41 - Hotel Intel: Finding the Best Rates

June 15, 2023

41 – Hotel Intel: Finding the Best Rates

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor

There’s a lot to consider when booking a hotel room: location, amenities, and quality. But for most of us, the deciding factor is price. In many cases, your room will cost significantly more than your flights. So, how do you find the best deal? Consumers’ Checkbook did nearly 2,000 searches looking for the best hotel rates.

In this episode, find out what our researchers discovered when shopping for hotel rooms. Does it make sense to book with the hotel or an online travel agency, like Expedia or Travelocity? What sorts of tricks do travel websites use to get you to book now? Does it pay to call the hotel directly? And what do you have to do to get an honest-to-goodness lower price? The lessons we learned should help you the next time you plan a trip.

⁠Read Checkbook’s full report on how to find the best hotel room rates⁠.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

leisure, travel

Related Episodes

October 31, 2024

73 – Checkbook’s Holiday Shopping Tips 2024

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Jamie Lettis - Checkbook's Associate Editor; Edgar Dworsky - Publisher, Consumerworld.org; Amy Nofziger - AARP Fraud Watch Network, Bruce McClary - National Foundation for Credit Counseling

The hectic holiday shopping season is underway, and for many, that will put a strain on the family budget. Checkbook wants to make this stressful time a little easier.

Our annual holiday helper is packed with timely advice: Super shoppers share tips about how they find the best prices and avoid fake sales. Plus, how to avoid gift card scams, stop porch pirates, and spot bogus online shipping notices. Also, the pros and cons of buy now, pay later loans.

Additional Consumerpedia Episodes & Resources:

Checkbook’s Top Holiday Shopping Tips

Don’t Overspend This Holiday Shopping Season

#59: Saving Money at the Supermarket

#58: Misleading Marketing Gets You to Buy Now and Pay More

#57: Whatever Happened to Customer Service?

#52: Shop Safely Online This Holiday Season

#26: Sale Prices Are Rarely Real Deals

Not a Checkbook member? ⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

finance, leisure, money, stores

September 5, 2024

69 – Free Airline Stopovers

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor

Want to spend a few days in Dublin before going to Munich? Sightsee in Madrid or Lisbon on the way home from Paris or Rome? Maybe break up that long-haul flight to Australia or New Zealand with a few nights in Tokyo or Honolulu?

Dozens of airlines (mostly foreign carriers) let you visit two places for the price of one by allowing free stopovers. Book these tickets and you can stay in the hub city for a few days or weeks, and then continue onward to your final destination.

In this episode: A look at some of the stopover programs available and how to find them. Plus, tips for anyone planning to buy a plane ticket.

Additional Resources:

These 26 Airlines Let Flyers Stop Over in Their Hubs for Free

Consumerpedia Episode 62: The Travel Show 2024

New Rule Will Soon Require Airlines to Provide Automatic Refunds When Flights Are Canceled or Significantly Delayed

Don’t Get Left Behind When Your Airline Travel Credits Expire

Credit Card Reward Programs Under Scrutiny by Federal Regulators

Not a Checkbook member? ⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

leisure, travel

May 2, 2024

62 – The Travel Show 2024

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Haley Berg - Lead Economist at Hopper.com; Christopher Elliott - Travel Expert, author of the “On Travel” column

It’s going to be a busy summer for travel, especially for those headed abroad. It’s late in the booking season, but some deals may still be available.

In this episode, we’ll look at what you can expect to pay for airfare, hotel rooms, and rental cars. Plus, tips from travel experts Haley Berg of Hopper.com and Christopher Elliott of the “On Travel” column on how to deal with crowds and other peak-season hassles.

Other Consumerpedia travel episodes:

⁠17 – Travel Tips: How to Find the Best Deals on Airfare⁠

⁠41 – Hotel Intel: Finding the Best Rates⁠

⁠60 – How to Avoid a Big Cell Phone Bill When Traveling Abroad⁠

Additional Resource:

⁠Elliott Advocacy⁠ is a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can’t.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

leisure, travel

April 4, 2024

60 – Avoid a Big Cell Phone Bill When Traveling Abroad

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor; Dani Dredger - Checkbook Senior Manager of Digital Marketing

Travel outside the U.S. and you’ll need to make sure your cell phone works wherever you’re headed. With a little advance planning, you can also lower the cost of using your phone on that trip—in some cases, by $100 a line a week or more.

In this episode, what the major phone companies charge to use their roaming services when you’re in a foreign country, and how to pay less by switching to a local wireless carrier at your destination. Plus, the pros and cons of turning off your cell service and relying on Wi-Fi.

Read Checkbook’s full report on how to save money while using a phone internationally.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

leisure, technology, travel

March 7, 2024

58 – Misleading Marketing That Gets You to Buy Now and Pay More

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor

You can save a ton of money by comparison shopping.

Checkbook’s surveys consistently find huge price differences—sometimes more than twice as much—from company to company for the exact same product or service. And businesses can get away with this because they know most customers won’t bother to shop around.

Sometimes consumers don’t compare prices because they’re in a rush or they don’t want to scour the internet for the best deal. But we often find buyers don’t compare prices because they’ve been duped into thinking they already have.

In this episode, some of the common manipulative marketing techniques sellers use to convince you to pay up and pay too much.

Read Checkbook’s full report on the 30 Tricks Sellers Use to Manipulate You.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

finance, leisure, money

January 11, 2024

54 – How to Shop for a Gym Membership

Host: Herb Weisbaum /

Guest(s): Kevin Brasler - Checkbook's Executive Editor

You don’t necessarily have to join a gym to get more exercise—there are scads of other workout options, many of which are free. If you decide that joining a club is the best choice for you, shop around and avoid making any long-term financial commitments. The fitness industry thrives on good intentions, but most consumers who join gyms stop using them regularly after only a few weeks or months, yet they continue paying their dues.

In this episode: Tips on how to find the best gym or fitness center, how to avoid the common marketing tricks and traps used by salespeople, and what to look for when reviewing membership contracts.

Read Checkbook’s full report on gyms and fitness centers⁠.

Support our podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

health, leisure