Know the code

Want to save serious money on your next trip? You can spend hours shopping for the lowest fare, find a coupon for your rental car and book an inexpensive room in a bargain hotel. Or you can look to your employer, special-interest club or favorite travel Web site for the secret code.

The code – usually an alphanumeric sequence that’s keyed into a computer reservations system when you book a trip – often unlocks a door to the travel industry’s deepest discounts. Knowing it can also entitle you to a bigger rental car or a more spacious hotel suite. In a cooling economy in which travelers are trying to freeze costs, these codes are becoming a hot commodity.

For example:

* Knock 25 percent off your next Alamo rental car when you book online. After you’re done making your reservation online, enter YQ in the “rate code” field and 556107 under the promo code.

* ID T00800800 will get you up to 20 percent off at any Econo Lodge or Clarion hotel. Just call the hotel chain’s toll free number at (800) 258-2847 and mention it.

* Want to get a two-class car upgrade on your next National rental car? Just enter 10006920 under the coupon ID and 6600439 for the contract ID when you make a reservation on the National Web site.

The numbers identify you as member of an organization or group that’s negotiated a lower price for its members. (In the previous examples, the sequence tags you as a member of SmarterLiving.com, the Web site that also distributes this column in the U.S.)

Now, here’s the thing about these codes. Suppliers don’t necessarily want you to know too much about them because once you do, you can use them anytime. It’s also impossible for an airline, hotel or car rental company to verify that you’re entitled to use these sequences. Think of it as finding a skeleton key that can unlock every door in a hotel.

For example, a disgruntled reservations agent at Hertz recently e-mailed me a code used by American Express Platinum card members. He claimed it entitled a customer to a very generous discount and a free upgrade – an offer that seemed too good to be true. “Try it,” he challenged me. “You’ll see.”

Instead, I called Hertz to find out if the numbers were for real. When the car rental company found out that I’d been given a code, it expressed the kind of concern usually reserved for a government that discovers one of its intelligence agents has leaked information to the other side. If nothing else, the whole incident underscores a point about the value of this information.

Where do you go to find these codes? That depends on where you work. If you’re employed by a large company, chances are it has already negotiated considerable discounts with major travel companies. In fact, odds are that your company’s travel policy mandates that you mention your company affiliation when you’re making travel arrangements, because using the codes help the airlines or hotels track the business your company generates. And, based on your company’s travel volume, it can leverage better discounts in years to come.

If you’re self-employed or are what’s termed an “unmanaged” business traveler, then these codes are a goldmine. But if you stumble across a code that might entitle you to a discount, is it ethical to use it I’m supposed to say: only if you’re entitled to the discount, because anything else is lying. Instead, I’ll leave a decision up to you and hope your moral compass leads you to the correct decision.

I’ve been in situations where I’ve had access to a legitimate code but opted not to use it because I could secure an even better rate online. So it’s worth noting that all codes aren’t created equally and that even if you get your hands on a sequence, you still could overpay for your travel product.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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