Ten years ago, I was leading a customer support team with a large American company. Our goal was to fix some of the largest videosurveillance systems in the world. Based in Switzerland, I was traveling extensively: I never spent more than a week per month back home. On a Friday night, as I was about to fly home after a week in a very secure facility downtown Moscow, I got a call from a coworker:
“We need you in Vegas on Monday, which hotel do you want us to book for you?”
I’m quite tall (1.96m or 6’5″ if you prefer imperial units) and company policy was to get the cheapest airfare you can find, even for a 12 hours half-way-across-the-globe flight. As such, I was flying in Economy most of the time. Traveling is fun, but it can be highly tiring when you need to work right after sitting for 13 hour straight in an Economy seat. As any good engineer facing a tough problem would do, I started to look for a solution. How can I travel in comfort? How can I get anywhere on the world and feel refreshed on arrival? Am I the only one?
As far as I remember, this trip to Vegas was my last flight in Economy (besides short two-hours trips around Europe or Asia). When flying back from the States, I was introduced to the wonderful world of Travel Hacking. Don’t worry, there’s nothing illegal here.
I love defining Travel Hacking as a way to find tricks and loopholes in the travel system in order to maximise your experience. Do you want to fly Business or First class for the price of Economy? Do you want to stay in some of the best hotels of the world for the price of a Motel? All this is possible with Travel Hacking.
Here are a few examples of how I used Travel Hacking for my own benefit or my friends:
- I brought my family on a three-weeks safari in Tanzania. We payed less than $1,500 per person for flying in Business Class from Europe. Economy tickets were more expensive.
- I sent teddy bears to children hospitals and had pizzas delivered to fire stations in the US. It allowed me to get two Business Class tickets from Europe to South America. I proposed at the Iguazu Falls in Brazil and she said Yes!
- I flew on Lufthansa First Class between the Europe and the US for less than $2,000.
- I helped a friend save $200 by flying in Business Class instead of Economy on a flight from Europe to Australia. She stopped in Bangkok on the way to Sydney and even got a free 1-hour massage in between flights.
- I helped friends get upgrades, free breakfast and spa vouchers at 5 stars hotels around the world.
- I helped a friend save $4,000 by changing his travel dates by one day.
- I even got paid to stay in cool hotels.
I decided help more people get that kind of results. Join the MilesAddict community today and you will get my complimentary guide on the tips to sleep for free at the best hotels in the world. I will then send you regular tips and tricks on Travel Hacking in the next few months.
If you listen to me, you will not travel in Economy anymore…