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The difficulty of requesting vacation days varies from job to job. However, you can make the process simple for you and your company by using some good old-fashioned scripts.<\/span><\/p>\n Oh, look, here\u2019s one now:<\/span><\/p>\n Subject:<\/b> Vacation request (October 2nd through October 6th)<\/span><\/p>\n Hi [manager\u2019s name],<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019d like to request vacation time from Monday, October 2nd, through Friday, October 6th, because I\u2019ll be taking a family vacation over those days.<\/span><\/p>\n While I\u2019m gone, I\u2019ll be reachable by phone but not by email. I\u2019ll be making sure that we have coverage in the support queue. I\u2019ll also be distributing a playbook to my team so it\u2019s clear who owns which issues.<\/span><\/p>\n Is this OK?<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks,<\/span><\/p>\n -Ramit<\/span><\/p>\n This is a great script to use, even if your vacation is during a busy time for your company.<\/span><\/p>\n Why? First, consider why your boss might want to <\/span>deny <\/span><\/i>you vacation time:<\/span><\/p>\n This script addresses all of these points in the last paragraph. By showing that you\u2019ve gone the extra mile to make sure that your responsibilities will be taken care of in your absence, you allay your boss\u2019s concerns that your work won\u2019t get done.<\/span><\/p>\n It also maintains a friendly tone throughout the message AND you give a good reason for your absence. You\u2019ll want to send this email weeks, possibly even months, in advance. It\u2019s far easier for your boss to say yes when the company has time to plan for your absence.<\/span><\/p>\n For more information on requesting time off, see my article on <\/span>how to ask for vacation days<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n One of the most common misconceptions about traveling is the idea that flying (especially internationally) has to be expensive.<\/span><\/p>\n I have my thoughts on this\u2026 but I\u2019ll let celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay take it from here:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn fact, flying can be one of the most <\/span>affordable <\/span><\/i>parts of the trip if you know how to leverage the right tools.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Two of the most effective tools to find affordable flights are:<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at both now.<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ve written about <\/span>travel credit cards<\/a><\/strong> before, but it bears repeating:<\/span><\/p>\n Using travel credit cards to pay for flights is a Big Win.<\/span><\/p>\n Say a round-trip flight from New York to Paris costs $500.<\/span><\/p>\n If you book using the card we\u2019re about to suggest, you could get that same flight for FREE.<\/span><\/p>\n You can save THOUSANDS each year if you leverage reward points. And the more time you have to plan, the more points you can amass. Many cards even give you sign-up bonuses.<\/span><\/p>\n But with so many options out there, which one should you get?<\/span><\/p>\n For more information on travel credit cards as well as how you can maximize them, be sure to check out <\/span>my article on the subject<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n NOTE: If you\u2019re in credit card debt, DO NOT sign up for a travel credit card\u2026 or any other credit card for that matter. Instead, check out <\/span>my article on how to get out of debt fast<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re nervous about getting into travel hacking through credit cards, that\u2019s okay. There\u2019s another solution that\u2019ll help you find ridiculously cheap flights.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019ll give it to you straight: <\/span>Airlines<\/a> really<\/a> mess<\/a> up<\/a> <\/strong>sometimes<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes their mishaps lead to some great deals for you through error fares. Error fares are airline tickets that are, temporarily, a WAY lower price than they\u2019d normally be (typically through technical or human error). These fares often mean travelers can get tickets from the mainland U.S. to places like Europe and Asia for a few hundred dollars or less.<\/span><\/p>\n To find these errors and deals, several websites are dedicated to hunting them out.<\/span><\/p>\n Here are a few that I suggest you leverage the next time you\u2019re looking for flights:<\/span><\/p>\n One key thing to remember when purchasing an error fare:<\/span><\/p>\n DON\u2019T CALL THE AIRLINE COMPANY TO BOOK!!<\/b><\/p>\n You\u2019re taking advantage of their mistake. If you point out how they messed up, they\u2019re going to realize it and <\/span>not let you have the deal. <\/span><\/i>Stick to booking through the sites above or third-party sites like<\/span>\u00a0Skyscanner<\/strong><\/span><\/a> instead.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n
Step 4: Find Affordable Flights<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Travel Credit Cards<\/b><\/h3>\n
Repositioning With Error Fares<\/b><\/h3>\n
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