Don’t Get “Noob Taxed”: The Travel Add-Ons That Drain Your Budget

Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways

Learn how to avoid common travel upsells that drain your budget, from cruise add-ons to sneaky foreign card charges.

In this video episode, hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle break down travel “noob traps” to help you spot pricey add-ons before you click “book.” But first, they cover the latest travel headlines, including Chase adding Wyndham as a new transfer partner, Skyscanner launching flight search inside ChatGPT, Kayak’s spring break airfare trends, and new airport lounge openings at LAX and Las Vegas. They also flag a NerdWallet story from Craig Joseph digging deeper into the Chase-to-Wyndham transfer news.

Then, they dive into the most common “noob traps” that can quietly inflate your trip total, including cruise specialty dining, attraction photo packages, room service sticker shock, early check-in fees, and dynamic currency conversion abroad. They also discuss when travel insurance add-ons can be worth it (and when they can disappoint), why timeshare presentations and pricey hotel activities can backfire, what to know about cell phone roaming charges, and how “convenience” offers can cost more than you expect.

Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews:

Resources discussed in this episode:


Want even more tips and tricks to get the most out of your travel dollars? Subscribe to TravelNerd, our free newsletter designed to help you crack the code on spending less on your travel. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More description

Learn how to avoid common travel upsells that drain your budget, from cruise add-ons to sneaky foreign card charges.

In this video episode, hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle break down travel “noob traps” to help you spot pricey add-ons before you click “book.” But first, they cover the latest travel headlines, including Chase adding Wyndham as a new transfer partner, Skyscanner launching flight search inside ChatGPT, Kayak’s spring break airfare trends, and new airport lounge openings at LAX and Las Vegas. They also flag a NerdWallet story from Craig Joseph digging deeper into the Chase-to-Wyndham transfer news.

Then, they dive into the most common “noob traps” that can quietly inflate your trip total, including cruise specialty dining, attraction photo packages, room service sticker shock, early check-in fees, and dynamic currency conversion abroad. They also discuss when travel insurance add-ons can be worth it (and when they can disappoint), why timeshare presentations and pricey hotel activities can backfire, what to know about cell phone roaming charges, and how “convenience” offers can cost more than you expect.

Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews:

Resources discussed in this episode:


Want even more tips and tricks to get the most out of your travel dollars? Subscribe to TravelNerd, our free newsletter designed to help you crack the code on spending less on your travel. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2026-03-04 40 min Transcript
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