The Great 'What Can You Blag On Holiday' Hunt

MSE_Martin

My friend is one of those 'not really famous but very well known' types. Always a surefire way to get upgraded!

Hmff not for me or the MSG!

walrusoflove

funnibunni wrote: »

went to kenya at easter.....took loads of pairs of socks and old tee-shirts used them to get safaris cheaper when booking with beach boys ....had fantastic time and got rid of tops that no longer fit into the bargain !!!

be careful though - I thought I'd get great bartering deals with the football strip etc I took with me for the purpose, but believe me, those boys are real experts and you have to admire their skill! They take whatever you are offering and then say "and now you give me some extra money on top" and you can end up paying well over the odds. My husband had to come and rescue me as I got entirely out of my depth with them! On the serious side, please remember to take pens and baby clothes to give to **reputable and trustworthy** agents to pass onto children (otherwise whoever you give them to may just sell them for profit) and please NEVER give them directly (or worse still, as I have witnessed, throw them from your jeep into the road) to children, as this merely encourages them to miss school, which is so important to them. No-one wants to see children develop a begging mentality.

misgrace

DKLS wrote: »

Also the jsut married/engaged thing works a treat, had a few free meals/bottles of champers using that one

I'm going on Hols in October and that has crossed my mind, but am scared they would find me out, as they sometimes ask to see your marriage certificate lol.

V_Chic_Chick

walrusoflove wrote: »

be careful though - I thought I'd get great bartering deals with the football strip etc I took with me for the purpose, but believe me, those boys are real experts and you have to admire their skill! They take whatever you are offering and then say "and now you give me some extra money on top" and you can end up paying well over the odds. My husband had to come and rescue me as I got entirely out of my depth with them! On the serious side, please remember to take pens and baby clothes to give to **reputable and trustworthy** agents to pass onto children (otherwise whoever you give them to may just sell them for profit) and please NEVER give them directly (or worse still, as I have witnessed, throw them from your jeep into the road) to children, as this merely encourages them to miss school, which is so important to them. No-one wants to see children develop a begging mentality.

Or take pens / pencils / paper etc. directly to the school, which is what someone we met on holiday did. They were very happy.

tenuissent

I agree. I have offered pens, pencils, paper to children in the middle east (Oman). They were thrilled (parents embarrassed, but did accept them).

You have to be tactful. I have also offered drawings of parents and children, and one of my best memories is of children dashing across the mosque grounds on a Friday scattering my drawings like confetti (which I would have liked to keep, really) to show their parents.

bakingbetty

Be gentle with me.... this is my first time posting............

My Nan always said " if you don't ask, you don't get"


At my childrens school we fill 5-6 shoe boxes with the basics toothbrushes, paste, pen, paper etc along with a few letters from the children about their lives. When friends go to Kenya they take them to the local school. The children and school are very grateful. The children in Kenya write as best they can a short letter about their lives.When we told the airline what was happening and asked if they would carry them for free, they agreed.....

Revengeissweet_2

Hi
We were going to Jamaica a couple of years ago and staying at a Wyndham hotel. We heard about a scheme called Wyndham By Request. Basically its a loyalty scheme that you can join for free. They have hotels all over the US and the Caribbean. When you set up your account you tell them what type of pillows you like, if you like more hangers in your room, what snacks you like on arrival, and more importantly what drinks you would like! You also get a free room upgrade if available. When we got there we had wine, beer and cheese and biscuits waiting for us, and a lovely sea view - all for FREE! Oh and plenty of hangers - a girl can never take too many clothes on holiday!

Loving your work Martin!

Alysie

This isnt really bartering but in Turkey I bought some turkish delight and while we were waiting for it to be weighed and packed, they made us sit down and served us apple tea and bits of turkish delight. It was really refreshing!:D

Sam_Bee

I have a friend who boarded an aircraft last, and turned left into a half empty business class, and took a seat. He'd only paid for economy, and no-one questioned him for the 8 hour flight.

Now I thought that he was joking, and no-one would have kuhana's that big. Until he did the same thing again when I boarded a flight with him. I'd already turned right and sat down. Unfortunately this airline had their eye on the ball and he was escorted into economy by a meely-mouthed cabin attendant 5 minutes later proclaiming 'i'd been told I could sit on any of the empty seats!'.

I blag everytime I travel, but i'm proudest of being a student on a charity race from Swansea to Amsterdam of blagging a flight from KLM from Cardiff to Amsterdam (it was for charity!) as the rest of the masses hitchhiked below!

phizzimum

DKLS wrote: »

Excess baggage, If its a female on the counter, I go and flirt like mad,

Also the jsut married/engaged thing works a treat, had a few free meals/bottles of champers using that one

do you manage to get away with using both these tactics on the same person?