Rapid Travel Chai: International Travel Bootcamp - Chicago Seminars 2014

International Travel Bootcamp
Chicago Seminars 2014
Stefan Krasowski
Rapid Travel Chai

First, A Little Story
A man took his wife and mother-in-law to Disney World
He used Amex PRG for 3x on airfare
It was October 2012
Hurricane Sandy rolled in to New York
They had a LONG Disney vacation
Chase /Citi trip delay coverage vs earning 3x
Cards and miles are a start, but don’t lose sight of travel
©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

Itinerary
Planning
Tips
Miles and Points Beyond Cathay J to Bali

Who Am I?
I lived in China for 8 years
I work in international business
I plan obsessively
I travel fast
I come back exhausted
My wife is the opposite

Where Have I Traveled?

My Dream Trip
My Wife’s

How I Spent This Week
9-island Caribbean hopper
Delta: 35k for JFK-Grenada, return St Lucia-EWR
LIAT: 50k US Bank FlexPerks for $1,002.90 ticket
Corsair: Citi Prestige 11,071 points for $149 ticket
flyMontserrat: $189 in cash money

Before

Then

After

A Lot of This

A Little of That

Who Are You?
You have more miles up the wazoo…what matters to you?
The flight?
The hotel?
The destination?
The people?
The food?
What else?

What Do You Want in this Session?
Planning?
Tips?
Cut the crap – gimme miles!

Planning

Where to Go?
Explore outside your social media bubble
Consider offbeat and offseason
Yamamoto’s Bunker,
East New Britain,
Papua New Guinea

Where to Go – UNESCO Sites
Jesuit missions and German yerba mate farmers, Paraguay

Where to Go – Traveler’s Century Club
Anne of Green Gables & lobster suppers,
Prince Edward Island, Canada

Thorn Tree Forum for Destinations

Air – Research
Wikipedia’s airport and airline pages

Air – Passes
If you think awards are confusing and frustrating…
Passes come and go, often
Complicated booking
Gotchas abound

Air – Booking
Find flights on ITA Matrix
Locate booking options on Google Fights or Hipmunk

Air – Budget Airlines
skyscanner.com and
whichbudget.com
Price all the extras
Know the airport –
where in ‘London’?
Know the terminal –
Malaysian remote LCCTs

Air – Obscure Airlines
OneTravel for hard to ticket airlines
Get reservation record AND ticket number

Air – China Flights
Global sites only price full-fare tickets
China sites price discounts: ctrip, eLong, travelzen
Expedia $212 eLong $111
©Stefan Krasowski, AAllll RRiigghhttss RReesseerrvveedd

Rail – Where?
East Asia and Europe are great for rail
Overnight trains save time, save hotel
Photo by alantankenghoe, flickr

Rail – How?
Advance web bookings can be difficult and deceptive
Man in Seat 61 and Deutsche Bahn
Multiple stations in cities
Rail Europe $131 SCNF $81

Rail – Passes
Compare & cost pass options and alternative transport
May need to purchase before arrival
Swiss Pass 2nd Class is $298 for 4 days – yikes!

Bus – Where?
‘Executivo’ business class services in South America

Bus – Tips
Beware the near empty bus that is ‘leaving soon’
Your stuff will be either with you or with someone else
Prepare for heat, prepare for cold

Taxis - Tips
Beware taxis hanging out at hotels
If the locals use radio taxis, you should too
Taxis for day trips vs guides

Taxis – India
India’s airport prepaid taxis:
Cheap and safe
Don’t exit the airport!

Driving
Exhilarating or stressful?
Driving on the left is surprisingly easy
International Driving Permit (IDP) is an annual pain

Rental Cars – Booking
Booking sites often ‘location not found’/’sold out’
Try rental agency websites
…but status is often worthless
Try AutoEurope (not just for Europe)

Rental Cars – Gotchas
Riga, Latvia:
$43 to pick up at 8 pm!
Ayers Rock:
$0.23 per km
after 100km!

Rental Cars – Insurance
Many Chase and Citi cards now cover ALL countries –
get certificate of coverage (Ireland, Israel)
Insurance often mandatory, sometimes included in rate:
• Canada rates include liability
• Mexico/Central America require adding liability
• Basic CDW included in Europe – Supercover enhances
• Temporary licenses (Caribbean, Kuwait)

Hotels
Don’t stress – so many options
Chain hotels…are chain hotels
Local hotels at hotels.com
Mom & Pops at booking.com
Alternative accommodation

Tips

US Passports
Get the large passport book
Get a passport card for land & sea & backup ID
Enroll in Global Entry/NEXUS/SENTRI and
add to airline profiles for TSA PreCheck
Have scans and copies

Second US Passports
Great for frequent travelers who need visas
Easy process
Only valid for two years

Visa Requirements for US Citizens
166 countries Visa Free or Visa on Arrival
Sources: Henley & Partners, Wikipedia

Visas for US Citizens
Check embassy websites
Check travel.state.gov
Specialist visa agents vs big generalists
10-year India and 3-year Russia tourist visas
Must pay Argentina reciprocity fee online in advance
Yes, you need a visa for Australia

Money – Cash
Cash is still king
Traveler’s checks are dead
Carry a cheat sheet or app for fx rates
Schwab debit card – no fx fee + ATM reimbursements
Avoid anything Travelex!!!

Money – Credit Cards
Logo in the window may only mean local cards
Chip and Signature cards work most of the time
Chip and Pin cards for heavy EU travelers (Diners Club)

Handy Credit Card Benefits
Chase & Citi – trip delay coverage
Diner’s Club – cheap lounge access
Discover – accepted in China via UnionPay, Japan via JCB

Tech
Unlocked phone + local SIM card
T-Mobile – unlimited data & text to 120+ countries
Encrypt – TrueCrypt
Get a VPN – WiTopia

Insurance
Insure yourself, your trip, or your stuff?
Credit cards often insure
your trip and your stuff
I insure myself – GeoBlue
Trekker Choice annual plan
Annual or per trip?
insubuy.com,
travelinsurancecenter.com

Health
CDC Yellow Book @ cdc.gov/travel
Know scientific names of your meds
(aspirin = acetylsalicylic acid)
Plan ahead for vaccines
Malaria pills pros and cons
International Certificate of Vaccination

Yellow Fever
Source: CDC Yellow Book 2014

Safety
The Rapid Travel Chai ‘3 Ds’ of Travel Safety
Don’t be:
Drunk
Drugged
Debauched
Especially when you
don’t speak the
language or know the
legal system

Luggage
Backpack = maximum flexibility, bag never leaves you
Wheeled = less flexibility, more comfort
Backpack/wheeled convertible = bad at both

Packing
Unless going to the moon, you are not going to the moon
onebag.com packing strategy

Miles and Points
Beyond Cathay J to Bali

Elite status
Carry all your frequent flyer cards (e.g. Star Alliance lounges)
Expect disappointment…and pleasant surprises
Airport VIP Lounge,
Livingston, Zambia

Some Offbeat Star Alliance Awards
Copa in Latin America (with United upgrades)
Ethiopian from DC to Africa
Turkish flies to more countries than any airline, 100+
United now partners with Azul for Brazil

United Micronesia Island Hopper
Join missionaries, military, dignitaries and islanders

Palau and Peleliu

Pohnpei

Some Offbeat One World Awards
Avios, Avios, Avios – fill in gaps on itineraries
Use for Canada, South America, Africa, Indian Ocean,
Australia, Pacific and Russia
Example: Sri Lankan several daily flights to Maldives

Always Check Non-Alliance Partners, Too
+

Some Offbeat SkyTeam Awards
Delta seasonal flight to Prince Edward Island, Canada
AeroMexico for Latin America and even to Europe/Asia
Gol in Brazil and to Brazil from Orlando
Air France to Madagascar and Indian Ocean
China Eastern/Southern + China Airlines to Asia
Virgin Australia to Solomons, Christmas & Cocos Islands
Saudia for overflowing award space

Lemurs in Madagascar

Thin Red Line in Solomon Islands

Air France KLM Caribbean Hopper
Visit Caribbean on the way to Europe
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have hoppers, too

Dominican Republic and Haiti

French Guiana and Suriname

Hotel Awards
Consider Carlson, IHG, Choice Hotels
International locations often much better than US
Holiday Inn Shanghai
Pudong Executive Lounge
Radisson Royal Hotel, Dubai

Hotels Have Partners Too

IHG Hotels Anywhere
Conserve cash when no chain hotels available,
or even stay at competitor chains
Hilton Chicago O’Hare:
30k IHG points vs 40k Hilton points
(fluctuates by rate)

Thank You
rapidtravelchai.com
stefan@rapidtravelchai.com
@rapidtravelchai

Rapid Travel Chai: International Travel Bootcamp - Chicago Seminars 2014

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