International Travel Bootcamp Guide to Planning and Maximizing Miles

International Travel Bootcamp
Stefan Krasowski
Rapid Travel Chai

Itinerary
Planning
Tips
Miles and Points Beyond Cathay J to Bali

©Stefan Krasowski, All Rights Reserved

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


My Dream Trip
My Wife’s


Who Are You?
You have more miles than some nations…
…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!
Hold on, dinner before dessert…let’s roll!


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


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 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 Asia is awesome

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


Air – China Flights
China domestic flights have full-fare set by government
Full-fare free to change flight and even airline!*
Global sites only price full-fare tickets
China sites price discounts:
ctrip, eLong, travelzen
Payment process can be a hassle
*Can be a challenge, easiest to attempt at airport

Air – China Flights
Expedia $212

eLong $111


Rail – Where?
East Asia and Europe
Overnight trains save time, save hotel

Photo by alantankenghoe, flickr

Rail – How?
Advance web bookings can be difficult and/or deceptive
Deutche Bahn for schedules
Multiple stations in cities – search each

Rail Europe $131

SCNF $81

Rail – Passes
Research, compare, cost alternatives
May need to purchase before arrival (e.g. Japan)

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
Be a camel


Taxis - Tips
Beware taxis hanging out at hotels
Hail taxis that are moving
If the locals use radio taxis, you should too
Taxis for day trips are impromptu guides


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


Driving
Exhilarating or stressful?
Know your companions
Driving on the left is surprisingly easy
International Driving Permit (IDP) is an annual pain
What to do in hitchhiker countries?


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

Ayers Rock:
100 km fee +
$0.23 per km!

Riga, Latvia:
$43 to pick up at 8 pm!


Rental Cars – Insurance
Credit card CDW exclusions – Ireland, Israel, Italy and more
Citi ThankYou & Dividend Platinum Select
True worldwide CDW
Get a certificate of coverage
Chase Ink & others may be worldwide 11/1 – stay tuned
Insurance often mandatory, sometimes included
Supercover expands coverage/lowers deductible

Hotels
Don’t stress – too many options
Chain hotels…are chain hotels
trip advisor for brainstorming
Local hotels at hotels.com
Mom & Pops at booking.com
Don’t be afraid to walk-up
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


Duplicate 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
Embassy websites are getting better
travel.state.gov is reliable
Specialist visa agents vs big generalists like CIBT
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 – be like a first date, crisp and clean
Carry a cheat sheet of fx rates
Change money on arrival, not departure
Avoid Travelex!!!
Traveler’s checks are dead
Schwab debit card –
no fx fee + ATM reimbursements

Money – Credit Cards
Card acceptance still low outside upscale bubble
Logo in the window may only mean local cards
Chip and Signature cards work most of the time
Chip and Pin cards for heavy Europe travelers –
Andrews FCU, PenFed (FlyerTalk list: bit.ly/195PoQS)


Handy Credit Card Benefits
Chase – several cards have trip delay coverage
Diner’s Club – lounge access, airport shuttles in Brazil
Discover – accepted all over China via UnionPay


Tech
Prepare to be offline
Unlocked phone + local SIM card
Encrypt – TrueCrypt
Get a VPN – WiTopia


Insurance
Insure yourself, your trip, or
your stuff?

Annual or per trip?
Credit cards often insure
your trip and your stuff
I insure myself – GeoBlue
Trekker Choice annual plan
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 = good at nothing
Checked luggage = asking for trouble


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


Miles and Points
Beyond Cathay J to Bali


Elite status
Carry all your frequent flyer cards
Carry hard copies of key benefits
Expect disappointment…and pleasant surprises

Airport VIP Lounge,
Livingston, Zambia

British Airways Avios are Miles Aspirin
Short flights earn few miles and can be very expensive
Fill in gaps on itineraries
Africa, Canada, Pacific, South America flights


Check Non-Alliance Partners, Too

+

Some offbeat flight awards
Star Alliance:

Copa in Central America (with United complementary upgrades)
Ethiopian from Washington D.C. for Africa
Turkish flies 100+ countries

OneWorld:
Avios, Avios, Avios

SkyTeam:

AeroMexico for Central America and even Europe and Asia
China Eastern + China Southern for trips around Asia
Delta seasonal JFK flight to Prince Edward Island, Canada
Tarom for Eastern Europe


Continental Island Hopper
I can’t bear to call it ‘United’
Join missionaries, military, dignitaries and islanders
String together 2-day layovers for next flight!


Palau and Peleliu


Pohnpei


Air France KLM Caribbean Hopper
Visit Caribbean on the way to Europe
Avoid Delta: positioning flight to Miami to pick up Air France


Dominican Republic and Haiti


French Guiana and Suriname


Hotel Awards
Expand to Carlson, IHG, Best Western, Choice Hotels
International locations often much better than US

Radisson Royal Hotel, Dubai

Holiday Inn Shanghai
Pudong Executive Lounge

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)

Earning Miles at Local Hotel Chains
Local chains often earn miles – Delta alone has 29 partners!
Hilton HHonors Worldwide
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Marriott International
InterContinental Hotel Group
Accor Hotels
Best Western International
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
Choice Hotels International
Hotel JAL City
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
Langham Hospitality Group
The Leading Hotels of the World
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
MARITIM Hotels
Millennium Hotels and Resorts
New Otani Hotels
Nikko Hotels International
Okura Hotels & Resorts
Pan Pacific Hotels & Resorts
Parkroyal Hotels & Resorts
The Plaza Hotel
Prince Hotels & Resorts
La Quinta Inns & Suites
The Ritz-Carlton®
Rotana
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces
Worldhotels
Wyndham Rewards


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


International Travel Bootcamp Guide to Planning and Maximizing Miles

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