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Ghost rooms, mileage and mattress runs—how knowing how these work can change your trip planning for the better.
Traveling involves getting used to new sights, sounds, and tastes. It may also involve learning new phrases and terms, some of which may sound odd the first time you hear them. Learning new phrases can not only help you become familiar with travel jargon, but this knowledge can also help you learn new concepts, which can help you travel better and save money.
Here are 12 travel terms that can help transform the way you travel.
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Ghost Room
Ghost rooms don’t exist solely in haunted houses. Sometimes travelers book a hotel room with no intention of sleeping there. Often, they will pay for the room without complaint. Although booking a ghost room that remains empty throughout the night may seem like a waste of money, it is a good strategy for some travelers. For example, some immigration officials require travelers to provide proof of accommodations for their entire trip before allowing them into the country. Travelers without set plans may book inexpensive ghost rooms to ensure they aren’t turned away at the border.
Booking ghost rooms is also a popular tactic among theme park visitors. Some theme parks offer perks like early entry or express passes to guests staying at on-site hotels. Sometimes booking a ghost room is less expensive than buying these perks separately. Theme park guests who want a bigger room off-site or only need express passes for two days out of a week-long trip may find that a ghost room works for them.
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Mattress Run
Mattress runs aren’t a strange new kind of marathon. Instead, some travelers go on mattress runs at the end of the year if they are a night or two shy of retaining, or unlocking, elite status with a hotel brand. Typically, a mattress run involves booking the least expensive, loyalty-qualifying room close to home. “This one is particularly popular among American travelers, as one inexpensive mattress run can often unlock room-upgrade perks for future stays,” at chains like Accor, Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt, explains Daniel Herszberg, the co-founder of Travel Insighter, who has visited every country in the world. The value of these perks, which may also include complimentary breakfast, late checkout, and other benefits, is often greater than the cost of a few nights at a value hotel.
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Positioning Flight
Many travelers default to looking for flights in and out of their closest airport. They also default to only looking for flights arriving in the city they are visiting. However, for long-haul flights, a better strategy may be to search multiple airports for the best fare and book a positioning flight to get there.
For example, if you live in Minneapolis, you may find that it’s much less expensive to fly to Europe from New York City. Booking a positioning flight to New York City to catch the cheaper flight may result in significant savings. Positioning flights to get you to your final destination will also work well for some travelers. “Starting your trip in Madrid, Milan, or Dublin can significantly reduce fares to more expensive hubs like London,” explains Herszberg. Positioning flights may help all kinds of travelers save, but the biggest savings are usually in premium seats, he says.
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Mileage or Points Run
The concept of mileage or points runs has become more well-known in recent years, but not everyone is familiar with these terms. Similar to mattress runs, some travelers may book a cheap ticket on an airline to build or maintain status. “Often, one regional segment will unlock a new tier of travel status,” Herszberg explains. For some frequent flyers, taking a short, inexpensive flight can unlock perks such as priority boarding, a higher chance of upgrades, free checked luggage, and more. For these travelers, a mileage or points run is worth the hassle.
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Fifth Freedom Flights
For most flights, airlines operate within the country that serves as their home base, or they operate flights to and from that base. For example, Icelandair typically flies to and from Iceland and other countries, using Iceland as a hub. That’s why Icelandair flights from New York to Paris, for example, have a layover in Iceland’s capital of Reykjavik.
However, there are exceptions, known as Fifth Freedom flights. Airlines need a series of permissions to operate flights that neither begin nor end in the country that serves as their home base, so these flights are rare. However, if you find one, you may get a deal on a top-tier airline.
“Some more famous fifth freedom routes operating to the U.S. include Emirates between Athens and Newark, and between Milan and JFK, as well as Singapore Airlines between Frankfurt and JFK,” Herszberg says. Because Fifth Freedom flights may be less expensive, “aviation nerds will often seek out Fifth Freedom flights, particularly to try airlines which may otherwise be out of reach,” he said.
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Nested Trip
Nested trips can be used in various ways to save money on airfare. “A nested trip is essentially when you place one return booking inside another to reduce fares,” Herszberg explains. Herszberg finds this trick especially useful in Europe. To create a nested trip, a passenger might book a round-trip ticket from Los Angeles to Madrid on a major carrier, even if they intend to visit multiple cities on the continent. Once their round-trip ticket is booked, the same passenger can buy low-cost tickets within Europe on carriers such as Ryanair, Wizz Air, or EasyJet. Buying nested tickets can help save a ton compared to booking all flights in a single booking.
Another, more complicated way of nesting trips may work well for people who frequently travel between the same destinations. For example, a nested trip may be an excellent option for people who travel home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. To nest a trip, a passenger might book a round-trip ticket from New York to Los Angeles from November 25 to December 31. Then, they would book a second round-trip ticket in the reverse direction, from Los Angeles to New York, for November 28 to December 24. Booking a nested trip takes some legwork, but the savings may be worth the effort.
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Schengen Shuffle
Long-term American travelers to Europe often face an unpleasant obstacle. Unless they have a special type of visa, visitors from outside the European Union are limited to staying in Europe’s Schengen zone for 90 out of every 180 days on a rolling basis. The Schengen zone includes 29 European states, some of which are part of the EU and some of which are not. Non-EU visitors who want to stay in Europe longer than 90 days without running afoul of the law need to plan carefully. Often, this involves doing the Schengen Shuffle, which involves moving in and out of Schengen countries on a rolling basis to stay in compliance with Schengen rules. Figuring out how to do the Schengen Shuffle can be complicated. Using a Schengen calculator can help.
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Visa Run
Every country has its own rules for visitors, so it’s important to do your research before traveling. Outside of the Schengen zone, rules vary widely. “Many countries have generous visa periods for Americans, 90 or 180 days,” Herszberg says. However, this isn’t long enough for everyone. For travelers who want to take a longer trip, a visa run can help. “Often, you can do a simple visa run, fly in and out on the same day, to restart your 90-day period,” Herszberg says.
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Repositioning Cruise
Most cruises are closed-loop, meaning they stop and start at the same port. However, not all cruises follow this pattern. A repositioning cruise, sometimes called a “repo cruise,” is a one-way journey that involves a cruise ship moving from one location to another for the season, explains Susan Catto, the Head of Publishing and Production, Canada at Travelzoo. “For example, a ship that spends the winter sailing around the Caribbean may move to the Mediterranean for the summer season to take advantage of the warmer weather,” she says.
Repositioning cruises may stop at ports along the way, but unlike traditional cruises, passengers usually spend several consecutive days at sea. Repositioning cruises are growing in popularity because they are often more affordable than traditional cruises, and they may stop at off-the-beaten-path ports, Catto says. Repositioning cruises may also be a good choice for those who don’t like flying and for those traveling with pets. However, because repositioning cruises are one-way trips, you need to find your own way home.
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Run-of-House
Run-of-house, or RoH, is a booking method in which travelers do not book a specific room type. Instead, they leave the room choice up to the hotel. RoH rooms are typically offered on booking platforms and hotel websites at a reduced rate to give the hotel flexibility to fill any rooms that are not booked, Catto explains.
“The type of room that travelers receive depends entirely on what is available, so those who enjoy flexibility and are not particular about their accommodations can come away with great savings,” she says. Catto notes that RoH bookings involve an element of surprise. Travelers who book a RoH room may wind up with a huge suite or a tiny single. Those with RoH bookings who aren’t happy with their room shouldn’t be shy about asking for an upgrade since their reservation isn’t tied to a particular room type. However, “don’t complain to the front desk if you end up in a room next to the busy elevator,” Catto says.
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The 24-Hour Rule
Many affordable airline tickets are labeled as nonrefundable, but that’s not always true. “For cash fares purchased at least 7 days in advance, directly with the airline, for flights flying into or out of the U.S., the airline must either allow you to hold the fare for 24 hours, or allow you to cancel the flight within 24 hours of booking,” says Tiffany Funk, president and co-founder of point.me, a search and booking engine for finding award flights. According to Funk, most airlines choose to allow customers to cancel within 24 hours of booking. “This is very helpful if you see a great fare but aren’t sure if you can take the trip. You can book it so you don’t miss a great price, and then decide within 24 hours if you’re able to go,” Funk says.
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EU261
Travelers to, from, and within Europe need to know about EU261. EU261 is an EU law that establishes the “compensation and assistance airlines must provide to passengers in the event of delays, cancellations, or when a passenger is bumped,” Funk explains. The rule applies if you are flying within the EU, arriving into the EU on an EU airline, or departing from the EU on any airline, she says. The amount of compensation varies depending on many factors, including the length of the delay. “Passengers don’t need to know all the ins and outs of the rules, but they should know that the rules exist,” so they can look up what type of compensation they are entitled to if their travel is disrupted, Funk says. If your travel to Europe is disrupted, ask about EU261 by name to get your compensation.