I tested the top TikTok travel hacks – these are the ones that work and those that don’t
A TRAVEL expert recently put eight TikTok holiday hacks to the test in a bid to discover which ones actually worked.
While social media is full of people claiming their travel hacks are the best thing since sliced bread, not everyone’s tips are that useful.
That’s why Michael Corrigan, Founder and CEO of online travel retailer Trtl Travel, put several popular holiday hacks through their paces.
He wanted to see if the advice was true, or whether some of the myths needed to be busted.
Incognito mode for cheaper flights
One hack he put to the test was using Incognito Mode in a search engine’s browser to bag cheaper flights.
While the hack has been hailed by several travel influencers on TikTok, Michael wasn’t convinced.
He said: “When we tried to replicate this on popular flight booking sites like Ryanair and EasyJet, we couldn’t: we got the same prices.
“Clearing cookies doesn’t impact price. What does impact price are other variables like when you’re booking, the destination, and the flight route.
“It’s possible that this works on specific comparison sites, but our evidence suggests this isn’t a reliable way to get cheaper flights.”
Bagging an extra empty seat
Some travellers have claimed that booking a seat in the aisle and a set in the window of a three-seat row will leave the middle seat empty for extra space.
But in theory, Michael doesn’t think the hack actually works.
Michael said: “The first major hurdle is that many long-haul flights are fully booked, so staff will simply direct passengers with unassigned seats to the one between you and your travel partner.
“And on those less busy flights? Many travel providers won’t let you book seats like this: their online booking platforms restrict it.”
Free first-class upgrades
There are some travel influencers and experts who claim dressing nicely for a flight will result in a free first-class upgrade.
But Michael doesn’t think the upgrade is quite that simple, he said: “This hack assumes airline staff don’t have clear policies to adhere to when offering upgrades — which they do.
“Plus, upgrades only happen in the rare instance that a flight is overbooked. If this has ever worked, I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with an outfit.”
Booking cheaper Airbnbs through a host
There are some social media users who have claimed that they paid less for their Airbnb by contacting the host directly.
While this may seem like an easy win, there are several pitfalls to the trick, including Airbnb’s strict rules that make getting a host’s contact number tricky.
And this wasn’t the only problem, Michael said guests could face issues with their booking too.
He added: “Cash-in-hand bookings have no legal protections should something go awry, be it double-bookings (app users will get the room and you’ll be left stranded) or even straight-up fraud.”
While the hack may work, Michael recommended steering well clear.
Sending flight numbers in messages
While there are plenty of travel hacks that don’t live up to their hype, there are some that do actually work.
One of those is sending your flight number in a text message, so friends and family can easily access your flight details.
Michael wrote: “I’m a big fan of this hack. If you hold down on the number and click ‘Preview Flight’, you can see everything from your terminal number, your gate, the current status of the flight (useful for spotting delays nice and early), the departure time, and the arrival time.”
Despite being a great hack, it doesn’t work on all airlines, including short-haul providers.
Calling the hotel for a cheaper deal
Meanwhile, holidaymakers who phone hotels to book their room, may nab their stay for a lot less.
This is because hotels would rather dish out rooms at lower rates, than see customers book through hotel comparison websites.
Michael added: “While it’s difficult to prove that this works all the time, we took this theory for a spin with a few hotels.”
“We saw savings of as much as 25% on a standard double room.”
There were several other travel hacks that actually worked, including bringing food from home through airport security and using a sheet of paper as a makeshift phone stand on a flight.
Meanwhile, this easyJet passenger left people in stitches as he was filmed trying to beat the hand luggage rules.
And here are all the rules around phones and chargers in carry-on luggage.