Showing posts with label Travel Tips & Tricks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel Tips & Tricks. Show all posts

June 8, 2014

Pre-Trip Prep: Flights

Last week, I posted about how to maximize your stays by reaching out to the hotel prior to arrival.  Today's post will cover the same concept but for flights.

Let's say you have an upcoming long haul trip (as we do to Bali) to an exotic location.  Let's say it's for a special occasion:  a birthday, anniversary, honeymoon, etc...You have saved your hard earned points/miles, maybe signed up for a credit card bonus or two, and successfully redeemed your miles/points for some great flights.  Here are a few tips to maximize your journey:

  • Get partner airline record locator numbers

When booking an award with multiple alliance partners, you'll typically receive a confirmation number for the airline with whom you booked the ticket.  So for our upcoming flight to Bali, we booked through United yet out flying on United, Asiana, and Thai.  The United confirmation number is key to selecting seats/meals/making adjustments to the United portion but I don't really care about that since it's a simple three hour flight to NYC.

What I do care about (at least for purposes of this post) is the next 23 hours of flying in Asiana and Thai premium cabins.  To get the confirmation numbers, simply call up United and ask for them.  Write them down as you will need them later!  You can also email customer service of the airline you are flying on (i.e. Asiana, Thai) and provide your name, flight number, and date and they should be able to respond back with their confirmation number.  I have done this successfully with Thai many times.  They have a reservations office in LA and usually respond back within 12 hours.

June 3, 2014

Pre-Trip Prep - Hotels

We're just about a month away from our trip to Bali.  I'm going to start a series on pre-trip preparation (hotels, flights, lounges, packing, etc...) as a lot of people have asked me how we prepare for a long haul trip.  For the most part, this is all basic common sense but if you remember to do it prior to your trip, I think you'll end up more prepared

Once our hotels are locked in, I search online for an email address for reservations, the concierge, front office manager, etc...These are usually pretty easy to find and with luxury hotels are typically located on the website.

I will forward along my confirmation (which includes my name, elite status, room type, rate, etc...) to that person a month before arrival.  The content of my message depends on the particular stay but for our Bali hotels, I wanted to confirm our room type, let them know it was our wedding anniversary and about food allergies, ask about transportation options to the properties.  I always ask for an upgrade via email (you won't get one if you don't ask) and it has actually worked a couple of times (Conrad Singapore and Park Hyatt Istanbul are good examples).  We loved the Executive Lounge at the Conrad Singapore so I specifically asked for an upgrade to that floor in my email stating that we were there last year, are Gold HHonors members, etc...

I heard back from each property within 12 hours.  We've gone back and forth a few times (there is a 14 hour time difference) to work out the details.  I now have confirmations for transportation, VOA (Visa on Arrival) service, and our arrival times.  I will print out the emails prior to our trip and put them in my "trip folder" in my carry-on.

Again, this is all common sense but can be really helpful to get everything squared away prior to departure.  It makes things go a lot smoother and helps to manage expectations. 

March 29, 2014

How the United Mobile App Saved our Vacation

So we had quite the morning trying to leave Denver for a week in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

It's a bit of a long story but worth telling for a couple of reasons.  First, to reiterate the huge benefits of having the United (or your favorite airline) mobile app downloaded on your phone.   Second, this is my blog and I can write about whatever I want.

We woke up this morning with plenty of time to shower, pack, have breakfast and head to DEN for our 10:15AM direct flight to Cancun.  In the middle of packing, Emily noticed there was a pretty strong odor in our laundry room and shower.  It smelled like gas.  Our first thought was "this can't be good" but we weren't exactly sure what to do other can call the gas company and get their thoughts.  We called the emergency line and they said that we should get out of the house immediately and they would send someone out "within the next hour or so."  So we left the house essentially in our pajamas with the lights on and walked across the street to get some coffee.

A long day but it will certainly be worth it

March 10, 2014

Adding Global Data When Traveling Internationally

This is the second in a series of posts about helping tips for traveling internationally.  Here's the first post on avoiding foreign transaction fees.

In my old job, I used to travel to Canada a fair amount.  This is back in 2006 and 2007 and to be functional on the road, I needed my Blackberry (yes, I was very fond of mine) to make/receive phone calls and have an active data connection.  I would typically turn my international data/voice plan on and off for the weeks that I spent up there.  I remember my cell phone bill for those months exceeding $250.  It was insane.

Fortunately, mobile phone carriers, plans, and equipment have come a long way since then. It is extremely helpful (even when traveling for pleasure) to have the capability to look up directions, read a review, post an Insta, or text message friends and family.  And all of that can be done with limited cost.  Verizon offers (not sure on the other carriers but I would bet they offer something similar) the ability to add a Global Data Plan to your phone for just $25 per month...this includes 100MB of data.  Now 100MB of data isn't a lot but I used less than that during my 13 day honeymoon in Asia.



I normally turn the plan on (you can do this online in about three minutes) a few days before leaving. I backdate the (one of the options provided) feature to the start of the month so I can get the full 100MB allowance.  I always make sure to keep cellular services off when traveling  until I need something.  When walking around if I need directions, want to send a quick text, etc...I just turn cellular services on, roaming starts, I do what I need to do, and then I flip it off.  As long as you aren't sending massive attachments or streaming video, 100MB will get you pretty far.  And should you need another 100MB, it will cost you just $25.

When I return home, I log on to my Verizon account and turn off the feature.  Kudos to Verizon for making this process so easy and affordable!

March 5, 2014

Avoiding Foreign Transaction Fees When Traveling Internationally

A reader asked me this morning about a charge his girlfriend had noticed after booking an international plane ticket on a foreign airline.  The charge was a foreign transaction fee (typically 2.7% - 3.0% and incurred when issuing banks convert a transaction in a foreign currency to USD) and he asked if there was anything he could do to get the fee refunded.

Unfortunately, there's nothing that can be done about the fee after the fact but there are two main ways to avoid paying those pesky foreign transaction fees in the future.  
No Foreign Transaction Fees up here on Victoria Peak
  • Pay with cash.  I will explain my strategy for withdrawing cash (fee free) when traveling internationally in a future post.  But this is one way to minimize or eliminate extra fees especially in a situation (i.e. cabs) where credit cards are not widely accepted.
  • Carry a credit card which does not charge foreign transaction fees.  My favorite card for this purpose (and many other purposes) is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.  In addition to the lack of foreign transaction fees, the card offers great service when traveling abroad as well as 2x points on travel and dining which is where I tend to spend most of my money when traveling.  

My other favorite cards without foreign transaction fees include the American Express Platinum, Barclays Arrival Card, and the United MileagePlus Explorer Card.

Even though the foreign transaction fee is only a few percentage points that can really add up when booking expensive airline tickets on foreign carriers on spending a decent amount of money on drinking/eating/lodging when traveling out of the country.  So make sure you get one of these cards before leaving on your next big international trip!

February 18, 2014

How to Find Out if Your United Flight Will Have Wi-Fi

Inflight WiFi has literally changed flying.  Business travel is more productive, flights go by quicker, and kids can stay entertained for hours without crying.  Of the major US airlines, United is pretty late to the game with their inflight Wi-Fi rollout.  But they are catching up quicklyAs a general rule, if you're flying on an A319 or A320, your flight will have WiFi.  The Boeing fleet only has 34 planes configured and most of them are long haul 747s.
Inflight Wi-Fi on yesterday's flight from SFO to DEN

For a variety of reasons, it's often helpful to know if your flight will have internet access prior to boarding.  There's a super easy way to figure this out.

    • First, download the United iOS or Android app to your phone.
    • Log in to your app and tap "Flight status"
    • Either enter your flight number or city pairs (i.e. DEN - SFO)
    • Select your flight if applicable
    • Scroll down to the bottom of the page and tap "Amenities"

    The "Inflight Entertainment" section shows if Wi-Fi is available.  Even if the amenities include Wi-Fi, there's always the possibility that Wi-Fi is available and doesn't work or the aircraft gets swapped prior to your flight.  But spend ten seconds before your flight and check it out.

    I find that the service ($6.99 on most domestic flights) is really valuable for the price.  I'm able to be productive/entertained for the entire flight (checking email, writing a blog post, working, reading the news, etc...) and look forward to the day United has Wi-Fi installed fleet wide and I don't need to check prior to my flight.

    February 11, 2014

    Citi American Airlines Credit Cards provide 10% Discount on Award Redemptions

    I've long been a loyal United and Star Alliance flier but over the past year or so, I've started to diversify my mileage balances to provide more flexibility and enable us to experience new carriers and places.  One of the great perks of the American Airlines credit cards issued by Citi is the ability to receive 10% off an award booking.

    I recently picked up the American Airlines Citi AAdvantage Executive Card which is one of the cards offering the 10% discount.  One other (which I also have) is the Citi Platinum AA World MasterCard.  I booked an award over the weekend (total price was 45,000 miles) and the credit posted automatically after the award ticketed.

    You can earn the credit up to 10,000 miles per year.  I value AA miles at 2 cents each so if you take full advantage of this each year, it's like a $200 bonus!  Yet another great way to stretch your miles even further.


    Citi AA cards provide a 10% discount on award redemptions

    February 6, 2014

    Taking Trains Around International Cities

    When we visit a new city, there are two great ways to move around physically also get to see how people live everyday.  One is to walk...the second is to take the train.  Most major international cities have metros/subways/trains and for the most part, they are reliable, clean, and super cheap.  Taking the train is also a great way to get a feel for the vibe of the city, dress, where people are going, the languages they speak.  We try not to take cabs as much as possible but we break down once in awhile.

    In each city, Emily tries to grab a picture (three examples below) of me working to figure out the ticket dispenser for train tickets...a tradition we very much started by accident.

    Each ticket dispense is different.  Credit cards are widely accepted but it's not always obvious how to change the language on the ticket dispenser, calculate the fare for a specific destination or even figure out what will be dispensed by the machine.  In Istanbul, they use red plastic tokens (these are really cool - we bought an extra as a souvenir) vs. paper cards.  I always use my Chase Sapphire Preferred Card to get 2x points on travel and because the card doesn't incur foreign transaction fees.

    Super Clean Dubai Metro

    February 4, 2014

    The Art of the Weekend Trip

    We are fortunate to be able to travel as much as we do.  We both have full-time jobs but for the most part our weekends are free.  We don't have kids (yet) or a dog (yet) so we're able to manage our schedule without too much juggling.  Over the past few years we've taken a crazy number of weekend trips.  We've been to San Diego, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New York, and Washington, and Phoenix.  And we've been to most of those places more than once.  We've taken a three day trip to Hawaii and a four day trip to Singapore.

    Last weekend at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, CA