Podcast Summary: Secrets to Cheap Travel from NYT’s Frugal Traveler

The Wirecutter Show – The New York Times
Hosts: Christine Cyr Clisset, Kyra Blackwell, Rosie Guerin
Guest: Elaine Glusack, "Frugal Traveler" columnist (NYT)
Date: October 8, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of The Wirecutter Show dives into the art of budget travel, guided by special guest Elaine Glusack, the New York Times’ expert "Frugal Traveler" columnist. Elaine shares her best practices for scoring deals on flights and accommodations, navigating Black Friday travel sales, and maximizing your travel dollar, all while exploring themes of sustainability, flexibility, and getting closer to authentic experiences. The hosts go deep on practical advice, notable trends, and hot tips that travelers of all styles can use.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to the Frugal Traveler (05:35 - 07:29)

• Elaine’s Background:
  • Elaine has written about travel for over 25 years, inspired by the broad nature of “travel”—which includes food, adventure, art, culture, and nature. She began the Frugal Traveler column at the start of the pandemic, making her advice especially timely (05:58).
  • “I just basically followed my bliss, as the adage goes, and I really couldn’t find a topic I liked that… made me more happy and eager to get to work in the morning.” – Elaine Glusack (05:58)
  • Her work often blends solo "work" trips and family travel—with an emphasis on maximizing both time and budget.

2. The Philosophy of Frugal Travel (07:41 - 08:53)

• Budget Travel as Enrichment:
  • Elaine’s approach is to show that “being mindful of your money does not diminish your experience in any way. I would argue that it inherently enhances it.” (07:50)
  • Budget travel fosters closer connection with locals and unique, meaningful experiences away from the tourism bubble—illustrated by stories like vineyard-hopping via public transport or taking inexpensive cruises.

3. Sustainability and Changing Habits (08:53 - 09:35)

• Sustainable Travel:
  • Elaine is “much more mindful of sustainability now,” flying less and combining trips for efficiency (08:55).
  • She advocates for “slow travel”—on foot, by bike, or train—both for environmental and experiential reasons.

4. Flight Deal Strategies (09:35 - 16:07)

The Art of Timing:

• “Spontaneity is for road trips, but flights are like, you need six to eight weeks for domestic.” (09:54)
  • For major holidays, start monitoring airfare in August and be ready to book come September/October (10:37).
  • For popular international destinations (e.g., NYC↔London), deals may appear closer to departure.

Technical Tools & Tactics:

• Google Flights: To benchmark what a good deal looks like.
• Kayak: Their monitoring feature can advise when to book or wait.
• Going.com (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights): “It’s great at finding deals from your favorite airport.” (13:25)
• Set up deal alerts, play with date flexibility, and monitor for price drops to potentially use credits.

Deal Myths Debunked:

• No current magic day to book, but “flying Tuesday, returning Saturday… Those are the lowest load days.” (14:27)

Base Fares vs. True Costs:

• Don’t just buy the cheapest ticket—consider checked bag and seat assignment fees, and beware “basic economy.” Flexibility is worth paying a bit more (15:34).
• “If you have to cancel, you’re out the entire fare. So I always book a ticket where I can at least get a credit back if I have to cancel.” (15:34)

Credit Card Perks:

• Airline-branded cards can offset costs for seat and bag fees and are often worth it if you fly an airline frequently (16:07).

Budget Airlines:

• Use them only if you can abide by strict limits (e.g., personal item only)—factor in service frequency, as getting stuck can be a real problem (17:00–17:33).
• International recommendations included Volaris for Mexico (18:19).

5. Lodging on a Budget (19:10 - 21:26)

• Luxury & Boutique Hotel Deals:

  • “Hotels are really worth booking early…most have unrestrictive cancellation policies.” (19:10)
  • Sign up for hotel newsletters for secret deals; search calendars for rate dips; book midweek/off-season whenever possible.

• Airbnb/VRBO Tips:

  • Book early—inventory is essentially “one of one.”
  • Stays longer than a week may result in discounts.
  • Booking directly with hosts (outside platforms) often leads to savings; returning renters should negotiate directly.
  • “You can negotiate that way.” (20:22)

• Host’s Perspective:

  • Kyra notes that as a host, she is “always happy to have repeat customers… when people ask me to negotiate price, I’m happy to do it because I’d rather have some money than no money.” (21:26)

6. Trends: Domestic vs. International, Exchange Rates (24:27 - 26:35)

• Domestic Travel Deals:

  • With international tourism down, Americans may find better domestic deals and greater availability, e.g., at Alaska lodges (24:52).

• Currency Tips:

  • Travel where the dollar is strong (Canada, Mexico), multiplying your power.
  • Use exchange rate blogs from sites like Currency Exchange International or financial writers at NerdWallet to find value destinations (25:47–26:18).
  • “US$1 gets you $1.38 Canadian. That’s almost like a 40% gain.” (25:47)

7. When to Use a Travel Agent (27:02 - 28:31)

• Travel agents excel at specialist/high-end trips and especially cruises, offering upgrades and credits more than discounts.
• For cruises, compare agencies, direct bookings, and member clubs such as Costco for the best perks.

8. Membership Clubs & Car Rentals (28:31 - 29:22)

• Costco Travel:
  • “I use Costco all the time for car rental. I don’t know, I just have not found better ways.” (29:04)
  • Works internationally; less consistent for hotels or packages but excellent for car deals.

9. Black Friday for Travel (29:37–31:39)

• Black Friday sales often target “shoulder season,” off-peak, or special inventory—best for flexible planners.
• “It’s kind of like the sales bin of misfit toys… There are some gems.” (30:02)
• Example: Elaine landed a Croatian yacht trip $400 off, trading warm weather for quiet beauty.

10. Refunds, Insurance, and Flight Protections (31:48–33:38)

• Getting Refunds:

  • If airlines cancel, you’re owed a refund, but you must proactively decline rebooking (31:59).
  • Significant delay rules are currently vague post-regulation changes.

• Travel Insurance:

  • Elaine skips airline-offered policies, relying on credit card protections instead (33:01).
  • “A lot of credit cards… have a lot of consumer protections built in.” (33:01)

11. Lightning Round: Travel Tactics (33:38–34:34)

• Error fares: Green light – “Go sweet!” (34:03)
• Subscription deal services: Yellow – Try the free tier first.
• Buying canceled trips from others: Greenish – Possible if you’re flexible, but hard to line up dates.

12. Parting Wisdom & Luggage Preferences (34:34–35:53)

• Best Travel Advice:
  • “Don’t expect everything to go smoothly. And when it doesn’t, remember the worst trips make the best stories.” (34:43)
• Packing:
  • Carries on to avoid “psychic baggage”; soft-sided backpack for carry-on, hard-sided wheelies for checking.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On authentic travel:
  “When you’re traveling on a budget, you’re not cocooned in a luxury resort… which to me is the whole point of cross cultural exchange.” – Elaine Glusack (07:50)
• On planning ahead:
  “Spontaneity is for road trips, but flights… you need six to eight weeks for domestic.” – Elaine Glusack (09:54)
• On flight flexibility:
  “I will never buy a flight I can’t change… If you have to cancel, you’re out the entire fare.” – Elaine Glusack (15:34)
• On Black Friday deals:
  “It’s like the sales bin of misfit toys… But every once in a while you’ll find like a cashmere at TJ Maxx.” – Elaine (30:02, 31:39)
• On adversity in travel:
  “Don’t expect everything to go smoothly. And when it doesn’t, remember the worst trips make the best stories.” – Elaine (34:43)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction to Elaine & Her Philosophy: 05:35 – 08:53
• Flight Deals Strategy: 09:35 – 16:07
• Accommodation Advice: 19:10 – 21:26
• Currency & Domestic Travel Trends: 24:27 – 26:35
• Cruises & Membership Clubs: 27:02 – 29:22
• Black Friday for Travel: 29:37 – 31:39
• Refunds and Insurance: 31:48 – 33:38
• Lightning Round: 33:38 – 34:34
• Closing Insights: 34:34 – 35:53

Overall Tone and Takeaways

The episode is lively, practical, and reassuring, mixing admiration for adventure with a clear-eyed look at frugality and the realities of travel planning. Elaine’s generous, friendly tone offers listeners both permission to save money and encouragement to seek more authentic, rewarding travel experiences by doing so.

Top Actionable Tips

• Start tracking flights 6–12 weeks ahead; book early for holidays
• Use Google Flights, Kayak, and going.com for flexible deal hunting
• Book hotels/Airbnbs early, negotiate directly with hosts for savings
• Use travel-branded credit cards for baked-in airline perks
• Look for the strong dollar abroad, and check currency-focused travel blogs
• Reserve rental cars through membership clubs (Costco highly recommended)
• Shop Black Friday for travel only if you’re flexible and looking for off-peak deals

Final Wisdom:
Don’t just chase rock-bottom prices—chase the memorable, meaningful trips where being frugal supports discovery, creativity, and true adventure.