At the beginning of the week I shared some web stats and plans for a Million Reader Giveaway.
I only wish I had realized the traffic milestones earlier for this blog, I could have reached out to my favorite travel providers and asked them to help me celebrate… with promises of riches beyond readers’ wildest dreams elite status and points.
Instead, I’ve had to get creative with the sorts of things I’m able to offer on my own.
So here’s part one of the Million Reader Giveaway!
Prizes will include:
- (5) Milepoint premium packages (1000 United miles, Hilton Gold status, National Car Rental Executive status, and more)
- $200 Gift Cards
- Amazon Gift Cards
- Miles in your choice of several programs
- Amazon Gift Cards
I might even throw in elite status and a club membership with an airline. There will be at least 15 prizes in this round, and probably more in round 2!
It’s a bit of a grab back of most high value prizes, half of which will be given away randomly and half will be give away based on quality or usefulness of entry.
Here’s all you need to do:
- leave a comment in this thread sharing either your best travel-related tip or advice, or the most useful thing you’ve learned from this blog.
- Since quality is key (as half the prizes will be given out based on quality), you may enter as many times as you like.
- All entries for this round must be submitted as a comment to this post by Sunday 5pm Eastern.
Thank you very much — in advance for your tips and for reading and sharing along with me, all these years!
Now enter away…!
Best,
Gary
- You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest deals. Don’t miss out!
Banks treat each card separately – so if one card from a bank is declined when you get to a new country, try a different one and it may well work.
If planning on renting a car consider taking a duplicate driver’s license with you. I lost my wallet in Paris and when we got to Italy I was unable to get behind the wheel of the rental without my driver’s license.
Don’t bring lighters or matches when transiting China. Still prohibited there, and transits require going through security.
Premium travel costs lots of miles and to get them one has to look for the best CC offers. Your blog gives some of the expired offers for bonuses larger than the currently offered ones, even though the landing pages don’t mention the larger bonuses. I took my chances more than once and did get the larger bonuses from expired offers which were still active and whose links were in your blogs. Thanks.
When your flight is cancelled while you are already at airport, if not first in line to re-book or if you have no access to elite lines or lounge, tweet your airline – they may be able to help & save you lots of time.
View from the Wing’s coverage of the Korean Skymiles program has been terrific, especially with all the devaluations we’re seeing in US mileage programs. I hadn’t given any thought to transferring my Ultimate Rewards points to Korean prior to the series here. Many thanks for continuing your detailed looks at useful non-US mileage programs.
Probably the most important tip in the miles and points game – diversify. Try to accumulate miles in at least 3 or 4 FFPs and at least as many hotel programs. They all have different sweet spots and availability. Don’t ignore the programs that aren’t top-of-mind. Even Choice has some excellent properties, for instance.
Best thing I learned from this blog (hard to pick): know your options. Never, ever call the airline whether in IROP, or just to book a trip, without knowing what options you have and what will work the best. No agent will care as much as you do about getting you to your destination in the time and manner most important to you. Then, be nice and gently guide them to give you your best option. 🙂
Aside from all the free travel advice, the suggestion to bring a small power strip is among the best practical advice out there!
The keys to the award booking kingdom: find available flights online before calling, spoonfeed them to the booking agent, and don’t be afraid to hang up and call again!
A travel tip for IROP: proactively book airport hotels if bad weather is anticipated or there will be lots of flight cancellations for some reason. By the time disaster strikes, most hotels will be filled up.
Be courteous & if an agent doesn’t give you what you need, just try a different one!
I have learned so much from your blog and from my own traveling, so I’ll put in a few ideas here.
Just got a mileage awards ticket from ORD-HPN (White Plains) for 15,000 avios and $5.00! Thanks for alerting me to the fact that British doesn’t charge fuel charges for domestic tickets, and also that since it’s a distance based program, this little jaunt was only 15,000 points instead of 25,000 for a domestic award ticket on the other heritage carriers. Not to mention, that HPN is usually much more expensive than LGA!
I carry not only a paper copy of my passport somewhere else than on me, but also have copies of my passport, gold cards, Drivers License, etc. in virtual storage (Dropbox).
In most countries, the cheapest way to get local currency is the ATM, using your bank debit card, NEVER a credit card! (Unless you put a credit of money in your credit card account before you leave so you won’t incur interest charges). The exceptions we met with were in Japan and Laos. There you needed to do your homework to find out how to get cash.
In Argentina, always bring a lot of cash $$ with you, as much as you think you will need! The exchange rate is horrible. If you must exchange, only exchange on the black market. It will get you almost 50% more for your money.
An unopened tube of Super Glue (packed inside a ziplock bag) is a must-have when I travel.
In France, the best meal bargains are at lunch when there is usually a special price for a set menu that is only available at that time, not at dinner.
If passing through India, make sure you have a hard copy of a hotel reservation (even if you don’t plan to stay there). They’ll want to see something even if you’re just on a layover.
That I wasted 10 yrs using only Citi AA credit cards at 1 mile/dollar when others are better even for AA flights (SPG, anything that transfers to Avios)
Wow.. this is a lot of comments for you to read though and rate quality-wise :).
Always leave comments to win prizes. I have commented and benefited. Thanks very much.
You can buy upgrades on the same day if you are not an elite. We flew in the front of virgin America for under $200 per person.
If you plan to take the Eurostar, this link from ‘The Man in Seat Sixty-One’ can be quite helpful – especially when selecting seat location. http://www.seat61.com/London-to-Paris-by-train.htm#.Uq3h8FWzKpg
Learned that this miles and points thing can be addictive. Ended up with over $10,000 (retail) in air and hotel for as little as $1,000. Makes for a fun life of traveling!
one important tip is to stay connected via different blogs/twitter. you never know when the next great deal with a limited window will come up!
Print out your itinerary with hotel names and addresses, especially when traveling to foreign countries. This is helpful when you get into a taxi and the taxi driver doesn’t understand you. At least you can show him the name and address so that he can get you to your hotel.
If you need a rental car on a trip, always book it as soon as possible once you know your basic plans. You can always cancel and re-book if prices go down. But often prices can skyrocket (especially in markets like NYC or when a major event is in your destination city), and at least you have locked in a rate you can live with by booking early!
Thank you Gary & thank you Chase
Travel with noise cancelling headphones.
Learn some key words or phrases of the local if you don’t speak it already.
HUCA – hang up and call again works whether one is trying to book award travel, get approved for a CC, or negotiate a better cable package.
The Kindle Paperwhite G3 is great for travel!
Gary – I find all of your travel / points advice really helpful (although the US-based credit card tips are less applicable to me). As a writer, I find you have a lovely style and your in-depth knowledge has saved me many thousands of pounds over the years (and of course, lots of lovely upgrades, free flights, etc).
Thank you.
If a country requires proof of onward travel, bring a printout as the airlines will not accept an electronic version.
Carry an extra CC separate from your wallet/purse in case your primary card gets lost/stolen.
In the UK, try to use “mini-cabs” rather than “black cabs”. Most hotels and restaurants can order a “mini-cab” for you and you will save a bundle.
If you are celebrating an event, such as an anniversary, always email the general manager of the hotel 2-4 weeks before your trip and mention what event you are celebrating and ask for a suite upgrade if they have any unsold when you check in. This has always gotten us a nice suite, usually wine or champagne in our room upon check in, and other complimentary amenities.
Put your contact info INSIDE your checked luggage too. Even make a laminated card you pack last in your baggage and reuse it!
When in Lisbon, make sure you visit the Feira da Ladra on a Tuesday or Saturday. One of the best flea markets in the world.
A number of cities across the world offer ghost tours – always a fun way to explore the history of a city in an entertaining way.
For the miles & points aficionado, complaining (politely) usually pays. I just scored a free Kimpton night 2 weeks ago because of a party happening on my floor. The best part is, I was staying on a complimentary night. All charges waived & a guaranteed suite on my next stay. I have gotten extra miles from airlines by reporting some glitches. Don’t overdo it as it may backfire.
Don’t sweat the little stuff…. especially when facing weather delays. Yes they suck, but they ARE beyond the airline’s control.
When entering Bali use an expeditor to process your Visa on Arrival. We got 1 thru Intercontinental Hotel and was well worth the fee. By-passed 100’s in line, got visa on only 1/4 of passport page(in spite of being told that you need 2 full pages available) and whipped us thru the exit x-ray scanner line.
A tip for avoiding jet-lag: try to eat at the times of your new time zone as it helps to re-set your body clock.
Look at sleep as a battery, sometimes the best way to avoid jet-lag is NOT to have a nap and just keep going …
A great tip that I’ve learned is to ALWAYS volunteer to be bumped from your flight as soon as you see the agent get to the gate… even if the flight appears to be empty.
Here are my 10 tips before travel
1. After ticketing, call airlines to confirm airlines ticket, select seat(s) and meal option if possible.
2. Carry necessary credit cards for travel, and DONT forget to call credit card companies for travel notice.
3. Schedule to pay bills which are due in your travel period.
4. Pack your travel-size toothpaste, toothbrush, travel-size cream/lotion, a comb, Q-tips, dental floss, eye mask, earplugs/headphones and condom(s) if it is an option for you. It saves you a lot of time if you get these ready in a small handy bag.
5. Pack your travel socket/surge/adapter, cellphone, laptop chargers or whatever you need for electronic devices.
6. Make sure your tag bag have enough info to reach you in case of loss.
7. For traveling with a partner (example: a wife/girlfriend), remind her in case she forgets something important.
8. Check your travel airlines’ websites to see if any lounges are available at your departure airports.
9. Check weather forecast of places you travel.
10. Before getting out of the house to have a final check if you have Passport, cellphone and/or IDs ready for the trips.
It is not only important to earn miles for free travel, but also maximize the potential while redeeming. Making use of the airline stopovers rules and visiting several destinations with the same amount of miles is the key.
Take a printed itinerary along to enter into an India airport.
The most useful thing I’ve learned is to hang up and call back when dealing with airline agents. I previously assumed they were all equally informed and helpful, but I’ve learned that is emphatically not true!
(Also, learned the hard way to make sure you check that your United award reservations are actually ticketed… won’t make that mistake again!) Thanks so much for all the other great tips!