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!
When traveling to a foreign country, always learn at least a few words/phrases of the native tongue. People will be more willing to help you and not just think you are an arrogant westerner who expects everyone to know English
Thanks for your advice on the Chase Sapphire card. I now have one and I’m racking up the points. Much better than my old card where I was tied to one airline!
Bring ziplock bags in your suitcase. They always come in handy
Push through and stay awake the entire day after landing in Europe…you’ll get your sleep situation straightened out faster.
My rule of thumb for international travel is to travel with my charles schwab debit card. It’s been so helpful in asia and europe!
I am fairly new to the points world (started in October) and found your blog during a Google search. One of the first articles I read was on the usefulness of the Chase Sapphire Preferred. I got this card in October and am already up to 73k UR points! Enough for my wife and I to take a vacation to Mexico or the Caribbean (though I’m trying to convince her we would be better to save for a trip to Russia!) Thanks for getting me off to a great start!!
Sign up for all the cards you can and travel the world for free in style!! Thanks Gary and Happy Holidays!
When we travel to a North American city, we always check out Goldstar before departing — we have found great deals on plays, concerts and other public events, often off-the-beaten-track events that are not widely published on tourist sites. For instance, in New York City we snagged (at 1/2 price) tickets to an outdoor theater/murder mystery where the actors were in 19th Century period costume scattered across the East Village. It was a tremendous event and our NYC hosts knew nothing about it!
I have really learned a lot about the different credit cards out there;What’s best for what. I’m a newbie to the points system and your explanations of the good ones are spot on.
Research, do your homework. This stuff is really worthwhile!
Enjoy your life!
Great advice here is to book a premium cabin award on a Star carrier with United miles.
Help the employees to help you. Provide out of the box suggestions such as irrational routings. Be calm, but firm when the employee is not familiar with policies. Request escalation when necessary.
Use social media and all communication methods to your advantage. While standing in line in an IRROP, tweet, then call for rebook.
Your best travel tip was regarding Andaz poppy seed pancakes.
My best travel tip for people trying to use United Paper GPUs on LH is LH437/436 ORD-DUS and vis versa.
No FCT, no new biz seats but a pretty easy upgrade to C or F and I like old F just fine as I bring my iPad for entertainment. DUS is great for transfers.
Also the HAM LH Worldshop looks like a storage locker but has huge inventory if you know what you want.
Thanks for the blog
One of the most useful thing you have taught me is how to overide the thermostat in most hotel rooms to set your own temperature and keep it running, even when out of the room!
Scan a copy of your passport, travel documents, credit card numbers and phone numbers, etc. and send to yourself so in the unlikely event of theft you have quick access to the information you need.
Diversify your point balances. You never know which currency might come in handy down the road.
Be careful not to spread your eggs all over _ Keep them in a few baskets. Tom
Best travel tip ever may be to hang up and call back. Also to do your research before calling so you can “help” the agent to find a good solution (the one you want)for your problem.
There’s lot of good stuff but my favorite was the reminder that if you’re calling customer service and not getting satisfaction just hang up before they document anything and call back. The second or third time, you’ll get the answer you wanted. Also, if you’re on hold for a long time, they aren’t helping.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Signature Card has an extensive benefits package (pamphlet is 48 pages long) and includes such items as lost baggage insurance, trip delay coverage, trip interruption coverage, and price protection. Did I forget to mention no foreign transaction fees and an annual 7% points bonus?
Thank you, Gary, for turning me onto this great card.
I would say the best lessons I have learned is if you get a chance to use your award, use them. I have wasted several free hotel awards because I want to wait until the best value to use them.
Best tip I got from this blog: hang up, call back.
Know which cards charge international service fees. You don’t want to get hit with a foreign transaction fee on top of some unfavorable currency conversions.
When traveling to foreign countries it’s always good to have some cash of that country’s currency. And if there’s a good chance you’ll be going back; don’t bother exchanging your money back at the end of the trip. You can always save the cash and use it for a future trip.
Your blog made me aware that my only hope of booking a suite award on Singapore Airlines was to have KrisFlyer miles, since partners never get access to those awards, and that only one suite per flight would be available for the route we wanted, which was LAX-SIN.
So I transferred miles out of Amex Membership Rewards and got one suite for free. We paid for the other but it was SO worth it. We recently returned from an absolutely amazing trip to Singapore; Chiang Mai (for the lantern festival); Luang Prabang, Laos; Hanoi; Halong Bay; and Siem Reap (Angkor Wat).
It was a true bucket list trip, and we couldn’t have done it without you! Thanks, Gary.
Best piece of advice I’ve learned: Always verify that an award ticket for travel on a partner has been issued. Call the operating airline to verify that the ticket is ready for travel. Particularly important on Star Alliance awards booked via United!
I always check OTAs for hotel rates to try to do a best rate guarantee. Can save a lot of money for not too much effort.
Keep applying for credit cards with good rewards on a regular basis as long as you have the financial responsibility to pay your bills on time.
Get star alliance Gold status by signing up and crediting your flight to Aegean airlines. 20k miles gets you domestic lounge access at United Clubs
In case of transportation delays be proactive in finding alternative arrangements that work for your schedule and needs instead of waiting for your turn to speak to an onsite agent.
The best advice I’ve come across is from the post entitled “Traveling with Business Attire in Your Carryon.” It’s a true classic. I thought I had some good tricks (like wrapping everything up in dry cleaners’ plastic, which helps), but I can’t tell you how much time–and, frankly, money, as a result of being able to avoid hotel dry cleaning and pressing charges–this has saved me on short business trips.
I learned many things from this blog since the beginning of the year. I learned how to increase my miles redemption and getting the big credit card bonus which helped me getting some nice award trips to Europe without spending too much cash, one of the most important things is to use a visa signature card when booking a fligh 😉
The most useful thing I have learned is using 4500 Avios for DCA-ORD, a notoriously expensive route. Thanks Gary!
Not being afraid to do yoga when you’re in first class by yourself!
Through this blog I learned that I am not limited to the itineraries that web-search shows or agent finds, but that there are in fact a limitless number of options to get from point A to point B if you learn the rules of a program and do your own research. This includes creative routing rules to include extra destinations, stopovers, oven-jaws, building 3 trips from two award redemption, etc.
Another important lesson I learned, is that extremely good opportunities are very short-lived, and we need to follow slick-deals rule if we want to take advantage of them (buy now think later). This applies to 100k offers for Amex cards as well as mistake fares (4 miles trip to HKG) or even super-sales.
Don’t get frustrated – hang up. Call back.
Short but sweet, the advice on “farming your airline award tickets”
Besides all the usual stuff you can get away with on US Airways awards, they strictly enforce the “one stopover” rule…. but they don’t strictly enforce it when changing your ticket
I’ve had several instances where I originally had a 24 hours making the ticket illegal (not that my ticket wasn’t already illegal :))
So long as I don’t make it a really obvious change, I’ve never had an agent say something along the lines of “you can’t make that change because it would cause a 2nd stopover”
my middle paragraph above should say “I’ve had several instances where I originally had a sub-24 hours connection changed to more than 24 hours…”
I have learned a lot of useful stuff from this blog, but probably the most important is the most basic: ANYONE is capable of doing these things!
Even as a loyal AA flyer I had never investigated distance-based awards until your post. Was able to book an excellent trip sampling premium cabin offerings on a variety of OneWorld airlines at more or less the same mileage cost as a RT redemption to Asia. Distance Zone 6 really is a sweet spot!
One tip I came across elsewhere is the use of United (formerly Continental) Plan B for Business to waitlist for saver availability in I. I’ve used it as a non-elite with mixed success (more wins than losses actually), and given the paucity of other options for upgrading when I is full at the time of booking, it’s the best chance I’ve got. Of course there may be those who don’t want to risk sitting in Y for a 14-hour vacation flight, but for flights you have to take anyway, I find it worthwhile to throw my hat in the ring.
great blog, thanks!
Pay your credit card bills on time!!! Do not overextend yourself in pursuit of this miles and points game.
Always buy a local pre-paid Simcard for data or voice instead of using your roaming plan. It is much cheaper. also download apps before you leave the country to save data charge. use smartphone for everything(maps,food,points of interest)
I have learned to collect miles with a purpose. When I first started, I just applied for any and every card I could with no plans on how to use them. Now I know that if I would have planned more strategically I can do so much more with them (before they devalue!). Thanks for a fantastic blog.
I bring a small power strip, so only need one outlet, and one adapter to recharge everyone’s electronic gadgets.
oops fat fingers hit submit too early.
if you are doing manufactured spend on credit cards, be careful to not let you card balances close with too much spend on the card as this will negatively affect your credit rating. Always keep your card balances below 5-10% max on statement closing. Also do not carry any balances on the majority of your cards or even $1 balances on too many cards will also negatively ding your credit rating.
I always make sure to bring photocopies of my important travel docs + credit cards, and also leave a copy with someone not traveling with me so that they can assist if there’s an issue that comes up and I can’t access what I have with me.
Always carry a power strip
Best travel tip: Don’t fear the math. Starting with very simple tools like an google docs spreadsheet and your basic travel information and goals will help you double check loyalty programs and also will prevent you from spending more to fuel your travel habit (bad) but spending more wisely to fuel your travel habit (good)
I find there’s always time while taxiing to throw the relevant trip data into my google spreadsheet but that might just be due to O’Hare’s long taxi
I really enjoy the occasional financial analysis and strategic insights, in addition to the ton of travel advice.
Applying for the 50,000 point personal Alaska Airlines BofA Visa and the 25,000 point business version in one churn will get you enough points for a one-way Cathay Pacific first ticket to South Africa with a long stopover in Hong Kong.
Using British Airways avois to book short-haul AA domestic flights are cheap. Really need to have some flexible points to transfer. It’s a shame to lack a little bit more points but too expensive to buy at that time.
Following your blog is most important, then being patient with booking the flights you want so as to upgrade to business or higher. With AA, you can take a downgrade at first and wait it out so when the seats you want open up, you get the better seats.
I carry a decoy wallet when traveling abroad, filled with irrelevant or expired cards. Not only is it a lifesaver in preventing someone stealing your money/important documents, but mentally it just makes me feel less paranoid when out and about (and thus actually enjoying where I’ve gone!).
When there are disruptions on my award tickets and I need to be reaccomodated, if there are good options with other carriers I always try to get rebooked on them instead. It almost always results in full mileage earning on the new booking.
Going on a ski trip? You can leave your skis at home and rent when you get to your destination. But, ALWAYS bring your own boots.
Your advice for which credit cards to use for different purchases has helped me tremendously to maximize my points earnings. It snowballs from there to give me great trips to locations around the world where your advice still contributes to satisfying trips!
Take plastic cable ties AND fingernail clippers with you to the airport. The ties can quickly be added to bags that have to be checked at the counter or, if overheads are full, at the gate. They don’t stop someone determined from getting into your bag – but you will know it has been opened.
And the clippers are to be able to open the bag at your destination.
Always pack liquids in plastic bags to prevent spillage.
By far, the best tip I’ve gotten from this blog is the Southwest 50K point signup bonus plus the companion pass. Between my girlfriend and I, we are on our way to 200K points min, plus 2 companion passes. We’ll now be able to travel with my two daughters free (with all our points or cheaply (essentially half price) for the next year and a half or so. Since I recently booked a lot of super-cheap international trips for the coming months, I’m looking forward exploring the U.S. for the remainder of 2014 and 2015. As if that were not amazing enough, we’ll both have enough points to make WN A-List Preferred which gives us Priority Check-in/Security, Priority Boarding, Standby Priority, Free WiFi, and a 100% on all future points earning. Thanks Gary!!!
I have learned how to search for redemption seats by using the United and ANA websites for Star Alliance business class tickets! Thanks Gary!!!
The best advice I ever got from this blog was how to apply for credit cards and earn air miles, without hurting my credit score. I’ve traveled so many amazing places for free that I wouldn’t be able to otherwise afford.
the most useful thing I’ve learned from this blog: Saving Money on Foreign Currency Transactions!
Always carry a power strip. 🙂
Always call your credit card companies to alert them that you will be using the card abroad!
This tip you publicized here (http://viewfromthewing.com/2012/06/01/oneworld-treats-passengers-better-during-irregular-operations-when-connecting-on-separate-tickets/) about irregular operations on separate tickets involving AA and/or oneworld carriers was a LIFESAVER!
I booked two separate legs (AA & KA) with separate FFPs (due to insufficient balance): one with AA miles, the other with CX miles. I am so glad I read your post and saved it for reference because as (bad) luck would have it, my KA flight was delayed, causing a misconnection at PEK. The AA ground staff (third-party) were telling me that I would have to make a new booking until I showed them this rule and they checked with “headquarters” – who confirmed this and offered me a hotel and a seat on the next flight. Otherwise, I probably would have had to make an expensive, last-minute full-fare money booking.
THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!
When flying overseas and checking a bag, always assume that there will be a 1 day delay between the time of your arrival at your destination and the arrival of your checked bag. Pack your carry-on accordingly.
For years I collected miles on airline programs, most often AA. I used my AA credit cards to collect several million miles over a decade. And I got some nice trips out of those miles.
However, you taught me the error of my mileage earning ways! Flexible points cards are SO MUCH MORE USEFUL than merely putting miles on my Citi AA cards. I’ve gotten tremendous benefit from my 2 Chase UR rewards cards. Tons of points and tremendous flexibility. The Park Hyatt Vendome is calling my name! Also thanks to you, I’ve used a new Amex Starwood to great benefit for collecting points and transferring to programs of my choice.
Regardless of whether I “win” something in this contest, I really do want to thank you for showing me how to not only get more miles but much more useful and thus valuable miles from my Frequent Flyer efforts. 🙂
Travel advice. When I travel,I got the extra large zip lock baggies (these are much larger than the ones for food).I pack all my clothes in them and it makes it a snap to unpack at the hotel.I keep my clothes in the bags in the drawers and it also safeguards against bedbugs and other bugs,as well.
If you’re late to the airport and the check-in agent says that you’ve missed the 30-minute cut-off, don’t bother yelling. Instead, ask for a gate pass (the agents will usually give that to you) and if you can get to the gate within 15 minutes of take-off, the gate person will often get you on the flight. This has saved me more times than I’d like to recall. Of course, check in before you get to the airport, so that you already have your boarding pass.
I have learned so much from being a daily reader of your blog so it is hard to pick the single best piece of advice I have learned. My tip is to “do your research” – the time spent doing it is half the fun of the trip itself. Going forward I hope to fully enjoy the blessing of this “hobby” by remembering that it is indeed a “blessing” and not a “right”.
Best advice/thing I’ve learned: It never hurts to ask! Upgrades and free drinks abound…
Best travel tip–spraying saline solution in your nose during a flight. The bottles are OTC and under the 3 oz rule and the simple act does wonders in keeping you feeling fresh on a low humidity airliner.
Use credit cards without foreign transaction fees. When I was first traveling abroad I didn’t realize they existed but now save money by using cards that have no fees.
Best travel/credit card advice: if it’s not posted on this website it doesn’t exist!!!!
The single best piece of advice from you Gary is to diversify my points balance. The possibilities offered by Avianca, British Airways, Alaska in addition to those provided by transferable points, really do open up the world of hard to get to places! And as a bonus, in this year of multifarious devaluations, provide a good hedging strategy.
The best thing I’ve learned form this blog is if you have an Amex Platinum, always route through Dallas and hit up the Centurion Lounge!
Best thing I’ve learned from the blog is how important it is to Diversify your holdings and to burn what you earn relatively quickly. This is especially important with all the recent devaluations (Hilton, United, etc.)
Best thing I’ve learned here, could also count as advice: always be willing to look at other mileage/point programs besides your default status frequent flyer and guest programs. Otherwise one would miss out on offers through USDM, Lifemiles, even ANA MileageClub for short distances.
Another great thing I’ve learned from the blog….You can be greatly rewarded for being creative. Portal Bonuses and promo bonuses can greatly increase you points without too much work and a little creativity!
The travel power strip that you have mentioned several times is a great tip!
A great piece of advice i found was when traveling to a foreign country, have the steward/stewardess write the name of the hotel in the native language. This way you can show the driver and make sure you get to the right place.
When calling to book award travel, research all the flights ahead of time via the best alliance site (e.g. ANA for Star Alliance), and then lead the call with the agent to get exactly the flights and times you want.
Best travel related tip: always carry wet wipes! You never know where that seat and tray table has been before.
When you get a phone representative who is not helpful, hang up and call again.
Advice- always keep a travel umbrella in your luggage. I can’t count the number of times I had to buy an umbrella when I got to a city without a rain jacket and it started raining.
Fortunately, that means I have umbrellas for each of my bags now
Even though the value of a mile is arbitrary, Look at your spend patterns to see what you get vs Cashback. With international Business class going on sale so frequently you might get better value with Cashback vs Miles.
Travel light; there are many things you don’t need to bring and can buy on the ground.
There’s one tip that, if implemented, can INSTANTLY improve anyone’s travels (and life).
It’s simple, yet incredibly difficult at the same time. But those who master it reap the rewards for the rest of their lives.
Here it is: Do not waste your mental and emotional energy on the things you cannot control.
Flight delayed? Bags lost? Terrible service? Missed connection?
In 100% of these cases, life goes on. The sooner you internalize that and learn to approach these situations with calm rather than panic, the better your travels will be.
Gary, you were a great example of this on your recent DFW weather debacle. Keep calm and carry on, etc…
It’s amazing how many flyers — even seasoned travelers — throw tantrums that help nobody when things don’t go their way.
This blog, unlike many others, promotes a balanced approach to earning and burning miles that is sustainable over the long term. This rational, pragmatic approach is truly what sets VFTW apart–more than any single credit card bonus or award loophole.
Dont put all your eggs in one or few baskets. Diversify!
For the coffee lovers… Remember to drink coffee at your usual times, taking into account the time zones shifts. A few hours after missing your scheduled dose the caffeine withdrawal symptoms start to set in.
“best travel-related advice”
Read “VIEW FROM THE WING” of course!
Sit on the left side of the airplane. Many (admittedly older) configurations have an extra airbag on the right side for lap children but not on the left. Thus, you avoid having to sit next to infants. I suppose I could check out the configuration ahead of time to be sure, but I just have internalized a “sit on the left” rule.
I will leave a specific travel tip from a trip I took to Puerto Rico last year. First, PR is an AWESOME trip for Americans because it is close, fairly cheap, and you get an experience that can feel foreign but without all the hassles.
My tip is to rent a car and explore ALL areas of the island. Do not limit yourself to San Juan and a day trip to the rain forest. A short drive west will lead you to the Arecibo Observatory – an awesome experience that takes you through twisting mountain roads and off the beaten track areas. Continue on to the lighthouses of the west and southwest portions of the island and stop for a quick hike in the dry forest before visiting ponce on the south side. I highly suggest you plan and drive to the highest natural point in Puerto Rico, a somewhat scary 1/4 mile drive up is required, or you can choose to hike it, and the views are spectacular. San Juan and the area has a lot to offer, but in case you didn’t realize it, PR has a ton to offer once you check out all the other options.
Hang up and call again! The stories of success after making multiple attempts to ticket a complex ticket really are a powerful lesson. I managed, on the fifth attempt, to add a segment to a UA award involving VS that was ticketed prior to the merger when VS was a CO partner. There was no good reason is couldn’t be done, and I finally found a good agent who could make the change!
If you use a mobile boarding pass, screenshot the pass w/ QR code in advance so it is a photo when you get up to the TSA agent. You never know when internet access may be limited and you can’t load your boarding pass!
Always bring a power strip with you! Splurge on a fancy strip that has a few USB ports too.
Best thing I’ve learned on this blog was probably the ins and outs of using United Miles to book w/ partners for high value award travel across the Atlantic.
Research transit of your destination before you go: this will help you on arrival, your stay, and departure from your location.
Exchange money before getting to the airport because most of the time you can find better deals elsewhere. And always have cash on you because even if you think Visa is accepted everywhere or you have a Chip and don’t need to worry, a lot of countries work on just cash.
Always pack lighter. Try not to pack your bag to the brim when you go somewhere because you may need to put something in there like a souvenir on the way back.
And have all your frequent flyer numbers on you. My girlfriend has forgotten to put in frequent flyer number a few times and if you throw away your tickets like everyone does, the airline sometimes won’t believe you actually flew them. It’s stupid,
So basically, I’m saying be prepared.
Great blog, first thing I read every morning!
On AA awards starting in a gateway city (I live in DFW), you can add an extra free domestic leg (up to 50% of the distance). Just pick a random city within the next year, and tack it on. You can use it or change it later. http://viewfromthewing.com/2012/01/04/dont-forget-to-add-a-segment-to-the-end-of-american-aadvantage-award-bookings/
My best travel tip is take (or get) small bills! If I am heading to places like Vegas or Mexico, I save all my dollar bills for months before. Tips are then never a problem. The tip also works in places where you use foreign currency. After I get money from an ATM, I’ll head into the bank to get small bills instead. Ever try to pay for a coke on the street in Paris with a 100E bill? you get the idea!
The First Class Hack:
– NRT – HKG in ANA F (23 hour stopover in Hong Kong)
– HKG – BKK in Thai F (Thai Royal Orchid Massage Layover)
– BKK – SYD in Thai F
– SYD – RAR = throwaway flight
Total cost = 32,500 United Miles*
(One-way Japan to Oceania First Award)
*Will be 40,000 United Miles after February 1, 2014.
The best thing that I learned from this blog is that perhaps the biggest benefit of lounges is easy access to agents who can make travel changes in a pinch.
One of my best travel tips is to carry Tea Tree Oil (in my little plastic, zip-lock bag). I always put a couple of drops under my nose when I fly, at it seems to beat off many of the airborne / plane bugs. It is also an antiseptic, and it can be used on minor cuts and scrapes to prevent infection. And finally, Tea Tree Oil can be used (diluted in water) to gargle with, if you are suffering from a sore throat.
Aegean Airlines offers star gold after 19000 miles and never expires as long as you credit a flight every 3 years.
Contrary to popular wisdom, I’m going to recommend carrying at least a few travelers checks when going to more remote locations. You should always use your ATM card to withdraw foreign currency if possible. But what would you do if the card doesn’t work?
I had this happen to me a number of years ago arriving in PPT. I was sure glad I could change a $100 travelers check to local currency in order to pay for a cab ride from the airport to the hotel late at night.
When flying United, make sure you repeatedly check the “Flight Status/Seat Map” feature on the website/app starting 3 days before the flight. Seat movements are extremely frequent during this period as elites are upgraded, and if you check frequently you can almost always move your way in to a roomy bulkhead/exit row or otherwise desirable seat, to ensure your travel is a little less painful.
Gift cards in staples with INK card
We take the “fancy” laundry bags from hotels and use them to pack shoes, sandals, etc to help prevent dirt from passing…we have them from all over the world…luckily we havent been charged to date (including last weekend at the Grant)
Hang up call again, wow does that work!
Always call the reconsideration line if you get denied for a credit card as I’ve found 95% of the time that will get you approved. Spread the word about miles and point collecting to friends but don’t be surprised when almost all of them don’t take you up in joining in the fun. But don’t be afraid to share your stash with friends and family as that can be very rewarding and satisfying as well.
My best piece of advice I’ve learned here is to always check this blog for what promotions are running. Thanks to this blog, I remembered to sign up for a Hilton promotion that earned me 4x points on a stay I did in October. It padded my balance very nicely…helping me book an award trip next year. Thanks Gary!
The basic rule of airline customer service – if you don’t get the answer you want from an agent, hang up and call back again.
Stopovers stopovers stopovers. Turn a simple roundtrip into multiple vacation destinations without additional mileage cost. It’s such a basic tenet of the miles world, but something I completely missed out on years ago.
I think one of Gary’s best tips is to be polite. I can’t begin to list the many free drinks, hotel upgrades, etc. that are a result of a smile and a thank you.
The AAdvantage Explorer Award allows you to have stopovers on AAdvantage award trips. It allowed me to take a trip, stopover at my home airport for 9 months and then take another trip all on a single award with multiple destinations during both trips.
For those who love to travel internationally with only a carry on: Always be prepared to check a bag on your return flight, in case you would like to bring home some delicious “liquids”, such as wine and soft cheese. You do not want to be restricted to the costly and limited selection available at the duty free! To get the flexibility of check luggage, either use an expandable carry-on that expands dramatically (and have a personal item that can take all you actually need on board), or better yet have a light but large folding duffel bag (Walmart has a nice wheeled one for 15$). If you are a wine lover, make sure you also pack an empty shoebox or two that you can pad well enough for the bottles to survive the rough handling checked luggage is often subjected to.
My own advice would be to just enjoy you travel. It’s easy to get caught up in making status and earning points, but don’t forget the whole reason you do it!
A multi-tasker: bring an empty water bottle for filling up after security and wrap some duct tape around it a few times. The duct tape trick is something I picked up from my backpacking adventures – because it fixes everything when you’re out in the wilderness. However, I found it’s very handy for non-wilderness adventures as well. I was in Barbados a few weeks ago, and my room air conditioner had a ridiculous bright power light that lit up the entire room. A few layers of duct tape from my Nalgene darkened it out and made for a comfortable night’s sleep.
that’s its possible for regular travelers (not weekly flyers) to also get first class trips
thank you
There is nothing more simple, elegant, or effective as “hang up, call back.”
Your post about double checking United awards for actual ticketing and with partner airlines was very timely. Looked up my award booking a week later and had to call in to push the ticketing through!
Certainly the “hang up and call back” tip is one of the best of Gary’s wisdom.
It has worked for me!
Be kind to service workers, for their sake and yours.
My best tip is to keep yourself informed… stay up to date with the blogs and the forums, so you won’t miss the best travel opportunities.
I always make sure to check my phone roaming/data plan before traveling internationally – making sure changes are activated before I leave so I’m not trying to fix the problem from my destination point. When in doubt, take a phone that you can switch out to a local SIM card – make sure you have a compatible operating system – in some countries CDMA is not the standard…Thanks for all you advice Gary.
Honestly, the most important thing I’ve learned from this blog is that I need to check this blog regularly – you always announce interesting news and you provide a great analysis of what is going on.
Travel credit cards are NOT all created equal! Don’t find out AFTER you’re back in the country that your favorite daily-spend card charges you a foreign transaction fee. Follow Gary’s blog and learn the differences between all the card program’s benefits and gotchas!
Thanks for all you do Gary!
Best thing I learned from this blog – email the hotel GM before a special occasion. My wife and I went to the Grand Hyatt Cannes for our anniversary with no status and they upgraded us to an ocean view deluxe room and gave us complimentary champagne and strawberries. Hat tip to you Gary.
Advice: Blogs/artilces are from one persons viewpoint/experiences. The program(s) that are best for them may not be the program that is best for you. Keep an open mind while tailoring for what program(s) best meet your preferences/travel style
Best travel advice I learned was to get cash from the airport ATM at your international destination for the best exchange rate.
The thing I’ve learned: Not all blogs are created equal.
I read View From the Wing and the Wandering Aramean for insight into the business and operational side of airlines. Other blogs feature largely very similar content. I’m subscribed to a few, but I consistently visit View From the Wing for its insight, and that of its readers.
Your blog is a service to the community, Gary. Thank you.
If you are checking bags, take a picture of your luggage with your Smartphone. So if it does get lost or delayed, you can show the photo to the lost luggage staff for easy identification.
Best tip is definitely hang up, call back. It’s saved me a few occasions.
The most useful thing I learned from this blog was so simple in retrospect, but never occurred to me beforehand. Online res systems don’t show full partner award space.
Learning about various tools, using partner airline websites, and calling and asking have opened up much more availability, and better routing, than I thought existed previously!
If transit is easy from the airport of your final destination, consider renting a car downtown rather than the airport to avoid hefty airport rental car fees. PDX is great for this.
Your best tip was the reminder that Ink cards qualify for two free lounge visits per year!! I did not know that! Very useful!
I always travel with a powerstrip since I bring a lot of electronics.
When traveling abroad I always adopt the following tips to reduce the chance of having problems that can turn the trip into a nightmare:
1) If possible, take money from ATM INSIDE the baggage claim area. That avoids people hanging out in the arrivals terminal to see you are getting money and probably try to follow you;
2) get transportation from an official agency. If possible I book a hotel car. It can be more expensive but at least I know the price in advance and I am sure i will be taken to the hotel;
3) When arriving at the hotel, make sure you get the hotel cards with their address written in the local language. It is a life saver if you need to get a taxi back to the hotel;
4) Always carry a copy of your most important personal documents. I save a PDF copy online (Dropbox) so I can access any time I need from any computer;
5) The less valuable stuff you show around, the better. Depending on the country I am going to visit, I carry a cheap watch and only the essential cards in my wallet. I also try to carry iD (passport, driver’s license, etc..) separate from my wallet. In case of stolen, I don’t want people to have my driver’s license with my full name, photo and home address;
6) I always carry my smart phone as the only electronic I need. I can make calls, take pictures and access internet when wifi is available. Make sure you fully back up your phone at home prior to your trip so in case of lost or stolen you have all your data safe at home.
It may seem too much but these are simple tips that you will regret not taking in case of something goes wrong. Enjoy your trip!!!!
Minimize connections. Any time you can go non-stop, go non-stop. Any time you connect, you waste an entire day and put your entire trip at risk.
Hang up and call again! In the words of Brian Fontana “60% of the time, it works every time”.
Always take an emergency t-shirt, socks & knickers in your carry-on. You never know when your checked bag might get lost or delayed.
Be polite, be nice and treat people with kindness. You’d be surprised how many people get caught up in this “elite” game and forget how to treat people. I remember seeing a gate agent getting berated to no extent several years ago. Even before I knew what status meant, I remember getting bumped to business class several times by simply asking and being nice about it.
Your advice on bringing a portable power strip has been invaluable. Thank you.
It sounds simple, but have a goal when you are collecting miles/points otherwise you end up scattered and can’t earn/burn as well. While I read this I took a bit for this to sink in. Good Advice!
Hi Gary – love the blog. Best advice I got from the blog and tip I have to offer comes from the same trip. Used the info here to get to the Maldives on Cathay via CMB where we took Sri Lanka airlines for the last leg. We got in late as expected and actually stayed at the transit hotel in the airport. For those considering this option, be prepared – it’s very dorm like with a subpar bathroom. Plus, the airport staff will do as much as possible to try to get you to leave the airside. We were on our third person before we could get the help desk to print out our tickets for the next leg. This is all on top of needing to interline your bags at the start of the trip, which was a challenge in itself – this is when going through first class check in really helps as the cathay agent spent about 20 minutes working on it in JFK.
Now, with Cathay service to MLE plus Malaysia offerings, I was able to help bypass this issue all together. Definitely would go that route if you can
Keep some spare cash ($1s and $5s) for various tipping reasons, even to the extent of possible helpful passerby’s if you get lost, it’s usually very appreciated and gets people to pay much more attention to the directions they’re giving.
Bring ziploc bags, take the laundry bags from hotels, utilize hotel amenity kits, and bring a no-foreign-fee credit card!
When travelling to the States, always ask the money exchange people for 20 – 30 dollars in one dollar bills – comes in handy for tipping (especially in the UA lounge).
The best lessons I’ve learned from the blog are not unique to travel but apply to decisions pretty generally: consider a wide range of alternatives, don’t ignore opportunity costs, remember that alternatives have differential effects at the margins. Well, that and the Andaz poppyseed pancakes.
be a good neighbor (and airport hero) and bring a powerstrip to help everyone charge their phones/tablets/gadgets!
Can’t stress enough how important it is to be polite and considerate when traveling, it gets you much, much further than acting like a privileged westerner/tourist.
My tip is to use a clear organizer pouch (like the medium-sized ones from Tom Bihn) to keep all my reservations and receipts for a trip in one place. Stack them in order of need before departure and rotate through them as the trip progresses so the next one needed is on top and visible, so I never have to hunt for reservation/confirmation #s. I also keep it tethered to the bag with a 16″ “key strap” so I can’t drop it or lose it.
The best thing that I’ve learned from this blog is about getting Star Alliance Gold by crediting miles to Aegean.
For a traveler like me who mostly travels on award tickets and a few paid trips a year for pleasure plus a couple business trips a year it is impossible to get status in any other traditional airline. But, by getting the Gold in Aegean I’ll be able to get lounge access domestically which is GREAT!
“Hang Up, Call Back”… Most important words in travel!!!
When having to call an airline don’t make yourself crazy if you encounter an unhelpful or uncaring agent. Politely hang up and call again (and again, if necessary).
My advice is to plan and don’t be afraid of foreign places. The best places are the most reviewed and “divey” looking.
Try to use your credit cards as much as possible – if you don’t get points, than what is the point?
Best thing I’ve learned from this blog is a simple rule, but one that is often forgotten: Everything has a cost.
When trying to analyze if buying miles is worth it, what the cost of MS really is, or what the value of points in x program is, always think of what you could be doing instead and what your time is worth.
The best thing that I learned has been to be proactive when traveling, not passive. What do I mean by that? Take the lead, and take control of the situation. When you go to book an award, know the routing and availability from online searches and lead the agent through the call. When your flight has weather or mechanical issues, know what your options are so that when you talk to an agent you can lead them in getting you onto new flights. Be proactive in getting into the hotel room you want, since hotel employees have lots of discretion. And of course, be nice!
I started this mile collecting game with very little knowledge. I only knew how to apply for a credit card to get the bonus and make reservations by relying on phone agent to put together the itinerary for me. In a short few months I learned from the blog everything from manufacture spendings, effective ways to search for seats, double/triple dips to earn points/miles, etc. I have successfully booked my first complicates itinerary for 4 to fly business class to Asia!
The most useful thing I’ve learned from this blog is that applying for multiple credit cards won’t damage your credit, and that it’s the best way to accrue hotel points and air miles. My fiancee and I will be able to stay in all hotels on our Australia/South Pacific honeymoon completely for free thanks to the tips I’ve learned!
Thank you for all your advice.
Your trip report to Park Hyatt Maldives inspires us to take the same trip to Maldives. Using your tips we are able to fly half round the world to be at Maldives in style. Thanks!
Using a Schwab debit card to avoid foreign transaction and atm fees. Real money saver.
hang up, call back
diversify miles/points
use award wallet to organize
Short and sweet, earn and burn. The lesson from you, earn low, burn high, and never waste your time or money on Delta.
Don’t make a move on travel until I read what you have to say!!
Thanks
I must say.. the best travel tip I have is : Roll your cloths during packing. Save space and neat. Always take advantage of airport lounges to save some drink money and “sometime” quiet time.
Pack complete individual outfits for each day in large (2 gallon) plastic zip bags – smaller for kids. Tops, bottoms, underwear, socks, etc. That way you don’t have to scrounge around for clothing, messing up your suitcase or drawers, plus – the TSA people won’t be directly touching your underwear!
Advice: For complex itineraries to far off places, lock in the segments that are the hardest to come by as soon as you see availability; then ticket the award with anything available on the “easier” to find routes that you know space will likely open up in the future. It may cost you $150 or so to change the award, but I think that is a reasonable price to pay to get to a hard to reach destination (like New Zealand) where direct flights are seldom available, or the desired connecting flights never seem to line up all at once.
Gary – One of tips I have learnt from this blog is the tip that Saudia is a partner for Delta and it makes getting to India immensely easy especially for a family.
Another great tip from Gary: buy a Milepoint premium package … (which I did)
The key is perseverance when searching for award seats. If availability isn’t there the first time you search, try the next day, and the next, etc.
Check that an award ticket for travel on a partner has been issued.
Learn how to pack minimally so you can always carry on your bags rather than checking them!
Pack lightly so you don’t need to check luggage.
With airline and hotel programmes devaluing on a regular basis, don’t be too much of a hoarder. Set a points goal and go for it!
Credit card tip that I always keep in the back of my mind for frugal travelers: a purchase may give you points/miles, but does the cost and usefulness of purchase exceed the point value? Take home message: Don’t buy things you don’t need just to get points.
Your blog has really helped me and my family take truly aspirational trips that cost tens of thousands of dollars for taxes, fees, and some credit card applications! When I was hiking the Great Wall in china with my wife this Thanksgiving, we realized how truly thankful we are for the opportunities that your blog and my travel habits have afforded us! Staying at Park Hyatt’s and flying in Business First for 15 hours is a priceless experience!
My best tip that I learned here is the earn and burn. It makes no sense to sit a large stash of points and miles. This year has been a great re-enforcer of this.
I learned that delta allows stopovers on domestic awards. A great way to make sky miles more valuable.
Best advice: If you see a deal or price mistake, book it and worry about the rest later…
When traveling (even to the mall), take a photo of your car in the parking spot. You’ll have your space number and license plate. Just in case…
Best travel advice: you can get sources of information about what to do, what to see and how to get there for the best price from everywhere (family, friends, blogs, internet) but ultimately YOU need to decide what’s in your best interest and what you want to do. Take the trip for you (and your fellow companions if applicable), not for others
best advice i ever got was an ex-CMB fare. simply loved Emirates F and their amazing lounge. BA F wasn’t too bad either.
The best advice I learned is to garden your flight reservations. Its always best to catch problems while they are still fixable.
Never carry high rewards and miles balances. Unlike investment, there are no interests. Hotels and Airlines also devalue their programs all the time. When you have a trip in mind, book them as soon as you have enough points.
Award space needs to be identified segment by segment before you call to book. Agents spend a lot of time telling people “no” and rarely do more than a simple search without prompting and they are unlikely to find interesting routings, well-timed stopovers, etc. that can be used to find space when it appears unavailable. By using availble online tools to find space (even if you can’t book online) you’re much more likely to get where you want to go.
Travel advice: take all the pictures you want. It’s best to have options, and yes, especially get the really stupid posed one you kind of want but are embarrassed to ask a stranger to take for you – you’ll be glad you have it later!
I started 2.5 years ago doing this with just 1 AA card putting everything I could on it. With that in mind I was not getting hardly any return…Fast forward to today and thanks to your blog and others I have learned how this world works and am now a full on mileage geek
Thanks
Best blog for signups and credit card info. Period.
In this digital age, I still make sure to have a hard copy of everything. Phones die, signals drop, stuff happens. Having that paper copy has saved me numerous times and given me leverage, which is a heck of a lot better than being tired and desperate.
Also, when visiting countries that don’t use the same characters as the US, I get the hotel name in that country’s characters. So useful with cab drivers to get to the right place.
From my perspective the big picture point that I have taken from years of reading the blog is that a whole new world of possibilities open up if you start considering the journey to be as much of the trip as the destination. Everything else I’ve done in this crazy miles and points world has come from truly internalizing that.
I learned that booking Award Tickets at 330 days out is a myth. In the past few years, there’s at least two trips that never would have happened if I didn’t know that I’d likely have a pretty good shot at getting award flights less than two months out before traveling.
My favorite travel tip is to leverage the steam from a hot shower to quickly and easily remove wrinkles.
If at first you don’t succeed, try try again… (kindly hang up and call back until you get a more proficient airline / hotel rep who will accommodate the itinerary you want) 🙂
Always keep spare medication in your carryon/personal item. Nothing like flying from the US to Australia and your suitcase didn’t travel with you, and your meds were inside your luggage. Lesson learned the hard way
for me, a great tip was BA gold gets you into the aa flagship lounges. Thank you!!!
I’ve thanked you before and I’ll gladly do so again: thanks to your blog, I managed to keep warm at the Hyatt for free (instead of paying $600/night) during Hurricane Sandy. I live in Chelsea and the area was out of power for 4 days/nights. I spoke to people paying $700 – $1500/night just because the hotels could afford and managed to gouge people desperately in need but yet, I got two nights for free because I applied for the Hyatt Visa (other two nights were on SPG but that’s beside the point). So, thank you.
The best thing I learned from this blog is to double and triple check all reservations. Just because you are sent a confirmation email doesn’t mean your flights have actually been ticketed.
Interesting blog; oft times very helpful
Perhaps the most useful post on all travel blogs – your award search tool posts, How to search and what to look for. Have been extremely helpful on many an occasion.
Every Christmas, I fly overseas to visit relatives. Naturally, I bring presents. It used to irk me that I would have to come back with empty luggage and still have to go through the checked-baggage pick-up process. I bought a couple of large Red Oxx Aviator Duffels to solve the problem. On the way back, they fold up and go in my carry-on.
“Stack” savings whenever possible. First, enroll in the Dining Rewards Network of your choice (most every airline is a participant); second, look for a Restaurant.com, Groupon, Living Social, Travelzoo, etc. for any of the restaurants in the Dining Rewards Network; finally, check if the restaurant is also on Open Table. When you can score a “triple play,” the benefits can be significant!
My favorite tip is: If you can solve the problem for $20 or less, it’s not worth stressing about and it’s not worth your time. Save those (or at least just your time) for the bigger things.
Always pack a keychain LED flashlight. You never know when it might come in handy during your travels. Power outages, walking to your hotel room when there are hardly any lights, trying to catch the sunrise and have to walk about in complete darkness beforehand, etc. I’ve found the most random times was when I needed it.
Whenever there is a cheap fare, don’t hold out, buy it before they go up.
the most useful thing i have learned from view from the wing was how to get instant silver status with virgin atlantic last summer, I then used that status to have UA match/challenge prior to my trip to kona, we got free upgrade to coach plus seating for the trip.
The best advice that I ever got was to open a BankDirect money market account to earn American Airlines miles. I opened accounts for myself and my wife and maxed out, earning 40,000 miles per month between us for the better part of two years, before the bank changed the program. In the process, this helped me to earn lifetime Gold status on AA (before they changed that program) and accumulate more than 1,000,000 AA miles (tax free), which my family of 4 has used for trips to Puerto Rico (for a cruise), Hawaii and other destinations.
I learned the true value of a Skypeso.
Best Comment: use BA Avios for short haul flights! it’s such a big miles savor, especially great given BA doesn’t charge close in award booking!
Make sure you carry a digital scale when travelling international to avoid the ludicrous baggage fees. Weigh the check-in luggages before you leave for the airport.
Never carry your wallet in your back pocket, and never carry your purse on just your shoulder.
I think the most important thing I learned from reading the site is how to leverage different partner carrier’s search engine to book awards. I always had trouble using awards that I accumulated since there never seem to be any availability. Now, I can check the spaces ahead of time and plan the route before the phone call with a rep. My Avios points have been so valuable now that I have been using it for short distance flights with Alaska. I now regret blowing through a bunch of them on hotel stays. Also, searching availability as one-ways also help quite a bit.
My best travel-related advice would be to always be aware of your surroundings! 🙂
British Airways shorthaul awards using Avios and AA off-peak Europe awards are amazing. I booked a one-way DKR-MAD coupled with an offpeak AA MAD-DFW for substantially fewer points than anything else out there.
Always shower. Becoming an elite member and getting lounge access is a huge benefit. Always plan to shower if possible, especially on international trips. You never know when some of those trips will take a turn for the worse and especially on tight connections and mileage runs. Also, using the lounge to save money on food and bottled water makes so much sense.
If you want to get bumped, fly early Monday morning. Flights are full and nobody flies early Monday morning unless they have to, increasing the chances of a bump.
The Chase Sapphire card has been my go-to card, and the American Express Platinum 100,000 point offer last January has kept me very happy in lounges all around the world. What a wonderful perk/benefit.
Pick up a local SIM card as soon as you land for your unlocked phone. You’ll save a ton of money and be able to connect with locals you meet much more easily.
Most useful things – Skyguide Executive Club. Love the access to the lounges since I don’t have access through a credit card. Very convenient and pays for itself in no time whatsoever. Thanks!
The most useful thing I have learned from this website was from the article “Traveling with Business Attire in Your Carryon” I travel a lot for work and always wasted so much time ironing my clothes and checking bags. Thanks Gary!
The best advice I read was about the effect of credit card signups on credit scores and managing your credit. This advice has allowed me to stay in the game for a good long while now. Knowing which banks pull which credit reports, when to cancel cards and the effect of inquiries on each of my credit reports has kept my scores in the high 700’s and has kept me at a high auto-approval rate.
Always have the name/address/phone of who you are staying with, or at least know of a local hotel you can pretend you’re staying at. After being detained by customs arriving in Dakar, Senegal for 30 minutes, I always carry this with me.
Use a professional to book complex award travel.
Always check (& recheck) seat assignments after booking is complete. Best to consult more than one source on good/bad seats; I generally use SeatGuru, SeatExpert, and/or the applicable FT thread.
What I’ve learned from following Gary is that all it takes to travel luxuriously for almost no money is repeated small investments of time and effort.
The most useful thing I’ve learned from this blog? Simple & basic – credit card applications are the easiest way to rack up miles and diversify into multiple programs. I had no idea that was the case when I started this hobby/obsession five years ago. Thanks Gary!
I haven’t been reading long since I am new to the game, but the hotel loyalty posts and advice are the most useful to me. I am not yet up to complicated multi-partner award redemption flights that will make the other posts more helpful in time 🙂
With out a doubt.
Hang up and call back has to be number 1.
“Garden your reservations” or follow up on your booking
to confirm that nothing has changed, is a close second.
The best tip I’ve learned is to use Avios for shorter flights on domestic partners. Thanks!
Some great advice that has always been preached with the Ink cards is to leverage the 5x UR points for purchases that wouldn’t otherwise offer a bonus. We needed to purchase $2000 worth of baby supplies and furniture from Buy Buy Baby (where you can use Bed Bath and Beyond GC). Went to Staples and picked up $2000 in Bed Bath and Beyond GC to pay for our stuff and ended up with 10,000 UR rewards points for a purchase that would have usually only given us 2000 points. 5x is your friend!!!
This is an extremely basic and easy tip, but one you have highlighted several times. Always double check and triple your reservations! Check dates, times, airports, which hotel, which terminal etc.. before you go (and preferably a few days leading up to the travel, if not even more beforehand)
I remember your post not too long about checking into a hotel and they had no record of your reservation as you made a reservation elsewhere.
The best advice I have (having learned the hard way) is to try not to cram too much sightseeing, activities,cities, etc. into a trip. Try to relax some.
Another tip I have is to carry a chip card around Europe, it is very helpful (also make sure it is signed on the back, London is strict about this).
The one simple yet very important thing on your blog I have learned is to always check your reservation. It has saved more than once and almost ruined one of our best holidays! Thanks for your blog!
Your blog helped me wrap my head around major carrier award charts when I first got into points a year or two ago.
Next thing I knew I had a round the world first class ticket booked on United miles that enabled me to see a bit of Europe and Asia all in one shot…while hitting the major first class experiences (Lufthansa terminal, Thai lounge in BKK, Singapore first..).
Thanks for the miles tips this year Gary, happy holidays!
The absolute best way to get to Europe is to use British Airways Avios on Aer Lingus flying from Boston to Dublin.
Only 25,000 Avios round-trip (with less than $100 in taxes) in economy is an unbeatable deal, especially considering how easy it is to amass significant Avios balances.
Always carry-on if you can. If you counted up the time spent sitting at a luggage carousel you’d be shocked. It also helps when your travel plans go awry.
Always pack a go bag to carry with you on the plane, regardless of where you are traveling. Delays, cancellations, and lost bags always make it smart to bring an extra set of clothes, some basic necessities, and extra money.
Wear comfortable, easy to remove shoes when traveling through airports in the US.
Unless a trip is an emergency or last-minute surprise, use points to offset the cost of the trip. Credit card rewards, airline miles, and gift card bonuses have helped my wife and I go on our honeymoon (priced out retail at over $40,000) for roughly $2,000 ($1k of this was airline fees). This site is awesome. Just because you fly first class doesn’t mean you have to pay first class. Be smart, be flexible, and be ready to see the world!
one of the things I learned from you is to hang up and call again if the phone rep is clueless.
Signing up for global entry is the best. No wait at immigration and precheck!
I’ve found that DVD-based workouts, such as yoga, are great to bring along on trips – gives you a chance to work off those tasty restaurant meals in the privacy of your room.
The best part about reading your blog was the ability to teach other how to fly home for cheap. It’s surprising but many of my classmates have no idea what frequent flier programs are or the fact their credit cards can enable yearly flights home back to family. The satisfaction of enabling my peers to go home to family is priceless and is why I value reading your blog so much.
Don’t hesitate to ask for help when you get stuck with complicated award booking or frequent flyer mile questions.
When traveling abroad and the hotel asks if you’d rather pay in the native currency or US Dollars, always pick the native currency. If you pay in US Dollars the hotel will give you a bad exchange rate and you will pay more.
Still best blog post was best use of major airline miles. I always go back to it when deciding where to travel. kudos!
Due to issues when booking award tickets on partner flights, make sure to check with the operating carrier that the ticket is issued, lest you lose the seat you ‘thought’ you had booked.
for me, by far the most useful tool during travels has been a data capable GSM phone. i have been lost in foreign countries more than a few times, but when i have my galaxy nexus phone with me, and buy a local (and most of the time very cheap) SIM card with data credits i have much less to worry about. of course, paying a US-based cellular carrier for service in a foreign country is not as practical since they usually charge way too much. if your phone of choice doesn’t use a regular sized SIM card, it helps to carry a cheap SIM card cutter so you can still buy a regular sized SIM and “make” one of the smaller varieties. before the trip, i always make sure to do the research on where to buy a SIM card with service. figuring it out on the spot can take entirely too much time if you don’t know anyone who can guide you, or have internet access.
My best advice is keeping points in an account that has many transfer partners until the time you are ready to redeem. Devaluations can happen at any time so you may want to change your airline or hotel from what you thought your original plan was going to be.
I learned the value of Chase points from your blog, especially the 6000 points upgrade with Hyatt. Sadly, that is going away by Jan. 7 next year.
Even if your credit card has a large annual fee and you’re thinking of canceling it, make sure you at least talk to the retention line to see if there’s anything they can offer before cancelling. You might be surprised by an annual fee waiver or bonus pts/miles.
Personally, I am and have been a huge fan of your ongoing analysis of the US/AA merger. Based upon your articles I’ve actually invested in both airlines and have done quite nicely. That’s taking travel advice to the next level! Thank you and congrats!
best advice i’ve ever gotten on this website is HUCA – rather than spend 45 minutes dealing with someone who doesnt understand what you’re talking about, just call back!!
Great travel tip – talk to and get to know some locals (the hotel concierge doesn’t count). It’ll make you feel like you’ve actually BEEN to a location, not just visited that location.
My best advice? Step out from the airport and hotel while traveling, breathe in the air, walk the streets, shop the markets, converse with the people, and live their lives, even if for only one day. It will remind you of a life and time when we explored for the sake of exploring and our minds were free from burden.
my best advice when traveling in Asia is always check to see if the meter is on. Most 3rd world countries I’ve been to will play “dumb” and forget to turn it on : Vietnam, Thailand, etc. If there’s no meter and you still want to get in, pre negotiate the rate so there’s no argument later. Put it on your phone so there’s no language misunderstanding. Just pull it up on your calculator app to get agreement on price before you get in!
When you find out you need to make a trip make the car rental reservation ASAP…. then check back several times before you travel to see if the rates have gone down or the rental car agencies have last minute specials.. If so cancel and rebook…
Make use of the ita matrix!
The most useful thing I have learned from this blog is to keep active. Always keep checking this blog for new information, because things in this game change dramatically within days/weeks!
The best stuff on your blog is how to find award availability, particularly your advice about TATL availability. Obtaining points is the easy part of this game, using them is harder, particularly if you are trying to move four people at a time.
Thank you for letting me know how lucrative credit card signup bonuses can be!
I am new the world of miles and blogs like yours have opened my eyes to the ability to realize the dream of traveling the world! My travel tip is to always pack lightly or bring clothes that you don’t mind leaving behind (i.e. old shirts to sleep in that you are about to throw away). At worst, you can have laundry done midway in the trip, but from what I’ve learned, I end up buying more than I have room for in my luggage home and end up not wearing half of the items I packed because I wear the new items I purchase on the trip.
Very useful fact was that if two separate tickets are both on oneworld airlines, and the onward flights are also on a ticket issued by a oneworld carrier, then American will treat the journey as though it were on a single ticket. In the event of misconnect, the carrier responsible for the disruption will be required to reroute the customer to their final destination. No more anxiety when using short hop positioning ticket to connect to a free oneworld flight out of ORD.
Get a 20″ carry on, learn how to pack what you need in it and never have to check bags again. Saves time, money and lost luggage.
For me, I mainly follow those places you went and reported. Not to mentioned the hotel brands as well. My husband has a number of elite statuses and it has been really a big plus for us knowing that we are going to be in the nice place and stay in the best hotels. For that, thank you.
never hurts to let the hotel know in advance that you’re celebrating a birthday, special event, anniversary, etc. I’ve been surprised with fruit/chocolate baskets, wine, cakes, etc. Haven’t gotten a room upgrade yet.
if they don’t recognize it. it’s not a huge loss anyway.
we are going on our honeymoon in Dec *crossing fingers*
Advice #1: Read all the comments sections of this blog (especially this post!) and others. They are truly a goldmine.
Advice #2: I know Gary doesn’t like Southwest, but if you do fly them and use points to book, then it pays to book early and then go back and check the points price at least once a week (I do 3-4 times/week). It only takes <5 minutes and can save thousands of points. I've successfully turned my gf's 50k bonus into 4 RT tickets for her by being on top of this…and b/c of my Companion Pass I get to go along for free!
NRT-PPT in Business class for 20k United miles one way and 40k round-trip.
before planning any trip, i always always always google “boardingarea ” or
we were curious about flying Korean Air business class. I wanna know all about the lounge, meals, etc before I commit to booking. I want that cool amenity kit. I will google boardingarea best amenity kit, etc. One day I will covet the Rimowa kit. 🙂
I’m going to do my own Top 10 of Best travel/points advice, some of which I know I picked up from you!
#1 Have goals for which type of travel or reward you value most, and leverage your existing travel or good credit to hit those goals.
e.g. want cash? Ultimate Rewards sign up bonuses and cash bash back cards combined with manufactured spending
want to just fly and stay and go to places that are the blingiest? (e.g. Fly Emirates First to the Maldives and stay at the Park Hyatt) If you are a frequent traveler, Alaska Air cards and program credit from Delta and American and Alaska flying and staying and getting the Hyatt cards. If you are ground and home bound, get Starwood sign up bonuses and reasonable manufacture spend to transfer to Japan Airlines miles, along with the Hyatt cards as well.
Other profiles are the domestic cheapo traveler (Priceline plus Spirit cards and travel, believe it or not! and sure, take advantage of great sign up bonuses when they pop up)
and the people with overseas family visits (just regular best sign up bonuses will likely get you flights almost everywhere).
The best thing I’ve learned from this blog is that there are tools to make travel the experience YOU want, and sharing one’s passion with others ALWAYS produces better outcomes for EVERYONE.
My travel tip is to carry a plastic folder with all of your reservations printed out from the airline/hotel/ticket/tour providers confirmation emails. Yes, have everything in electronic form too (e.g., Gmail and TripIt), but being able to hand a printed copy to desk/gate/government staff greatly eases fixing problems on site.
If you look hard enough – there’s always a great chance of finding a better price for the IHG property than the one published on their website, which = to a free night ! Kayak is a great tool for that because you can lock your search to the specific hotel chain !
The best thing I’ve learned from this blog is that when mistake fares arise, book now and think later!
i found out about the sweetspot on this blog for British Airways. You can get to Europe for cheap via Aer Lingus and pay very little in taxes/fees.
Thanks to your blog, I now realize I am qualified to work for the TSA
Also thanks to your blog, I now realize my 8 year old niece is too
The most useful thing I’ve learned from this blog was which overwater villa to select at the Hilton Bora Bora. We ended up with the same overwater bungalow that you had on your honeymoon, which had an awesome view of Mt. Otemanu. Keep up the good work!
Booking the mistake rate of $211 for the Ambassador suite at the Park Hyatt D.C.! What a nice room!
One word FLYERTALK for any questions Or help or inspiration
maximize packing space by using packing cubes. USE the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal you get #x the dollar. I just bought 2 sets for my husband and I for 4x the points last month
Best tip is hands down: extra segment on an award using stopovers. I use it often!
http://viewfromthewing.com/2012/01/04/dont-forget-to-add-a-segment-to-the-end-of-american-aadvantage-award-bookings/
Learned from the best. buy prepaid cards (VR, Visas) at a office supply store to get 5x the points using chase Ink then deposit into bluebird woohoo!! I banked so many points till it crapped out
Your trip reports inspired my upcoming award trips to both the Park Hyatt Maldives and the Park Hyatt Vendome Paris.
The most useful thing I’ve learned from this blog is the benefits of points that can be converted to multiple airlines/hotels. I.e., ultimate rewards over United miles. It provides great flexibility and hedges the risk of an individual devaluation.
learned about the CVS 50.00 extra care bucks for buying paypal cards a few weeks ago. banked 150 in free money. that’s free gifts for coworkers and household goods. who doesn’t love free toilet paper?? I bought 50 bucks of doggie treats and supplies for donations at a shelter.
Use Avios for short-haul travel.
Book now, ask questions later (within 24 hours).
The most important thing I have learned form your blog is that to look it up every day to learn about the special offers for the best sign up bonuses that come up for various cards. Thank you for mentioning the links for super offers that have expired but still work, even though their landing pages do not give a hint of the old expired mega offers. More than once I have been able to get more miles than the best current offer because an old offer was still active, as mentioned in your blog, but did not promise the higher benefits on the landing page. Thanks.
Reading a few great blogs and garnering advice from Flyer Talkers has given me the best insight into getting the best rewards for miles and hotel point. It has elevated our travel status to another level and we couldn’t be more grateful.
Cheers!
My most useful comment is to read BoardingArea.com. The knowledge imparted along with tips and tricks will more than pay for your time and effort.
My favorite travel tip to rack up miles: Always use the Ultimate Rewards (or whatever your preferred credit card shopping portal is) whenever making an online purchase. It is such an easy way to earn miles and they usually even have smaller/obscure stores to shop at too.
Three things, one generic, two specific:
1/3: Use your credit cards like debit cards – don’t carry a balance unless you can help it. Use it like a debit card and then pay it off on time.
used excerpts from this blog to convince the husband to get in on earning points and signing up for credit cards. i always need to send him links to convince him. it’s his idea of “proof” that i’m not talkin out of my @ss
2/3In London, don’t take a taxi to/from Heathrow – take the Heathrow Express to/from Paddington. Taxi to/from Paddington is much more cost-effective and Heathrow Express is quick and pleasant. Masochists can take the Piccadilly Line during rush hour.
NEVER hoard miles, always spend as fast as you earn. United and Delta are a clear example as to why.
Always check ultimate reward or aa site for car rental prices. They seem to provide much lower rate than a cash only site during peak holiday period.
3/3 in London – if you’re doing business in the City or Westminster, look for hotels South of the river. There are some really good ones that are generally much more affordable than those North of the river.
As a reward novice and low mileage earner, getting credit cards to up our points and status has been invaluable. We passed our information to friends and family and all have reaped the benefits. Everyone is so happy!
Thank you!
Leave for the airport early. I feel like my grandpa, but all it takes is one flat tire or one road closure, and that expected 1 hour trip takes 2.5 hours. And you booked the last flight of the day! Don’t sit at home watching TV saying “I can stay here one more hour until I have to leave”. Go early and explore.
The ‘ins and outs’ of SKYPESOS, making them work for you!
got the word from blog to get in on the AMEX big sign on bonus and the southwest companion pass card. yee haw! flying for cheap/free is the BEST way to fly
Make a general packing list and then add sections for the type of trip your are taking; business, pleasure, beach, mountain, summer, winter etc. I even have a section for foreign travel.
Read as many bolgs and forum as you can, I learn from other people 😉
One of the best lessons learned is to know which hotel I booked reservations at before showing up at the hotel I think I booked and expecting my room to be ready. This is supposed to be a funny reminder. Thanks for all of the points lessons Gary, still so many more to go.
My advise is for those of us who will sometimes try and add an extra leg or stopover on business flights in order to rack up extra miles. Sometimes it just isn’t worth it. Adding extra legs, or going out of your way (DCA to CVG via CLT) adds a great deal of uncertainty, possible weather delays, and the more equipment you fly, the more possible mechanical delays. But the main reason it may not be worth it? When taking the direct flight gets you home in time to give your kids a kiss goodnight.
Always include your credit cards signup referral links at the end!
get the word off this blog about devaluations coming up and burn your points before they are sky pesos
A useful thing to pack when you fly is a few teabags. Airplane tea is not-so-good, and it’s nice to have a selection in case you want something with/without caffeine, or something herbal, etc.
Get married and double your miles earnings 😉
Look for 5th freedom routes as they could be extremely affordable and depending on ticketing rules you may be able to get more than you paid for….nuff said.
There is a delicate balance between ruining a deal and provide information that will benefit all.
Many credit unions have ATM cards with no transaction fees at all. They even waive the fee that the ATM says may be incurred. I have never paid for the privilege of taking out cash in a local currency.
Another thing, time and again I have been frustrated with reservation agents, specially the ones with Delta. Your advice on being nice to them, getting them on your side to help you, and to keep calling till you get the right one (thru, hang up and call again), has served me well in getting the reservations I needed. Thanks for that advice.
Always insist on being charged in the local currency at your hotel. Otherwise
you will be charged an exorbitant fee/bad exchange rate to convert the bill into dollars.
Stay thirsty, my friend.
For smaller purchases, cash is really your friend. It’s not worth the possible points to find out later that the store or restaurant charged you in dollars at an unfavorable exchange rate.
Status is nice, but don’t have to do any run, mileage or mattress to enjoy the elite benefits. Instead, I learned here, accumulate as many miles & points as I possibly can and buy (hack) my way into luxury travel … as the saying goes: Champagne travels on a beer budget!
Happy Holidays & safe travels in 2014 🙂
Maintain good credit, get different travel cards to expand your options, and avoid interest charges by not carrying a balance.
The Southwest companion pass gained (mostly) from 2 credit card apps is amazing. Obviously it’s mostly domestic, but it’s awesome.
Don’t be afraid to rough it on trips to far flung places (liek Southeast Asia), but save those points or extra funds to splurge on a nice hotel room the last night of your trip to end on a high note.
If you live on the west coast, you should stock up on BA Avios. They’re great for travel on Alaska up and down the coast (for 4500-7500 points one way) or my favorite redemption of 12,500 points one way to Hawaii on Alaska or American. Plus Avios points are easy to rack up with the BA visa that gives 1.25 Avios per dollar (great earning on non-bonused spend) or frequent transfer bonuses from Membership Rewards.
My best tip that I learned from you is the “hang up and call again” when things aren’t going your way or if you feel they don’t understand what you are asking.
Always check multiple rates/sites when booking travel. hotels are famous for raising or lowering rates as the date approaches based on occupancy. So even after booking check back each week as the date approaches and re book if needed. Also remember the Government rate is not always the cheapest rate, in large cities like NYC the best available, AAA, corp etc. maybe lower then the govt rate.
When traveling somewhere foreign (especially if they use a different alphabet), make sure to have someone at the hotel write down your destination in the local language. Taxi drivers rarely ever speak English and this is a great way to reduce the confusion when going from one place to another.
Additionally, people on the street will be able to read it and direct you if for some reason you get lost. Of course this works in reverse as well. Always have the name and address of your hotel written in the local language so you can easily make it back!
Learn a few phrases of the local language so you can at least thank people that help you along the way. You learn in the process, show some respect for a new culture and help get away from the “ugly American” stereotype.
Summaries of all the changes to the various FF programs without having to read through 20 pages of legalese.
Using Avios to fly Boston to Dublin or Shannon was a great tip. 25000 RT in coach is great because that’s 2 people to Europe for 1 credit app (if BA is running a 50,000)
Always carry a complete change of clothes and charging devices in you carry-on. A weather delay or a loss of bags will not be so devastating.
Another BA tip: when booking on Alaska the phone agents may try to charge you a phone booking fee. Ask to have it waived since you can’t book online. Sometimes an agent won’t budge (you can always hang up and call back), but I’ve found they’re always helpful when I ask nicely.
One of the best things I’ve learned over the years is to redeem miles instead of just stockpiling them.
Some of the best trips I’ve taken have been because of spontaneous redemptions – dinner in Hawaii, watching the Aurora Borealis (http://youtu.be/drisHK2sSdA) and snorkeling with Sharks.
Cheers,
Aanarav
Don’t forget to follow your favorite blog writers on Twitter as well! There can be tidbits that are time-sensitive, so you don’t want to miss out on anything important! Travel Happy!
Use those miles to help friends come visit you when they otherwsie might not. It can introduce them to our points and miles world and open up a whole new world of travel possibilities for them.
I don’t know if Gary posted this first, but I read it here first: override the hotel thermostat. Great tip!
When deciding on which points to buy/earn/acquire/top off always do which makes the most sense for you to achieve your “goals”. Don’t just go by other peoples valuations and got for the most valuable. If you need to top off your united account for a trip to Europe. Do It!
Second part of that, always have travel goals in mind and try to achieve them with various point strategies. Learned some of the best here!!
If you need to change an British Airways Avios award with low taxes/fuel charges (such as a US domestic), it is cheaper to cancel and rebook than use the $40 change method. I had a one way with $2.50 in charges, it was either eat the $2.50 or pay $40 to change flight.
I’ve learned plenty of helpful things from this blog, but most notably was the advice on the Chase Sapphire card, which earns more points than the United Explorer card on United tickets! Between that and the discussions on how to book a round-trip Star Alliance reward with a stopover at no additional cost, I was able to book a nearly-around the world trip in business class for just a few hundred dollars in taxes and fees.
Always make sure to look up the exchange rate before first visiting a country. This is especially important when visiting multiple countries on one trip since it can get confusing. I use XE.com to look it up and Evernote to save the exchange rate on my phone in a note. This way I can see how much I am getting ripped off at the airport! 🙂
Also, carry smaller bills ($5 or $10) with you if you need to exchange a small amount for a short stay. While using an ATM might give the best exchange rate, sometimes when you have a short stay or not much to purchase, it is worth it to use one of the airport exchange stands or one in the city in lieu of paying ATM fees.
Always remember to pack not only a change of clothes in your carry-on, but also pack one extra day of any required medications – you never know when you might be stuck overnight.
Use a hot shower with a closed bathroom door in your hotel to steam your dress shirts – it should remove most wrinkles, with just minor finishing touches needed from an iron.
Keep checking prices on booked hotels and rental cars. Often better deals appear last minute.
Most useful travel tip from the blog- maximizing all things Hyatt, from getting the co-branded credit card, to updates to using the gift certificates.
My best advice as of this minute? When you fly out & leavie your car in airport parking, make sure you have your key with you when you return!!!!!! Sigh. Take it from me…..
– Lonely & stranded at a parking lot at TPA, waiting for the locksmith
Don’t forget to plan your credit card applications, and always leave a little wiggle room in case a great offer comes along. I always space out applications between my wife and I so that one of us could quickly apply for a limited time offer comes along (like 75,000 membership rewards for Amex Business Gold one-day offers).
The best advice I got from this blog was to not just sign up for the right credit cards, but use the cards in the right places at the right times. To help me organize this I have printed out small stickers on each card to remind me which one is x5 gas, x2 restaurant, x5 office supply. With so many cards I often mix them up and this helps keep me straight.
When traveling with children it is always a good idea to play up the adventure of the current trip. Not only will your child be more engaged with what is going on, but you will find that it helps you to stay in the moment as well.
It is so easy to take travel for granted or not fully appreciate what you are seeing in that actual moment. Children are always living in the moment, so by engaging them in a way that is meaningful and fun, you are able to share memories in a unique and wonderful way.
If your stuck in your hotel on business, go out and get a decent meal, don’t just veg out and order room service, you deserve to get out and enjoy some good local food.
Check your hotel’s gym for bottled water (or a water cooler). It beats paying the overpriced bottles in your room/in the pantry, and beats having to run somewhere. Sheraton is great about having them in the gym.
Internationally, use a Charles Schwab debit card to withdraw cash from ATMs, an American Express platinum card for large purchases due to their great fx conversion rates, and the Sapphire Preferred with EMV chip for everything else to eliminate bank conversion fees and earn maximum miles!
Do not always limit your flights searches to origin-destination. Know which routes and which hubs have more competition and therefor lower fares. It is often cheaper to route directly from a different airport and make your own way to that airport. It is also sometimes cheaper to add additional legs to itinerary that you have no intention of utilizing.
Write your contact information on a sheet of paper and put it inside your suitcase on top of all of your clothes so it’s the first thing someone sees when they open your luggage. That way, if your luggage tags get ripped off or lost, an airline employee will still be able to contact you and get you your luggage.
Concur. I often find prices of hotel rooms and cars go down!
Along with regular clothing, I take throw away clothes on vacation. Whenever underwear is losing its elasticity, socks are getting stretched out, a shirt is a little frayed, etc., I put it aside to take on vacation. You can wear it once and throw it away. Your luggage gets lighter and you have room to bring back anything you may buy as souvenirs.
Always have a backup battery for your phone. From keeping you entertained on the flight, to handling emergencies, you can’t do it on your phone without power.
For international traveling ALWAYS find out how far and how much a cab should cost to get to your hotel. Don’t get taken advantage of by shady cabbies like happened to me once. Plan ahead!
Have fun traveling and try something out of your comfort zone!!
The best thing I’ve learned here is that the best/cheapest way to book award flights on a given carrier isn’t necessarily using that same carrier’s miles!
One very important thing I have learned from following Gary’s blog, is to never give up and never accept the first volley of “Nos” when seeking award seats!
Thanks for letting me know I can fly up front instead of being relegated to coach!
Always make sure to have some extra clothes in your carry-on bags since you never know whether or not your checked bags will make it to your final destination.
Lay out the clothes you think you’ll need on the trip and cut it in half. For my wife and daughter, the never heeded advice is to cut it in half again.
Same for the shoes.
SkyPesos and BA Avios are not worthless! Your greatest tip was to use those miles to fly partner airlines instead of Delta or BA Metal. I live in Los Angeles so business class to Australia on Virgin is a great deal with SkyPesos. And business class to Hawaii using Avios is only 50,000 miles. That’s just 1 credit card sign up bonus!
If you need to charge your phone and don’t have an outlet near, plug the USB into your laptop in an emergency. I was in a cab from the airport – opened my laptop, fired up a picture slideshow to prevent the computer going in “sleep mode”, and let it charge.
Best tip for me was way back in May.
Let go of name brands. Certainly Fox, Payless, and others will often have lower rates than Avis and Hertz. The question is whether the lower rate is worth the extra hassle. The lesser known brands may be off-airport in several cities, so more of a hassle to get to the car. And they don’t all have the streamlined checkout and checkin processes that you can at least sign up for with Hertz, Avis, Thrifty, and National — I don’t ever want to stand in line at a rental counter if I can avoid it. Do take the advice though of checking out Sixt which is just getting going in the U.S. but is a common brand in Europe, and offers some high end vehicles at a lower price due to less consumer knowledge of their brand.
The elevator trick. I’m not sure if it actually works, but it worked every time I tried in Vegas at NYNY and I was on a high floor. Hold close door button, press your floor and don’t let go
Always ask rental car company for a car with bluetooth. Not only will this improve your safety, navigation, and music listening experience – it often lands a newer car as well.
Use your smartphone to take pictures of all your passport & travel documents and save these on a cloud based email (hotmail, yahoomail or gmail) so that you can retrieve these in case of loss or theft.
Signing up for credit cards not only allow you travel anywhere for free but in the long-term will increase your credit score as well =) win-win
I’ve found out that if you’re dressed nice and act nice at the airport , you can be bumped up to business class on your flight. That happened to me flying from LA to Sydney. That really did help!!
Check kayak.com against the hotel brands website for best rate guarantees
Upon arrival — one of you go get the rental car — one of you go get the checked baggage — the rental car person picks up the checked baggage person, and there’s no need to deal with dragging bags from here to there!
I honestly didn’t know about double dipping with points/miles until I read your blog!
My best tip would be to always pack at least a day of essentials in your carry on if you plan on checking your bag in. If your luggage gets lost, you’ll at least be able to change clothes once.
The best thing about this blog is the updates when credit card bonuses are raised. Nothing like a new credit card!
I also learned that sometimes it’s cheaper to book two separate one-way tickets on different airlines than it is to book roundtrip on one airline.
Always travel overseas with a credit card that does not charge foreign exchange fees.
Have the chase credit card trifecta: sapphire, ink, freedom to maximize ultimate reward points
Travel tip:
Put a couple plastic supermarket bags in your
carry-on. Some locales ban them, so it’s
good to bring your own; but they are
also useful for ‘containing’ any messy/wet
items.
Tge best travel idea is to read view of the wing
The post that stood out to me most so far is the one about calling the airlines to book awards miles. If you don’t get the answer you want, try again (but praise the agent for trying). Often times the agent will “magically” find the route and fare you are looking for.
The IHG cash and points trick has saved me $100’s when staying at HIEs!
Tk status match, and Chase S Preferred. Thanks!
I’ve found that going away on long trips, it’s sometimes hard to imagine what clothes, shoes and accessories to bring. So a few nights before, I pick out everything I would like to bring and put together outfits,( while interchanging clothes with other outfits). I then take pictures of them, so I’m not wasting my time while on the trip, trying to figure out what to wear.
Simple rules to prevent travel weight gain: a) Focus on proteins to fill up faster – avoid sweets. b) Eat only one full meal if you go “all out”. c) If you eat more, exercise, even if it’s walking around the city.
To prevent liquid spillage, remove the cap, put some plastic wrap over the bottle opening and put the cap back on. Then place the liquid containers in a zip lock bag. Helps keep the rest of the items in your bag dry – unless there’s a downpour.
CSP, Ink and freedom cards for the bonuses that transfer to United!
I learned the ins and outs of Bluebird thanks to you. 🙂
When traveling abroad,OR domestically, take a wad of $2.00 bills. They are generous tips for good service, whether for housekeeping, or any other of the polite and gracious acts folks provide. They are appreciated and the relatively novel nature of them often evoke interesting response.
When you manage credit and card applications for multiple people (like a spouse or significant other), stagger your applications for identical products year-to-year so that you effectively have a longer no annual fee period (assuming the first year has a waived fee). My wife and I do this with the Amex SPG cards. Since there are personal and business versions, we’re able to always have one account open. Since Starpoints are my favorite points/miles currency, it’s helpful to always have one for non-bonused spend or recurring expenses (bills and monthly charity donations).
Download an Offline Reader app for your smart phone – it’s an easy way to save webpages such as Wikitravel. This is especially useful if you are in another country with limited phone/wifi access.
Take 20 mins to search viewfromthewing for deals, tips, tricks before making ANY travel plans!
Two pieces of your advice for novices–get the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and “hang up, call back”–allowed my wife and I to turn a last-minute work trip into am extraordinary anniversary vacation to Hawaii, complete with business-class tickets. Keep up the great work, Gary.
Download an offline YouTube app for your smart phone or tablet. This is a great way to queue and cache hours of free entertainment for your flight.
Use tools like google my maps to organize your must-visit places ahead of time. Combine with a smartphone with an international data plan to help you easily navigate on arrival.
I used to be a serious coffee drinker and could never find a decent nor cheap cup of coffee overseas. While in NZ, I found that they didn’t know what half & half was. I was going crazy! Lol. Always bring powdered creamer and instant coffee packets with you, so you’re not cranky on your trip!
Best travel tip: “You’ll never meet a traveler who, after five trips, brags, “Every year I pack heavier.” The measure of a good traveler is how light she travels.” – Rick Steves
Instead of calling Chase to notify them of your future overseas travel, you can do it on their website after logging in. However, you can only set one country at a time.
My best tip is the trip booking process is never complete until the trip is over. Always keep checking to see if rates have gone down (cars and hotels) or the routing is better(air). If it is an award air reservation, maybe a better class is now available or an airline you prefer or wanted to try became available. Checking often does not take a lot of time but the results can be very satisfying in the end.
My best tip is for travel from KIX to NAN (UA). It requires less miles for the ticket if you want to change your plans(wink) and visit down under or eat some kiwi fruits. I know you caught this one Gary and I want to thank you for all the tip’s a million times! May you live long and travel far and wide.
If you have a lot of flights on one reservation and plan on checking a bag, make sure to check the bag tag is being sent to the right airport.
The most important travel tips I’ve learned involve using the telephone. First, NEVER call the airline or hotel when you read about a mistake fare or rate. Second, if you need to call about something other than that and do not get the answer you want HANG UP CALL BACK.
You got me started on the Chase Sapphire card–this opened up a whole new world for me on the earnings side. Love the flexibility of being able to transfer to so many partners
Most useful travel tip from the blog for hotels- “where you book matters”
Your blog is the first blog I read every day. My experiences with frequent flyer programs before finding your blog were not very pleasant. I remember trying to book my first award seat ever on US Airways from my city and not finding any saver awards available at all. I thought at the time that frequent flyer programs were a joke. Thanks to your blog I have booked numerous international premium cabin awards. Thanks for giving me the knowledge and confidence that I could “do this”.
The most useful thing I’ve learned on your blog was that it was even possible to rent a mobile wifi device for travel (link here: http://viewfromthewing.com/2013/01/13/renting-a-wireless-internet-device-for-international-travel/)
While I didn’t actually follow through with using any of these services, I did convince my husband, who needs to be connected 110% of the time (…or so he thinks) to buy one — and he now brings it along on all our travels.
Thanks for all the great advice and articles over the years, Gary!
My favorite tip from View from the Wing? Chase Sapphire Preferred + Starwood AMEX = winning combination! 🙂
You made me a Hyatt convert–can’t believe all the years I wasted on Marriott without much value. We did an amazing family road trip this year–33 days–6500 miles–we stayed at like 15 Hyatt places. You saved me thousands of dollars.
Earning double points and stars at Starbucks with my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has been beyond useful!
If you have extra currency at the end of the trip, use it pay off the balance of your hotel bill (and if you used points to pay for the stay, maybe you have charges from food, spa, etc) and if you don’t have enough to cover the entire bill, you can put the difference on your rewards earning credit card.
I like the triple dip with Amazon gift cards, Plink and cash back/miles back. I am a frequent Amazon shopper and have leveraged this one heavily.
It is hard to pick just one thing that I have learned from your site. I have booked business class tickets for my entire family of 6 to Europe this summer (plus my mother and father-in-law from another city) all with points/miles earned in the last year. I used your advice to find the over ocean segment first; to search segment by segment; to book as much online as possible, then call United to fill in the missing segments to avoid the phone booking fee; to add a free one way from Canada onto the Europe trip; to look for better availability 6 months out (which has dropped my original 10 segment itinerary to 7, and soon to 6 segments); and especially, hang up and call again, among other helpful tips I have found on your blog.
I use ziploc bags not just for toiletries but for change, wallet, cell phone, etc. Gets me through security quicker and means I won’t leave something behind.
I’ve loved staying at the lowest rung in a hotel chain for two nights, to earn a room at a more fancy property in a chain’s portfolio. Not as prevalent a deal anymore, but can still be done with the Marriott Megabonus!
Definitely the overview of using UR /MP to get around the world. Taking wife to Bali and Sydney next year due to great advice and heads up on devaluations and whatnot. Thanks!!
Download a an app that allows you to text or call for free when you’re abroad, such as Text plus free
Hands down the best advice on this blog has been the credit card info. We’ve just started trying to work on credit cards and points. And thanks to the advice we’ve gotten here, we’ll be taking our children on their first European trip next summer, in addition to this year’s family trip to Tahiti! For all four of us, there’s no way we could’ve done this without advice I found here. Especially useful for us has been the Alaska Air card now that we’re in Seattle!
Single best advice has to be if a cs call starts going south, hang up and call back!
Use cling film under the lid of liquids to ensure no spillage when travelling.
Most of the people reading this blog probably already know this, but you don’t necessarily have to fly a lot to accumulate miles. Credit card sign-up bonuses, taking advantage of credit card and airline shopping portals and credit card catregory bonuses can build up those miles quickly!
Once you’ve had a shower in an airline lounge, step out and then put the shower on full pressure, freezing temperature whilst you towel dry yourself.
This will mean you don’t get sweaty as aircon in the showers is often poor.
If you have a spouse or partner, remember that both of you can sign up for credit cards and take advantage of the bonus offers!
Having an open dialogue with airlines/hotels regarding positive or negative experiences is extremely beneficial. Many are more than willing to help solve a problem and/or award bonus points if made aware. Same goes for complimenting their service, a particular staff member, or overall experience. They want loyal customers to stay loyal and don’t want to lose casual customers to one mistake.
Advice on VFTW spans the gamut. However, the best advice for the widest audience from the most authentic of places – a heart of wisdom – has been to be friendly and talk, really talk, with the locals. Whether it be the hotel concierge, taxi driver, folks on the sidewalk et al, when traveling on miles and points it’s often the only way to experience the “everyday” of every day wherever you’re visiting. After all, fundamentally all hotels and resorts are largely similar experiences. However, the cultural dynamic met by authentic residential personalities will add the memorable flavor and spice. Thanks, Gary, for reinforcing the human element of our joy in travel.
Contrarian advice: If your bank allows, get both an ATM card and a debit card. ATM cards require a pin and are more secure than debit cards when stolen. However, for international travel, my experience has been that non-US ATMs have a harder time recognizing ATM cards that are not Visas or MasterCards (even though they may display a Plus or Cirrus logo).
You will have a backup card in case of theft/loss.
Second best kept secret with a debit card. If an ATM is not available or not working, you can go into a bank and get do a cash advance via over the counter. Key advantage is that you can usually get a larger amount than the ATM will allow.
Even though battery life on devices is increasing, and more aircraft have AC outlets to charge devices, I always carry an external charger in my carry-on. No matter how long the flight, or how much I use my phone or iPad, I’m assured that the batteries will never lose theirm power,.
If you’re traveling alone and to a new place, sign onto meetup.com and join the clubs entitled new to the city. You’ll get to meetup with a bunch of nice people who live in the city and have organized outings within the city.
Get global entry
When traveling internationally, don’t forget to make a copy of the ID page in your passport, and keep it in a separate location. If your passport is lost or stolen, it will make getting a replacement much quicker and easier.
Pack light, then take out another change of cloth.
Pack lighter than you think. There’s nowhere I’ve traveled where you can’t do laundry – somehow. Congrats Gary!
Hang up, call back!
I learned on this blog how to get started in the miles game. Thanks!
My travel advice is to read everything you can, then decide for what is best for you. Hoard miles/points if that works for you even though they will be devalued. I have a family of six – back and forth to school, study+travel overseas, vacations, visits to family, flying in family. I can spend a lot quickly. I like knowing I won’t run out.
My best travel tip is if you are not succesful hang up and call again!
Best travel tip is always look to use avios for short haul trips
Hang up, call back. Especially useful with reconsideration lines. 🙂
Use AwardWallet. Don’t let your miles expire when you could just do a minor transaction to keep them alive.
Tip: Don’t be a DYKWIA. Be nice. A little sugar can go a long way with airline, hotel and other travel-related personnel. (Of course this applies to life in general whether you’re home or abroad.)
If you have an amex platinum make sure you have global entry!
You can get free Wi-Fi with many hotel chains just by signing up for their membership program. For free! I’ve saved hundreds of dollars with this tip!
Always sign up for every reward program for hotels and airlines, you never know when your going to be back or have to fly some obscure airline..
If you book a mileage ticket with united or american make sure to add your free one way for a later date!
Pay for Milepoint Premium! The benefits are always worth it. Even when they’re not obvious. For example the Enterprise status match to Hertz Five Star.
My travel advice is to read everything you can, then decide for what is best for you. Everybody hates Hilton because of the devaluation. I still love Hilton. With status from credit card spending I get free breakfasts at resorts. I like that. There is a Hilton Garden Inn within walking distance to Notre Dame. That is HUGE to me. Embassy Suites are great for family travel.
Lots of hotel chains and airlines will do status matches. Take advantage of them, though make sure to remember they are often a once in a lifetime opportunity and don’t do them unless you’re going to make use of them.
Make sure you always use an app like trip it or worldmate to keep track of your flights
Alternatively, many airlines/hotels have status challenges that you can do to accelerate your promotion to top tier status. I’ve done one with Starwood, now I’m staying there a lot. Will be doing one with Hyatt in the coming year.
Hang up and call back. If things aren’t going your way or you’ve run into an uninformed rep don’t hesitate to use this tip. Oh and be nice!
Flip most of your circuit breakers before leaving on an extended trip. Every plug in your house drains small amounts of electricity even if the device isn’t on. Turning most of your circuit breakers to off will save electricity and money (but you probably want to leave the fridge on!).
Use your smartphone to take pictures of the front and back of at least one credit card (AMEX provides travelers with free assistance in case of loss or theft) and save these on a cloud based email (hotmail, yahoomail or gmail) so that you can retrieve these in an emergency situation.
Keep track! If you’re not organized this hobby can cost you more than the benefits. Pay your bills on time. Make sure you know when your annual fees are going to hit. If you aren’t using a spreadsheet, mint.com, lastpass, a calendar, etc, START!
A Southwest Companion Pass for almost 2 years with just two credit card applications and a few points from Chase!
Its almost always worthwhile going after free points or status. You may not even know exactly why when you do it, but later there’ll be a reason.
The value of diversification!
As others have said, pack light. I’ve found that merino wool socks are great, because they don’t stink like cotton socks. Same with shirts made of merino wool (they don’t itch like other wool stuff). So if you don’t mind wearing the same thing a few days before washing them, they are great weight and time savers!
All points/miles aren’t equal. 12X Hilton Points is only worth about 5% since Hilton Points are only worth about .4 cents each.
Buy and use gift cards at Staples with your Chase Ink card.
Oh, and if you’re lucky enough to be traveling in business class on international flights be sure to plan for a shower in the lounge.
When I travelled from DFW-EWR-LHR-ADD-LUS the only thing that kept me going was a nice hot shower at Heathrow. Unfortunately I didn’t think to pack a change of clothes.
When applying for credit cards, its almost never a good idea to just go to the issuing companies web page since that’s almost never the best offer. Do your research! And if you don’t have time–use Gary’s list!
On any ‘flight deals’ or mistakes, act first, think later, as you’ll have 24 hours to cancel on domestic carriers.
Best lesson from this blog: earn and burn. In an age of rapid devaluation, investment in miles is not wise. Enjoy the rewards of your hard work!
Golden Rule. Follow the golden rule. Keeps me sane on the road, earns me genuine smiles when I return to a hotel or airline check-in desk, and means that I meat some great people along the way. Motto: Be nice.
Congratulations, Gary! This is a great reminder that you are well loved and respected. No pressure, though, despite a million people relying on you 😉
Now, how in blazes am I supposed to single out one piece of advice that is the most helpful from the past year and a half of reading your page?! There are too many, and I have learned a lot.
If I needed to pick one thing that I’ve learned, I would say it is to not be afraid. Don’t be afraid to use your credit as leverage for great vacations. Don’t be afraid to hang-up and call-back when an airline rep doesn’t provide the info or knowledge you need. Don’t be afraid to stretch for elite status and use it respectfully to make your time away from home more pleasant. Just don’t be afraid; because, the system is designed for these activities!
Again, thank you for a great blog! I look forward to your wisdom (and sometimes zaniness) each day. Your time is appreciated, which is why I am surprised you have not offered the best prize you could provide: lunch or dinner with you. dedicated one-on-one time for a new reader or one-time vet would be invaluable for gleaning advice and knowledge as well as forming a friendship. This is especially true if the reader isn’t able to make the seminars.
Thanks again, Gary!
For a long trip, I print out all my confirmations (airline, hotel, car, tour guides) and place them in a binder with dividing tabs.
Anytime a transaction is handled in a foreign currency, make sure to use a credit card that doesn’t charge transaction fees. This can save big bucks!
*meet. sorry. long week.
On leisure trips where I’m not overly concerned with my appearance, I often pack clothing otherwise headed for the Goodwill donation box. I’ll wear it on the trip one last time and then dispose of it locally. Leaves room in the suitcase for the flight back, and there’s less laundry to do once I’m home.
I just enjoy your writing style. So many good tips. Well done!
It never hurts to ask and be creative – I guess technically that’s 2 tips. But it’s true. When I first started flying – I took that middle seat in coach in row 44 on my international flight. I did that even though I had was working my way up the FF rank – and then finally – I just started asking – is it possible, would you mind, are you aware of any…and then it started to fall into place. I also started to really understand the value of those FF and CC miles and points – don’t waste ’em just because the system says it’s 125k to Europe – spend the time, get creative – it’s no different than cutting coupons before you go to the supermarket or buying something in a store because it’s 25% off. Be creative – it pays.
While I never believed it until I tried it a few times, rolling up your clothes when packing really does help save space and reduce wrinkles!
No matter what miles / points / cash back a particular credit card may offer, it could easily be negated by a foreign transaction fee. Always, always make sure to take your no transaction fee card(s) with you when traveling internationally and make sure one is a Visa/MasterCard!
Don’t horde your points and miles (or even judiciously save them), as devaluation is just around the corner. I’m now packing in award trips as fast as I can earn the miles.
Pack your clothes in 2 gal size ziploc bags and use a backpack instead of a giant suitcase. We travel with 50L Osprey packs for ~2 week trip to Europe. Keeping your clothes separate in the ziplocs makes them easy to sort/find and easy to compress.
Open a Schwab account for easy foreign currency access via ATM and so you can get the ATM fee rebates!
If you don’t want to stand in the chaos and wait for your gate-checked luggage on a regional jet, just sit in the first couple rows on the ramp side of the plane and watch for your bag to come, then just get up and grab it on your way through!
When in a country where you don’t speak the language, print out directions from the airport to your hotel.
Nothing is easier than being able to hand the driver the exact directions.
Thanks for offering prizes Gary, keep up the good blogging.
When I know I’ll be picking up souvenirs or gifts for family and friends when traveling, I pack all my clothes in a carry-on sized suitcase. The trick is to then pack that suitcase within a larger checked bag (you can always pad the smaller suitcase with a bottle or two of wine!) and then add in a few Travelon compression bags. When I arrive at my destination and pick up some exotic gifts, I can then pack my clothes in the compression bags (saving space), check the large suitcase with gifts, and then carry on my smaller suitcase or check it also.
For your spouse’s first trans-atlantic/pacific flight, DO NOT get seats in first class. I learned this the hard way – when given the option to go to Milan a few weeks ago for $200 in economy, my wife declined because her seat “wouldn’t recline completely flat…plus I refuse to take a long flight that has less than a 5-course meal.” I’ve spoiled her rotten and it’s all your fault Gary. Thanks a lot!
Be sure to inform your credit card companies of your travel plans before you leave the country – avoid unpleasant credit card denials due to suspected fraud!
You can now select your seat on Airtran flights booked through Southwest. A select your seat button now appears on the reservation for the Airtran segment on your online account. There is a fee for reserved seating prior to checkin. This does not affect Southwest segments.
Bring an old, unlocked phone with you. SIM cards are very cheap in most countries and are great for staying in touch with your traveling companions.
Always keep your loyalty cards handy.
After booking and ticketing your award ticket, call each partner airline individually and confirm that you are actually ticketed and confirmed on that particular carrier. Also, be sure to obtain their record locator number as well – you may need it at check-in.
Avoid the all so common award ticketing glitches that occur with partner airlines!
When traveling to a foreign country bring ONE outlet adapter and ONE power strip….that way you can plug all your gadgets into the strip!
When travelling abroad or on a more adventurous journey, keep a $50 bill folded up between the under sole and bottom of your shoe. Even if you have to exchange in local currency in case of an emergency – you always have money on you.
I just came back from Europe – always have a scan of your passport; carry an Internet device (ipad or similar) to check flight status from anywhere in most airports; and always be there early for security!
Congrats Gary and thank you for sharing your wisdom with us! As I have the opportunity to travel more, I continue to remind myself to enjoy and experience the destination, not just the journey. Find out what it means to be a local at your destination and get to know what it’s like to live there. Forego the touristy spots and find where the locals go.
Use the $200 amex platinum travel refund credit.
Use a shopping portal + a reward based credit card when making purchases online to maximize your bonus points/cash back return!
Just go places! 100+ countries in, and it is absolutely clear that the greatest danger is from bad bus drivers, not terrorism or anything similar.
Don’t try to do everything there is to do in a city or place. Find a few things that will give you pleasure and do those, that will create lasting memories.
And do your best to speak the language, the locals always appreciate it much more than forcing them to understand English!
The most useful thing I get from this blog is to stay up to date with deals, offers, mistakes, etc.
The best thing I’ve learned from this blog was the Turkish Airlines status match for domestic access to the United Club. Thanks Gary, and congrats on your big milestone!
Wow. There are a ton of comments here. When I travel with suits or jackets, the first thing I do is hang them in the hotel shower and turn the water on hot for a nice long steam. It works great.
I always take a six-foot extension cord. You never know where the closest outlet will be in any hotel and it helps with computers, cpap machine, and other electronics. It also takes up very little room if you string it around the base of a suitcase.
Scan your passport and email it to yourself for international travel. That way you are only a computer away from being able to pick up a copy of your most important travel ID.
Travel Tip: Never be deterred from one bad review (either restaurant or hotel). Make sure you read that person’s other reviews. They make just be a super harsh critic to begin with.
Being friendly is a far better way to (potentially) get what you want/desire than being mean/rude.
I advise that you always include a note with your online hotel reservation if you are celebrating a special occasion such as an anniversary, birthday, etc. From past experience this greatly increases the chance of getting some form of upgrade for those without status. Please don’t lie about it though.
The most useful thing that I have learned is how to wisely apply for credit cards. I started here in 2011 when times were way good. I remember learning on your site that Capital One was doing their 100k mileage matching for their business card as well as for their personal card. Good times.
While planning your trip, collect all important travel info in a Word doc. Air and hotel conf #s, addresses, a list of stuff you’d like to see and do, screenshots of google maps to hotel/attractions, note any other tips or websites you come across as you research, and of course, map or directions to your favorite airport lounges! Keep it all in one doc that you can easily print out or save on your phone/tablet prior to travel, so you don’t fumble for this info on the road.
Keep a copy of your iternary and ID in your suitcase
Best travel tip: Head into a lounge if your flight gets cancelled. Shorter line and quicker booking on another flight.
I have different color eagle creek packing pouches/cubes so I can keep my belongings organized in my suitcase. Underwear and socks go in the smaller blue bag, shirts/pants go in the larger black bag, workout clothes go in the larger white bag, etc. This way nothing is “floating” around my bag or misplaced. I have also done this for outfits: entire outfit in blue eagle creek bag, another entire outfit in red eagle creek bag, etc.
I recommend being very friendly with hotel front desk managers and flight attendents. With a little small talk and the occasional sly joking/serious comment you would be amazed as to what can happen. My personal favorite was when i saw a flight attendent with a Green Bay Packers wrist band and i said Go Packers. That comment alone got me and my wife switched from coach to business/first on a long haul.
The checking account at Schwab has no ATM fees anywhere in the world…plus you can deposit checks via their mobile app.
As socks, underwear and clothes get a bit worn we set them aside for travel, wear once and leave behind in hotel rooms, saving space for souvenirs on the way home.
Some of the best advice I can give is to just relax and enjoy the great life we have. Everyone reading this blog has experienced travel that they may otherwise not have been able to do and that is an awesome thing. If you don’t get upgraded to a better room, or you dont get upgraded to business class, just be grateful for what you have, which is probably a free coach flight or free hotel room anyways.
I’m not as frequent a traveler as many, but I’ve learned that I can get a lot of the same perks of elite status just by having a cobranded credit card. I might not get an upgrade when I fly, but not paying for bags is always nice.
When it comes to mistake fares, act now, think later.
It is really hard to pick only one thing that I learned from this blog…I learned about the elite status with airlines and hotel loyalty program.
Since after I joined this blog, I could experience couple of first/business class and also stayed at very nice suite room during my vacation.
I do not live in US, so it was really tough to gather flight/hotel points, however, I tried to utilize tips from this blog as many as I can, so I had quite good experience!!
Don’t be scared to pay for a friends or family memebers flights or hotel on occasion, with points of course, because those accounts with 1,000,000 miles/points need to be used. The feeling you will get from seeing them so excited is amazing.
Most useful thing I’ve learned is about booking awards. How to search for the awards you want (and the quirks of searching on different airline websites). How to work with a phone agent when you’ve already done a lot of research. When to hang up and call back.
On google maps on your phone to cache the cities your traveling to internationally so that you can use your GPS overseas and see where you are located! Even with an old fashioned paper map it can still be hard to locate were you are (think the streets of Venice).
Keep your AwardWallet account up-to-date so that you can easily check on your miles and points on the run!
Travel with spare ziplock bags, of varying size.
If you don’t like what an agent is saying on the phone – hang up and call again.
Get a fee free ATM/Debit card so that you can bypass the money exchangers and withdraw at good rates from local ATMs. Charles Schwab is who I use.
Whenever I travel, I always have all my travel-related confirmation emails (hotels, flights, rentals, etc.) for this trip sorted into a specific folder for easy access. This saves me the time to look/search for them in my inbox.
Switch to mobile phone service with T-Mobile as you get free text msgs and data in many international countries as part of their plan. In addition, you get free wifi calls back to the US. Instead of being cheap my last trip to Asia and turning off the phone, I got to enjoy all the benefits I receive from my smart phone in Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand… all gratis.
I use Bluebird when traveling abroad for cash withdrawals. Rate is pretty close to interbank, no worries about cash advance fees, low flat rate fee per withdrawal, and the risk is limited to whatever I’ve loaded into my Bluebird account.
The most useful thing I learned from this blog is free hilton old with the HHonors Amex now.
Be sure to notify your credit card companies and the bank card you will be using at ATM’s when traveling internationally of the countries you will be visiting and the dates of your travel. It will save you from your cards being declined.
It’s also a good idea to let the US embassy know you will be in the country (and your dates of travel)in case of incidents occurring in the country.
I loved your how to override the thermostat in your hotel room post. I hate being trapped in a stuffy hot room!
plan ahead and review the plan more than once
Gary, easily, how to churn card in early days (2011).
I haven’t done much traveling(although I wish I could) but my only advice is when traveling with little kids research hotels with sitters,carry any device you have for them to watch movies,lots of kids books and always remember to carry allergy meds because every place I have been I develop an allergy as soon as I get there. Thanks so much! Fingers crossed. Wonderful Million reader giveaway. Have a wonderful month everyone
Always carry a pack of clothes in your carryon. Our bags didn’t come for 2 days in Brazil and strangely none of the ATM cards worked at Salvador airport & we had $10 in cash.
ATM cards worked fine with a CITI or HSBC ATM outside of the airport though it was difficult with Portuguese.
Anything that can go wrong, will at some point go wrong, but its a whole new animal in another country.
Hello,
I learned to accumulate points using, first the United Explorer card, then the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, to travel four times (one-way) for (almost) free between Paris (where I am studying) and the U.S. This has allowed me to finish my studies in a French university.
Tom
Bring a strong pocket flashlight! Not all countries or hotels are as well lit as ours.
I’ve learned that a little lemon and some poppyseeds can go a long way in the pancake business
All the recent credit card best offer!
I discovered hidden city/throwaway through your blog, I only have successfully used it once but is definitely useful and can save some money.
Gary,
I’m a long time reader, and I’ve gained more from this blog than I can express.
When looking at every tip together, all of the flight deals, the credit card signups, hidden city ticketing and aspirational redemptions, at the end of the day, the best tip is not to forget why we do this. All too often, we get caught up in making or missing the latest mistake fare, frustrated with the latest devaluation, or obsessed about using the most valuable shopping portal each time.
We are all incredibly lucky to be able to experience the world in ways we could not have otherwise. It’s very easy to focus on the minutia, but we should never stop remembering why we’re here.
I learned about the Schwab account with no international fees.
Thanks for the giveaway, Gary! And congratulations!
T-Mobile offers free unlimited international data and text. They also do not require you to sign a contract, so you can sign up for a $30 right before leaving for a trip then cancel when you get home. The speeds are not the best but Maps/GPS Facebook Twitter all work, just a bit slow.
Sharing miles and points with family and friends is the best way to spend my treasure gain from this community, thank you!!!
HUCA!
Make sure airlines properly issue your ticket by calling each partner to ensure they have a proper record of eticket #
Look into alternate accommodation options such as hostels, air bnb, Couchsurfing etc
Accumulate points in flexible currencies such as AMEX MR and Chase UR
Network network network with other miles junkies
When calling about awards, if your agent is not helpful or as informed as you need, hang up and call again. Repeat until you get an agent that can help you.
If its not working hang up, and call back (wash, rinse, repeat).
Your cogent explanation of the poorly conceived USAirways promotion several years ago, which led me to buy $10,0000 worth of Trackitback stickers, much to my wife’s chagrin, which quickly dissipated when we flew first class on Lufthansa to Europe.
Thank you!
Google translate(app) does offline translations for more then 20 language. The translations are not perfect but they will do in a pinch. A few months ago a friend and I were in France. In the course of our trip my friend got hurt and we had to get him some help. We both had a basic understanding of French but trying to explain to what happened was well past our abilities. In the end the app allowed us to him the help he needed.
Apply for the CSP – 9 months, 500k miles and a couple of free F&J seats to India later, I am a devout follower!
Use the exact airport code instead of the city code (e.g., IAD or DCA instead of WAS) when searching for award flights on United. You’ll get more results back because the algorithm is more constrained. Do two separate searches (IAD and DCA) for the most possibilities.
The very best tip is reading through these comments and finding Gary’s absolutely terrific — no, make that brilliant — best of the best tips. And now? Onto digging through the archives to read the the original postings (and applying for a Chase Sapphire card!).
I always try to bring a portable nylon zip up cooler when traveling to int’l beach locations. It’s great to load up food and beers at a local market and then take them to take to the beach, rather than paying excessive $$$ at touristy bars. Plus, who wants to leave the sand once you’ve got a cold one in hand?
Couchsurfing isn’t just a good way to get a free room. Seems its a good way to hookup. Businessinsider’s “Couchsurfing’s Sex Secret: It’s The Greatest Hook-Up App Ever Devised” explains why and how..
Words of wisdom that I have learned throughout the years….Never settle for economy class!!
I never miss any post from view from wing or any Gary’s presentations my advice to all follow Gary!!!
If I’m staying in town somewhere where I haven’t been I download a offline copy of the metro map, tips of traveling by public transport, quickest/easiest way to/from the airport and and alt routes to get to the hotel. This way I can make it to the hotel fast and without stress.
Don’t be afraid to get off the beaten path and do talk to strangers!
Tip # 1 – I have traveled with my husband for 40+ years and on every trip we’ve made, he makes friends with total strangers. He will stop them on the street to ask directions or if they know a restaurant or what that building over there is, he will strike up a conversation on the subway, he will start talking to the folks at the next table to ours, or he will ask someone shopping at an outdoor market for help selecting a local fruit that is unknown and exotic to us.
Very few people find this intrusive, and as a result we have had wonderful experiences that most travelers do not enjoy. We’ve been invited home with a new French friend to taste his mom’s ratatouille, we toured a building in the Old City of Jerusalem that was officially closed because our conversation happened to be with an off-duty security guard, and when we visited Istanbul, we got a first hand report of what it was like to be in Tanzim Square during the protests last year.
But my favorite stranger story happened in Venice on our 35th wedding anniversary. While trying to locate a specific restaurant, we stopped someone to ask if he could help. It turned out he was the Head Chef there, on his way to work! He was so tickled at the coincidence that, en route, he took us out for a drink, telling everyone in the bar what had happened, and then led us to the restaurant, where we were seated at the best table. They gave us some appetizers on the house and treated us like family. It was an anniversary dinner I will not forget.
When I pack for an extended casual trip, I use my “Rule of Three” I take 3 of what I plan to wear and wash out as I go along. One to wear, One to wash (using hotel soap or body wash, with a drop of conditioner in the rinse water), and One as a backup – either drying out or for emergencies.
Best kept travel secret I learned from you: Meridien Airlines has a first class hot tub 🙂
Don’t focus only on points value at redemption, the accumulation part is equally important. Maximize your Chase Freedom categories, get a Ink card, and get the Blue Cash Preferred (6% in cash back is hard to beat, even if it’s only on $6,000 of groceries per year).
One of the best advice is HUCA – hang up call again! if an airline agent wont work with you to give you what you want or need – end the call politely (as to not cause the agent to make a notation..) and try your luck with another agent. It does work from my expreience.
The value of points is directly correlated to their flexibility. Translated, if you can get SPG Starpoints, Chase UR or AmEx MR.
AmEx Delta’s credit cars are good for the MQMs and the perks, but they are not even the best cards for accumulating points on Delta (Gold Preferred Rewards and AmEx Business Platinum have 3x on flights) and AmEx MR can be transferred to Delta.
Dry shampoo! After a long flight when you don’t have time to shower, it can help you feel human again.
Leave your passport in the vault of your hotel room when you are sightseeing, bring only a copy with you.
Good tip I got here is to use Brazil’s law that does not allow to add fuel surcharges to airline tickets. It can be useful to issue your ticket through a Brazilian website.
General advice: Book now, think later! Good travel deals NEVER LAST!
4500 avios redemptions for short haul flights, best use of points
4500 avios points for short haul filghts, best use of mileage
when in a city you are new too, see the post card rack that will highlight all the famous places to go.
Your regular updates on the best credit card offers out there really opened my eyes to not just sticking with one airline program and its card, but getting credit cards for other programs and especially for those that can be transferred to multiple airline/hotel programs (Chase UR, Amex MR, etc.)
Put your work address on your luggage tags. Otherwise thieves can see your homr address at your exotic destination, and figure out you are not home for a week.
It’s been a year of learning for me. Getting the nerve up to dip into manufactured spending. Thanks for being my churning professor.
carry a money clip of expired credit cards, supermarket cards and dollar bills. This is a great decoy to hand over if you are mugged
Travel tip: when your in a hotel room and want to hear some music, put your smartphone inside a coffee mug – it hikes up the volume drastically!
Travel hair spray can be used as Mace
When traveling abroad, be sure to search the web for free or close to free walking tours. You would be amazed at the quality of the guides and they usually work for tips.
Tip: use the airline’s “same day change” policies to save money and improve chances for an upgrade!
Keep informed of all the deals by reading blogs and maximize on your daily purchases!
Keep families and friends also informed, and help them manage miles/points better.
Use scheduelle changes on your flights to avoid paying change fees. Sometimes, instead of changing and paying the fee it pays off to wait some time and see if a scheduele change may occur. Quite often even a minor change can get you to get the airline to refund the ticket.
Your tips for loading a mile into the ANA tool to search for star alliance aware space.
Well, this is a points related tip. I routinely underestimated the value of shopping portals. I always lumped it with all the obsessed miles collectors wasting expensive time to chase minuscule miles. I’ve learned this year that it isn’t hard and there are a meaningful amount of miles that can be obtained just for sending flowers after a funeral which you would have done anyways. (30miles/$ at FTD) Can’t beat that.
The best advice I give anyone is, of course, from you. Burn your miles! They are not a savings account.
True expertise usually takes years to develop and it really shows in the content that is produced.
HUCA. Amazing what can happen when you get the right agent
Your information on the British Airways VISA 100,000 sign up bonus has been the best thing for my new travel with miles habit. Using the Travel Together certificates and AMEX mileage transfers, I’ve gone to Europe with my husband three times in business or first class. While not the cheapest way to Europe dues to fees and surcharges, it works for me because it’s doesn’t take much effort at all!
what the KVS tool is and how to use it to find award seats. thank you!
The best advice I learnt from your blog would have to be the fact that any experience is worth exactly as much as we make of it – positivity always shines through in facing any travel-related incident, be it weather delays, baggage losses, or even something as simple as not getting the routing you originally wanted for your award ticket. This blog has taught me to smile through these issues and learn from every experience – a smile among a plane of delayed passengers will spread around very quickly. 🙂
Best advice: Patience pre (booking) or during travel
Take along a small power strip so that you can use one outlet with a converter to charge all your devices at once,
Maybe it’s just due to the recent spat of cold weather, but lately people keep asking: “How can I take a vacation in Hawaii without spending much money?” My answer: “How does $30 for a roundtrip flight and four nights sound to you?” With BofA offering 50,000 miles on the Alaska Airline Visa, and a roundtrip ticket to the Hawaiian islands costing 55,000 Alaska miles, this one card gives you a roundtrip ticket (in coach). The the south side of Maui boasts some of the finest beaches, parks and resorts, so let’s look there. Hyatt Andaz and Fairmont resorts are among the best, and right now Chase offers Visa cards with no sign up fees. In fact, if you sign up for the Hyatt Visa through the link that shows while beginning the “booking” of any Hyatt, you’ll even get an offer for a statement credit of $50. This largely eliminates the $75 you’ll pay for the Alaska Airline Visa and the $5 fee you’ll pay on that roundtrip ticket (with 55,000 miles). …So that’s how you fly roundtrip to Hawaii and stay four nights in top rated resorts for four nights, with just three credit card sign-up bonuses. Two people can manage roundtrip flights and 8 nights, at a net cost of just $60. Oh, and the nights spent at the Fairmont resort come with free breakfasts. Anyway, that’s my hot tip …as we all endure this cold snap.
The game is always changing. Be patient and evolve with it.
Learned so many useful things from your blog.
Always used ebates and mrrebates but ev’reward is one I didn’t know about.
When booking economy seats in a 3 across pattern (ex. 737 or A320) when traveling with a partner book both the aisle and window seat. Quite frequently you will find yourself with no middle seat mate like intra Europe business class. If not then you can always switch with the person in the middle seat
Check every card you have, and know which one to use for each type of purchase. Otherwise you may be leaving many miles (or points) behind.
Your posts on maximizing debit card rewards have added such a profound new dimension to my miles earning!
One bit of great advice that I recently used was with American Airlines. I had booked a ticket to Palm Springs for the New Year’s holiday and had of course submitted for an upgrade (I’m American Gold). I had to change my travel plans and instead travel over the Thanksgiving holiday. After changing my flight plans, I called an agent with American to make sure that my upgrade request was dated the original date of my ticket purchase – INSTEAD of the date that I changed the ticket. Sure enough, it had been re-set to my ticket change date but the agent was able to re-set back to the original purchase date. I did get upgraded both ways!!
I can’t think of just one thing that has been most useful about this blog because the whole thing has really changed the way I look at travel, travel planning, the airline and hotel industry as well as my purchasing habits. This is the first travel blog I ever read at the advice of my father over this past summer and now I read more than I can count! I have booked a 1st class ticket to London and home from Paris this spring for my girlfriend’s first trip out of the country (these are cities she has always wanted to see) as well as staying at several great Hyatt’s while there. I set all this up because I have a very special question to ask her when we get there and I never could have afforded to do this without the miles and points I have obtained. This blog has given me the ability to make a special moment in my life that much more unique and special. Thank you.
Even if your itinerary is ticketed and confirmed, if this is a trip that matters to you, always review the current details from the airline no later than the night before.
Sometimes things get changed, and discovering this when you are at the airport may be too late to allow you to commence your trip as desired.
Plus, even if there have’t been any unexpected changes, you may still confirm the times so you can plan for the next day.
Although it is very nice (understatement) to fly first class, try to remember that the trip is not JUST about getting to your destination – unless you’re mileage running ofcourse. We sometimes forget that we travel to see sights, see friends or family and what not, and not just to experience eating not-so-gourmet food inside the plane 🙂
The best tip from you has been to use British Airways for nonstop, short haul flights in America. Thanks, I read your emails every day; hard to pick out the best tip.
The best single piece of advice that I’ve received from this blog is to be ever vigilant. Don’t get down over opportunities missed, because the next one is always lurking around the corner.
Your blog has helped me to turn travel from a chore into a hobby, and the enjoyment that I’ve received from the hunt and from the camaraderie of communities such as this probably even exceeds that of joy from scoring the best deals that I have ever found. Thanks for all you do!
The most useful thing I learned was the value of non-US frequent flyer programs, particularly Avianca with its relatively cheap and frequent buy mile promos, generous award chart and routing rules, and the occasional redemption “glitches” you alluded to.
Most valuable thing I’ve learned from your blog: How the Chase family of points-earning cards (Sapphire, Ink, Freedom) can be used together to amass Ultimate Rewards points (greatly augmented by the sign-up bonuses for each) that then can be pooled in one account and transferred into airline FF programs to redeem for premium class awards. For a retired person who no longer has any business travel and therefore has much-reduced opportunities to earn miles and points, this “keeps me in the game” and enables my wife and me to take trips we otherwise simply could not afford. We are VERY appreciative for this knowledge as well as for all the other tips we’ve picked up from you.
HUCA FTW
Before reading your blog I was strictly an Amex Platinum & Citi AA cardholder (with lots of AA churning). Learned all about Chase cards starting with Sapphire Preferred, Freedom, United, Fairmont, Hyatt, Ink Bold, Ink Plus, the new Ink Plus, Southwest personal & business, Marriott. Enjoyed lots of first class travel to SYD, BKK, SIN, etc and free nights at Sydney Park Hyatt, and upcoming Ritz Carlton free nights from all I’ve learned.
Southwest seemed so easy but still haven’t assigned a companion or flown as I am not a Southwest fan, so advice would be not to get cards if you don’t plan on using. Guess I will fly friends to visit me with my 110,000+ SW miles.
Also learned about Barclay Arrival & US Airways cards.
Checking in online as early as possible makes you less likely to get bumped, may allow you to board earlier than if you check in at the airport, and puts you at the front of the line for upgrades if you’re eligible, but it can making changing plans at the last minute more difficult.
Avoid drawing attention in other countries, keep it on the DL, don’t talk super loud, don’t dress too differently from the natives.
It’s hard to say that domestic airport lounges are worth the money (based on the ones I’ve seen), but if you have a problem with your travel plans, you’re more likely to get faster and better service from the agents there.
Love to check in daily…. Love to learn from your experiences & examples:
Chase Sapphire Preferred rocks! Amex Plat rules! And…. best of all, do not fear the phone conversation! Smile, be nice, hang-up-call-back if needed.
Status helps a lot. Leverage status matches to the extent possible.
My Advice: Always know the validity rules of the country you are traveling to. Many more countries (including the EU) are requiring that visitors have 3 months (or more) of validity on their passports after their planned RETURN date. This pretty much prevented me from going on a half year planned vacation. I did not account for an EU rule change that passed this summer and started being enforced this past fall. Needless to say, it was a fun day flying around the US! (ha)
The best thing I’ve learned from this blog is how great Cathay first is. Tried it out for the first time last month.
Travel big through credit card sign up bonuses.
Thank you for all of your advice! I’ve been traveling most of my life, and for me the one thing that reduces the stress of travel is to allow plenty of time. We always try to get to the airport with more than enough time to spare. If it’s an important international trip, I try to never have less than a 4 hour layover at the gateway city. Fortunately, I’ve never had trouble entertaining myself in airports!
Don’t take off your socks and shoes, and go barefoot on a plane, as it is offensive and annoying to some of your fellow passengers.
Too many things to list related to credit cards and reservations (although I always “garden” my reservations now), so I’ll have to say that I love all of the different food-related entries. I make a point of trying out your reviewed restaurants when I go to a new place.
Thanks for everything!
Thanks for all the advice on credit cards and your strategies. It is nice to hear what opportunities are available.
Seldom travel as much nowadays so visiting blogs like yours especially tips on free points and miles help to sustain my points and prevent them from forfeiture due to non activity.
-Best thing I learned from this blog is that dreams do come true! With news about the British Airways Visa 100,000 sign up, advice on how to book tickets with US Airways miles and your timely alerts to their Buy and Share “100% bonus miles” offerings we were able to take my recently widowed mother-in-law on a trip to Bali last year, flying all the way in business and first class! She and my father-in-law had planned the trip before medical expenses piled up and he became too sick to travel. The tips here let us take her on a great trip in his memory.
THANK YOU GARY!!!!!
Travel tip: These days wikitravel provides a quick way of getting tips on a city that you have not been to for a long time like getting right official taxis at airport and avoiding any particular tourist scams.
Buy a large collapsible water bottle. We have saved tons of money over the years refilling ours in hotel/resort fitness centers
Bring bandaids, gauze, blister cover ups if you are planning to walk/hike a lot on vacation.
Always tell someone where you are going – especially if you are going to a secluded out of the way area. If for some reason you get lost or have some emergency you want people to know where you are to be able to help you out.
Twitter is often the fastest and most efficient way to reach out to airlines/hotels/your favorite blogger when you encounter an issue or have a question.
This website got me started on being smarter about collecting miles strategically. Thanks.
My Travel Advice – Make sure you write down all your credit card anniversary dates, annual fees, any special bonuses that require certain spending, etc (I do mine in Excel). That way you can track when an anniversary is approaching and decide whether to maintain the card, call to ask for any incentives, cancel, etc. Otherwise many people forget and end up paying the annual fee when they didn’t intend to or might miss certain bonuses because they didn’t keep track.
Love the Schwab card to use at ATM for international travel. All fees get reimbursed.
Learn a lot. This is the first blog I read every day.
My travel tip: I always put my cell phone in my shoe when going though security. I’m going to have to come up with something new now that I’m always getting PreCheck!
Travel tip: if female, travel with a really distinguished looking husband that looks like he paid for that First Class seat, even if he didn’t. You’ll then look like you belong and get better service.
I enjoyed the “obscure” & cheap ways of earning points, miles & status, sometimes with a small cash outlay, e.g. the Milepoint package.
Always enter flight details in Flight Tracker.
It will tell you a accurate gate info and notify you of delays.
Power strip maybe an overkill but a simple power multiplier is a must! By using one that splits one outlet into 3 you’ll be able to use a single power adapter and fuel 3 different devices.
Also: carry a travel wifi router. Many hotels provide wired internet which is much better than their wifi internet (if any). Also a wifi router can help you save money on internet since it’s a single device and you’ll pay just for 1 device connected to internet, not for 5.
That Korean Airlines has several transfer partners.
Rather than use Avios on British Airways and pay the crazy high taxes, link the account to Iberia and fly for cheap!
Make sure your luggage is readily identifiable, as many coming down the ramp look alike.
Add special tags or markings.
Best travel advice…..do as much of it as you can, take advantage of as many travel opportunities as you can now, never know when something might come up and make travel not possible.
It all comes down to this, Earn Them and Burn Them.
Hang up, call back.
Earn and burn!
Don’t wait too long on deals!
Started reading the blog in 03, many URL changes ago. The most important thing I learned was to get the SPG AmEx. Thanks for everything over the years, Gary.
Honestly the $20 trick and hangup call back are up there just as much as the SPG AmEx.
I wish that I had discovered this blog years ago when I had much more business travel. I could have better maximized my miles/points per transaction in all aspects of my business and personal spend – probably blowing them through the roof. Sure, I knew about Flyertalk and credit card signup bonuses, but hadn’t paid much attention because I was literally earning more butt-in-seat miles and head-in-bed points than I could spend. This blog has really taught me to think about miles and points in a different way – getting maximum value for them (i.e. don’t waste on flights/nights that are cheap in the first place) and spend strategies. It was also very enlightening to learn from Gary that all programs are not created equal. Like many, I had simply assumed that difficult “saver” award availability was the name of the game. In a way, the blog has opened up a new world and I feel confident that I still have a way to accomplish my personal travel goals in a reduced business travel environment. I know many readers might complain about the credit card offers, but I see it as fair compensation for some of the valuable information that I’ve gained over the years for free (yes, I have used Gary’s links a few times).
Best advice I ever got: When traveling for pleasure, pack half as much as you think you need and double the amount of money. It will make your vacation that much more fun and stress free! 🙂
I really like the article about “travel tips for winning gift cards” since I learn many things from there. Thanks.
So many things…hang up, call back; earn and burn; don’t wait on deals
After all the planning to get the perfect (premium class) flights and (nice) hotels, just enjoy the trip and remember that the experience the trip creates is worth much more than how you got there. And always have backups in case things go wrong during the trip!
Love your blog! Gave me a heads up to all these great bonuses I would’ve missed out otherwise. Best thing I learned from this site: how to use credit card points and membership rewards effectively. Prior to following your blog, I was doing all the wrong things with my reward points!
Travel tip: scan passport and email it to myself for remote access in case of emergency.
Remember the TSA is only trying to keep us safe from grandmothers, little kids, and the occasional terrorist!!!
Best lesson I learned from my most recent trip abroad: When charging items on your no foreign transaction fee credit card overseas, almost always charge those transactions in local currency rather than US dollars. I would’ve gotten a much better conversion rate from Visa or Mastercard than I did from the vendors abroad!
Miles and More is an interesting program. I had to cancel a United award booked through them 15 minutes before departure due to illness (I fell ill at the airport). Since it was a weekend the M&M call center was closed. I called United to cancel the award just so there is a record of the cancellation. That same day I waited for the Australian M&M call center to open (about 10 hrs after the flight departed) because it is the only one that opens 7 days a week (strange). I asked them to get my miles refunded. And they did!!! So my tip: If you can, avoid the US call center. They are not very good. They often price awards wrongly or claim there is no award space. I have not called the German call center but I had great success with Australia and Singapore.
you can never pack too many empty zip lock bags! Handy for wet stuff, stuff that might leak, etc.
loafers are much better when going through security.
to combat jet lag, try not to take a nap on arrival. get on that local time ASAP
Don’t create frequent flier accounts for your cello!
your eye opening info on the Chase Sapphire Card. Got one for me, one for Mrs. SST almost immediately, and still have one.
if traveling as a couple, separate occasionally during the day. your female companion is more likely to receive invitations to local events on her own than you are as a couple!
The amazing value you highlighted at the Park Hyatt Maldives, which I hope to visit someday using Gold Passport Points.
best advice: get the Hyatt card for two free nights at any Hyatt after minimal spend.
If you travel a lot, make the most of your time at home with your family/friends… It makes traveling that much more enjoyable, whether business or pleasure, first class or coach.
My favorite travel tip for foreign countries is to eat where there are a lot of people eating (when in non-touristy areas). If you know the local language, ask a local shopkeeper what they recommend.
Always plan ahead!
The card that got me started in the whole points-earning business was the Amex Platinum earlier this year! I think most of the perks that come with this awesome card are already well-documented, but I think it bears repeating that in order to get a lot of them, you actually have to call Amex. For example, I encouraged one of my friends to get the card before our trip to Montreal over Thanksgiving this year; however, she had never called in to get her Priority Pass and was unable to access the Air Canada lounge in LGA as I was. You’d also need to call in for SPG Gold Status, Hilton Gold Status, merging Membership Rewards accounts, and getting a card with a chip in it. So bottom line–get the card and call customer service!
Best piece of advice I can give. Be kind to those you interact with while traveling. I am a big guy. 6’6″, 450 lbs. I get I am not the easiest person to sit next to on a trip, but I spend quite a bit of the flight up and about trying to respect the space and comfort of others.
Gary, you run a great site and I wish I had found this much earlier in my life. I would say the best advice besides Hang up, call back is getting the Amex Platinum card to get the Gold status in SPG/Hilton and the $200 airline reimbursements & learning about the value of non-US frequent flyer programs, particularly British Airways Avios where I can fly from Phoenix to LA for 4500 miles each way!
Perhaps the biggest thing I’ve learned from this blog is not to be afraid of applying for credit cards. I used to have just one card for everything, but now I have cards for specific bonus categories. It’s been somewhat life-changing!
I really enjoy reading your blog as you are a prolific writer with substance. I am relatively new to the world of points and miles, and this site has helped me tremendously. The most valuable tip I have learned from you (and what has to be one of the best values out there) is the Companion Pass with Southwest. With your help, I am less than $100 away in spending from getting my 50k point bonuses for both the SW Personal and SW Business cards. I will wait until after January 1 to complete my spend for the bonuses which will allow me to get the Companion Pass for 2014 and 2015! THANKS!!!
When abroad, especially in Asia, have ample cash in local currency. Not everywhere is as credit card-friendly as North America!
Above all else (and there is a lot of else!) I think the best thing that I have learned from your site is the way the various credit card programs can be maximized.
I just got into the whole travel and points world last year. Previously I was the typical person who would get a credit card, earn the sign up bonus (if any), and then just use it without thinking about it – earning a few points here and there but never really gaining enough to do anything with. Now from using the tips I’ve found on your site I find myself with tons of travel opportunities that I never would have had before.
I have especially enjoyed the Southwest Companion Pass strategy (with the business and regular versions of the card), the Chase Ink tips about buying gift cards at office stores for 5x points on practically everything, and the chance to get in on the British Airways Visa 100,000 point sign up bonus earlier this year.
Thanks for opening my eyes to the wonderful world of champagne travel on a beer budget!
The most useful thing I’ve learned here is how to apply miles towards first/business class tickets. I’m still primarily a coach guy, but the last couple of flights have been in premium cabins and the wife and I are liking it! And as the miles accumulate, it becomes easier to do … and more frequent.
Thanks for all of the advice and information you post!
In Ecuador, don’t eat the blue berries that grow at the southern end of Lake Otavalo, they are NOT blueberries.
Hang up and call back….and how I use some version of that in everyday life!!
Go now! You never know what tomorrow will bring.
When traveling by plane with children, sit two-behind-two or two-behind-one instead of all in a row. That way you can put the child behind one of the parents (if they can’t stop kicking or worrying the tray table), two kids can be together or separated, as necessary, both kids can get window seats, one parent can get a break, etc.
This comment is probably only useful to new parents, but here goes:
Buy your infant a seat from day one! Even if he or she isn’t going to use it, it’s incredibly awesome to have a row of 3 in coach to yourselves (or if traveling solo + baby, a buffer seat). On longer flights, this is worth every penny. As your child gets closer to 2, consider MCE/E+/EC – the extra leg room allows the little one to get down and walk within the confines of your row. That has saved us on some recent TCONs.
Always double, triple, or quadruple dip!
your analyzes and arguments on frequent flyer topics such as hidden city and throw away ticketing, fuel charges, solutions for international phone calls are very insightful.
Keep everything you may need during your flight in the bag by your feet, not in the overhead.
Your points are not a savings account. Make sure to spend them for trips. Do not save them up to watch your points balance grow. Spend them as soon as you have what you need for that special flight or hotel stay. They will only be devaluated over time. This concept takes some swallowing. Make sure to drain those accounts over and over again. You will be surprised how quick you can get more that next special trip. Thank you Gary! Best advice ever and saved me many times!
When sitting in coach, if you have to keep something under the seat in front of, after the plane is airborne move the item back against the front of your own seat. Your legs will generally fall comfortably in front of the item, giving you back the use of your foot space until it’s time to prepare the cabin for landing.
A three ounce container is just the right size to hold the average home-mixed cocktail. They have ice on board.
This blog got me started in the world of points — I’ve had many a trip that would not otherwise have been possible without your work. Thank you!
Schwab isnt the only card that gives you fee free foreign ATM use! I’ve had an ING bank acct for years (now Capital One 360..) and just realized I get the same benefit from using the atm card attached to that acct.!
Be human and kind towards others when traveling but keep your wits about you. This may even get you more perks compared to status and tiers… at the least your traveling will be more enjoyable.
Don’t put your nasty, dirty, bare feet on the bulkhead.
Definitely hang up and call back !!
2 words: packing cubes. incredibly useful for constantly packing and unpacking in trips. keeps your luggage organized. love them!
Get TSA Precheck – even as they seem to be mucking around with sending the uninitiated to those lanes, it’s so cool to breeze through wearing boots and leaving the laptop & liquids in the bag.
a few tips for when flying thru singapore / changi airport.
they have great transit hotel for catching a few hours of sleep and a shower. it’s quite cheap and you can get a room for as little as 4 hours.
if you have star alliance gold, Kris flyer silver is GREAT. showers and food are awesome. also, if you can’t access kris flyer silver, kris flyer gold is decent too. they have great massage chairs (kris flyer silver does not have them) which are really relaxing.
united 1K members: never hesitate to call the 1k hotline to voice any complaints or issues with united service. they go out of their way to resolve your issues and often times if they cannot fix the issue, they will compensate you with gift vouchers. they can be quite generous with the vouchers.
Never visit the loo with bare feet; the liquid on the floor is most likely not from a sink splash
I always put copies of of our e-tickets, hotel confirmations and car rental documents etc., plus our complete itinerary, on Google Drive before we travel, so that I can access another copy via the web if something happens to my paper copies or to those on my iPad. Dropbox and similar programs work equally well.
Free 1-800 calls when overseas: when outside of the US and in need of calling a US Airline (or credit card company or hotel etc), use skype. skype provides free calls to toll free 800 lines from your computer or skype mobile app. i just learned this recently and it has saved me a lot of money and time.
Hotel points can save thousands of $$$ on a trip- use and burn them!
Marry rich !!! Wait, that may of come from Mom.
Be selective in your programs and not only read but understand the rules – blogs such as View from the wing, Milepoint, FT etc will all help you maximise your travel experiences
Dont save all your points for several years – use them, earn more – plenty of program devaluations around and this is likely to continue
US Airways Grand Slam pointers and tips !
The mint coin promo. Please come back.
Sign up in the various hotel promo’s, e.g. double points etc – even if you dont plan on staying, your plans may well change – as Gary says, no point leaving anything on the table….
Holiday Inn Pointbreaks are a super value!
When flying to Europe, reserve a dayroom (www.between9and5.com allows you to book and does not require a credit card guarantee). When you arrive at the airport call your main hotel to find out if you can get into your room immediately; if not head to the dayroom.
To all of you whose rule is to stay awake until evening … for me that is just a recipe for one miserable day. I can’t be the only one who feels that way!
“Hang Up and Call Again!” This simple advice helped me get an ATW trip when 1st agent said certain flights weren’t available when it was obvious he wasn’t checking.2nd agent thanked ME for providing flight numbers and airport codes and making her job easier.
The free app Web to PDF lets you convert any web page to a PDF document. With my iPad, I use this app to convert hotel reservation confirmations and similar travel arrangements to PDFs which I then open in iBooks, where I create folders for each trip. Since most etickets are PDF documents which I can also open in iBooks, this allows me to have all my travel documents in one electronic folder on my iPad.
Here’s something I have learned from traveling. We all are trying to have the perfect travel experiences. We spend hours planning and obsessing over trip details. And then, things go all wrong anyway. Weather delays, mechanical problems, getting stuck on the runway for hours. Take a deep breath and relax! The worst travel experiences make the best stories and the most memorable trips!
When travailing in Eastern Europe don’t discount the bus system. Sounds strange but the system is nice, modern, friendly, and efficient. We were semi stranded in Vienna, headed for Prague. The Concierge suggested the bus. It turned out to be 20% of the train fair and arrived two hours sooner. It was a great value and a memorable part of the trip. A good alternative to have in your back pocket.
Hilton points expire after one year of no activity. A good way to keep your account active is to set up and link a foursquare account and topguest account. Then “check in” at a Doubletree property near you. You earn 50 Hilton points. Not much but it keeps your account from expiring!
Don’t walk around the airplane naked, as they WILL restrain you and have the police waiting upon arrival.
Definitely earn ‘me and burn ’em – and if you see a great deal, grab it! You will likely have at least 24 hours to cancel!
Head to Chinatown or asian markets in a new county for cheap eats and foods. Good examples are Paris, Buenos Aires, London and etc…
Ask for an upgrade at check in for a hotel. As the saying goes, you can’t win the lottery without buying a ticket!!
Hang up, call back !!! I must say though my wife is becoming quite annoyed with you !
If you’re staying in a country where you can’t read/write the language, have your hotel give you a card with their name and address for the taxi-driver who will be bringing you home. (They usually have a supply of these.) Also, ask how to say the name of the hotel in the local language and take a couple of minutes to learn it. This can save you valuable time and effort with your cabbie later on. Don’t assume, for example, that the American pronunciation of Sheraton will be understood in China. And it never hurts to learn how to say thanks in any language.
Gary your blog is great. I learnt how to really get into the points game from your blog. I learnt the best process for my first churn and then also how to use those points towards the best things.
O and how to get National Emerald Club status, cause I <3 National.
My husband carries a ‘fake wallet’ when we travel, filled with Canadian Tire store money, expired loyalty cards, used gift cards etc, while his real credit cards and cash are in a money belt. He figures any thieves would keep looking if they found nothing in his pockets, so the fake one serves as a decoy.
Bargaining can be part of the fun in making purchases in some Asian countries, but don’t get too carried away. I’ve seen people who are spending thousands on a holiday haggling over pennies with locals, oblivious to the fact that some of those peddlers on the beach may have to sell their wares for less than cost just to have money to buy food that night. Those pennies are more important to them than to you.
Best thing I’ve learned from your blog – and definitely made good use of – hang up and call again
stay in Hyatt Place hotels for 5000 points/night. It’s like having Pointsbreak properties year-round.
Take a photo of your luggage with your phone before you check it in. It probably won’t go astray, but if it does, you’ll have a picture of it.
sign up for Pre-Check online and then if you have spare time at a participating airport, walk in for the interview without an appointment. My buddy here in Nashville works for the company in charge of rolling out Pre-check and says there is time built in for walk in appointments.
On long flights on Southwest, call 1-800-I-FLY-SWA and try to find the route with the most empty seats. I scored a full row to myself on a flight BNA-LAS last week just by picking a low occupancy flight
Make sure to get a doctor’s note in advance if you have medication that you need to bring along. Certain types of medication are restricted, and you don’t want to be without, for example, your epi-pen if you need it.
Read Gary’s blog 🙂
If you have a severe allergy and are traveling somewhere that you don’t speak the language, get a translator to type up a description of what you cannot eat before you go. Then print out multiple copies of this, cut into strips, and keep it in your wallet or purse (or have it printed on cards for a long stay). It can say something like, “I am severely allergic to peanuts and nuts of all kinds. Please indicate if any item I order contains nuts by pointing to this card. Thank you.” Also keep in mind that not everyone can read, so if you can learn in advance a simple phrase that explains your allergy (again, with the help of a translator, hopefully).
Our suitcases are always emptier when we head off on big trips, so when we travel to less developed countries, we take our surplus clothing to donate there, tracking down a local charity to take it to. (For example, we easily found a needy AIDS hospice in South Africa.) We’ll also often take school supplies, which are always needed. If you don’t want to ask the hotel or a local church/mosque to help you find a charity, the website http://www.stuffyourrucksack.com identifies charities all over the developing world that would be grateful for your help.
Your website is usually one of the better ones out there so I’ve learned a lot. One of the most informative was the series you did on hidden-city ticketing – lays out the facts clearly!
Double check your seats before checking in. A few times I have found that my seats have been switched and I ended up in a window or a middle seat,or even out of the exit row. Especially if you have a long flight ahead of you, and you are not in business or first, it is worth double checking your seat assignment.
Liked your series on Hyatt stay certificates – was such a bummer now that rates have increased dramatically!
I learned about the Hyatt Diamond challenge through this blog. Since then, it’s been nothing but Hyatt love…
Make photocopies of any credit cards, passport or other ID, front and back. Leave one set at home or encrypted on line. I carry one copy zipped into the lining of my carry on. I’ve never had to use them, but having copies and phone numbers could save the day if lost or stolen.
Beat jet lag for good. Get the book “Overcoming Jet Lag” by Ehret & Scanlon if you can find it, otherwise this will do: http://www.netlib.org/misc/jet-lag-diet. It works perfectly. I’m tired the first day and up and running by day two. No drugs, no side effects, no downtime!
You taught me how to get real value from my miles and points. Only one question. Where were you for the first 90% of my life. Oh! I know, you were not born. How to make up for lost time. Read your blog daily. Thank you!
Some of the best things for us so far:
When an incoming passenger on an international flight, make a list of things you have with you that would interest customs if they check you out. We travel as a family and have had lots of snacks and things declared on the Incoming passenger card along with a list. They usually take a look at the list briefly and wave you on through.
Pack casual clothing in rolls. Especially the kids. Roll underwear, socks, shirts and pants/shorts together in a tight bundle. In the mornings, grab a bundle and they’re good to go.
United has the most generous stopover rules for int’l flights.
Komol is better than Lotus of Siam in Vegas.
an Elephant Jumps is better than a Dolphin Walking.
If your cruise stops at Nassau and you want to explore Atlantis at a reasonable family cost, book a night at the Comfort Suites Paradise Island, where four grounds passes for Atlantis are included.
VR’s can sometimes be found hidden behind other GC’s.
Southwest Companion Pass may be the best airline perk that is reasonably achievable by non-business flyers.
What I have learned is the patience while working with the airline agents in the awards program. If it does not work in my favor, just hang up and call again instead of arguing with them!!
Credit cards have become the new milage runs.
I would say the best lessons I have learned is if you get a chance to use your award, use them. I have wasted several free hotel awards because I want to wait until the best value to use them.
I ahbe learned many useful stratigies with your blog. one of my facorites is Hetting 2 free lounge passes with my ink bold card. Thanks Gary.!
Tie for best lesson from here: The number of spousal credits one can earn by booking a Lufthansa trip that includes the First Class Terminal in Frankfurt. That’s the gift that keeps on giving!
Sorry for the typos. I am in kerela India and there was a glare on the screen. And yes, I got here in business class from frequent miles from all your tips. But, when I don’t fly business it’s great to use my 2 free lounge passes from my ink bold card. Thanks gary!
Tie for best lesson from here: Your marginal value of points increases as your point total approaches premium cabin redemption thresholds. Spending money to gain those last 50,000 points might be quite sensible even though buying the first 50,000 points does not look nearly as smart.
Travel tip: When you need a last-minute US domestic ticket, check availability of capacity-controlled Standard Award space on Southwest. This requires logging in to your Rapir Rewards account but it no longer requires you to have any awards in the account. If you see award space on the flight you want, transfer 19200 RR points to AirTran and then transfer them right back to Southwest. Logout or RR and login again to see and book your award.
I recently booked a Wednesday to Sunday Thanksgiving trip on one day’s notice this way. It would have been unaffordable any other way. $800+ in value from 19200 Southwest points!
When talking to an agent, be polite, get him on your side to help you, and if one is not of help, hang up and call back repeatedly till you get the one who can handle your request – best advice from your blog.
SkyPesos are for spending, not hoarding.
This blog has given me soooooo many great tips its hard to single out just one. But for me, living near a small regional airport, learning about the advantages of earning and then using British Airways Avios for short haul AA flights has been very valuable to me. This allows me to reposition to a larger hub airport for very little “cost” and from there I can explore the world.
Thanks Gary for all you do.
Free points in obscure programs.
hang up (politely) and call back!
Persist. Just like in this comment.
I am Asia based without access to the US credit card games, therefore excluding the financial benefits this provides, as its out of reach for me, here is my best piece of advice taken from Garys blog: Hyatt club floor and suite upgrades have been probably the best advice I got from your blog when calculating the money saved AND the enhanced comfort over the 4 days these things worked so far (flight upgrades or cheap mileage tickets like LM and USDM also count, but a flight only lasts max 12 – 16 hours, staying in a top Hyatt property with the family in the most exciting cites of the world creates so much more emotional value). A pity Hyatt devalues them from next year.
Always try to consolidate points earning into a single program across each alliance or partnership. This will reduce orphaned miles and allow you to save up for a big reward!
Having a spouse or significant other in the game is a great way to magnify earning, whether it involves household accounts, double the amount of credit cards, or an Amazon Payments partner (with a shared bank account no less!)
If you work for a large or medium sized company, you can often find outstanding hotel and car rental rates through corporate codes. Just be sure your travel policy allows it.
Keeping an itinerary for a big trip in a single document is an excellent way to allow easy reference and identify any gaps in your planning. I put all flights, hotels, and pre-planned ground transit-with times and confirmation numbers for each-into a Word document for any multi city trip I take, particularly in Asia. This has allowed me to identify an unhooked flight or hotel on a number of occasions (or occasionally, a mis-booked flight or hotel).
There are times to fight against the current, and times to go with the flow.
When I was detained by Mexican Immigration for not having my visa on me (didn’t read the fine print about needing to carry it at all times and left it at my friends place), I threw up my hands and enjoyed the roller coaster ride. The Canadian expat who was detained at the same checkpoint, cursed up the M-16 toting Immigration officials and flailed around like a drowning victim.
I was released first.
It’s far more gratifying to use your free hotel nights or award nights booked on points on the trips you definitely want or need to take rather than holding out for that aspirational high-value redemption that you may never have an opportunity to use (think Polynesia or Maldives). These nights expire and points devalue; if you don’t use them when and where you have a good use for them, you can lose them altogether or end up doing something mediocre just prior to expiration. I woulda shoulda coulda used my 2 free Hilton weekend nights at the Waldorf Astoria in Berlin but didn’t because hotels prices there are so reasonable compared to other cities; now I’m scrounging around for the “best” place to use the award and coming up empty because I can’t make my travel plans work around a good redemption.
Earn and burn. Miles should not be treated like a savings account
For skymiles, always remember to look for overwater leg. For shorter legs, check both economy and business. Many times economy might be available. For example: for an upcoming SFO-CDG trip … no business class tickets existed. Although I found PDX-CDG but no business from SFO-PDX. It was either buy it separately or use Southwest points. But a quick check in economy found 2 seats SFO-PDX. Not bad for a 1.5hr flight.
Learn typical seasonal schedule changes for an airport, then use ITA to find cheap super-tight connections far in advance that will likely be broken by the airline later. When broken, use it to secure a free change to optimal flights that would have been much more expensive. Especially on DL, they’ll often let you switch to alternative airports (within reason). Do your homework and this can have a very high success rate.
Get loyalty accounts for your kids the day they are born, and when applicable promos (especially freebies) arise, include them. By the time they are old enough to appreciate the account, they’ve have some valuable gifts accumulated, thanks to thoughtful parents.
When a multi-night stay with other family members is on tap, it often makes sense to alternate nights between your accounts rather than stay straight through on one. This is especially true with promos such as Marriott Megabonus and similar ones where stays are more valuable than nights. You can usually stay in the same room if you notify the front desk in advance, and you’re doing no wrong. For some promos, if you’re willing, it might even make sense to hop across the street to a different brand on progressive nights, especially if you’re staying alone and can’t rotate family members.
print two boarding passes before you go, then when you are asking to bump hand your extra to the gate agent to make it easy for them. Help them out and you might be surprised at what they can do for you.
AAA rate is your friend at many hotel chains, and if you forget to bring your card, it’s rarely an issue because they don’t usually ask to see it. Not only will it often generate the lowest rate, it will often allow refundable bookings at the same price as advance non-refundable ones.
For car rentals, USAA, Costco, and Priceline are your friends. Book only rates that may be canceled free well in advance, then check periodically and try to improve (Autoslash can help). As D-day approaches, if you’re *sure* that you won’t need to cancel or change, you can try undercutting via Priceline “name your own price” as a last-ditch attempt once per day, of course clicking through a cash back site before doing so.
The two best travel related tip that I have been told and use ALL the time: (1) be nice and joke around with the flight attendants and flight customer service reps…kindness goes a long way and your chances of getting perks such as random upgrades are higher! Second best advice is mommy related…(2) pack 2 pairs of extra clothes for you and 3-4 extra clothes for the baby. You never know when they’ll decide to throw up or have crazy diaper movements that will require change in clothes for both mommy and baby! 🙂
Gary: I am indebted to you for having highlighted here (http://viewfromthewing.com/2013/10/26/paper-still-matters-electronic-age/) the necessity of printing out the eTicket receipt/itinerary.
I was travelling a few years ago when the UA system went down and oh how I wish I had a printout then and there to expedite the entire process given the lack of computers.
Just last month, I was flying out of Denpasar/Bali (DPS) when the security staff prompted me to present a physical copy of my flight booking – I’m glad I followed your advice this time. I was about to miss the check-in deadline so any more delays (having to wait at the security checkpoint while they contact the airline staff to confirm that I’m indeed passenger) would have been pretty annoying.
The seemingly negligible tip you’ve highlighted is something most people tend to forget in our electronic/digital age but has and will definitely save me a great deal of hassle especially if I’m so unfortunate to experience another IT failure.
‘Roll’ with it — the best packing advice for any length trip is roll the clothes. Folding leaves creases but a deftly rolled shirt, pants or any item fits perfectly in tight spots and emerges ready to wear!
Never check bags!!
In 40 years of travel only one carry-on has been my baggage companion. Yup, it can be done with some planning both in geometry and geography (no your destination and all its services).
If you ever get laundry done outside of the hotel, be sure to a. remember where you leave your laundry and b. find out the hours/days the laundromat is open. In Bangkok I had a small amount of clothes that I needed to be washed before venturing on to the Gulf of Thailand, and I was determined to get a better price than what the hotel charged. As I went out into Bangkok one day I brought my small bag of dirty clothes with me and left them somewhere to be cleaned. They said they’d be ready the next day. The following morning I went out to get them…and realized I had no idea where I had dropped them off. I spent hours trying to retrace my steps around Sukhomvit and Th Silom. I finally found the place, but it would have been much easier to just write down the name of the place or leave them at the hotel instead of trying to save a few baht. A few years later I left my clothes at a laundromat in Lisbon on a Friday intending to pick them up on Sunday before I left for Sevilla. Come Sunday when I went to pick up my clothes, I found a dark storefront and locked doors. The laundromat was closed until Monday morning. The most frustrating thing was seeing my freshly laundered clothes through the barred glass windows. Even if I broke the glass I wouldn’t be able to retrieve them. So I had to miss my bus and reschedule for another time, but another night in Lisbon wasn’t such a bad thing. Had I actually needed to be in Sevilla Monday morning I would have been out of luck or out of clothes.
Never check bags!!
In 40 years of travel only one carry-on has been my baggage companion. Yup, it can be done with some planning both in geometry and geography (know your destination and all its services).
— spelling not required for boarding!!
The most useful thing I learned from the blog was “The Best Awards Each US Frequent Flyer Program Has to Offer”. It really helped me to figure out based on where I wanted to go, what programs I should focus on!
Tip : Best chance to get out of a middle seat.
Before boarding, check at the gate to see if there is anyone in a row with the same last name sitting on a window and isle seat. The agent can’t tell you the name but you can have them look. If they say there is, ask for that middle seat.
Odds are it is a couple and they will likely switch spots so they can sit next to each other. Now you have a window or isle!
Optimal plays for each alliance
This travel tip is something most people just don’t think about:
Always bring a power strip with you when traveling! Don’t rely on the one stray airport or hotel plugin behind your bed to charge all your devices. This makes travel a lot smoother.
Pick me gary! 🙂
Best things I learned from this blog:
1. Chase Sapphire Visa
2. Carlson Visa
Best thing I learned through travel experience:
Travelers Checks are useless! Don’t bother, almost no one accepts them anymore. Just have a variety of credit cards with you (stored in two different places).
I have learned to search for award routings by segment through various hubs.
When travelling on non-US carriers, I make sure to have a small luggage scale with me, especially when mixing carriers on separate tickets. (For example, using miles to get to Australia or New Zealand and then flying Virgin Australia or QANTAS or Air NZ for short domestic or trans-Tasman sectors on paid tickets. Hopping around Europe would be similar.) These carriers often have weight restrictions on carry-on that they do seriously enforce, so it’s helpful being able to reliably check weight of all bags.
It’s hard to pick one thing as most useful thing I’ve learned here, but I’d say the Turkish status match has proven really helpful for me personally. I flew several Air NZ sectors in New Zealand in May, and having Star Alliance Gold status made that much more reasonable in terms of checked bags, carry-on weight, and lounge access. I try to avoid United and US Airways domestically, but it is nice to have lounge access with them when I have to fly with them.
So hard to pick just one. Between the analyses that has given me an understanding of the industry, to dissection of credit card and points programs, it’s all been so helpful over the years. Best travel trip; diversification of loyalty programs – even Sky Pesos are good in some instances! :-O
Have a good charge on your phone or print out your reservation info. Wouldn’t want to try and check into the wrong hotel, would we? 😉
The most valuable thing I have learned is how to coordinate Chase Southwest sign up bonuses to leverage the Companion Pass. Southwest is great in my home market, and we normally take domestic, short-haul trips as a family.
I take a water botle with a cover and around the cover I wrap duct tape. On last trip I used it to tape “do not disturb” sign on door because it kept blowing off and taped my laptop cord into a very well used outlet at the airport.
Very hard to choose one item I have learned reading this so I will stick with I’ve learned alot!!
Pest advice: check on your seats even if reserved well in advance from time to time. I found out that United did a plane swap and now my transcontinental flight from IAD to LAX was a 777 with a 3 class cabin and lie flat seats in business and first. I immediately applied a RPU.
The Marriott quintuple dip was a great tip while it was available. Also, your US Airways grand slam tips were helpful too.
I started following you recently after you were the first travel blog (that I know of) to post about a big UA sale, first by a day! I started following you after that because I knew I could trust you to be very timely about news like that. 🙂
Pick a hotel that includes breakfast in the price. If it has a good buffet you’ll be well fortified for starting the day’s activities.
Somewhere — ages ago — I read that U.S. service personnel deployed overseas were taught 50 essential words/phrases in the native tongue of the country where they would be stationed. I created a list of such words and phrases and, before I leave to visit a new country, translate each word/phrase into the primary language spoken there as well as a phonetic pronunciation. Then, on the flight, I learn those phrases. I’d be happy to share my list (in German, Spanish, Greek and French so far). Sure, today there are apps for this, but my experience is that I end up not having cell service just when I need to use this knowledge the most!
take advantage of what makes sense in your situation. Earning the companion pass with southwest enabled our family to travel across the country to visit family, vacation to Puerto Rico, and I still have all of 2014 to use it. Maybe in the future my wife will buy into a bigger trip with stop overs and layovers in business class visiting several countries on one award
My best advice is to always immediately document any inconveniences/ issues you had while traveling. Don’t go searching for little things to complain about, but if your seat on your airplane doesn’t stay reclined, remember the flight number, seat, etc and let the airline know.
Don’t have to high expectations on the flight, it is and will always be a form of transportation. If you do go in with normal expectations you will probably be pleasantly surprised more often the not. This tip is especially true when you fly first class.
The most useful thing I’ve learned is to search for award travel one leg at a time. Thanks for all of your informative posts over the years. I have learned so much from you.
Never pass up an opportunity, no matter how small, because you never know what kind of memory it will leave you with. A few years ago my dad, brother, and I were in Rome and saw a sign for a free olive oil tasting at our hotel. I convinced everyone to go, and it turned out that we were the only ones there. It was great because we had the whole spread to ourselves. The oil was the best I have ever had and we all ended up buying a bottle. We still talk about it to this day.
love the blog, thanks to you now I too travel like a Mr Fancy Pants! 🙂
Have a plan before accumulating points. I always set a goal and that is what drives the type of points I accumulate.
I’ve learned about the 90k miles to north Asia in business class on us airways.
The most useful thing I’ve learned is Southwest Rapid Rewards award flights are fully refundable. I am constantly planning possible trips when there are sales knowing if plans change I can just get my miles redeposited.
When going somewhere that jet lag may affect you, start preparing before you leave. Even if it is just getting up or going to bed an hour or two later the few days before departing, it will help ease you into the new time. This is especially true for short trips where you don’t want to waste time waiting for your body to fully adjust when there.
Never give up.
Best thing I’ve learned? By far it’s the credit card deals. We have a family trip coming up in two months…by using the links here to various deals we have been able to spread the cost over several members and cards, earning more than 1m total ‘bonus’ miles just for taking the trip we were already going to do! And my in laws are headed to Europe, paying for the hotel and misc with new cards at will let them recover all the miles they redeemed for the tickets. Nothing beats those lessons!
Gary, the best tip by far I ever learned from you was how to book ANY flight in the world for JUST 1 MILE! My entire family of 4 has been all around the world for only 152 miles total on that tip alone! I cannot thank you enough.
(Oh crap, did I just screw up? That wasn’t a blog post, that was from the super top secret group meeting we had last month wasn’t it? As Emily Litella would say, NEVERMIND!)
Hydrate!
Stop thinking about and just do it, take a trip.
I always knew I could earn miles fairly easily, I just didn’t know I could earn this many this fast!
Don’t hoard your points/miles – use ’em and enjoy – that’s what they’re for.
This points/miles hobby has completely changed my view on travel. It’s no longer a “once in a lifetime” thing. Instead I find myself visiting friends & family more, knowing I can find a way to return to an exotic location, and overall enjoying the whole travel experience more! Thanks for all the help along the way!
I like how your blog always keeps me up to date in all the industry news and shares so much from the blogosphere. I don’t know how you do it!
Before traveling, layout all your items on your bed and take a picture to document everything you’ve brought with you. Also have copies of your passport in multiple locations just in case you lost your real one. It’ll be a lot easier for the embassy to identify you if you have a copy of your passport.
Learned here: Earn and burn points in roughly the same cycle.
The Club Carlson Visa is underrated. So many free nights!
Learned here: A points redemption is only worth the maximum you would pay if using cash.
All bloggers have their niche (at least as I see it). Through this blog, I have started reading many other bloggers. This is probably the most well rounded, with anything from airline industry news and analysis to alerts of the W hotels bedding sale. FrequentMiler focuses a lot on credit card bonuses (not only sign up bonuses) and MS. Lucky focuses a lot on award tips and tricks, routing, maximizing points value, etc.
Get tethering ability on your phone. Then, at least domestically, you won’t have to worry about whether you have enough status for Internet access.
It never hurts to ask (and be polite). I’ve gotten many better seats and flights this way.
Mistake fares are real !!!
If something goes wrong with a flight or hotel stay, you can usually get compensated with a few miles/points if you politely complain by submitting a form on their website.
Take advantage of adverse weather situations to change your flight free of charge and create the perfect itinerary. I’ll often be scheduled on the last flight of the day because it was the cheapest when I booked, but as soon as the adverse weather situation arises I’ll be on the phone and changing the flight to a more preferred time.
Register for all promotions, even if you don’t think you’ll ever complete them. I have earned tens of thousands of IHG points this way, and almost completed the 4Q Big Win.
Sign up for Ink, Plink, and do as much shopping as possible at offices supply stores. Also double (or triple) dip by going through online portals. If points from a portal don’t post, follow up. Cartera (the company that runs several portals) customer service can be slow, but I always get my missing miles in the end.
Comment or provide unsolicited feedback to airlines and hotels based on exceptional employees or service. You never know how many points you can earn doing this until you give it a shot!
When done properly, signing up for numerous credit cards doesn’t negatively impact your score. Watch out for and take advantage of targeted offers, which often come in the form of “junk mail”
Diversify! I got caught with way too many United Miles during this round of devaluation. Hold currencies such as UR or MR points that have options. Also, for couples of families where only one member is a FF, don’t overlook southwest. The companion pass can literally save you thousands (and double the value of your UR points transferred to WN)
Subscribe to theflightdeal.com and their RSS feed. They seem to have just about every major flight deal out there, and can be useful for mileage running.
When staying at hotels that need your room key to make the electricity function, it can be slightly frustrating if you need to charge a device while you’re out of the room. Just slide in a credit card instead and it will work perfectly. Fully charged computer when you get back to your room!
Keep your VR receipts. Once I was charged an extra 500 for one I didn’t get due to a CVS register malfunction. When I went back in, they had 504 in cash waiting for me in an envelope. Free 504 in spend!
Best general travel tip: let the airline and hotel staff help you to get what you need. If it’s not clear how to get an upgrade or use an award, call, explain what you want to do, and ask for help. Most of the time the person answering will want to help you and sometimes you will be offered alternative promotions that are even better than what you requested. The same tip applies to expired offers and promotions: Call and ask. Often you will get either that offer or something else equally useful.
When buying souvenirs, don’t get something small and insignificant just to “buy something”. If you want something, get something large and high-quality enough — even if it’s more expensive — that you will frequently be reminded of your trip.
Have points/miles on multiple hotels and airline programs and you will most likely find good use of them for each trip.
The most valuable thing I learned from your site, Gary, is that there aren’t very many bloggers whose advice can be trusted. Wait, don’t get the wrong idea!! I mean that over the past year since I became a regular reader on VFTW, I’ve seen so many travel blogs pop up, pushing credit cards that are not the best deals, or providing incorrect travel advice that even I know is wrong. When I read your blog, I feel comfortable knowing that your information is correct and, more importantly, that your information is trustworthy. As the other blogs come and go, VFTW continues to be my main source of quality travel tips and information. Thanks for all of your hard work!
Car Rental Tip: Take photos and video of any damage on the car — including the roof. Then take one more photo far enough back to see the plates of the cars beside you. The adjacent cars will “timestamp” your footage if there is any dispute. They should know what they had on the lot on any given date.
I have learned the sky is the limit when it comes to trips. Nothing is out of reach with miles and points.
Actually learning that miles and points are worthwhile compared to a few hundred dollars in cash back. I would have used chase points to just buy thru travel/hotel reservations thru them rather than learn to use FF/Hotel points program to get a better value.
Always pay in local currency when using a card. The card gives a better exchange rate than the local establishment.
Get a State Farm checking account. The debit card gives 8 ATM withdrawals without international fee per month; unlimited if you have direct deposit set up.
If flying on an international airline, sometimes learning some of the flight attendant’s native language might help your case if you need another soda or if you slept through breakfast.
Keep your boarding passes, particularly for partner airline flights. I’ve needed them several times to get flights on Royal Jordanian credited to American.
Track-It-Back: bought enough stickers to fly TATL LH F twice, for a family of 4, two trips through the FCT.
One of the most useful things I’ve learned from this blog is to always read the Terms and Conditions (T & C’s) of the loyalty promotions I participate in. When it comes time for service recovery it’s important to be on top of the facts!
Chase Ink Credit Card, allows me to have a one way flight with points on airlines that do not usually allow you to do this. The use of Shopping Portals has been a points grabber also.
Chase Ink, has been great for the use of points for one way flights on airlines that usually require round trip tickets.
Remember to look out for upgrades on your amex cards that offer a bonus without a pull
Use Google drive chrome extension to save a PDF of an offer before signing up to easily keep proof
Roboform makes apporamas much easier and keeping track of many accounts a cinch
Milepoint Premium membership is worth it, especially for Hilton Gold status.
It’s not about the journey, or whether we’re served Dom or Krug…but rather, how many refills we’re going to share with our travel hacking friends that counts 🙂
Adding someone as an au for certain banks like bank of America can increase your credit score drastically by increasing your average age
Wear layers on a plane because it can sometimes be freezing when if you’re origin and destination are warm
The best camera is the one you have with you when you want to take a picture. Invest in a good quality camera that can be carried in your pocket or a belt pouch.
One of the best things I’ve learned here is how to make the Avios system work well for me, both for short haul flights at 9000 points RT as well as using the Chase BA card to get international 2-4-1 redemptions in F!!!
Flying an eastbound transatlantic red-eye? Eat a full dinner before boarding and have a glass of wine or two (or a couple of cocktails). When you board, turn down the airline dinner but have another drink. Put in the earplugs, put on the eye mask, and nap. Don’t waste time eating the airline dinner, it isn’t tasty and is just taking away zzzz time. Zap that jet lag and start sleeping.
Get a mobile surge protector… and use it
The best advice I can give I learned first hand in Paris last week, if you’re not sure how to get back to airport wherever you are using public transportation, follow the people with suitcases!
Best credit card offers to reach my travel goals.
When you travel, it’s usually a great buy to go get a local prepaid sim card in the visiting country – even if your there for a few days. Many offer plenty of data and cheap calls. With 3G/4G out there, calling back home is cheap, fast, and easy.
And you can usually tether your phone to your laptop and use that data instead of the hotel’s which usually is slow and often not free.
Diversifying your points !
Earn and Burn !
Link your Ink with Plink then go through Upromise to Staples and buy $100 gift cards.
Don’t assume that the flight on a partner airline is really ticketed. Call the partner a few days before travel and make sure it really is booked/ticketed.
Call the reconsideration line when not immediately approved for a credit card.
Buy as much as you can online via Miles/Points/Cash portals. With certain credit cards and promos you will double-dip or maybe even triple or quadruple dip.
Always ‘garden’ your flight reservations. Check every few days to make sure there have been no changes.
The most useful advice I’ve gotten from this blog is all the information on the Park Hyatt Maldives. I’ve read all of your reviews multiple times and I’m well prepared for my upcoming trip
Be kind and respectful to the person on the other end of the phone/computer/counter. They probably didn’t put you in to the situation you’re looking for help with, and honey’s going to generate more good will than vinegar.
When something goes wrong, always be firm yet polite in dealing with gate agents. A little courtesy can go a long way.
Another lesson learned: Share one’s knowledge, travels, and tips with others. Inspire aspiration, and help people turn those aspirations into memorable experiences.
Several years ago, I was on the fence about participating in the US Air shopping portal promotion that everyone on Flyer Talk was buzzing about. You had a blog post about the promo and I “got” the value of the Track-it-Back stickers. Over coarse my husband thought I was nuts buying thousands of dollars of stickers that I was never going to use but didn’t complain when we were flying first class to Hawaii.
You always provide the most knowledgeable, inside the industry information.
Always document your CC apps to keep track of your signup bonuses!
Use award wallet to keep track of your points!
I learned what Skypesos were.
Always carry your physical frequent flier cards with you especially internationally. At Heathrow you can access the fastrack lanes if you show your Sapphire/Emerald card.
Travel tip: Create a packing list (in Excel, for example) to help you pack quickly, efficiently – and without forgetting anything. Segment the list into suitcase and carry-on and then by category (electronics, toiletries, clothing, batteries.) I have a separate list for hot and cold climates (sunglasses vs. gloves.) Then, check off the list as you pack. Take the list with you and you can use it to make sure you don’t leave anything behind in your hotel room. It also saves you from any incidental costs (like batteries) while you’re on the road.
Travel Tip: Read Gary Leff’s blog “A View from The Wing” on (at least) a daily basis!
most helpful thing I’ve learned are all the opportunities for double- or triple-dipping through various online portals and so on: has boosted my earnings!
The most useful thing I found from this website was the 2 75,000 AA miles citi cards a couple years back that you could get with the 2 browser trick. Those 150,000 miles have gone a long way.
I have learned what to follow and what to pay attention to….it’s not the direct advice but the advice that has helped me learn, understand, and create opportunities. I have increased my credit score dramatically in the last two years while strategically amassing several hundred thousand points. Additionally I’m better equipped to find mistake fares.
Learning about booking stopovers and open-jaws in award tickets with United Mileage Plus was hugely beneficial for me and my wife when I booked our honeymoon to Africa.
We were definitely going to go to Tanzania, but figuring out how to book a stopover and open-jaw allowed us to spend a week in Europe on the way there and the open jaw allowed us to arrive in Nairobi and then depart Tanzania all in lay-flat business class for $260 (total!).
With any luck, I’ll use the information I’ve gained here for another big trip to Asia in a year or so. I’m a bit of a math-nerd, but it would be impossible to quantify the value of this blog beyond the word “priceless.”
Thank you.
Book your FF awards as early as possible, even though the available itinerary may not be ideal. Schedule changes are almost a certainty and when they happen, airlines will typically be very accommodating of any changes you would like to make even if the award inventory is not available.
That this sounds more like Common Sense than a Travel Tip is appalling but you’d be surprised. Quite simply… Treat hotel lounge staff with Courtesy and Good Cheer and Don’t Boss them around like Servants. In my experience you’ll look like a saint in comparison to most other guests and, believe it or not, this will actually translate into much better service for you. I’ve even had lounge staff give hugs to my party when they heard we were checking out that day. Trust me, a smile and cheerful demeanor will serve you well.
Make good use of the stopover when booking award ticket. One one-way plus one round-trip award tickets can give you two round-trip vacations!
Thank you for this giveaway and everything you do for your readers!
The best tip I ever learned from this blog was to keep up. There is a ton of information in the points and miles world and if you want to enjoy some of it, stay informed. By reading View from the Wing, I was able to take my parents on a once an a lifetime trip to Italy this past fall. We were celebrating my dad’s 69th birthday and he had always dreamed of going there. We were able to fly LH First and stay at some of the finest hotels for a fraction of the cost. It was an experience my parents will never forget and I am so thankful to the points and miles community for helping us get there. Which leads me to my second best tip, burn your points and miles asap!
Keep a copy of your passport in every bag.
Gary,
Congrats on this milestone in your career. You have taught and continue to teach me valuable tips for great savings and helpful descriptions of what a traveler faces, obviously best for first time visits to places. So I’m kicking myself for not raising this problem with you earlier.
I’m trying to do another award RTW trip for next October (after my successful 7 day RTW in First this past October: DCA-SFO-HKG-SIN-CPT-LHR-DFW-DCA). My hope is to snag Shower Suites on EK for a couple legs. So with my SPG & new AmEx Membership Rewards transfers to EK, I still needed more miles. I want to use my spouse’s MRs. While AmEx allows this with my name on his account, EK will not accept his MRs into my Skywards account. Chelsie at AmEx and her supervisor have been trying to work this out with EK, but without success. Any ideas? Thanks! & Happy Holidays!!
Travel tip: Always carry a small journal with you. While you are traveling, jot down information that may seem trivial – the temperature/weather, the cost of a gallon of gas and a cup of coffee, and something that caught your eye that day (or an interaction with someone/something that stood out that day.) Don’t make it tough – just dedicate 5 minutes before bed to this. Years from now, you can look back and not only find a few more specifics about memories that are now a bit distant, but you’ll also have a few data points (the weather; how much a cost of coffee cost then vs. now) to add some flavor to your war stories. When you’ve finished with journal (get another one), but also mark on the inside cover the date range and the locations you visited.
A great tip I’ve learned from your blog, Gary — Take a picture of your suitcase in case it gets lost. Also snap a quick picture of contents in case it’s never found. Can help you file any claims necessary with the airline or, in some cases, with your credit card company.
Travel tip: If you have a food allergy (I have a gluten allergy), make sure you know a bit about the local cuisine where you’re headed. When I go to Mexico, I’m in great shape because so much of the food is corn-based (wheat free!) But in places like England and Germany, I know I’m going to have more of a challenge. In those cases, I always pack some sort of breakfast item (gluten-free granola, etc.) that you can make in the morning with items you can easily find at your hotel (e.g., milk.)
We are not promised tomorrow, so make the most of today!
The best thing I learned on this blog is that credit card churning does not necessarily result in a bad credit score.
Skypesos: the primary reason to diversify both your points portfolio and airline loyalties.
Getting the Sapphire Preferred Card. Go to card for most everything. As a signature Visa, great benefits.
As well as keeping your important documents in the cloud and on your smartphone, make sure you also print the most important ones as well – you never know when tech will fail or you are in the rush.
BRGs and LNFs can be your best friend when finding low hotel rates … read the T&Cs and have a go …
Pack a few healthy snacks in your carry-on .. it will make you less grumpy when your flight runs out of your first choice or you are pressed for time in the airport.
Those little contact lens cases are very handy to store small amounts of moisturiser, hair gel, etc. for short trips.
Hotel Tips:
When you enter a hotel room, place your luggage in the bathroom (on the tiled floor). First do a bed bug check of the bed (check for little red dots along the baseboard).
Then take out your antiseptic wipes and clean the TV remote control, the phones and the doorknobs.
Also remember to wash the room glasses before you use them (the hotel shampoo works just fine).
Your basic common sense and common courtesy approach to travel is what I appreciate most about your blog. You urge keeping the big picture in mind, while still keeping site of the details that are pertinent and helpful. Traveling is a much better experience when fellow travelers have a positive attitude…..like yours. Thank-you!
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card — considering all the bonuses to up your points totals as well as the flexibility of Ultimate Rewards transfers, clearly the best single travel reward card one can have.
Travel Tip: I like to travel with a few small (and colorful) envelopes and note cards, roughly the size of business cards. That way, if someone goes above and beyond the call of duty (particularly at a hotel), I can give them a tip in a more presentable way than just sleight of hand. And then there’s the option to add a personal note, as well, if I feel so inclined.
Don’t forget to call your bank or credit card provider before you travel and give them the dates you will be out of the country.
Besides the usual reason to not check luggage (eliminating risk of loss, not having to wait at the carousel), I’ve received a few battlefield upgrades at the gate because I was a solo traveler and had no checked bags. Both times, the agent was trying to reseat people so that couples could sit together in coach — so I got the opportunity to be upgraded because I was traveling alone but my not having checked bags is what “sealed the deal”.
Do lots of research and invest in a good piece of lightweight luggage.
When overseas, try to avoid restaurants that post photos of what their food looks like (normally on boards outside their establishment).
I learned about hotel status in general. I thought there was some kind of hotel paradox where all rooms overlooked the mechanical equipment.
I always travel with the Spibelt – it is meant for runners but works for anyone. It is a belt with a stretch pocket (made from Spandex & lycra). It is perfect for wearing with all of your pocket contents (keys, change, cash, wallet, phone, bluetooth, etc) so you can drop the whole thing in the TSA bin and then just pick it up when through. Wear it and take it to the gate to get organized again. Big time saver!
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate – both the inside & out.
I learned that this is the go to place to get solid advice on credit card deals and review of mileage programs.
Wow, so many that I don’t even know where to begin…
“How to Keep Your Miles from Expiring” is a guide I used to maintain my accounts and accounts for my families. “Booking Europe With Low Fuel Surcharges or Domestic US Flights With British Airways Points” came in handy when I needed to use my Avios to book my trip to Europe. “You Can Fly Singapore Airlines First Class on Points — Here’s How!” guide was helpful when I planned my trip, even though I didn’t get first class. And many more….
Too many valuable things to pick just one, so I;m gonna have to go with a top three here:
1. HUCB!
2. Carry the right tools, both the right cards for a given trip (no foreign exchange fees, lounge access, etc) as well as the right gadgets (Monster Outlets to Go is still a favorite)
3. Check all tickets with the carrier directly, and for trips that are some time away, check back from time to time.
Kindness to others is important even (or maybe especially?) thousands of miles from home.
Double, triple, quadruple dip!
Double check before you leave!
My best tips would be: Always show kindness to your phone/ticket/gate agents and most of the time it will be repaid to you.
Also, don’t cut connections too tightly. If you have a huge trip planned, build some space in just in case a flight goes mechanical you can still make it to your destination without loosing valuable time.
Finally, always contact GM’s of hotels ahead of time and let them know you are coming. If things go wrong during the stay, you already have a rapport with them and/or more likely to be treated better if changes need to be made.
Best travel tip of all: Enjoy it! Enjoy the travel. Most People think the trip starts when you get to the destination. Wrong! It starts the moment you leave the house! Focus on enjoying the entire travel experience. A bad day flying beats a good day working!
I believe the best thing I’ve learned and the one I tend to always be careful of is how to value the points or miles against their cash value or real cost. Doing this always helps me to keep this ‘hobby’ under control, not going over obsessed, or not spending more of what I should, or just simply no wasting points-money-time.
The thing that I learned from this blog that has helped me (and, in turn, helped others) was your recommendation to include a compact power strip in my carry on bag. I cannot tell you how often this has helped in airports (at those “power trees” that still cannot really accommodate everyone’s electronics), hotel rooms and even in my office. I have probably helped the company sell a few, too, as whenever people see them, they want to know where they can get one.
Followed your advice and used my BA avios to book BOS-DUB on Aer Lingus for the Memorial Day weekend next year! Thank you!
I definitely spend too much time checking around for the best use of points, how I can use them most effectively and efficiently. But I’d say the one most important thing I’ve learned from your blog is the best use of points is WHAT MAKES YOU THE HAPPIEST! Even if it’s paying 50K for a one-way last minute ticket home for Delta domestic first, if it means you get to be with the people you love, then it’s a job well done!
After hearing about credit card signups to get miles quickly, learning about stopovers, <24 hour layovers, and other lessons of United miles allowed me to take my wife on a honeymoon to the Maldives (with stops in Istanbul, Vienna, & Toronto) all in business class. Just one year ago I never would have dreamed all this was possible at such a low cost, but by using tips and tricks learned here we were able to take the honeymoon of our dreams!
I learned that SkyPesos is an insult to the Mexican currency
Hang Up..Call Back works like a charm..everytime
The collective contribution you have made to my miles and point strategy is to, over time, to develop a flow chart in my brain that enables me on the spot to decide which credit card is most useful for which purchase. This includes (1) avoiding foreign transaction fees on oversees purchases; (2) starting every online purchase with Evrewards.com and then getting the best bonus from online shopping portals; (3) meeting sign-up and annual credit card bonus spend requirements; and (4) choosing the appropriate card for (a) air travel (first comparing the airline itself offers with the triple points offered by certain cards for all airline travel), (b) gas, (c) office supplies, (d) internet and cable, (e) groceries, (f) hotels, (g) other travel and transit expenses, (h) electronics, and (i) department stores. In addition, I always keep an eye on temporary promotions that I learn about on VFTW, registering when necessary on the promotion’s website; purchase gift cards from office supply stores for regular purchases that do not yield multiple points or miles; and, when a purchase does not fit precisely in one of the above categories AND I have met my sign up or annual spend requirements, charging that purchase to my Starwood Amex card because the points offered are more valuable than those from ther cards. VFTW’s updates and repetition about these programs help reinforce the habit of always using the most advantageous card. They also keep me up-to-date on developments that might alter my strategy, and, after enough practice, have burnt this flow chart into my brain so that every purchase is now done on auto-pilot. Thank you for helping me develop and refine this system, and Happy Holidays!
If you’re going to make a hobby of earning and spending points and miles with credit cards, make sure you’re organized: (1) Develop a spreadsheet that includes the dates credit cards expire (especially if you intend to cancel cards after fee waiver windows); the annual fee, if any; the dates miles or points expire so as to renew them, if necessary, with a timely small shopping portal purchase; on which air alliances the points can be redeemed or transferred; the benefits offered, especially those that must be used within a given window; card numbers, payment due dates, user names, passwords and security codes; the amount of credit extended; and whether the card is churnable. For extra coverage and weekly updates on point and mileage totals, join Award Wallet. Always pay your bills in full before they are do,, and do not carry over balances. Finally, order your credit report and score at regular 3 or 4-month intervals to monitor possible fraud and errors.
The most useful things I have learned is that my wife could apply for a small business credit card for her home run business. I never thought of that until Gary pointed it out. Thanks Gary
This is one of very few blogs I follow every day. I can always expect useful, practical travel tips from you. For example, the post that advised on how to deal with holiday air traveling is very helpful. Thank you!
If you don’t ask, you probably won’t get.
The amount I’ve learned from this blog is immeasurable. Among the highlights:
1. Hang up, call back (reaffirmed this for me).
2. Value of the Chase Sapphire card.
3. Price mistakes, which gave me awareness of FareAlert and the Tokyo Hilton pricing.
4. Credit card churning advice.
5. Use of credit card reconsideration line.
6. Avios points: how to get and how to use.
Related to #1, I’ve learned about the value of perseverance. Always keep trying…and trying different ways. And always check this website. It’s one of the first sites I hit each morning.
And even bigger lesson–one that’s ongoing–is learning to deal with difference. Occasionally (not often!) I disagree with a tactic that Gary or another person might post. At first I’d feel furious. But in reading this blog, I’ve learned to try to understand the advocate’s position, as well as the position of people who disagree. What I’ve gained through this is bigger than an upgrade or frequent flyer miles or anything like that. Instead, it’s learning to live with difference, and learning to live in a democracy. We all benefit as a result!
Learned how to earn and learned that after earning, I should burn.
Learned to use the sandwich trick!!
Learned to check and make sure that my award ticket has really been issued.
I Use that power strip you recommended!! It’s pretty darned awesome.
Oh and Thanks for the credit card offers. 😉
Learned how to use Avios for short-haul redemptions
Learned something that I now use not just for miles etc but everywhere else!
HUCA.
Hang Up. Call Again. 😀
Learned how to use stop overs to my advantage.
Learned to always have a credit card with zero forex on me.
Learned to get in touch with hotels before hand and ask for upgrades if it’s a special occassion.
Learned how to pack my bag. 😉
Woke up one morning and decided to check what you’d published…and learned that United had devalued their miles, and got busy burning my miles before everything got taken.
_________________________
And learned that if I divide my answers into multiple comments, I get multiple entries. LOL. 😉
If booking an award with travel on airlines other than the one being booked with make sure you get the confirmation codes for the other airlines to reserve seats or special meals.
Because of your blog, I’m able to not only take advantage of the points game (and I’m still quite new!) I’m also able to share the easy ones with my friends who are learning through me. BUT! The best one is that when I finally get enough points to do a big fancy trip, I know I can hire you to work your magic to get us there in first class while saving us time, money and points!
#1 piece of advice: post giveaways on your blog to help drive your readership numbers.
Have followed Gary for tenish years. Chuckle when he speaks of Southwest Airlines. Used the Companion Pass this year for multiple short trips with my kids. He obviously did not make this suggestion, but has help me greatly to be educated in the games of miles and points.
Regularly update all your on-line accounts, along with their user names and passwords, on a Word document, and cut and paste the contents to a password-protected e-mail to yourself before every trip. Always use the same completely unrelated word or expression in the subject box for safe-keeping and easy access.
when travelling its always good to be kind to others and keep an open mind
The only thing besides Twinkies that will survive a nuclear apocalypse are Chase Sapphire preferred cards. Those things are indestructible.
How valuable the TSA is!!
Always keep a power strip in your carry on. Perfect for recharging when delayed at airports and sharing with others. And, of course, those extra outlets help in hotel rooms.
One should separate credit cards into “good for spend” and “good for bonus”
I have learned perseverance….. keep asking and always be nice.
1. Embrace the journey, no matter where it takes you. I have had some great aspirational stays, but have also been treated with warmth and kindness in “everyday” locations like the Staybridge Suites in Eatontown, NJ.
2. A smile can work wonders. An attitude of entitlement usually doesn’t.
3. I’ve been a long time View From The Wing Reader. While I have received many great tips, the best was Gary’s tip about using the Alaska Airlines credit card companion pass to fly 2 people to Alaska in first class for the cost of 2 coach tickets (bring this lost benefit back, Alaska).
4. And of course, the pancake machine in the Alaska Airlines Boardroom in Seattle rocks!
always switch frequent flyer program based on current market trends and value estimation.
I learned how to keep my marriage together.
I’m finishing my PhD in anthropology having spent three years apart from my fiance while I lived and worked in Yunnan, China. For much of that time, I chased gibbons through the mountaintop forests of central Yunnan. We were thousands of miles apart while I slept in a freezing tent, hiked until I collapsed, and ate week-old moldy pork. Amazing an experience as it was, it a trying one, too. What got me through it was knowing that I had an award ticket home to see her. That hopeful dream let me believe that every step up the mountain really was one step closer to her.
Without this blog, indeed without you, Gary, I never would have learned how to get a mileage card and find cheap partner awards on Star Alliance from tiny internet cafe in rural China. Thanks to you, I was able to fly home to see my fiance every few months. So, I really mean it; I learned how to keep my marriage together.
Take screen shots of all offers, and check back to ensure you get what has been promised.
I’ve learned a wealth of information. The best is probably learning of my favorite credit card and all the great ways to earn and transfer points with the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
I think the most important “big picture” thing I have learned is that things move quickly in the points and miles world. Deals come and go, mistake fares appear, then disappear. Programs devalue 🙁 While you should try to stay on top of things, don’t sweat missing a deal or two. Another will come along soon 🙂
I don’t know if anyone else notices, but this blog has a series called “The 5 Best…” or “Top 5” Gary frequently posts such this as the 5 Best Credit Card Signup Bonuses, The 5 Best All-Around Rewards Credit Cards, Top 5 Cards from Amex, Top 5 Delta Airlines Award Travel destinations, etc etc. I think these blog entries are the best because it keeps me and other readers up to date on the best current deals and top places to go amongst other Top 5 things. I’ve benefited much from reading these in detail and Gary’s analysis and commentary on them which often helps me in making credit card, airline or travel decisions. Thanks so much and keep it up! =)
The best thing I learned from this web site is that Chase cards are great to obtain tons of united miles and free foreign exchange fee. Gary saved me quite a few dollars.
If you don’t travel, eat out a lot, or fly United, don’t get the chase sapphire card. The Amex SPG card is a much better value for converting points to airline miles
Travel Tip – if you have the Ink Bold or Ink plus business cards from Chase, make sure to get the free lounge club membership that allows you and your guest to go to one of the 300+ lounges around the world, 2 times for free. A lot of people don’t know about this benefit, and the lounges I’ve been to are great, so this could make a layover a lot less stressful!
Travel tip – pack your favorite snacks so you don’t spend a chunk of your money buying overpriced snacks at your vacation destination.
Travel Tip – If you are craving salty goodness on a flight (pretzels, chips,etc.) it is your body trying to tell you that you are dehydrated. Get and drink a glass of water or two.
Sky pesos!!!! This would have been better before I had collected 200k (now at 330k) for a family trip of 5 to Kauai.
The most useful thing about the blog is that it is also very good with industry news; by keeping us updated with the AA/US merger for instance, readers could start stocking up on miles which will soon be merged before the merger happened; other blogs only announce things as they happen, so are much less useful.
Thank you SO MUCH for your post here (http://viewfromthewing.com/2013/07/13/i-cant-warn-you-enough-make-absolutely-positively-sure-united-actually-issues-your-award-tickets/) and here (http://viewfromthewing.com/2012/05/18/united-award-tickets-on-asiana-sometimes-cancel-themselves-how-to-make-sure-you-dont-get-shafted/). It turned out that United somehow managed to screw up my award ticket on Air China, and the two blamed each other though from your posts it seems UA is at fault. The ticketing issue was eventually resolved with a conference call, fortunately before heading to China, which would’ve been more of an issue with the language barrier and expensive international calls. Thanks again, and it is definitely the most useful thing I’ve learnt from View From the Wing so far. Moral of the debacle? CHECK your ticket again and again.
Woo Hoo. Love your site.
The most valuable thing that I have learned from this site is knowing how to value my miles and points correctly for myself. Gary does a great job and puts what looks like a great deal of work into breaking down different programs and points in a why that reveals the true value. This has helped me to focus my energy and limited time in a way that has helped me maximize my points and possibilities for redemption.
So as someone who has limited experience I have been able to travel business class to Asia and Europe and stayed at some of the nicest places such as the Park Hyatt in Paris!
Thanks Gary!
Simple but true, I learned to look beyond butt-in-seat mileage earning as a precursor for award redemptions. Since starting to work with credit cards I haven’t paid for vacation travel, except where I was looking to earn miles. I also have flown international economy only once in 2013 and I have re qualified as an executive platinum after essentially being gifted the status earlier this year via that generous challenge. I also have there friends going with me to Thailand for New Years, all on miles and all largely due to this blog.
Here’s a haiku: the value of miles / some are worth more than others / shun the skypeso
My biggest tip is when aiming to fly premium cabins on award itineraries, book way ahead even if the routing isn’t ideal as an insurance policy. You can usually find a better routing/class of service closer in. I was just able to change an itinerary flying NYC-MUC-MXP-BKK in LH J and TG F to NYC-ICN-BKK via OZ F and KE J because I kept checking what was out there until what I really wanted popped up.
The best single piece of advice: if you don’t get an agent that will do what you want them to, hang up and call back. 🙂
All the info about credit card offers is quite useful too.
My best learning piece was using Expert Flyer. Even though I am a Delta flyer, I find the info helpful. Finding award space on partner airlines for international flight is only one valuable tool
I have 2 best advices to share…
In Europe we don’t own as many Credit cards as you do in the US, so when you travel, always have a second option to pay, especially when staying in many hotels, as they will secure money from your card and not always release it straight away. My 2 credit cards have been blocked many times for that reason, but I always have enough cash and a debit card with me.
When you travel, don’t set your expectations for hotels as you would in Europe or North America. Poorer countries will not provide the same level of service/comfort, so if you expectations are too high, you will spend your vacations being disappointed/complaining,…
Philippe
Travel is also about sharing. Talking to your friends about the places to go, asking them about the tips. Also be ready to help out a traveler. Personally I learned a lot by helping travelling friends and casual travel chats.
Make secondary twitter and facebook accounts to enter all of the social media promotions so as to not annoy all of your actual friends.
Use cards with no FX fees for foreign ccy transactions
The value of using miles to leverage the benefit of airline inventory versus using them to “buy” merchandise
Hang up, call back!
Always bring a copy of state id in a different place then your wallet
Enable two-step authentication on your Gmail account before you leave so that you can feel comfortable logging into your email from random computers.
The most valuable thing that I learned from this site is the value and redemption options of the Ultimate Rewards. Thanks Gary for all the great work!
I have personally enjoyed your hotel program comparisons here on this blog and trip reports as well, mostly of the airlines/hotels I have not been yet using, but have been intending to.
Some of my tips would be:
1) In case of irregularity (cancelled/delayed flight, issues at hotel room, etc) – keep calm and smile, when talking to customer relations agent. It yields way better results and sometimes even upgrades compared to your rioting counterparts.
2) When travelling in China and paying at hotels with your credit cards – make sure you let them charge in RMB and not USD/EUR, as otherwise you loose 3-5% in DCC charge.
3) In Venezuela and Argentina, the best value is changing money at the black market
4) Every mile/point counts. Even when travelling on a airline that has just solo programme or a hotel that has small frequent stayer programme, it is still worth to sign up. In Japan for example most of the local hotels have even their own programs, often offering ca 8-10% cashback in points and discounts for breakfast
5) Always check the possible added fees! An airline with 10 USD cheaper rate might not be cheaper if you have to later add your suitcase for 50USD for example.
6) Always carry an extra document photo with you – you might need it for a entry visa during your travel irregularity for example.
7) Learning few local words when travelling to foreign countries can make a huge difference in received service.
When something goes wrong during your trip (delayed/canceled flight)…first stop should be the airline club or Twitter (at least for AA and DL). You avoid the crowds and I’ve found those agents to be better able and more willing to help than most of those in the general terminal area.
Be sure to call or notify your credit card and debit card issuers when you travel to foreign countries. Also, only take along credit cards with no foreign exchange fees. Use a money belt, neck pouch or leg pouch to carry your cash, credit card and ID. Carry one credit card and leave your back-up(s) in the hotel safe. Chip and signature type credit cards are a must.
When travelling with kids, do not give them all the toys/distractions at once…give them a new one once they are bored with other. This way they’ll be occupied for longer time and you and fellow passengers will probably have a peaceful flight.
Always keep handy your important loyalty cards to get all the benefits of the programs. Start with Car Parking, Airlines, Car Rental, Hotel, etc.
Also its always better to plan out the travel plan before the travel night. It really helps.
The most useful thing I learned from this blog is to treat miles and points like current events: read up on it every day!
gleff – Your trip reports are inspirational. Especially when optimizing return on mileage / points usage. Thanks for inspiring us to make it to one of the most majestic places on earth….PH Maldives http://viewfromthewing.com/2013/04/09/return-to-the-maldives-park-hyatt-hadahaa-maldives/
I find myself with plenty of miles but your blog really helps me take advantage of the sweet spots. Flew east coast, to perth for 4 days and then bangkok for 3 weeks as a “stopover” actually saved 20k USDM for adding the two buisnes class flights to my trip.
My number one rule. Avoid as many cancellation fees as possible by booking with rates and packages that can easily be rearranged
I can’t make the 1000th post, so I will settle for 995 instead. Using tips from your blog, I became a Diamond on Delta, Gold on Aegean/Turkish, and Plat on Virgin Australia while in college. Traveling has never been more fun.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I became The Travel Hero because I was inspired by you. On a daily basis, I save my friends’ and clients’ mangled travel plans, create their mileage strategies, and identify loopholes in the industry. Really helps a college student earn some side money – which I’m really grateful for.
Always bring a stash of binder clips or clothes pins, can be used to hang sink-washed undies or hold curtains closed. Travel light to avoid baggage fees and waiting for luggage on the other end.
Learned that if flying DL BE to/from DXB you can contact local DL ticket office to get a complimentary chauffeur drive on DXB end of itinerary (i.e. matching EK’s program)
Make the most of credit card signups. I just wish us non Americans got the same bonuses and offers like Americans do!
Avios are great for domestic AA trips, but a lot of people forget they can be used for Alaska Airlines flights just as well!
Huge tip that I’ve used is that on UA you can get a “third” free leg on an international ticket but on the domestic side!
Be willing to compromise with fellow travelers.
Oh, and going through Air France to get one-ways on Delta is especially useful – had friends in Delta “territory” (southeast) needing to get from Florida to Atlanta to help their son (just after cancer treatments) drive back to Florida – the one-ways were perfecto!
don’t buy duty free items (liquids over 100 ml) if u are transiting between multiple airports. only buy at the last transfer point otherwise it might get confiscated. i found that the hard way transiting thru Narita.
I’ve learned that it is better to spend miles/points than to save them indefinitely.
Think CIRCLE (priceless in CA’s Wine Country but useful anytime one’s trip involves a rental car)! I load all the places I want to go (in one day) into Google Maps (or Mapquest, etc., etc.) and then click “Directions.” The result is usually a tangled mess. But then by rearranging the stops, I create circular routes that (1) reduce butt-in-seat time, thus maximizing the time I have for sightseeing and activities, (2) reduce miles driven which reduce fuel consumed which reduces cost and (3) take me on paths I might not otherwise have chosen — which can be serendipitous!
Covering the spout of toiletries bottles with Saran wrap under the lid is an eye-opening idea. I would never stop using slide Ziploc bags, but this is a nice insurance policy.
Scan your passport and other important documents and email them to yourself, in case if loss when traveling.
Calculating the value of a reward point can be done by a) the buy-from price set by the program, b) the earn-by price, or c) the cash limit price above which you wouldn’t pay for the item. Using method C helps remind me that cash is my most important travel reward!
Don’t pay with cash! If you can pay off credit cards every month, put as much spending you can on points earning credit cards.
What I’ve learned from this blog? How to make the most points, which programs to target, and how to make the most of my memberships.
opting out of flights if its oversold esp if u happen to be stuck on a resort island! happened to some friends at turks and caicos just a while ago.. super lucky. my flight wasn’t oversold sadly
Like many have said, the Saphire Card is a must! Thanks for letting my whole family see the world!
As much as we’ve gotten away from paper, I recommend printing all your receipts/bookings for a trip and bringing them with you. You never know when you’re going to need to show someone the detail. I also print all the same documents as pdf files and save them in a Dropbox folder under the trip name; that way I can access them on my phone or laptop at any point.
Use your smartphone to photograph and email the contents of your wallet — both the front and back of your credit cards and passports — so that if anything were to happen you’d have an easier time sorting it out.
Many vitamins, natural supplements, and sleep aids are considered “drugs” in certain parts of the world. Travel with everything in its original packaging, with prescriptions in your name, and on your person – and be prepared to bin them if questioned. You will never be able to explain cherry extract and melatonin for jet lag (neither of which works) to an agent who has never left his/her country.
If you are going to use an award ticket………Always verify that the award ticket has been issued.
I have really learned a lot about the different credit cards out there;What’s best for what. I utilized different credit cards for different purposes. Also, reading great blogs like this one helps me save more money!
Three rules of thumb I live by when exploring a city:
1. Always look up when walking around.
2. Before heading back always go to the next corner and see what is around the corner.
3. Always travel a different way back then the way you came.
Consider upgrading to a Club floor with access to a lounge in an expensive city. We did this at the Ritz in Tokyo in May. Though it was $150, we got a fantastic breakfast, light lunch spread, afternoon tea, and a hearty appetizers with several (…ahem) very nice glasses of wine in the evening, all with an insanely beautiful view of the city atop the highest building on Tokyo. We’d easily have spent double this dining and drinking out, maybe triple depending on cost of the wine!
I’ve learned how to actually book an award trip. That you can’t just assume there isn’t any availability cause the search engine can’t find it. Looking segment by segment. Using tools. Hang up and call again. Have been all things I have learned
On United I book standard economy awards if I can’t find availability, saver economy or saver F/C class almost always shows up closer to the date.
Diversify Diversify Diversify!
If there is any piece of advice that I have learned from this blog, it is that to focus on using one points program is to your detriment. In this day and age of devaluations, it is just too easy for people to get disappointed when their favorite airline/hotel chain suddenly (and inexplicably) changes their rewards structure. When you earn points across a number of programs, you shelter yourself from such devaluations. For example, the Hilton HHonors devaluation really impacted family members who had put all of their eggs into this basket. I had earned a significant number of HHonors points, but also utilized Marriott and SPG to ensure I had a fund in multiple programs.
Thanks so much for your excellent work!
Skip on exchanging cash before leaving home for a foreign country, and just hit the ATM on arrival at a foreign airport. Aside from Myanmar, I don’t remember ever having been somewhere that I couldn’t pick up money as soon as I landed.
Make a difference when you travel, be it business or pleasure. Find an hour or two to assist with a local project or a charity, or bring a small gift to brighten up the day of a good person you are bound to meet. It may be the hotel receptionist, the taxi driver, the flight attendant, the coffee shop attendant, or someone you just struck a convesation with. We are being given the gift of travel, the least we can do is find a way to make a difference.
I learned that travel for a special meal is worthwhile because it is the experience you will remember over and over. The best example was the trip to Spain just to eat dinner at el bulli. These experiences make the most meaningful gifts.
Understanding stopovers and open jaw rules on award tickets has been huge. When I first started in the game, I think that was on of the biggest eye openers for me. It has allowed me to combine trips to see family with visiting other destinations.
Don’t hoard your miles – I lost 260,000 of them when my preferred carrier went bankrupt ten years ago. Now I try to clear them out every year.
When traveling in economy use a toiletry kit from a previous business class trip
Ive lesrned how to travel better on award points
I now know which cards are best used in each situation
If traveling internationally and there is a favorable exchange rate, try booking through the other country’s website to save some cash.
I now know which sire to head to whenever i have any questions on award travel
Take more than 1 debit card on international trips if you can. If there’s a snafu you have another way to get cash without resorting to a credit card cash advance.
Money exchange in Costa Rica:
The airport ATMs are often on the blink, so if you arrive in San Jose, try to spend your first night nearby in Alajuela where there is a nice Marriott at reasonable prices (or your annual free night from the Chase credit card) and right next door is a Walmart where they will exchange USD cash for local currency with no fee. You can also stock up on necessary items. This is also very close to all the car rental locations.
I now know which airlines are worth redeeming points for
When flying with an infant under 2, dont buy the extra seat: recruit grandma and grandpa to go along!
Make sure to order the lemon poppy seed pancakes via room service at the Andaz Wall Street with your Hyatt Diamond benefits!
Learning to use open jaws and hidden city ticketing has been huge
Transferring flexibile currencies into exotic mileage programs (i.e. Skypass, Krisflyer etc.)
Your advice helped me use what I thought were 200K useless Avios points into affordable trips to visit family in Hawaii.
Subtly slip a $100 to the hotel registration clerk in Vegas and express your interest, with a smile and a nod, in one of their fabulous suites. Heard quite a few stories about this leading to 2-story penthouses and other massive rooms.
Planning ahead just make sense in this business.
Do your homework – THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A CAT.
How to use miles to book tickets, whether it is through calling/airline websites
Rental cars. After you book, check over and over before you pick up for cheaper prices, or use autoslash
Call a foreign help line if domestic call volume is out of control
I loved learning about how you can upgrade to a hyatt suite with such a small number of points, for your entire stay. too bad that is going away.
For us, your travel reports on Conrad Koh Samui were most helpful. We booked after reading about your experiences there and we had a wonderful stay! Keep up the great work!
When traveling with our children when they were younger, I did a lot of research ahead of time, then typed up a menu of possibilities and duplicated them so each family member had a copy. We held a pretrip family meeting in which each family member was allowed to choose their most desired activity. They were not allowed to complain when we went to an art museum, for they, too, would have “their day.” This also avoided wasting time in the mornings deciding what to do that day.
My favorite travel tip is to travel appropriately and travel light.
Be prepared by researching about the places you will be visiting before you go. There are so many good sources available online – like reading your blog!
My best FF advice on collecting points would be to not be afraid to use portals and other things to buy gift cards. When buying something now my wife and I always ask each other where can we get a gift card for this cheap and what portal should we buy this through. We have 3 very young kids so travel is limited at the moment so we are collecting now, even though we would love to spend some points.
Whenever possible, travel with carry on only. Makes traveling so much better when not lugging multiple heavy suitcases with you and you can avoid checking your bag,
Thanks for all your general advice, and helping to teach me how to travel like a rock star for next to nothing.
Having a girlfriend and living by CMH has made the Chase SW cards + Companion Pass worth thousands! (and it’s only year 1)
I have learned to always take a pillow (very similar to
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy). I have been on several long international trips and hardly able to sleep due to the tiny poor quality pillows hotels and airlines provide.
searching award space via other airline ports such as using QANTAS website for Aer Lingus, BA website for LAN and Royal Jordanian, ANA website for various star alliance airlines that dont show up on United/US Airways, and searching AA website for Air Berlin.
When booking flights, I always search on ITA Flight Matrix first and then search a booking website such as orbitz and expedia to find the lowest fare. I will ALWAYS book flights directly with the airline as if any issues arise, it is much easier to resolve with the airline than a third party site. I also check out jetblue.com/bestfarefinder and southwest.com.
Most useful tip for me is to drink more still water while on board. It’s extremely useful.
Use Starwood Preferred Guest points for hotels, not airline mile transfers (the 5,000 mile bonus when transferring 20,000 miles is great, but hotels offer more bang for the buck). You can get hotels with SPG that would cost $160 plus for 4,000 points per night often, and you can get $500 per night hotels (Liberty Hotel in Boston, for example) for 12,000 points. Since there are so many other ways to get airline miles, use these niche SPG points for the highest value they offer- hotel stays.
one more tip- use a spreadsheet to keep track of miles, points, annual fee dates, etc. I think I currently have about 14 credit cards and my wife has probably 10, so the spreadsheet helps remind me when to call and cancel (or get a retention bonus or annual fee waiver). i know there are sites that help organize miles and points, but i’m not sure they include tracking when annual fees post, when you’ve met your spend, etc.
When exploring a new place I always follow three rules:
1. Always look up when walking around. You never know what you might see.
2. Before heading back go to the next corner and see what is around the corner. The might be a surprise awaiting you.
3. Always go back a different way then the way you can. Different scenery is always more enjoyable.
The best tip is to read all of the comments from travelers. Even though I read your blog daily, I have found info in the comments that I had missed.
Thanks Gary.
Bring a credit card that has no foreign transaction fee, and at least 1 of each amex/visa/master, in case some country only accepting one type.
Sorry for the duplicate post.
Order credit cards that are smart-chipped before travelling to Europe. Will make for a much easier time shopping and dining!
The most important thing I’ve learned on this blog is to know the rules and be diligent. Even if it takes calling the reservation line back 10 times.
If you don’t ask for the deal (room upgrade), you’re not going to get it.
For the ladies – carry small jewelry in a weekly pill case. Earrings are perfect in the little round ones you can get at a dollar store.
Bring a night light so you can see your way to the bathroom and keep from stumping your toe.
Use the ‘Send to Kindle App’ to forward Wikitravel, Wikipedia, and other relevant online articles to your smartphone and e-reader of choice. My only travel planning now consists of reading these sent articles while on the flight to my destination!
Check to see which international banks (if any) have a relationship with your personal bank in the US — BNP Paribas partners with Bank of America and allows no-fee ATM withdrawals which can add up to some serious savings.
Although many others have stated it, the most important thing I have learned is to Earn and Burn. The Hilton devaluation significantly changed some of my plans.
Use twitter for airline issues…ie lost baggage, delays, they will respond much faster to you
Believe it or not, one of the best tips I know is to read this blog. You help keep us abreast on travel news and topics.
I often learn things here first that then help me make better travel decisions.
Thank you!
When staying at 1 or 2 star hotel properties, carry a ping pong ball to use as a missing stopper in your bathtub. Lightweight and efficient
Diversify miles and points. I was looking at a quick New Years trip to Atlanta from PVD or BOS. United and American miles weren’t going to do any good as no economy space is available. Southwest has great availability and reasonable point level. Also, SPG has better options than Hyatt, so having several airlines to choose from and multiple hotel chain options is key. It’s one reason points that can transfer to programs are so helpful, however I only really look at Hyatt (Chase UR transfer partner) and SPG hotel options as others require way too many points.
My best advice is to pack with a list and change it based upon your experiences or when new products are available. Always pack one extra pair of underware (even for a same day trip)
I have learned to from your blog to weigh the pros and cons of the credit cards I apply for. It’s always a good exercise.
Search for food and restaurant recommendations on local sites (with the help of Google Translate) to learn what the locals like rather than the tourists on major travel or restaurant review sites.
I always travel with ziploc bags and I email myself scanned copies of our passports and any other paper travel documents such as train tickets.
When arriving at an international airport change money at an ATM not through a bank inside the airport.
In addition to all the great travel advice, I’ve learned from your blog to be grateful for everything you have (even if you don’t always score that great travel deal). I’ve recently started donating my miles to charity and and hope to continue in 2014 as long as long as I can bank them!
Thanks Gary!
If you don’t get the answer you want the first time (or many) you call the airline, hang up and call back!
BA avios partner Aer Lingus to Ireland, also transfer avios to Iberia to get Iberia flights with much lower fees. Thanks.
Here is a very country specific travel tip for France in general, Paris in particular:
The French consider “politesse” to be extremely important when meeting someone new. Sales people in Paris, when interviewed, have mentioned that they will give good service (for the French!) if a foreign customer will use some very simple French expressions of “politesse”:
Bonjour, madame
Bonjour, monseiur
S’il vous plait.
Merci
Etc.
Learn a dozen forms of politeness, and the “rude” French are often very friendly and helpful.
And, this probably works in every country. I know I’m always glad to help someone who speaks very little English when it is obvious they are trying, respectful and needing some help.
Plan in advance your travel.
Make a plan with your credit cards. Make sure you have cards that cover most of your major spend categories, and make sure to track when you applied for each in case you want to cancel before an annual fee hits.
ziploc baggies, photocopies of documents, call back, multiple outlet adapter, etc.
If you applied for a credit card you plan to cancel before the next annual fee hits, put a reminder for 11 months later on your calendar as soon as it’s accepted to help you to remember to cancel.
Roll clothes to pack more in to your carry on.
Decide in advance which credit cards you will use for which purchases (hotels, restaurants, flights).
Use credit cards to travel freely!
Know what types of awards you would like to seek out…that will help you set a value for the miles/points to reach it and in turn will let you make smart decisions on when/how to earn and burn.
I try and plan ahead but I always leave time for some spontaneity!
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!
Tip for the ladies: carry a pashmina or very large scarf. It can double as a blanket on a flight, a pillow, fetching cover up on the beach, etc.
Advocating Starwood points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Amex Membership rewards for transfer is the best lesson I’ve learnt from View From the Wing.
Carry sample sizes when you travel.
Ask for free samples of perfumes, aftershave, etc. at makeup counters in large department stores, order free samples from the Internet and even ask your dentist for the hot new toothpaste.
One of the most useful things I learned was when I first started getting into the miles game I was planning a trip and trying to book a year in advance and then read your post about how many seats actually open it up much later. You saved me days constantly checking for when the award space was released and I ended booking my ticket a few months out.
One of the best tips I learned here is to make sure my award reservations are ticketed and then to “garden” my awards-make sure that airline or aircraft changes do not change the award.
Before you hit the duty free shops in your chosen airport, make sure you do a quick check of your local prices for the items you are thinking of buying. At many airports, the duty free prices are higher than you think and you won’t be getting a bargain.
my biggest travel tip would be to take advantage of the airline rules allowed for point redemption. for AA this means booking your intl trip as 2 one ways – and being able to use a pre or post city along with your gateway to get essentially free one-ways added into your itinerary with the same class of service. on united it would be to leverage something similar, even with an international extension – and/or leveraging an international stopover as well. both fantastic tricks to maximize your mileage redemptions!
You only really need three things when you travel – your flight locator number, your passport and your credit card. Everything else can be purchased or sorted out on the other end (assuming of course you have an unlimited budget 🙂 )
Travel tip-travel with someone you love!
carry photocopies of your license and passport on international trips
Another hotel room tip: place a few glasses of warm water around your room and leave overnight. Hotel air con can suck all of the moisture out of the room and this is a way of adding a little bit of humidity back the air.
Always be nice, polite and respectful when asking airline & hotel agents for assistance.
Cathay just started services to the Maldives
HKG-MLE comes in at 2,976 miles
cough ‘Avios’ cough
Is the pillow in your hotel room too soft? Then take another pillow and stuff it into the same pillowcase – this might require ordering a few extra pillows from housekeeping to create the perfect pillow kingdom.
Just learned that signing up for Alamo Car Rental Insider Program – no cost – give you second driver free on rentals.
find a new restaurant you want to try before you leave
When travelling to a new country, always research the tipping etiquette in your chosen country.
Really my US friends, you don’t have to tip in a UK pub (although some London West End pubs will leave a tip jar for unsuspecting Americans – be warned).
Earn and burn. Miles will depreciate quickly.
Many regional / local wines don’t travel well. So try to order the house wine – it may surprise you with the quality and value for money.
Take a screen shot of your mobile boarding pass so you don’t need to rely on having a data connection to pull it up.
If going to a conference, best room upgrade chances are yours if you can arrange to arrive a day before it starts. Plus, then you might have time for a quick look-around the conference city.
While researching the weather before you travel is an excellent tip, don’t just use one website. The forecasts can vary depending on which website you use – sometimes local newspaper sites are the most accurate.
Don’t be afraid to order tap water in a British restaurant. Really, it tastes the same as the bottled kind and will save you a bundle.
Pack a couple of bubble envelopes in your luggage before your trip. They are great for bringing back your complimentary hotel wine or a special liquid purchase safely.
Use your miles/points in ways that are best suited to your priorities. Traveling in first class and to aspirational properties can be great but so is visiting with friends and family in ordinary places.
Travel tip to book hotel early and then continue to check for lower prices or sales.
especially when traveling international/long trips,
1. Make sure a friend/relative (not traveling) has the complete trip itinerary. This will help to track down in the event of any emergencies.
2. Make sure you are prepared for baggage delays/loss
3. carry some of the important information on paper. (phone numbers, cash, itinerary etc..)
Even when travelling on business, don’t be afraid to do one tourist thing.
I have received so much valuable information from you over the past few years..it is really difficult to narrow it down to one. I will have to go with your advice to diversify my ‘portfolio’! I had always concentrated my miles on AA and my hotels with IHG and SPG. Now I have so many options with my UR and MR points.
Thank you!
Always try to bring something non-material back with you…a memento of the culture that you have learned from a local. For instance, learn about a historical event from the “other” side’s perspective, and keep that in mind. You will return often to it in your musings. (Like visiting the Museum of American Atrocities in Saigon, for example.)
If you are in a hot country, freeze a bottle or two of water overnight and carry it around with you the next day. By the time you drink it, it will still be cool and tasty.
I have a zip-top letter-sized, clear pouch in which I carry our travel documents, in chronological order, and printed on color-coded paper. (White for itineraries/airline stuff, green for hotels, pink for car rental, yellow for excursion or walking tour ideas, etc.) I then put the date(s)on the top right in large letters with a colored Sharpie. It’s so much easier for me to be able to find needed documents on a long trip.
Install and use a free texting app on your smart phone, and use it anywhere in the world (including in-air) where you have wifi access.
This site has helped me start making sense of the world of frequent flyer miles and other award accumulation and redemption. I’m now keeping track of miles regularly (instead of only sporadically) and I’m earning points/miles from use of credit cards I learned about here, too. I’m definitely a smarter traveler now and am already feeling the benefits. Thanks Gary!
Making best use of the BA-Avios for short haul flights and on Alaska air for flights to Hawaii from west coast.
As for best travel-related advice: ALWAYS have a photocopy of your passport’s ID page with you when you leave the country. Keep it separate from your passport at all times. And leave another copy of that ID page with a trusted someone at home. Should you lose your passport or have it lifted from you during your travels, having ready access to this info will make the whole process of replacing your passport WAY easier — and faster!
Your Maldives trips, CX awards, how to upgrade Hyatt award stays to the water villa and general interaction with the property ahead of the stay. Great stuff.
Keep a few $$ in a backup bank account, and take that backup ATM card with you when you travel, separately from the rest of your cards – in case your wallet gets lost or stolen, or your primary bank’s ATM doesn’t work for some reason.
Install on your smartphone more than one VOIP apps (Talkatone, magicJack, Pinger, etc.) – I learned the hard way that some wifi networks block VOIP traffic through some of the apps, but not all of them, and by trying different apps, you may find at least one that works.
If you are a wheelchair user or have other specific needs, don’t rely on third party booking information that a hotel or location is accessible to you. Go directly to the source: hotel itself, attraction, tour guide and talk to or email with a real question to answer your needs. You can then book directly or through a third party knowing all you need to know. After all hearing from Hotels.com that the room you’ve booked overseas has a wheelchair accessible bathroom (when I doesn’t — and this did happen to me), doesn’t help you go to the bathroom or hold it for a five day stay!
If you’re planning to use miles for international travel, it’s a great idea to have points in more than one alliance. If you can’t book a round trip ticket on, say, United (Star Alliance), it’s great to have miles from a OneWorld carrier for the outbound or inbound. It makes it much more likely that you’ll be able to successfully book award travel to your preferred destination.
Several people have suggested to carry a paper copy of your passport and visa documents – it’s a great idea, but I also recommend to keep a copy of those documents electronically, in a cloud, or on a server that you can access from anywhere.
Never use Chase Ultimate Reward points or AMEX Membership Reward points to purchase travel – there is a lot more value in transferring these points to airline partners like United.
Before leaving on any trip, it’s a great idea to send loved ones back home (namely mom and dad) a copy of your itinerary AND a photocopy of your passport!
Use a travel security belt.
Before making any online purchases, check EVRewards.com to see where you might get the best cashback! ShopDiscover and the Chase Ultimate Rewards site are usually your best bets.
Keep a no fee card with each of the major credit card issuers (e.g., Chase, Citi, American Express, Discover) – this will help your credit score and allow you to maintain a long-term relationship with the bank. Also, if you are going to cancel a credit card with one of the banks, ask them to transfer the credit from that card to one of your no fee cards. This will also help maintain your credit score (and you can use the high credit limit as bargaining power when you apply for a new card – ask them to transfer credit from your existing no fee card to the new card if you’re initially declined).
Make sure you travel internationally with credit cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees.
When traveling to a new location, ask where locals eat and try those hole-in-the-wall places – it doesn’t have to be fancy, but it will be authentic and you will remember the food and experience.
Providing advice on how to make the most of Skyteam loyalty points.
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.
This AAdvantage + Citibank tip was discovered by accident. Redeem at 10% discount up to 10,000 per year including travel for the following year. For the trip the following year, if you reinstate the miles to change the trip, it will be in full instead of 90%. For example, one way to Asia is at 35,000 – 3,500 = 31,500. If you cancel the trip or need to reinstate and rebook, the following year, you will reinstate 35,000 miles instead of 31,500 miles. There is a fee but potentially waived if you have elite status. This technique leverage the 10% discount fully for the following year.
The value of CSP. We just use if for everyday spend and the points have racked up. Enough to get us to Europe next summer without paying AA’s ridiculous surcharges.
bring something to sleep in for a long flight. But remember to change into your normal clothes before you land. Please, we do not want to see someone walking around in the airport as Lucky did in Singapore 2011 😉
For international trips, I do the following:
1. Take at least 2 foreign-transaction-free credit cards from 2 different issuing banks.
2. Take 2 different ATM debit cards if possible to withdraw local cash (Charles schwab is my favorite for fee-free)
3. Call banks to place travel notifications before the trip.
I learned a lot – but to put shortly: not all miles are created equal
So many great tips on this blog… earn and burn; hang up and call back; bring a power strip; AwardWallet. Very much appreciated.
When you are in a new city, don’t be afraid of public transportation! Not only is it sometimes a cheap and efficient way to get from the airport to downtown – my home city of PDX runs great lightrail service between the airport and the center city as well as many other places – but it is a great way to see a city through less-touristy eyes.
In Israel you can chat with the many English-speaking soldiers who use public transport to get everywhere in the country; in Istanbul you can meet locals of all persuasions; in Shanghai you can enjoy the high speed train. Whenever possible, we try to not rent a car, because public transport gives you a better taste of the city, costs less, and, at least for us, is a way to meet and talk with lots of locals.
I did learn here how valuable SkyPesos are 🙂 I’m staying far away from them.
The most valuable thing I’ve learned is to charge everything to a credit card (as long as you pay it off every month) and to be strategic about which credit card you use on which purchase. Thanks for the giveaway!
Hang up, call back
One way searching for awards
Benefits of status in many different programs
I really liked your “12 airline lounge visits for $20” post- talk about bang for the buck!
Learn a few key phrases to get along in a new country.
Always take good photos of your passports, ID’s, and everything else you carry in your wallet. It can make life much easier if you have these and can make dealing with losing them much simpler.
Don’t forget when booking tickets with AAdvantage miles about the free stopover in the North American gateway city. If you happen to live in that gateway city, it basically means a free one-way trip to anywhere else in the country for you!
If trying out a travel medicine, try it at home beforehand before hitting the road to see if you have any side effects. For instance if going to a place that has high altitude (Kilimanjaro, ecuador,peru etc) try diamox at home to see what side effects you will have rather that on the mountain for the first time. My friend learned this the hard way, and things amplified rather quickly do to the altitude sickness already.
I still bring a surge strip with me as most hotels are still deficient for all my electronics.
For most countries, (minus ireland, israel, and a few others) your chase sapphire, or a mastercard such as Citi premier can be used for CDW car insurance. I just finished a trip to new zealand where they required CDW insurance, but when I showed them my credit cards listed benefits, they waived the fees.
Carry a tide stain stick while traveling. Its great to clean up little stains that occur while out instead of needing to dry clean the whole shirt/pants.
Talc powder/baby powder on your feet/body works great to control sweating/odor/discomfort for long plane rides or trips.
A small little tub stopper can be used to clog the sink if you need to do one or two quick piece of laundry while on the road.
If going to the beach, you can cut an old sun lotion container in half and use it as a way to store your keys/wallet. Waterproof and people won’t try to take it.
ALWAYS ask for a hotel upgrade…elite or not.sometimes the desk agent …says ..why not
When checking in at any Waldorf-Astoria, know if you have Gold status, you will get two bottles of water per night and the worst room on the property, probably the one with mold in it if it’s NY. Guess who just had a junk stay?
Use Chase Sapphire card for international travel
As soon as i book a flight…i book a refundable rental car at the lowest price i can find….then power shop all the rental car websites and name your price on Priceline every few days.
If i don’t get the answer i’m looking for….i hang up and call back.
If the answer is no…ask to talk to a supervisor!
I have a few copies of my passport with me….just in case the original is lost or stolen!
Tip: buy products with a lifetime guarantee whenever possible. Brands like travelpro, Patagonia, and Camelbak may cost a bit more up front but it’s such a relief to be able to have something replaced at no or minimal cost.
Wow that’s a lot of tips… might be useful for us readers to go through all of them too.
Most useful tip: Call while standing in line for a rescheduled/delayed flight, saved me so much time and energy when I was stuck in Dallas.
Keep up the great work as usual!
I love the “hang up and call again later” rule if you are getting nowhere when trying to book a flight/stay or are having trouble with some other travel-related issue. I have used it successfully for years, but it is always good to be reminded of this simple yet essential strategy!
Hyatt hotels have the lowest point requirement to get free rooms
Reading this Blog for the last 2 years I have learned many useful tips and trick but the one I took value from was understanding how to use Chase Ultimate Points on Korean Air FC. Fuel charges from ORD-ICN F classs were only about $ 150 and if you stay on Korean Air metal you can book one ways for half the miles.You can start collecting 40,000 points by applying for the US Bank CC which is targeted some times. GOOD LUCK to everyone to win.
Best travel tip I’ve gotten from reading your blog is to hang up and call back. So simple, yet it didn’t even dawn on me until I read about it here. And it’s worked for me!
Use twitter to reach out to loyalty programs to reach a CS rep
When you pack your bag for an extended trip to Europe, put half of your clothes back. You won’t need them and will appreciate traveling light.
Always check and re-check your flight reservations even if it has been previously confirmed to make sure there are no changes.
Do not forget to check weather.com for the 10 day forecast.
Alaway check Boardingarea.com for tips.
Don’t be “that guy” or “that girl” with a DYKWIA attitude. You can catch more flies with sugar than vinegar. That being said, know the rules of your airline/hotel program and be firm but polite in your dealings with staff.
It isn’t enough just to know the rules of your preferred airline/hotel programs — you also have to know the rules of their partners. For instance, if you have Amex points and want to exchange them for Hilton points (I know, Gary, I can see you shuddering now because it is SUCH a bad use of Amex points, but it is merely for purposes of illustration), you can transfer directly to Hilton at a 1:1 ratio. But, if you instead transfer them at a 1:1 basis to Virgin Atlantic, you can then transfer your new Virgin Atlantic miles to Hilton at a 1:2 basis. By knowing the transfer rules of Amex partners you have DOUBLED the number of Hilton points you receive.
If you arrive at any destination 3 or 4 hours late, due the airline’s fault, having travelled through the European Union, on any world-wide based airline (or any other means of transportation, EU Regulation 261 states you are entitled to monetary compensation. We each received approximately $760 for a 4-hour delay London to Seattle by calling the British Air offices in the USA. This rule applies retroactively to delays you experienced a few years back.
Burn Hilton Honors and Skypesos sooner rather than later.
let banks know when u go on holiday lest they cancel your transaction
Comment 1292. If you arrive at a destination 4 hrs delayed, having traveled thru the EU & get $760 — what do you get if you’re delayed 2 hrs? 1 hr?
Big bonus from ihg. Thanks b
The most useful thing I learned has to be how to evaluate the benefits of the different credit card offers and what things I should be considering in deciding which card to apply for.
Like the saying goes: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.
Thanks for sharing all of this useful info.
Research transportation options before being on the ground in a new place. There’s nothing quite like deciding last second whether to get on an alternate light rail line when it is 6 degrees outside because you missed your train.
Always take a change of clothes in your carry on. More and more often, your suitcase may not arrive with you !
Only need to read following blogs will be get you all necessary info daily.
view form the wing,
mommy point
travel sort
point guy
Always make sure to have some extra clothes in your carry-on bags
If we are so repetitive here, how annoying would it be for reservation agents to talk to us if we do the same with them!
@1295 – nothing!
Never, ever, ever hand your passport over as a security for car hire – you can be held to ransom by unscrupulous operators!
Leave nothing behind – just your footprints!
Pack Immodium- always
Comment #1299 reminds you to be nice to everyone, including FAs
Make copies of your passport and documents in case you lose them while on travel
I have learned how to best redeem my points to get the most vaule. Almost tips about getting through airport abnd delaying with delays and getting upgrades.
Use signup bonuses to secure free nights and free trips.
i think i was already mentioned before but for me it would have to be the override thermostat trick. worth millions!
Get star alliance Gold status by signing up and crediting your flight to Aegean airlines. 20k miles gets you domestic lounge access at United Clubs
I’ve found the best jet-lag cure to be denial. Force yourself to stay awake until the local bedtime your first day (telling yourself you’re NOT tired, no matter how tired you really feel) and you’ll have a much quicker recovery.
The best thing I’ve learned? Earn and burn!
I am personally going to “blow” all my US Air miles on Star trips before the merger of the FFPs between USAir & American. I don’t want to have *that many* miles in one program — I really think a devaluation is right around the corner.
I was earning miles on my own but not maximizing how I earned them and how I spent them. Thanks to being a regular reader on here I am much more efficient and people think I earn much more money than I actually do so thank you!
Get a local SIM card for your phone (if your phones allows for a SIM card change). It will be much cheaper than adding the ‘International Plan’ to your phone
When staying at a Marriott, always pay with your personal credit card. If your company pats, you don’t get credit for the stay for your reward points. Ouch!
I found out that my free hotel night with hotels.com was about to expire and was not ready to redeem it or make a new reservation. I searched for the cheapest hotel available anywhere in the world, found one in Chennai India and booked it. Since you don’t have to physically stay, you’re set. For $5.00, I managed to extend my hotels.com redemption by 12 months.
Every dollar you spend in life that does not earn you miles is a lost opportunity. Yes, there are some things you purchase that cannot add to your miles collection, but those are fewer than you think.
I think the best thing I learned from Gary’s blog is to focus on the people who can help. Find the call center rep who knows the system, the experienced concierge, or get to know the hotel manager, if I visit that hotel often. Be friendly, honest, but perseverant.
One fun travel tip I would pass on is to stop by a Starbucks on your way to the airport when flying home. You can load all your remaining local currency onto your Starbucks card, and it will transfer, fee-free, back to US dollars for use at home. They’ll even take coins.
Note that this only works for countries where there are company stores (I know it works in Hong Kong, Australia, and the UK), and remember to save some local money for the airport tax, if any.
get the chase ink! didn’t even know you might have a business.
Never miss a chance to accumulate free status, miles or points. It’s amazing how it can add up or give you an opportunity to transfer points when you need them most. Join them all!
Travel tips: “17 Countries. 6 Weeks. And one pair of underwear. Okay, maybe two” Pack less and do more with high-performance, low-maintenance Give-N-Go® underwear. Got it from Amazon at a good price and they work like charm! 😉
When booking trains in Europe, you’ll rarely find a cost savings through buying an EUrail/raileurope pass. In order to save a significant amount of money, put a little time and effort into reviewing your travel dates and hotel check out times and book the train tickets yourself! The most comprehensive site for reviewing train times and connections is the DB site http://www.bahn.com. However, if you are traveling outside of Germany, you will not be able to book using the DB website and you will need to purchase your ticket from the departure country’s train site. As is typically the case with airlines, the sooner you book, the better price you will receive.
I appreciated the series about which cards are great for each strategic use: signup bonus, spending, benefits.
Be nice to the people at the airports. They get yelled at all the time and respond well to someone handling a difficult situation with a positive attitude. They will go a lot further helping you when you are nice; being mean is a sure way to get dismissed as quickly as possible.
Am I a winner winnet chicken dinner???;)
Best thing I’ve learned is that it doesn’t hurt to ask, you’ll be surprised what people are willing to accommodate or do for you just by simply asking. The worst that happens is they turn you down / cannot grant what you’d like but there is nothing to lose!
best travel tips include: bring a pair of hotel give aways slippers and wear it on the plane for long flights; use trip advisor to find a good place to eat wherever you are; bring an empty water bottle thru security check and refill on the plane for convenience; request for club soda with a splash of cranberry juice for a low calorie and refreshing drink on the plane; when ordering DVDs or pictures from an adventure excusion, speak to your fellow travellers and arrange to share the cost of the original, designate one individual to copy and mail to the group
if you want to rent a car at a destination but did not book in advance, call the rental company and make a reservation. It will be cheaper than walking up to a counter – even if your reservation was only made 5 minutes before.
For all of your office supply, use Chase Ink cards to obtain the max. UR points.
Take a snapshot or save a screen shot of key information that you may need like your passport, eticket, hotel reservation etc. Nowadays very easy with a smartphone or tablet.
Therefore you have one place to access all your key pieces of information.
Best thing I have learned on this blog is that there is a whole world of travel optimisers out there….therefore research or reach out to the community and you will likely the answer to any miles/points/travel related question you have.
Also great to know that there are so many people sharing your passion 🙂
Thanks alot for the blog!
It’s too complicated to keep track 0f all this, so i’ll hire gary for my next redemption!
Tip: Take with you enough local currency to pay for transportation to your hotel and for a quick meal — in case there is no accessible ATM at the airport or it’s “sketchy” — in order to avoid the often-unreasonable exchange rate booths.
Tip: Use a no-foreign transaction fee (FTF) credit card — preferably one that earns points or miles you can use, and especially one that multiplies points or miles for travel-related purchases (like Sapphire) — for all trip expenses for goods/services where the card is accepted. This minimizes the amount of local currency you’ll need. If the card is lost or stolen, you can cancel it and you generally are protected from loss exceeding $50 and sometimes from any loss; if cash is stolen or lost, you’re usually out of luck. Using local currency also requires in almost all cases paying a conversion fee to obtain it, which using the credit card avoids. To obtain the local currency you need, use an ATM card from a bank that doesn’t charge a fee. In most cases you’ll get the lowest available FTF rate, generally lower and often much lower than hotels, airports, or exchange offices. This also saves the necessity to take large amounts of your home currency with you on your trip to exchange. However, in case you have difficulty finding an ATM machine when you need it, do take some home currency for emergency exchange.
Tip: Never purchase an airline ticket (unless it’s fully refundable) to a foreign country unless you’ve checked and are confident you will be able to obtain a visa to enter the country if it requires one.
Dropbox: If like me you take hundreds (if not thousands) of picture while traveling to exotic locations and are afraid to lose any of them on the way back home (losing flash card, corruption,..etc) then sign up for a free Dropbox account, load all of your photos on your laptop and place them in your Dropbox folder. All your photos will backed up to the cloud via the hotel wi-fi and available to you when you get home!
Keep learning and reading; there’s always something new to learn in the miles and points world.
Best advice: travel slow and enjoy the moment where you are.
Read this blog
Tip: Before you are ready to get FF miles or book award tickets, search Boardingarea.com website 1st. You will find lots of timely & useful info.
I want to purchase the Milepoint Premium membership. How can I get it now –> Through your 2013 million reader giveaway 🙂
A great amount of fabulous guidance on this site, really need a steam shower unit
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