Travel expert reveals trick that saved her 21% on holiday booking
Chelsea regularly shares her tips for bagging bargain trips and and travelling hacks on her social media.
In a TikTok video postedon her account @cheapholidayexpert, Chelsea revealed she had found a barge on Airbnb.
She opened the video with a brief tour of the characterful accommodation, and showed off the boat's fully kitted kitchen.
'Here's the kitchen, I'm impressed with how much is in here, we've got a full oven, there's a fridge, loads of storage,' she exclaimed.
The barge also boasted a log burner and a sofa, as well as a double bed and a bar at the back of the boat.
The accommodation was originally priced at £152 per night, but Chelsea had secured it for just £120.
'I first found it on Airbnb for £152 but I decided to see if I could possibly book it direct,' she explained.
The holiday expert revealed she looked out for a 'few key words' to help find the barge's own website.
On the site, she managed to bag a night away for £120, avoiding the price hike on Airbnb.
'This is a great hack, I use it all the time,' Chelsea gushed.
The video attracted more than 18,000 views and thousands of likes, while some TikTok users admitted they had tried the trick before too.
'Yep always check if I can find it direct,' someone penned.
Another agreed: 'Yep, used it before.'
It comes as a personal finance content creator claimed he'd found the best way to save money on flights - and said it was more effective than using popular search engines such as Google flights and Skyscanner.
Casper Opala, who goes by the handle Casper Capita l regularly shares money-saving tips - and frequently advises on saving money on flights and holidays.
@cheapholidayexpert
TRY THIS HACK before you book an Airbnb 👀🏡 💾 Save this for the future and send it to a mate that you think would love this - or perhaps just love to stay on a cool barge with you!!! 🛶➡️ @floatinghomestays_mcr on Insta! (I paid for it myself) There's SO MUCH CHOICE on Airbnb but as there becomes more and more places for owners to list their properties, it is ALWAYS worth checking to see if you can find the same accommodation on another platform for less. This could be on another booking site including: 👩💻 Vrbo 👩💻 Booking.com 👩💻 Sykes 👩💻 HolidayLettings The reason this can sometimes work out cheaper is because Airbnb charges guests a service fee in addition to the cost per night 💸 Another option could also be to check to see if: 👩💻 The owner has their own website or social media This one can often work out the cheapest since they're not having to give away part of their fee to the platform 💸💸💸 ⚠️ HOWEVER ⚠️ The big flag with all of these is knowing that it's whoever you part your cash with is the one that you have a 'contract' with. Therefore, it's always worth checking out what protection and customer service is available if anything needs to be changed, cancelled or if anything goes wrong. Now, there's pros and cons for both - some individuals may provide a much better service than a big company, and then for others it would be vice versa! So always check the reviews and whether you're booking direct or on any platform, always be on the lookout for false listings where someone has simply lifted the photos from an existing holiday let (let me know if you'd like me to cover spotting this in more depth!) 👀 📣 LET ME KNOW Do you double check your Airbnb is anywhere else before booking? If so, how much did you save?!! #travelhack #travelhacks #airbnb #airbnbhacks #moneysaving
♬ original sound - Holiday Expert
Posting on Facebook, Casper, who's based in Chicago, revealed how he'd paid $92 (£68.52) for a flight that should have, he says, cost $1,050 (£783) - using ChatGPT, which he says 'uncovers what Google overlooks'.
Describing the artificial intelligence software as 'your new travel agent', he details seven steps to guarantee lower flight costs.
He's so convinced he now uses the AI software for every trip.
If you're looking for flights a month from now, for example, the money man suggests tapping in the command: 'Find the cheapest way to fly from [City A] to [City B] next month, include hidden routes + alternate airports.'
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