You’re probably well aware that the annual Daily Getaways promotion/sale mass hysteria is in full swing.
My dad even emailed me yesterday to show me that he purchased some Choice Hotels points before they sold out:
In the points and miles world, we are constantly bombarded with “OMG†& “limited-time” sales and promotions, along with some more “hurry-up-and-drop-everything†moments. With all of the “NOW, NOW, NOW†pressure, it’s hard to really catch your breath and face a reality check.
I have to agree with Rapid Travel Chai on this one.
You might be wondering why we would let such amazing deals fly by (to be fair, there are some good deals if you have an immediate use in mind – Marriott gift cards at 20% off & Hyatt points come to mind).
Here’s why:
While I am all about “acting now, and thinking later†(especially when it comes to booking great flight deals) and spontaneous travel, I have also been trapped before. For instance, I learned the hard way that sometimes booking a mistake fare really is a mistake. I’ve also had pre-paid travel vouchers, certs, etc. slip by and expire on me. Sometimes it’s just not worth it to have to worry about any extra layer.
Returning back from the tangent, here’s a few reasons why I’m sitting out:
- I don’t need anything right now. To be more specific, I already have a healthy amount miles and points, plus some free hotel night vouchers from various credit cards.
- I earn and burn. I am the opposite of a hoarder. In general, I hate “stuffâ€, and I have the same behavior with my points. Yes, I like to have enough in my reserves for emergencies and last-minute fun. I don’t ever like to sit on large amounts of points and miles because of my next point…
- Devaluations. We’re seeing program devaluations left and right. In fact, we’ve seen more this year than in years prior. This is also the reason why I don’t buy points.
- Peer pressure is bad. Bloggers (and other enthusiasts) often hype up deals for various reasons. While one deal might be good for one person, it may be a waste to another. Just because the majority of people are getting in on a deal doesn’t mean I have to. I’ll be ok… really.
- Blackout Dates & Too Many Restrictions. With the exception of the points and giftcards, many of these “deals” come with too much fine print for me to deal with. Make sure you’re reading the T&C carefully before being suckered into a deal.
- It’s not the end of the world. Some people get really bummed when they miss out on a sweet deal (I have too), but guess what? There will be more opportunities.
The bottom line is this: Unless you have an immediate usage for these deals in mind, it’s probably not the best idea to buy anything “just becauseâ€. Sure the spontaneity of this game is fun and exciting, but it’s never fun when you’re faced with a huge devaluation or nearing expiration date and then you’re stuck scrambling get rid of the points/vouchers before it’s too late.
In the past, I found the Daily Getaways deals to be fun, exciting, & even lucrative.
I certainly don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade if you feel you’ve snagged a deal that works for you.
What do you think about the 2016 Daily Getaway deals? Are you putting effort into them or sitting out? Why or why not? Would love to hear your perspective!
ditto! We will be passing!
I bought 4 tickets to Busch Gardens and 2 to Seaworld!
Busch Gardens came at a perfect time – we have a relative coming in from out of town in late May and the no blackout date and the significant discount gave us a chance to save on something we were going to do anyway!
Seaworld Orlando is just a two hour drive from our house so my SO and I can nip in whenever we run out of things to do! :D
Bragging about going to SeaWorld on the cheap huh? Im not sorry to say this….. Pretty low as SeaWorld is one of the cruelest despicable organizations on the planet. Ill keep it short
Step 1 Wrench a baby orca from its distraught family (often they search for decades after)
Step 2 Imprison the poor majestic creature in a ridiculously tiny tank for the rest of its pathetic life.
Enjoy
Let’s get real, okay? I like orcas; I really do but…
Orcas are predators. They are not suddenly fuzzy innocent creatures that are prey; nope, they are the predator.
They feast…they FEAST on dolphins. on seals. on sea lions.
In order to release any captured animal to the “wild”, those that have depeneded upon human beings to feed them, they will have to be taught how to hunt and forage for food.
So that means “born into captivity” orcas will have to be taught how to hunt. for. food.
So now what? How many of you are willing to teach an orca how to hunt for dolphins or sea lions? None of you, right?
So let’s be real. No one should release born into captivity orcas into the wild. That would be cruel to them for many reasons, not the least of all healthcare. How many of these orcas’ immune systems can handle the ocean? At SeaWorld, they’re given antibiotics when they get sick.
The best thing is this: no one caputres any wild orcas and no one breeds any into captivity. The ones at SeaWorld, and elsewhere, get bigger tanks and better care.
And to also be real are these facts: 1) SeaWorld has a huge animal rescue care team that does indeed nurse sick wild animals and then release them back into their native environments…but that never makes the press, eh? 2) human beings have polluted the Earth, making it difficult for animals to prosper in the wild, and 3) the only way we are going to save certain species is to capture them and keep them in captivity until we figure out what to do (I’m looking at you rhinos and tigers!).
Orcas are not these innocent creatures everyone seems to have made into a martyr. They are the pythons of the oceans; worthy of love, yes…wothy of respect, yes…worthy of humane treatement, yes…but they are not warm, fuzzy panda bears. The are the antithesis of dolphins. Dolphins, which are lunchmeat for orcas.
So let’s be real, okay?
Ruby, enjoy your trip to SeaWorld.
Actually, I’m kinda glad Andy made his comment. Because this is a debate in the travel world, no? How to humanely travel and enjoy it. Does one avoid going to the Maldives due to human rights issues? Does one go or not go to N.C. over LGBT rights? Does one go or avoid Thailand? It seems to me a trip to SeaWorld brings up similar debates. It should. We should all be ashamed that the actions of certain human beings have forced us to place animals into cages in order to prolong their species (still looking at you rhinos and tigers!).
Now if Andy was really serious about protecting the orcas and other ocean creatures, then he should avoid travel to Norway, China, and Japan…and publically criticize their whaling policies and ivory trade. TPTB that keep such things intact are “the cruelest despicable organizations on the planet.”
Otherwise, Ruby- seriously, enjoy SeaWorld. I think you’ve earned it after this! :)
I apologize for the few spelling errors that I made on my previous post.
And I am aware that orcas are indeed part of the dolphin family. But when I mentioned “dolphins” in the above post, I meant what we reconize as porpoises.
I truly do think this is a topic that should be much discussed: what is humane travel, and how do we accomplish it?