There is a particular kind of satisfaction that comes from finding a travel bargain.
You spot a flight for less than you expected, a hotel room at an unbelievable rate or a rental car that seems to offer everything you need without denting your wallet. You click “book”, feeling rather pleased with yourself.
Then the trip begins.
Suddenly, that bargain flight means waking before dawn. The cheap accommodation is miles from where you actually want to be. The rental car exists, but collecting it becomes an adventure of its own. And the money you thought you had saved begins disappearing in unexpected places.
For frequent travellers, the lesson is familiar: sometimes the cheapest option is not the cheapest trip. I learnt this the hard way!
During one Christmas holiday, having travelled on a budget for years, I thought I had mastered the art of finding a good deal. I went ahead to book a rock-bottom-price flight scheduled for 5am.
I missed the flight because I missed the alarm.
The cheap ticket quickly became an expensive mistake, because getting a full refund was next to impossible. I had to make several calls before securing another ticket for the following day. That one missed flight also disrupted the hotel booking and the carefully planned holiday itinerary.
The experience changed the way I look at travel bargains, because over time, I realised that some parts of travel are worth the splurge.
Kelvin Mukoye, a frequent business traveller, understands the temptation. A cheaper flight, a hotel in an inconvenient location or a tiny rental car can look attractive when you are planning a trip and watching every shilling.
“Saving money, I have learnt, may come with plenty of regret and inconvenience,” he says.
Sometimes the cost is not even immediately visible. I remember one time arriving at an airport expecting to collect a car I had booked cheaply (before the Ubers and Bolts arrived), only to discover that the company was located far from the airport. It happened not once but three times.
Instead of collecting the vehicle and driving away, I found myself trekking to distant terminals and waiting for a rental car that sometimes never arrived. Eventually, I had to rely on a public shuttle, throwing my carefully planned itinerary off course.
After these experiences, I changed this approach.
Today, I have learnt to scrutinise travel offers more carefully, looking beyond the attractive price to ask what I am actually getting for the value of my money.
Accommodation can be another travel trap.
Frequent traveller Justina Mugure once booked a budget guest house for Christmas, drawn by promises of a peaceful getaway overlooking blue waters.
The reality was different.
“Shock of shocks! When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was that the accommodation did not match the description,” she recalls.
With few alternatives during the festive season, she stayed. She had also opted for a hostel, reasoning that she only needed a place to sleep.
But her neighbours were loud snorers, while corridor noise repeatedly interrupted her sleep.
It was a reminder that price is only one part of the holiday equation. A cheaper option can cost you in comfort, time and peace of mind.
Kelvin discovered this while considering an early flight. He had hovered over the “book” button, pleased at the thought of saving about Sh1500.
Then he stopped.
He would have to sleep late while packing, wake before dawn and arrive at his destination exhausted. Worse, getting to the airport at that hour meant paying Sh3000 for a taxi from Ngong, wiping out the saving he had hoped to make by taking the cheaper flight.
The calculation suddenly looked very different.
“I wake up very early to go to work every day, and here you are this early trying to save Sh1000 just for you to arrive at your destination deprived of sleep on the first day of your vacation?” he asked himself.
A holiday is not simply about getting from one point to another for the lowest price. Consider the time, comfort and experience you are gaining or giving up.
The same applies to rental cars. A cheap vehicle may look like a bargain online but become uncomfortable or stressful on the road.
There is nothing wrong with travelling on a budget. The trick is knowing the difference between saving money and sacrificing the experience.
Before booking, check the fine print, location, reviews, transport costs, airport transfers, meals and cancellation policies.
Think about your own priorities because if you are travelling for rest, saving a little money on a room that guarantees sleepless nights may defeat the purpose. If you have an early flight, calculate the cost and inconvenience of getting to the airport before congratulating yourself on the cheap ticket.
Travel bargains are wonderful when they remain bargains. However, sometimes, paying a little more buys something that does not appear on the booking page: time, sleep, convenience, peace of mind and the freedom to enjoy the journey.
These may turn out to be the things you value most once you are away from home.