Guerilla Travel:  TheTrip of a Lifetime, or a Lifetime of Trips?

I grew up watching TV shows about travel.  And movies.  Although Rick Steves and James Bond inhabited different ends of the masculinity spectrum, they both showed us the world in ways that stoked our wanderlust, and made us dream of seeing the world.  In my case, I also wanted a tuxuedo, an Omega watch and an Astin Martin. 

Most Travel TV is really only about stoking that wanderlust.  I noticed long ago that it isn’t about actually going anywhere.  And the how of travel is often left out.  It’s pretty pictures in a magazine.  It is simply intended to titillate your Travel Bone and make you wish you had unlimited money, unlimited time and no responsibilities so that you could go and see the world, too.   Of course, it's not real life.  It's a fun, entertaining diversion, nothing more.

It’s Travel Porn… not that there’s anything wrong with that.  But it’s simply not real.

And the ‘normal’ way to travel is this:  Save, for years.  Maybe even your whole life.  Then, in your later years, spend thousands upon thousands of dollars buying a prepackaged tour, or a cruise, or even following the path of a travel book.  And spend those thousands of dollars, and that lifelong dream in one big, extravagant, roll-of-the-dice trip to that one destination that you’ve had your heart set on forever.  Spend a month abroad, break your bank, exhaust yourself, and in the end, be really, really, really ready for it be over, and to be home once again.

They call it ‘the Trip of a Lifetime’ because it’s such a huge endeavor that you can’t afford the time and money to ever do it again.   It’s expensive, exhausting, and really, in the end, takes a lot of the fun out of seeing the world.

That’s the classic method of travel.

I’m here to tell you that there is a better way.  And while we are not going to live the life of Rick Steves (none of us can, not even Rick Steves himself), you can travel.   Inexpensively.  Often.  Your goal should be to travel in a way that others will envy… not because you’re a jerk and crave the attention, but because if you can look at your own travel life and tell yourself “yeah, that’s really cool,” you know you’re not wasting your opportunities and your precious time on earth.

Let’s talk about brass tacks.  Let’s talk about “how to.”  My travel blog isn’t about sweeping vistas and pretty pictures, although I will share some of those.  I’m guessing you already know where you want to go, so I’m not going to spend a lot of time right now emphasizing the where of travel.  I’m going to emphasize the what, the why, and most importantly, the how of travel.  I’m going to show you how to see the parts of the world your heart longs to see without crippling yourself economically or waiting your whole life for that one trip.

It’s not about the ‘trip of a lifetime,’ it’s about a lifetime of trips.

Planning.  The KEY.

I am as spontaneous as the next guy, and maybe even more so.  It’s really normal for me to see that I have a 3 or 4 day gap in my schedule coming up and pack my backpack or rollaboard before I even know where I’m going to go... and then head to the airport without a clear idea of where I'm headed.  Of course, as an airline pilot, I have access to free or very cheap transportation to pretty much any destination in the world, so I have a rather large advantage over most travelers.  But there are ways that the thoughtful traveler can also access free or reduced rate transportation with some effort and some prior planning.  Seriously.  I’m not kidding.

I will say right off the bat that there isn’t a free lunch here.  You will have to make a plan, execute it properly, and stick to it in order to access many of the methods for free or reduced cost travel that are out there.  It will take time and effort.  But it is absolutely doable.

The same is true for free or reduced rate lodging, and the method for attaining that is very much the same as it is for gaining access to free or cheap transportation.

The Branded Rewards Credit Card

Every major Airline in the world and every major hotel chain in the world offer credit cards that accumulate points for the use of their credit cards.  When you spend money using one of these branded credit cards, the credit card company gives you reward points based on how much you spend.  Those points are then used to “buy” free airline travel or free hotel stay nights at the “branded” Airline or hotel company.

“Oh my god you want me to get a credit card!!”  Yes, I do.  But you absolutely have to approach this in a very rigid and regimented way.  Because the secret here is that you have to pay off your balance every single month.  Do not, under any circumstances, carry a credit balance on your account.  Use  the card for everything you buy… groceries, gas, movies… everything you normally buy every month, you should buy using that branded credit card.  And every month, like clockwork, you must pay the bill in it’s entirety.

Over time (and not a very long time!) you will accumulate points for use at airlines and hotels.  Some cards let you use the points for both airlines and hotels, and even for other things.  But if you do this as I’ve described, you will quickly find yourself with enough points to fly for free and stay for free… without spending a dime more than you would have otherwise.

You must decide whether you are dedicated and controlled enough to use these cards properly, without carrying a balance month to month.  Realize that many people can’t or won’t so this, and that’s how the credit card companies can give these perks away... because they are paid for my those who carry a balance.  The people that pay off their balances every month are considered “deadbeats” by the credit card companies… because these smart consumers reap the benefits of the points and miles without paying a dime for them.

Your Research Project

One of the most important aspects of this plan is that you pick one or two credit card plans and stick with it. When you do this, you accumulate the most points and miles towards your travel.  It also means, however, that your travels can end up being dependent on one or two airlines, and one or two hotel chains.

Realize that as much as I’d like to tell you that anything is possible, the truth is that one of the most important tasks we have is to recognize our limitations.  Whether they are financial, familial, chronological, or something else, we all have limits.  Find out what yours are, and work within them.  Just don’t let them stop you!

For instance, perhaps you have bad credit.  Well, there is no easy fix for that, but it is fixable.  Or you have family obligations, work obligations, or severe financial constraints.  That’s really, truly, totally okay.  The secret sauce in this is to address your personal limitations, and work with them, not against them.  Don’t let them stop you.

Your job is to be master of the possible, and not be disheartened by the impossibilities that you can’t change.  Just be honest with yourself about what you can and can not do.

Your first step is to open up mileage/points accounts with all major airlines and hotel chains.  Yes, I said all of them.  Why?  Because while you will concentrate your efforts with the programs that will best meet your needs, often these programs will offer some very nice freebies for new or inactive members.  You definitely want to be in the game for these perks.

A great resource for airline and hotel points is The Points Guy. Check it out.  But don’t stop your research there!  Become a points expert, and get to know the programs inside and out.

So now you have your homework for this week.  Next blog is under construction, and you don't want to fall behind.  Get busy!

Cheers,

Moose