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)
- $200 Gift Cards
- Amazon Gift Cards
- Miles in your choice of several programs
- Amazon Gift Cards
I might even throw in elite status and a club membership with an airline. There will be at least 15 prizes in this round, and probably more in round 2!
It’s a bit of a grab back of most high value prizes, half of which will be given away randomly and half will be give away based on quality or usefulness of entry.
Here’s all you need to do:
- leave a comment in this thread sharing either your best travel-related tip or advice, or the most useful thing you’ve learned from this blog.
- Since quality is key (as half the prizes will be given out based on quality), you may enter as many times as you like.
- All entries for this round must be submitted as a comment to this post by Sunday 5pm Eastern.
Thank you very much — in advance for your tips and for reading and sharing along with me, all these years!
Now enter away…!
Best,
Gary
- You can join the 30,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or subscribe to the RSS feed. It’s free. You can also follow me on Twitter for the latest deals. Don’t miss out!
Bring a cotton laundry bag to divide clean and dirty clothes… You don’t want to accidentally re wear the underwear you wore on that 15 hour flight…
Don’t forget to slow down and enjoy where you are!
Download to your smartphone offline maps for the place you are traveling to, to avoid expensive data charges or need for wifi access.
Maximizing Amex sync offers, Buying Amazon gift cards and using them later.
When traveling internationally, charge everything to credit cards without foreign transaction fees, and don’t accept dynamic currency conversion to US$ – the rate is terrible. Also, if your card issuer charges FTF, it will do so even if you were charged in US$ when the transaction was processed outside of the US.
as a grad student pinching pennies while attempting to do as much research travel as possible, hands down the best advice when wading through a barrage of ever-changing offers and loyalty programs: enroll in and capitalize on a frequent flyer program that travels or is part of a network that offers extensive travel options (flights, airlines, etc.) to where you want/need to go.
Aegean on Star Alliance!
Helping me navigate airlines’ various ticket classes and how many miles I’m really getting for a flight.
Global entry, enough said
Don’t skimp on museums, sightseeing, and experiences – the relative cost of them compared to overall travel cost is tiny, and they’re why you made the trip in the first place. (Or, alternatively, they’re what make the trip memorable.)
When your in-progress flight plans are disrupted by severe weather somewhere in the US and the wait times on the carrier’s domestic phone numbers can be measured in hours, connect with the airline by calling one of their international numbers (e.g., UK, Australia, Europe) – great if you have unlimited international calling or skype.
Only drink airplane water if you are sure it is bottled.
At hotels that require key card use for the power to be on, ask for two keys even when you only need one (or ask for one extra key when you actually need two) – having an extra one would allow you to keep the AC (or heat) on while you are out (as an environmental aside, it actually saves energy not to let the temperature deviate too much from the desired one when you leave just for a few hours – much better to keep it on, but adjust the settings).
Only buy luggage that has 360 degree spinner wheels.
Don’t pack any valuables or prescriptions in your hold luggage. Really, don’t do it.
Travel with a collapsible water bottle.
Never carry a wallet in your back pocket.
Don’t just plan travel or dream travel, do it! Travel!
Use a pillow spray or a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow a few days before you travel. When you arrive at your hotel, use the same pillow spray or lavender oil for a perfect, at-home sleep.
Depending on your bank or credit card company, contact them before travel nd let them know your travel plan so they will know it’s you making the charges.
This one is just for entering my name.
If parking your car in a self-park lot, turn in your side-view mirrors to prevent damage. Just remember to return to driving position when returning to car.
If you have requested late check-out at your favourite hotel, please remember that many hotels re-set the door cards at noon –- so don’t forget to have your key card re-set to save yourself going up and down in the lifts.
Use Virgin Atlantic (Flying Club) miles for Virgin America flights. Good use of 50,000 bonus from BofA-branded credit card.
When reading hotel review sites, take into consideration a number of comments over a few time periods. Also consider regional / country differences, as some reviewers might have regional / economic bias.
After checking into your hotel, check to make sure everything in your room is functional and clean – so if you need to change rooms, you can do so without re-packing. (Maybe we have had too many rooms with broken toilets, clogged drains, dirty sheets, one size too small sheets, or were smelly or…!)
The most useful tip I’ve ever gotten is to look at the seat map during check-in and, if the flight looks full and there’s a possibility of getting bumped, to sit as close to possible to the desk agent at your gate. Since they take volunteers on first-come first-serve basis, I’ve made thousands of dollars in travel vouchers simply by beating potential opponents to the desk to volunteer.
If you don’t have lounge access, take a look at Ebay for a deal. Many lounges passes are available at half the price offered from the airline or at the lounge door.
Starbucks is a great place to offload local currencies.
Gary’s blog has taught me to be both patient and decisive when applying for credit cards. Always patiently wait for a great offer — and then apply immediately when one comes along (before it is pulled).
View From The Wing has taught me to (a.) put every single dollar that I spend on credit cards, and (b.) allocate my credit card spending to specific different cards so as to maximize my “bang for the buck.”
Make sure you purchase the correct travel adapter for your needs. I’m a huge fan of the Skross ones, many of which are bundled with USB ports.
When traveling overseas, always carry a Xerox copy of your passport with you — in a different pocket from the one where your passport is located.
Always check visa requirements before buying tickets. I like to use visacentral.com
Unless you are really pressed for time, ignore the folks who say “you only need three days to see Istanbul” or “you can do Paris in four days” and the like. Visiting a new place is so much more than hitting the main tourist destinations. Many of the travel blogs are written by people who seem to pop in and out of places on two or three day trips or for long weekends. And I understand that those with work or family obligations may have no other options.
But if you can arrange longer trips, do it! And venture off the beaten path. While teachers don’t make much money, they do have the luxury of school vacations, and when we travel we make a point of remaining in one place for longish stays. We get to know the rhythm of the city and we explore neighborhoods where tourists simply do not go. We have time to get lost, to return to someplace we really enjoyed, to talk to locals. It really enhances our experiences and we have never felt we’ve stayed too long. There is so much more to traveling than the best award ticket and an upgrade at a chain hotel!
I thought I knew a fair amount about using American awards to fly at least one way to Europe (e.g., don’t fly British Air because of the fuel surcharges; if mixing air alliances on a short time frame, fly American on the return so you don’t get hit with the $75 less than 21 day advance booking). But I had no clue about the distance-based Explorer awards and how to use them to visit more than one European city, until I just read about that on this blog.
Always use a cashback or miles/points rewards site when making online purchases. Compare the reward earnings using cashbackholic or evreward. This is a great way to keep an infrequently used account active, by making a purchase you were already going to make.
If you need a public washroom / loo when you are in a foreign country, the ones in a McDonald’s are normally clean and reliable. You can also try nipping into a 4 or 5 star hotel.
When easy access to your passport will not be needed, always carry it in a money-belt of some sort.
Don’t buy cash at the airport – the exchange rates are normally terrible.
While several posts are time-sensitive, there is also a lot of knowledge in the archives. Search the blog and boardingarea for timeless advice
A little TIC … Sign-up & register to be one of the first to have the brain-implantable chip with 24/7/365 wireless connection to the internet. You will be able to monitor every travel blog and travel related site, be the first to be alerted to deals, mistake fares & rates, and know all that there is to be known about travel instantaneously. And, with the blink of an eye, you will be able to book travel, write and post your blog and do so much more. Coming soon!
I have learned the importance of using the free points earning opportunities from various airlines and hotel programs. (SPG spin to win, Hyatt play the case, AA Facebook games etc..). It helped keeping my miles active for some more time.
With exceptions of posts like this, comment sections of posts offer a good venue for clarifications and further information. Unlike most blogs, commenters here are helpful, quick to respond, and grateful for additional contributions
The more complicated the itinerary, the more you need to check and monitor it.
Explore local grocery stores.
They are full of possible cheap, souvenirs and if you are bored of hotel food, you can buy all of the ingredients for a yummy room picnic.
As long as you’re responsible, charge everything to your credit card. You have more consumer protections than if you do an automated draft and you obviously get more points.
When in Rome, take your postcards to Vatican City – the postal service is more reliable and the stamps are more interesting.
Don’t be afraid to take the Subway/Metro/Whatever and invest in their version of the Oyster Card. It’ll save money, and allows for some excellent people watching. Just be sure to always know where your wallet and cell phone are.
Use free hotel wifi or find a starbucks to check on email and facebook instead of paying for an international data plan. Even in airplane mode, which makes it impossible to get texts or phone calls that cost an arm and a leg abroad, the wifi works.