was only 1398 yuan.
Isn’t that instantly so much cheaper? Plus, I get to visit two cities at the same time.
Multi-segment tickets are easy to purchase. You can simply search for multi-segment tickets on Ctrip.
Similarly, right now, direct flights from Hangzhou to Ho Chi Minh City are very expensive, costing around 2000 yuan one way, including tax. This price is enough to deter many people.
However, if you fly from Hangzhou to Xiamen (or Guangzhou) and then to Ho Chi Minh City, it only costs 840 yuan including tax. You can even set a stopover and explore Xiamen or Guangzhou for a few days.
This price is cheaper than flying directly from Xiamen (or Guangzhou) to Ho Chi Minh City.
Why does this happen? It’s because airlines often sell connecting flights cheaper than direct flights to attract passengers from other cities.
Moreover, you can set a stopover with connecting flights. If the intermediate city is also a travel destination, you get to explore two cities at once.
Now, let’s get to today’s main topic. I’m here to share some strange but money-saving travel tips.
This is a practical guide, so remember to save it.
First, let’s talk about plane tickets.
Turn one ticket into two, and the total price is cheaper.
If you are based in Xiamen (Xiamen Airlines), Tianjin (Tianjin Airlines), or Kunming (China Eastern Airlines), you can also turn one ticket into two and save money.
Let me give an example. When you search for multi-segment flights and set a longer layover time, it essentially becomes two tickets: Osaka to Xiamen, and Xiamen to Sanya. Both tickets, including tax, cost 1563 yuan. Not expensive at all.
Both tickets, including tax, cost 1563 yuan. The key point is that this is cheaper than flying directly from Osaka to Xiamen.
Looking at the same date, a direct flight from Osaka to Xiamen costs 1813 yuan, including tax. But if you set a stopover, not only does it turn into two tickets, but the total price is also cheaper.
Moreover, in the latter part of the journey, you can cancel and become a No Show… but don’t do it too often because airlines may hold a grudge.
Offline tickets might be even cheaper.
Let me give you an example: a round trip from Hangzhou to Osaka with Loong Air generally costs around 3500+ RMB if you book directly through the airline. However, if you purchase a 6-day, 5-night package through an offline travel agency, the price is usually around 2500-2600 RMB.
Of course, I think prices will drop even further because Air China now operates daily flights from Hangzhou to Osaka as well, so there are three airlines flying this route.
This is because offline travel agencies can block out certain seats on a flight, and the prices given to them by the airlines are slightly cheaper than those given to individual customers.
However, for these blocked seats, the return date is usually fixed and cannot be set according to personal preference.
Tickets to Japan are definitely going to get cheaper because there are many flights but low occupancy rates right now.
Let me show you the current occupancy rates for flights to Japan—they are indeed quite bleak.
Last-minute tickets
Once there are charter flights and blocked seats, the number of last-minute tickets starts to increase gradually.
Let me tell you, for future flights between Hangzhou and Bangkok, it is very likely that you will always find tickets including taxes and luggage for around 999 RMB.
I’m sure you understand the reason: Thailand has been one of the most popular outbound destinations after the pandemic. However, due to recent controversies, cancellations to Thailand have increased significantly. But charter flights are often contracted for half a year or more, so they can’t just stop on a whim…
So, they keep selling at 999 RMB.
Soon, there will be charter flights from Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou to Kalibo (Boracay). There will also be charter flights from Hangzhou to Nha Trang and Bali.
If there are unsold seats close to the date of departure, they will naturally be sold at a discount.
For these destinations, you can get a visa on arrival (or a group visa on arrival), so all you need is a passport. Just be ready at all times.
I know many of you are interested in how to find last-minute deals. Back when I worked at Fliggy, my job was to select last-minute deals and major promotions, so I built up quite a few connections.
I’ve asked my assistant to set up several groups for last-minute deals, and we’ve invited friends who manage charter flights in the Yangtze River Delta region to join. Whenever there are last-minute deals, they will be posted in these groups.
If you’re a supplier with blocked seats on charter flights and have unsold tickets, you can also contact us to be added to the group.
Last-minute deals are not limited to flight tickets; vacation packages are also available. I can assure you this: there will definitely be a lot of last-minute deals for trips to Antarctica this year, with prices so low they will be unimaginable.
For those who need to join the Xiyou Tail-End Deals group, you can add the assistant’s WeChat (xiyoutravel2, xiyoutravel3, xiyoutravel4), or simply scan the QR code below.
Scan the QR code below to add directly.
After discussing airfare, let’s talk about hotels.
Register as a premium member in advance.
By doing so, when you stay at a hotel, you can enjoy upgrades (some hotels even offer breakfast).
Let me give you a few examples. If you are planning to stay at a Hilton, especially those expensive Hilton resorts overseas, you can book through the official website and then apply for a status challenge before your stay.
The link is as follows:
https://www.hiltonhonors.com/en_US/status-match/landing/
When you apply for the challenge (valid for 90 days), you become a Gold member. Being a Hilton Gold member grants you room upgrades and breakfast, saving you quite a bit of money.
Similarly, Marriott also allows you to apply for a Platinum challenge; 88VIP and Fliggy F4 are both eligible.
I know you might ask, what if I apply for the challenge but can’t complete it?
Just let it be. Enjoy the benefits for now and worry about the rest later. Sometimes overthinking can lead to unnecessary hesitation.
Points
Major hotel groups often sell points, and recently IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) had a promotion where buying points came with a 100% bonus. I bought some for future use.
Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott also occasionally sell points. When the offers are good, buying points can be highly cost-effective.
However, not all hotel point redemptions are cost-effective. In many cases, cash prices are more advantageous. The benefit of points is that they allow you to hold reservations. Most rooms booked with points have very generous cancellation policies (free cancellation 24 to 48 hours in advance), and point reservations do not increase in price during holidays.
I often use point reservations for holiday travel.
Sales Meetings Rooms
I have detailed the “sales meetings rooms” concept on my alternate account—like the Chiang Mai Anantara two-bedroom suite available at around 400 per night coming back.
Therefore, I suggest you definitely follow Xiyou’s secondary account; it has a wealth of information. For instance, the recent buy-one-get-one-free offer for a luxurious Antarctic cruise was posted on the secondary account.
If you haven’t followed it yet, make sure to do so soon.
A lot of you have been asking about hotels in Xishuangbanna. Using the “listening room” method, you can get a 3-night stay with breakfast at Anantara Xishuangbanna for just 1,888 RMB.
The catch is that it will take up 1-2 hours of your time, as the hotel sales team will introduce you to their timeshare products (don’t forget, absolutely don’t buy them).
For international hotels, you need to be adept at using early bird prices and extended stay discounts.
I’ll cite Hoshino Resorts again as an example. Many Hoshino hotels offer early bird rates and extended stay discounts, with the key benefit being that both offers can be canceled without penalty if done 31 days in advance.
I suggest you reserve rooms in advance; it’s better than paying high prices close to your travel dates.
Currently, I’m at Hoshino Aomoriya, and the cherry blossoms are absolutely stunning.
Make good use of off-peak and peak seasons.
Right now, the most common question on Xiyou’s backend is whether there are any packages for May Day without additional charges or with minimal charges. I have to say it’s very difficult; domestic travel during May Day this year will definitely be incredibly expensive.
However, in Thailand, there are no additional charges for May Day, summer, or National Day; the Maldives also sees its off-season during May Day and summer; and Bali is in its shoulder season during May Day and National Day (with summer being the peak season).
Lately, I’ve been promoting Japan a lot. In most regions of Japan, National Day and Chinese New Year fall into the off-season, with plenty of packages without additional charges, many of which I have already recommended.
So, learn to venture out. Airfare might be expensive, but the hotels are very affordable.
Travel Routes
When it comes to travel routes, one important tip is to always have a backup plan.
Recently, with the reopening of international travel, airfare prices skyrocketed. I opted to take the high-speed rail to Luang Prabang, saving a lot on travel expenses.
I’m currently in Japan and deliberately avoided the cherry blossom season in Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo, where hotel prices are beyond what I can afford.
Instead, I went to Aomori to see the cherry blossoms. The sakura in Hirosaki City, Aomori is said to be among the best in all of Japan – breathtakingly beautiful.
Moreover, hotels in Aomori are not expensive.
Similarly, this year, skip the skiing in Changbaishan; isn’t the powder snow in Hokkaido just as enticing?
If you’re looking for a more cost-effective option, you might consider the Huajuan (flower roll). Recently, the prices for Huajuan at Anbi InterContinental during the snow season were seen by everyone, and they were exceedingly reasonable.
After three years, Viking’s European river cruises are back, but when I checked the prices, they were exorbitantly high.
However, on the Danube and Rhine rivers, there are many Chinese-operated cruises that are often newer and better, also offering all-inclusive services in Chinese. Their marketing might not be as strong, which is why many people aren’t aware of them.
The prices for these cruises are often just half of what Viking charges…
I’ll write more about this for everyone in the upcoming days.
So, did everyone learn something today?
Traveling is actually very simple and not as expensive as it seems. As long as you are willing to do your research, there are plenty of methods to economize.
If you have good travel experiences to share, please leave a comment for us. We will choose the best one and reward you with a voucher for Jiuru Mountain in Jinan (valued at over 2000 yuan per night).
If you love traveling, don’t forget to follow and pin our official WeChat account!
