Today (December 19, 2014): tips for healthy air travel.

Everyone wants to arrive at his/her destination feeling relaxed and refreshed! Regardless of whether you need to rejuvenate for your holiday or be effective at achieving your goals on a business trip, these simple tips will help you enjoy your journey while flying longhaul:

• Drink plenty of water. Rehydrate with water of juices frequently. Drink tea and coffee in moderation.

• Skip alcohol. Alcohol will dehydrate and bloat you. It could also cause you to miss your flight as airlines are not allowed to board passengers appearing to be intoxicated.

• Travel lightly. Carry only the essential item that you will need during your flight.

• Wear glasses. Cabin air is drier that normal, therefore swap your contact lenses for glasses.

• Use skin moisturizer. Apply a good quality moisturizer to ensure your skin doesn’t dry out.

• Strengthen your immune system. Eat right and exercise the day before you fly. Think fresh fruit and vegetables, less sugar, and whole grains. A healthy lifestyle may prevent you from catching your neighbors cold!

• Keep moving. Excercise your lower legs and calf muscles. This encourages blood flow.

• Make yourself comfortable. Loosen clothing, remove jacket and avoid anything pressing against your body.

• Sleep. Get a good nights rest the night before you fly. If not, flying will make you extremely tired. Add the stress you’ll probably be feeling and you have a recipe for exhaustion.

• Outsmart gems. Anyplace people are cooped up eating, sneezing, and touching stuff, things get dirty. Washing your hands or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer is the number-one way to avoid getting sick,

• Eat light. The rise in air pressure and stress during a flight can slow digestion, leaving you feeling inflated.

• Consider flying Business or First Class. Wellness and more comfort is guaranteed in the premium cabins. This does not have to cost you a fortune when you read my for finding the cheapest flight ticket.

Enjoy the weekend and stay tuned for Monday when I reveal a new top 10 travel list.

**** Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

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Today (November 14, 2014): Travel Tips for getting a hotel room upgrade WITHOUT paying for it.

I previously explained how to get the best deal at a luxury hotel. In addition, there are numerous ways to score a premium room without having to pay for the upgrade. It often requires a mix of skill, emotional intelligence and a considerable amount of luck.

Here are the 10 best travel tricks to get a hotel room upgrade. And keep in mind that I can always arrange for you a confirmed upgrade at the time of booking at the world’s most luxurious resort, Soneva Kiri.

1. Stay during the low season

Being smart about the date you purchase a room can entitle you to an upgrade, without doing any extra work. Book a room during the off-peak season when rooms are likely to be available. Leisure hotels are often fully booked over weekends; especially when there’s a big event or concert in town. On the contrary, hotels that cater to business clients have more availability during the weekend.

2. Arrive late in the afternoon

Arrive late in the afternoon — between 3pm and 5pm is ideal — when reception has a better idea of what rooms are likely to stay empty overnight (and the next days). As a result, you may just be bumped up to a more superior room.

3. Join a hotel loyalty program

Most hotel chains offer benefits for loyal customers. Joining a hotel’s loyalty program, such as Starwood Preferred Guest or World of Hyatt, may entitle you to a room upgrade, depending on the status you have attained.

4. Advocate your special occasion

Drop a special occasion such as an engagement or a birthday into the conversation. But don’t just blurt it out of nowhere and be honest about it; casually talk about it mid-chat. This way hotel teams will feel you are a genuine customer and be more inclined to go above and beyond to make sure you have a special stay.

5. Be a frequent visitor

Sometimes it’s simply a case of who you know. The more times you stay at a hotel, the more familiar you will become to hotel receptionists. Your details are often stored in the system too — so they can tell when you last visited. To make sure you are acknowledged as a frequent stayer, be friendly and get to know one or two receptionists or better yet the hotel manager, so you are recognised on your return.

6. Review your stay

Leaving a happy guest review on the likes of Trip Advisor, is one of the best ways to ensure you become known to a hotel team and it also spreads positive feedback to other potential guests. You scratch their back and they’ll scratch yours, when you return.

7. Use your manners

Manners accompanied with a smile can go a long way to make someone feel happy to help. Greet hotel team members as soon as you arrive and use your discrete charm to stand out from other guests. Hotel receptionists deal with travellers on a day-to-day basis so being that one person who made their day, with a compliment or witty line, could earn you some brownie points.

8. Try out the new kids on the block

Because so many travelers are brand loyal (cf tip no. 3), it can negatively affect recently opened hotels trying to lure new and repeat guests. When guests book at new properties that want to grow a dedicated fan base, those hotels may be more willing to offer upgrades to get people talking about their property and to get some repeat business in the future.

9. Book through Virtuoso

A Virtuoso travel advisor will not only help you to create unique journeys and explorations in every corner of the globe, but, more importantly, Virtuoso bookings come with special amenities and extra perks, such as complimentary upgrades. This is particularly true for Aman and Four Seasons resorts. All hotels were you can enjoy the Virtuoso extra perks are listed on their website.

10. Use your credit card to get a complimentary room upgrade

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a hotel-branded credit card will probably have some sort of built-in upgrade benefit. But other credit cards do the trick as well. Visa Signature cardmembership gives you access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection, a network of 800+ high-end hotels around the world. Whenever you stay at these hotels and book thru Visa Signature you will get an automatic room upgrade at check-in (when available). Same is true for the more expensive American Express credit cards.

*** Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

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Friday newsletters always feature luxury travel contests, tips, series, or news.

Today (October 17, 2014): Travel Tip: know your rights when your luggage is delayed or lost.

Airlines are notoriously reluctant to do anything more than they can get away with when it comes to delayed or lost luggage. However, if your bag does go missing, you do have a right to a fixed amount of compensation. So, know your rights and read the following tips:

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Friday newsletters always feature luxury travel contests, tips, series, or news.

Today (October 10, 2014): Travel Tip: 10 reasons why I love Jetsetter to book luxury hotels & save money.

Disclosure of interests: this post is not commissioned and solely based on our own experience.

I previously published my tips for getting the cheapest room at a luxury hotel and save money. And it is no secret that Jetsetter is one of my favorite websites to book luxury hotels with incredible savings (my other favorites are Hotels.com and the direct hotel websites using a Best Rate Guarantee). Here are 10 reasons why I love Jetsetter to book my holidays (and why I advise you to do the same if you want to travel the world in style without breaking your wallet): 

• Jetsetter offers a selection of hotels, homes and tours at up to 40 percent off the usual price. These deals (so-called ‘flash sales’) are available for a limited time only (between five and ten days).

• The Jetsetter Verified stamp means that one of Jetsetter’s correspondents – over 200 journalists from the world’s top travel publications – has stayed at the property and confirmed it meets Jetsetter’s high standards. They test the things we all care about when we book hotels: the bed, the shower pressure, the concierge’s local knowledge, the cocktails.

• Jetsetter is a invitation-only community of travelers that provides insider access, expert knowledge and exclusive deals on the world’s greatest vacations.  However, “invitation only” simply means that you have to submit your email address to be allowed into the community (which is free!) and to get access to the great deals. Since April 2013, Jetsetter has been a part of the TripAdvisor family of travel sites.

• Jetsetter has some awesome mobile apps (which are in fact much better than its website). The free iPhone and iPad apps allow you to experience all of Jetsetter’s products on the go, destination features (like the interactive New York Hood by Hood guide), 360-degree photography, multi-lingual directions and tip sharing capabilities.

• The iPhone and iPad exclusive content “Jetsetter Now” allows you to book same-night hotel stays for up to 60% off.

• Similar to my blog, Jetsetter also tries to inspire you. Their Jetsetter Magazine is jam-packed with travel articles, itineraries, photography and interviews to help you choose the right destination and plan what to do when you get there.

• When you invite a friend (by clicking on the Invite Friends link at the top right corner of page and enter their email addresses), Jetsetter will post a credit into your account when your friend makes their first purchase.

• You can purchase a gift card for someone else (more info here).

• You can use the “Hold” feature to reserve inventory for the days you want by paying 10% of the trip price. This will give you an additional 72 hours, even after the sale ends, to decide whether or not to book. If you make a purchase, the 10% is automatically applied to your travel. If you decide not to purchase, the 10% is refunded in the form of a Jetsetter credit that will never expire.

• The portfolio of luxury hotels offered on Jetsetter is impressive and includes top properties such as the Alila Villa Uluwatu (Bali, Indonesia), Banyan Tree Samui (Thaland) and Park Hyatt Siem Reap (Cambodia), which rank amongst the very best hotels in the world and can be booked with huge discounts during flash sales.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT JETSETTER

• Jetsetter has a no-cancellation/modification policy. All rooms are prepaid in advance and non-refundable.

• The discounts rates offered during flash sales are very impressive, but sometimes, the same discounts can also be found when following my tips for getting the cheapest room at a luxury hotel.

Reviews of hotel that I booked through Jetsetter with (huge) discounts:

• Hotel review: Park Hyatt Siem Reap (Cambodia)
• Hotel review: Soori Bali (Indonesia)
• Hotel review: Banyan Tree Samui (Thailand)

Enjoy the weekend and stay tuned for Monday when I reveal a new top 10 travel list.

*** Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

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Today (August 22, 2014): travel tip: know your rights when your flight is delayed, cancelled or overbooked.

The U.S. and the European Economic Community (EEC) have established some very specific rights for air travelers. Unfortunately, only few travellers are aware of their rights (including entitlement to financial compensation) and it is important to know them in case things go wrong, such as flight delays, flight cancellation, and overbookings that prevent you from boarding. The following is an overview of basic air-passenger rights in the U.S. and Europe.

EUROPEAN UNION

The European Union (EU) is the only region in the world where passengers enjoy well-defined, basic rights when travelling by air, on condition that (1) they are departing from any airport situated in the EU, or (2) arriving in the EU with an EU carrier or one from Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. Passenger rights are protected by EU’s Regulation EC261.

1. Refund or alternative transport

If you are denied boarding or your flight is cancelled, overbooked or delayed by 5 hours or more, you are entitled to either:

• transport to your final destination using comparable alternative means, or
• having your ticket refunded and, where relevant, being returned free of charge to your initial departure point.

If you accept a refund, the airline does not have to provide any further onward travel or assistance.

Your airline must inform you about your rights and the reason for being denied boarding, or any cancellations or long delays (over 2 hours, although this may be up to 4 hours for flights in excess of 3500 Km).

2. Food and overnight stay at hotel

You may also be entitled to refreshments, meals, communications (such as a free phone call), and, if necessary, overnight stay, depending on the flight distance and length of delay.

3. Financial compensation

If you are denied boarding, your flight is cancelled or arrives more than 3 hours late on arrival at the final destination stated on your ticket, you may be entitled to compensation of €250 – 600, depending on the distance of the flight:

Within the EU

• 1,500 km or less: €250
• over 1,500 km: €400

Between EU airport and non-EU airport

• 1,500 km or less: €250
• 1,500 – 3,500 km: €400
• over 3,500 km: €600

On connecting flights, the distance is calculated to your final destination, not to some intermediate hub.

If the carrier offered you an alternative flight with a similar schedule, the compensation may be reduced by 50%.

With cancelled (or delayed) flights, you won’t receive compensation if:

• the cancellation (or delay) was due to extraordinary circumstances for example due to bad weather, or
• you were informed 2 weeks before the scheduled flight date, or
• you were offered an alternative for the same route with a similar schedule to the original one.

4. How to get a refund or compensation

Submit an air passenger rights EU complaint form to your airline and make sure you keep a copy for yourself. If this doesn’t work, or you aren’t satisfied with the reply, you can complain to the national enforcement body in the EU country where the incident took place. Or, if the incident happened at an airport of departure outside the EU but involved an EU airline, you can send a complaint to the relevant national enforcement body in the EU country you were travelling to.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) mandates certain air-travel rights, including passenger rights in cases of involuntary bumping or tarmac delays, but in case of a flight delay or cancellation, you will be at the mercy of your airline.

1. Bumping

When an airline bumps you involuntarily from an oversold flight, it owes you compensation:

• Bumped + short delay: Bumped passengers are entitled to cash compensation equal to double the price of their tickets up to $650, if the airline is able to get them to their destination within a short period of time (i.e., within 1 to 2 hours of their originally scheduled arrival time for domestic flights and 1 to 4 hours of their originally scheduled arrival time for international flights).

• Bumped + long delay: Bumped passengers are currently entitled to four times the price of their tickets, up to $1,300, if they are delayed for a lengthy period of time (i.e., over two hours after their originally scheduled arrival time for domestic flights and over 4 hours after their originally scheduled arrival time for international flights).

Inflation adjustments are made to those compensation limits every two years. Importantly, these rules do not apply when an airline bumps a traveler for any reason other than overbooking—for example, as a result of a switch to a smaller plane, for weight-and-balance issues on planes that seat 30 to 60 passengers, or if a flight is delayed or canceled.

2. Tarmac delays

The DOT rules mandate that an airline may not keep you on a plane for more than three hours (on a domestic flight) or four hours (on an international flight), with exceptions allowed only for safety, security or air traffic control-related reasons.   Carriers must also provide updates to passengers every 30 minutes, and ensure that passengers stuck on the tarmac are provided adequate food and water after two hours, as well as working lavatories and any necessary medical treatment.

3. Fight delays and cancellations

If, for any reason, your flight is canceled, substantially delayed or rescheduled, you have the right to reroute at no extra cost or to receive a full refund, even on a non-refundable ticket. Airline policies vary, however, about what constitutes a “substantial” delay or schedule change.

Federal rules require that domestic airlines and foreign carriers flying into the U.S. file “Customer Service Plans,” which describe what the airline promises to do in the case of a long list of circumstances, including delays, cancellations, and diversion events, among others. Contracts and service plans generally call for meal vouchers when a delay extends over a normal meal time and for hotel accommodations in the event of an overnight delay. But implementation varies by airline.

In the event of a delay, a few airlines say that they will transfer you to another airline if that carrier can get you to your destination earlier than your original flight. A few others say they “may” transfer you, but the decision is theirs, and still other airlines only offer a seat on their own next-available flight. Neither customer-service plans nor contracts of carriage call for specific compensation when an airline fails to meet its commitment.

*** Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

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Friday newsletters always feature luxury travel contests, tips, series, or news.

Today (August 15th, 2014): Travel Tip: 8 reasons why I love Hotels.com to book luxury hotels & save money.

Disclosure of interests: this post is not commissioned and solely based on my own experience.

Hotels.com is one of my favorite hotel engine booking websites, as you can read in my tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel (besides booking through Jetsetter or booking directly on the hotel website using a Best Rate Guarantee). You can save lots of money when you book a luxury hotel through Hotels.com and here are 8 reasons why:

• Hotels.com allows payment in your own currency (the choice of currency can be adjusted at the top of the website). As such, you avoid paying the sometimes heavy foreign currency taxes (up to 3%) that come with most credit cards (a hidden cost that many are not aware of).

• Hotels.com has almost permanently discount coupons available (subscribe to their newsletter or simply search for them on google). Discounts on hotel bookings vary from 10% (most of the time) to a rare 15%. Unfortunately, almost all of the world’s most luxurious hotel brands are excluded from the list of hotels for which you can use a discount coupon. However, surprisingly, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts is the only ultra-luxurious hotel brand that is most of the time eligible for discount coupons on Hotels.com (almost guaranteeing you a 10% discount on every Four Seasons booking).

• They have a simple but excellent loyalty program, called “Welcome Rewards”. When you book and stay 10 nights at eligible hotels, you’ll get 1 night free to redeem at another. Hotels.com works out the average value of all the 10 nights you’ve collected and gives it back to you as a free night. Unfortunately, hotels stays that are booked using a discount coupon do not count towards the Welcome Rewards program.

• At first, you may think it does not matter to participate to the Welcome Rewards program: one night free for every 10 hotel stays is identical as applying a 10% discount for every hotel booking (since coupons are widely available anyway). But, contrary to the ordinary 10% discount coupons, the coupon(s) you receive through the Welcome Rewards program (after accomplishing 10 eligible nights) can be used for big discounts at almost all hotel chains, including the world’s most exclusive hotel brands. This is especially a lucrative business when you use Hotels.com for both company & leisure travel: you collect Welcome Rewards coupons through business stays, while you spend them on personal travel.

• Hotels.com also has an excellent Best Rate Guarantee (BRG) program: If you find a cheaper price, Hotels.com will match that rate (and refund you the difference). And finding that cheaper price is not difficult nor time-consuming at all: just use the aggregator websites Hotelscombined and Trivago, which both verify hotel prices at hundreds of other sites (e.g. Expedia, Bookers, Otel.com, Hotels.com, Hotelopia.com, Booking.com, etc…) and show where you can book the cheapest rate.
  • The Hotels.com BRG is available only for exact itinerary matches, including property, room type, and dates of travel (as is the case with all other BRG programs). The BRG also includes an identical cancellation policy (which can make it harder for your BRG claim to be approved).
  • A major and unique advantage of the Hotels.com BRG program is that you can submit a BRG claim from the moment of reservation until 23:59 (PST) the day before your stay (this large time span is unique in the world of BRG programs).
  • Another advantage is that hotel bookings that were matched for a better price remain valid for the Welcome Rewards program (when no discount coupon was used).
  • Tip: Use the UK or USA site to submit a BRG claim since their response rate is remarkably faster as compared to Hotels.com websites of other countries.

• From time to time, double Welcome Reward coupons are available and you will earn double Welcome Rewards for stays booked with this type of coupon (e.g. a 2 night stay will result in a 4 Welcome Rewards credits). This is one of the best deals in the hotel industry as it means that you will receive a free night after completing just 5 nights  (valid for almost all hotels, including luxury hotel chains).

• After completing a stay, you will be invited by Hotels.com to leave a rating. As a gesture, you will sometimes be rewarded with a 10% off or double Welcome Rewards coupon for your next booking. Contrary to the widely available discount coupons mentioned above, a 10% off discount coupon earned through a hotel review is available for almost all hotels, including luxury hotel chains. It takes less than a minute to leave a review and you can even do it from your mobile device.

• Hotels.com gives freedom in your hotel choices. Member of hotel loyalty programs (such as Hyatt, SPG, Marriott, …) tend to stay at hotels of those brands in order to receive the extra perk associated with their elite status, but that way they often pay more and miss the opportunity to stay at the very best hotel in the area. And while elite status perks are great, they can often be achieved using other tricks.

CONCLUSION:

• When not booking your luxury hotel stay through Jetsetter or the website of your preferred hotel group (using a Best Rate Guarantee), make your booking on Hotels.com.

• Participate to the Welcome Rewards program (when you make not use of the widely available 10% discount coupons) and start collecting free hotel night.

• When applicable, submit a Best Rate Guarantee (after verifying prices on  Hotelscombined and Trivago).

Reviews of hotels that I booked through Hotels.com with (huge) discounts:

• Hotel review: Jade Mountain (St Lucia)
• Hotel review: Gili Lankanfushi (Maldives)
• Hotel review: The Resort at Pedregal (Cabo, Mexico)
• Hotel review: The Langham Chicago (USA)
• Hotel review: Raffles Le Royal (Phnom Penh, Cambodia)
• Review: Alila Villas Uluwatu, Bali’s most spectacular hotel

*** Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

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Today (July 18th, 2014): tips for getting the cheapest plane ticket in Economy, Business or First class.

Booking a flight is easy these days, but it can become a hard task if you cannot find what you are looking for or if you have too many choices. Whether you want the cheapest ticket to your destination (Economy) or want to fly more comfortably (Business or First), the following tips may help you in the process:

• 18 tips for finding the cheapest ticket in Economy Class
• 13 tips for finding the cheapest ticket in Business or First Class

18 TIPS FOR FINDING THE CHEAPEST ECONOMY TICKET

• Search for the cheapest fare on the internet, and not through a travel agency as the latter will always need to be paid with a commission.

• Use the airfare search engine Kayak, my personal favourite. The latter checks the price of your requested flight at tons of sites at once, including Orbitz and Cheaptickets, and allows flexibility in your travel dates. However, Kayak does not display all prices, so do not forget to check other airfare search engines and online ticket-sellers as well: Hipmunk, Momondo, Hotwire, Skyscanner, Expedia, and Travelocity.

• Matrix is the ITA software that powers Kayak, Orbitz, Cheaptickets and lots of airlines and travel agent’s tools. But you can skip all their ads and come-ons and search Matrix itself for the no-nonsense scoop of flying cheap.

• Search for cheap fares on the airline’s official website. This is an often-overlooked tip, but well worth doing as airlines can host private sales that are only accessible through their website.

• Subscribe to the newsletters of your preferred airlines, so that you will be informed amongst the first about their promotional offers (with sometimes discounts of 25%).

• Travel outside the school holidays.

• Fly out early: the first flight of the morning is usually the cheapest.

• Including a Saturday night in your trip may substantially lower the price.

• Be flexible: adding a couple of days to your trip before or after peak travel days may lower the fare.

• Leave on a Tuesday or Wednesday as this is often much cheaper than leaving in the weekend.

• Book your ticket on a Tuesday afternoon. A study by Farecompare found this was the best time to buy airline tickets as airliners most frequently release discounted tickets on Tuesdays.

• Book your ticket in advance, about 6 weeks for intracontinental and 3 months for intercontinental travel. You will likely pay a big premium for booking too late (within 14 days of your departure day), or for booking too early (more than 5 months in advance, except when you can make use of promotional offers).

• Travel last-minute if you are very flexible in your travel plans. Airlines, especially charters, are known to cut prices when they can’t fill their planes for upcoming flights.

• Fly different airlines. Most airlines now sell one-way flights at reasonable prices, meaning one airline might be cheaper for the outbound flight while the other works better for the return. You could even fly to one airport and depart from another.

• Consider booking an indirect flight to your destination. Direct or non-stop flights to your destination may be expensive, as some people will pay a premium for the convenience and there is little competition. Transferring is a time-consuming hassle, but it can save you a bundle, as there are many options and airlines are competing to undercut each other.

• Check alternate airports. If there is more than one airport near your origin or destination city, check them all (e.g. San Francisco and Oakland; Miami and Fort Lauderdale; New York and Newark; Washington DC and Baltimore).  Sometimes, alternate airports can be located a bit further away from your destination, but still be well-connected by public transport (e.g. Brussels versus Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Paris).

• Flying low-cost carriers can save lots of money but be very careful, as they may charge lots of hidden extras (making them not so low-cost after all), and they often fly to alternate, less convenient airports

• Fly for free by joining the loyalty program of an airline.

13 TIPS FOR FINDING THE CHEAPEST BUSINESS & FIRST CLASS TICKET

• Book as early as possible. Time is the key to get the best Business & First Class deals as the prices are very high when you need to make a last minute booking.

• Fly during the school holidays as business tends to slow down during this period and airlines cannot fill their Business/First Class seats, hence selling them at discounted prices.

• Be flexible: adding a couple of days before or after your planned travel dates may lower the fare.

• Add a Saturday night stay to reduce the fare further.

• Avoid peak business travel days like Monday (morning) and Friday (evening) since these are the most popular times for business people to fly, hereby increasing demand and limiting seat availability.

• Book your ticket on a Tuesday afternoon. A study by Farecompare found this was the best time to buy airline tickets as airliners most frequently release discounted tickets on Tuesdays.

• Use the airfare search engine Kayak, my personal favourite. The latter checks the price of your requested flight at tons of sites at once, including Orbitz and Cheaptickets, and allows flexibility in your travel dates. However, Kayak does not display all prices, so do not forget to check other airfare search engines and online ticket-sellers as well: Hipmunk, Momondo, Hotwire, Skyscanner, Expedia, and Travelocity.

• Matrix is the ITA software that powers Kayak, Orbitz, Cheaptickets and lots of airlines and travel agent’s tools. But you can skip all their ads and come-ons and search Matrix itself for the no-nonsense scoop of flying cheap.

• Search for cheap fares on the airline’s official website. This is an often-overlooked tip, but well worth doing as airlines can host private Business/First Class sales that are only accessible through their website.

• Make use of the websites Flyfirst, Skylux Travel and Etravelbid which all focus on Business/First Class deals. Etravelbid works particularly well for last-minute travellers, since it negotiates discounted Business Class fares (even up to the day before departure) with no advance-purchase or Saturday night-stay requirements.

• Make use of corporate code travel discounts that your company may have negotiated directly with the airline.

• Sign up for a premium credit card. Some premium credit cards (e.g. American Express) offer two-for-one specials on airline tickets in Business or First Class.

• Fly for free or get a complimentary upgrade from Economy to Business or First Class by joining the loyalty program of an airline.

 *** Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

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Today (July 7th, 2014): travel tips: how to get the best deal at a luxury hotel and save money?

When booking a room at a luxury hotel, you have to choose whether you want the cheapest price for that room, or whether you want to enjoy extra perks and/or flexibility. I hereby present you my tips for getting the best deal at a luxury hotel and saving (lots of) money:

• Inspiration for finding the right hotel
• Tips for when to book
• Tips for booking a room at the cheapest rate
• Tips for booking a room with (complimentary) extra perks
• Tips for staying for free at luxury hotels
• Key points

Think I forgot a tip? Share your own travel tips in the comments section below.

INSPIRATION FOR FINDING THE RIGHT HOTEL

• Be inspired by my luxury travel website & blog. Every week, I post top 10 travel lists and reviews of luxury hotels. You can subscribe to my newsletter (3x/week) and/or follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

• The Kiwi Collection is a great website featuring the best luxury hotels in the world.

• Read the Conde Nast Traveler and Travel&Leisure magazines.

• Read Tripadvisor reviews.

• Read Flyertalk posts (google the name of the hotel + flyertalk).

• Watch Youtube clips of hotels (you can find some examples on my Youtube Channel).

TIPS FOR WHEN TO BOOK

• Do not book too late as the top luxury hotels will often sell out months in advance. Do not count on a last-minute deal (which are not offered by most top hotels anyway).

• When you want to save some bucks, travel in the shoulder season (e.g. summer months for the Caribbean, autumn months for the Maldives), but try to avoid the worst months weather-wise as you may find yourself very disappointed despite the fact that you saved a lot of money!

TIPS FOR BOOKING A ROOM AT THE LOWEST PRICE

• Most of the time, the lowest room rate can be found on the aggregator websites Hotelscombined and Trivago. These aggregators verify hotel prices at hundreds of other sites (e.g. Booking.com, Hotels.com, Otel.com, Hotelopia.com, Onhotels.com, Expedia, Ebookers, etc…) and show where you can book the cheapest rate. Try it out for yourself:

• The member-only websites Jetsetter, Secret Escapes and the Vacationist (which do not feature on aggregator websites) negotiate temporary, special rates with some of the world’s finest hotels, which can represent a discount of up to 60% (room only or room with breakfast).  Membership is free and without hassle (just submit your name and email address). Sign up for the Jetsetter, Secret Escapes and Vacationist newsletters, so that you stay updated about their temporary offers. Read here why I love Jetsetter so much, and here why I am a fan of Secret Escapes.

• Always compare the price that you found on aggregator or member-only websites with the one featured on the official hotel website to make sure that it is the best price indeed. Do not forget to click the “special offers” section that is present on most hotel websites (and which can save you lots of money).

• If you find elsewhere a lower price than the one offered on the hotel website, make us of a Best Rate Guarantee. Not only will the lower room rate be matched, you will often receive an additional discount as well (of up to 25%)!

• Make use of discount coupons that you can find anywhere on the internet (google the website of hotel name + coupon). For example, Hotels.com is one of my prefered hotel booking websites that regularly sends out 10% discount coupons by email (albeit not valid for the big hotel chains though).

• Except when staying at one of the big hotel chains (Starwood, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, Hilton), I always try to book my hotel stays through the website Hotels.com and you can read here why. In a nutshell: Hotels.com is not only very generous in matching the best price that you may have found on another websites, but you also collect credits towards free hotel stays and they always have discount coupons on offer.

• Sign-up for the newsletters of your preferred hotel (chains) or booking website. They often email coupons or advanced notifications when they’re having a sale.

• Stay for free by using hotels points and credits that you collected in a hotel loyalty program (albeit very few of the top luxury hotel chains offer that option though).

• Stay for free or at a highly discounted rate by keeping an eye out for erroneous rates on this Flyertalk post.

TIPS FOR BOOKING A HOTEL ROOM WITH (FREE) EXTRA PERKS

• Some of the world’s most exclusive hotel brands (e.g. Aman resorts) will only display the best rates on their official hotel website (so do not waste your time trying to find a lower price on an aggregator or member-only website as you won’t find one).

• Check the hotel website directly for packages that include extra perks like spa credits, breakfast, or complimentary nights.

• Absurdly, when booking a room at a top luxury hotel, it is sometimes advised not to book it directly on the hotel website, but rather through a Virtuoso travel advisor. Not only will they create unique journeys and explorations in every corner of the globe, but more importantly, you will also get free access to special amenities and receive complimentary perks (e.g. upgrades, dinners, etc …) which is not the case when you book the same rate via the hotel direcly. All hotels were you can enjoy the Virtuoso extra perks are listed on their website.  If you are an Aman junkie, like me, then Virtuoso is the only way to book your stay. Read here why I love Virtuoso so much. Most of the times, Virtuoso hotel bookings are not made online, but through a Virtuoso travel agent. There are exceptions though, such as the website of Classic Travel which offers an online booking tool.

• Holders of an American Express premium or Visa Signature credit card can also benefit from extra perks when they make the booking via their credit card travel office and/or pay with their credit card. Contact your local credit card company to find out whether they offer this travel service.

• Elite members of hotel loyalty programs will receive several benefits during their stay, ranging from late check-out and complimentary WiFi to suite upgrades and breakfast. Click here for more info.

• Elite members of Cathay Pacific‘s frequent flyer program (Marco Polo Club) are entitled to special benefits (e.g. early check in, late check out, room upgrade, complimentary breakfast) with partners such as Hilton, Hyatt, Fairmont, Marriott, Langham, Mandarin Oriental, Shangri-La, Swissotel, Peninsula, Swire and Ritz-Carlton. While some of these deals only apply to hotels or rentals in the Asia-Pacific region, others do not; the Mandarin Oriental benefit is applicable worldwide, for example.

TIPS FOR STAYING FOR FREE AT A LUXURY HOTEL

You can always try your luck and score a complimentary stay at a luxury hotel by reading my tips for getting free hotel nights.

KEY POINTS

• Inspiration: this website + the Kiwi Collection.

• When money is an issue: book outside the high season.

• Cheapest room rate: mostly found on Hotelscombined, Trivago, and/or the official hotel website. Always check all 3 of them.

• Best Rate Guarantee: match a lower rate and receive an additional discount.

• Free extra perks: book a package on the hotel website, through a Virtuoso travel agent, or via your credit card travel office.

• Complimentary stay: subscribe to of a (hotel) loyalty program.

• My preferred hotel booking websites: Hotels.com and Jetsetter.

*** Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

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Today (June 20, 2014): travel tips: travel for FREE with the best miles & points blogs

Many airlines and hotels have their own loyalty programs that allow you to earn points or miles that are redeemable for free flights, upgrades, hotel stays, car rentals or shopping. Everybody should participate in these programs as they can save you tons of money by travelling (almost for) free as well as offer you tons of other perks.  However, it does take quite some effort to get some basic knowledge of how to collect miles & points in the most efficient manner. One of the best tips is to subscribe to the newsletters of expert bloggers, so that you will be instantly updated on promotions and tricks for earning or spending  your precious miles or hotel points.

I hereby list my 6 favorite blogs, that have helped me to travel for free (I will have my own frequent flyer section on this blog in the very near future). Click the title (in red) to be directly directed to the blog. Share your opinion in the poll at the bottom of the page.

1. THE POINTS GUY

Brian Kelly is The Points Guy. Through his earning strategies and travel savvy, Brian was able to book exciting and extravagant trips for next to nothing, flying first class and staying at luxury hotels all for the cost of a coach ticket and a hostel bed.  In 2010, Brian brought his passion for travel to the masses and became The Points Guy, sharing his points and miles insights with eager readers worldwide via his website. Due to the immense interest in his tips and advice, Brian left his job on Wall Street in June 2011 to grow his site and travel the world full-time. ThePointsGuy.com now has over 900,000 unique monthly visitors, and Brian has a staff of six writers keeping his readers up to date on important points and travel news.

2. MILLION MILE SECRET

Daraius Dubash, the owner of Million Mile Secret, has earned and redeemed millions of airline miles and hotel points – most of which he acquired for free and without flying in airplanes or staying in hotels. Daraius writes the Million Mile Secrets blog to show time-starved folks how, they too, can acquire airline miles and hotel points, and travel very comfortably to see the world, for a fraction of what they would otherwise pay for such travels. By reading Million Mile Secrets you will learn Daraius’ secrets to fly for much less, stay in wonderful hotels for much less, and rent cars for much less than retail price. But Daraius believes using your miles and points to travel shouldn’t require a degree in Accounting!  That’s why he started Million Mile Secrets. Daraius presents the information in a helpful way that anyone can understand.

Read my interview in the Million Mile Secret blog here.

3. LOYALTY LOBBY

John Ollila, the author of LoyaltyLobby, has been traveling non-stop since 2004 for both business and leisure. Originally from Finland, John studied at the Helsinki School of Economics before accepting a scholarship to the United States where he completed an MBA in Finance at a notable university. While he had already taken his first around-the-world trip at age 20, John’s MBA and his skill at analyzing hotel and airlines programs ignited a wanderlust that has taken him to over 80 countries and continues to this day. As a cosmopolitan, John has spent the last 10 years staying in the world’s finest hotels, visiting world-class cities and enjoying the perks of First Class airline travel, all by strategically making use of hotel and airline loyalty programs. Annually John flies 150,000-250,000 miles and through his travels has earned more than ten million frequent flyer and hotel points thus earning him top-tier elite status in all airline alliances and major hotel chains.Through LoyaltyLobby, John shares his unique analysis and tips on how to strategically maximize your hotel and airlines miles and points earning power for you to enjoy free flights, free hotel nights and upgrades.

4. VIEW FROM THE WING

The View from the Wing blog is another terrific blog with updates on the latest news in the world of miles and points. The blog is written by Gary Leff, who is a Chief Financial Officer for a university research center. He’s also a director of a non-profit that provides networking and professional development opportunities for young people in policy, politics, and journalism. In addition to blogging about his miles and points obsession in his blog , he co-founded Milepoint.com, a place for frequent flyers to meet and learn using the latest technology. From 2003 through the beginning of 2011, Gary served as a moderator of Flyertalk.com and on Flyertalk’s member-elected TalkBoard. He was a founding Senior Moderator and also the longest-serving TalkBoard President, from 2005 until he stepped down from his volunteer roles on the site to focus on co-founding Milepoint.

5. ONE MILE AT A TIME

Ben Schlappig (Lucky) is a travel consultant, author, and avid points collector. He travels over 300,000 miles per year and spends around 100 nights per year in hotels. He has visited over 40 countries on six continents, and loves sharing tricks about how others can maximize miles and points to do the same! The purpose of his One Mile at a Time bog is to share his travel experiences – those both in the air and on the ground – and stay updated on the latest in the travel industry, from promotions to program changes to mergers. Ben has been cited as a travel expert in many publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, InsideFlyer, and The Australian Business Journal.

6. HEAD FOR POINTS

Head for Points is the only widely-read UK site dedicated to collecting airmiles and hotel loyalty points. If you have an Avios account or are an enthusiastic British Airways Executive Club, Virgin Flying Club, Hilton HHonors, IHG Rewards Club, Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest, Heathrow Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards etc member, then this is the place you have been looking for! There are usually three new posts each day. About 50% of the posts on Head for Points are about Avios points – how to earn them easily and cheaply and how to spend them most effectively.

Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration

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Today (April 25, 2014): Travel tip: 11 websites to check before you fly.

• Check in online (on your airline’s website) to save time at the airport.

• Choose the best seat onboard with the help of Seatguru.

• Check whether your flight has a scheduled on time departure & arrival with Flightaware.

• Nervous flyers: have a look whether the flight will be bumpy with Turbulence Forecast.

• Inform yourself about the safety reputation of your airline on Airline Ratings.

• Avoid flying with one of the carriers listed on the European Union’s black list. The latter represents a list of (unsafe) airlines banned within the EU.

• Know your rights when your flight is delayed, cancelled or overbooked.

• Know your rights when your luggage is delayed or lost.

• Check the website of your departure airport and find out what to do. Spending time at the airport doesn’t need to be boring, as more and more airports start offering extensive shopping facilities, museums, and spas.

• With my packing checklist you will not forget an item in your luggage.

• Be sure that you have applied for ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) when the USA is your end destination.

*** Follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***

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