Nicki's Travel Newsletter #2
Hey Everyone!
I hope your week is going great! I have been super busy gearing up for a crazy summer of travels, but I am super excited to share all the amazing places I am visiting.
First things first – travel deals! As you know, I only like to share what I think is an absolute bargain. Here is what I found this week:
Maldives – this is an excellent deal. It includes flights, 5 nights in a non-overwater bungalow, meals, drinks, and transfer to the resort. Please note – you can upgrade to an overwater villa and flights are out of certain locations (you can switch to a different airport for a fee).
Alaska Cruise – I have cruised with this company to Alaska and it was outstanding. This deal is land and sea and the price will be hard to beat.
Bora Bora – this is a great deal at Le Bora Bora! Dates in December and then dates January – March. 5 nights in an overwater bungalow, flights from Los Angeles, inter-island airfare, boat transfer, daily breakfast, 3-course daily dinner, and taxes are included.
Upcoming Travels:
I will be visiting Williamsburg, Virginia this weekend and I am excited to be visiting a city again. Don’t get me wrong – I love the beach, but I miss seeing cities and eating all the food. The following weekend I will be doing a road trip through the Florida Keys and I purposely booked a resort you guys always ask about – so I cannot wait to stay there and share it with you. If you have any requests – send me a message on Instagram.
Travel Hacking 101
This week on Instagram stories I talked about travel hacking, AKA traveling for free or deeply discounted rates, and you guys wanted more information faster than I could type. I did source you guys for questions to answer and will be answering the most asked questions. So let’s go!
What is travel hacking?
To me, it’s an art. It’s using credit cards and reward programs within their rules to get points/miles that can be exchanged for free travel or deeply discounted travel. I have a lot of travel credit cards but do not carry a balance on any of them. It will not be free if you are paying interest – so keep that in mind.
How can I start travel hacking?
My best piece of advice is to quit using cash, debit cards and/or credit cards that don’t have excellent travel rewards. You want to be rewarded on everyday purchases and travel for future travel. In my opinion, you are leaving free travel on the table by not using a credit card that pays you.
One thing I want to note though is to do extensive research before getting a travel credit card or multiple. If there is an annual fee, is it smaller than the benefits you stand to gain from the card? If not, do not get it or you are paying for the points you earn.
How do I get free flights and upgrades?
This is a two part answer: the first one is that I am very loyal to American Airlines and the OneWorld network partner airlines. I make sure to do everything in my power to fly AA or one of their partner airlines so I get all the miles and status. I have a high level status with AA and I get free upgrades all the time. However, this takes a bit of planning on my end. When I book a ticket, I look at how many seats are available. If the plane is pretty booked up and business is sold out or close to sold out, there’s a good chance I will not get an upgrade. I try to fly the first flight of the day (530-630am) and I tend to have luck at my local airport, but not always.
The other way I get free flights is by cashing in points from my credit cards. I have used pretty much every credit card I have to get free flights, hotels, etc.
You need to do some work though on this – sometimes the best redemption is not through your credit card booking portal. I know my Chase Sapphire Reserve allows me to transfer points 1 to 1 to a lot of airlines and hotels, where the redemptions there are often better. Just make sure to check both.
How do I get a FREE upgrade at the gate?
As far as I know, there is only one way to do this – you need to have status with the airline. This does happen to me a lot, but it is only because the airline did not assign my upgrade previously to arriving to the airport for whatever reason.
To go even one step further – many times I have been in coach and had someone come get me and move me up because a passenger did not show for their flight and I was next on the upgrade list.
*I am not saying this is the ONLY way to get a free upgrade at the gate – but I am saying I have never been successful trying to get one in any other way. AKA asking.
Best way to get points fast on credit cards?
Depends on each card – but usually the sign up bonus. The biggest bonuses I have received were with the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the American Express Platinum. I believe both were 100K! There was a spending amount I had to make within the first 3 months of using the card to get the bonus (I think $3,000?).
My current favorite way to get points fast is using the Chase Sapphire Reserve booking system to book my flights at 5 X points per dollar and hotels and cars at 10 X points per dollar!
Is the American Express Platinum worth the annual fee?
This will depend on you. For me, yes! Let me break it down. The annual fee is $695 – all this information is current as of 5/7/2022 and can change at any time.
I get a $200 credit towards a hotel I book with Fine Hotels and Resorts
$200 airline credit
$200 Uber Cash
$240 digital entertainment credit
$179 CLEAR Credit
$100 SAKS credit
Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection (priceless)
Just these things alone have already covered the cost of the annual fee and then some (the card pays me to have it) – but there is so much more the card offers and so many more ways to save even more money!
What travel credit cards do I use?
My top three cards are:
Chase Sapphire Reserve
American Express Platinum
CreditOne Wander – I love this card because it is great for people who love visiting National Parks, road trips, amusement parks, concerts, etc.
Do credit card and reward sites have equal value in points?
Typically no. Each card or reward program sets their own values. Some cards and programs do allow for transferring points at equal value, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve will allow you to transfer to many travel partners.
How to find award fares:
This will take some work on your end and you could always cruise The Points Guy articles. They usually alert for great deals but they go fast. I typically just pull up calendars with a flexible schedule and start looking through dates.
Social Media:
I know some of you only follow me on my blog and/or a social media – but I do have several channels you can find me on (if you want):
New on the Blog:
Ultimate Guide to Las Vegas - I don’t know why I have never written this guide, it is my most visited city in the USA and world! I added all my favorite things to do, places to eat, and hotels I love - as well as tips.
Popular articles:
Products I am LOVING!
Packing Cubes – I know packing cubes are not a secret, but over the years I have learned to love them more and more. For example, when I go on trips and I am moving hotels a lot, I do not unpack and leave everything in their cubes (either daily outfits or by item (shirts, pants, etc.)) which makes pulling them from my suitcase super easy. I also love them for longer travel for staying organized. But to be honest – I pack them no matter where I go because now I am obsessed with being organized.
Door Stopper – as someone who travels solo and even when I don’t, I LOVE this. You just put it under your room door when you go in and if anyone tries to open the door, the alarm on the stopper goes off.
Hidden Zipper Scrunchies – these are not new but always sell out and are back in stock! I put money, lipstick/chapstick, etc., in them – and I wear it on my wrist or even in my hair and no can see it. This is great for all the times I don’t want to carry a bag and if I want to remove my jewelry but keep it on me.
Summer travel plans are here and it is very warm in many destinations around the world right now. Please do not forget to use reef safe sunscreen in the ocean. I have been using this brand for years and never leave home without it. Bonus – it smells nice.
Waterproof and theft proof camera bag - I am very protective of my equipment and you never know when it will rain. I love that this bag is budget friendly and holds a quite a few things.
Amazon Store Front – you can find all my favorite items here.
*Please note - if you do purchase anything through my links, I may make a small commission.*
My Products:
Instagram Reels for travel creators - I am 20 days away from my 1 year anniversary on my IG account @nicolemsunderland - and I am almost at 300K followers (love you all). I did it entirely through reels - so if you are a travel creator, agent, etc - this is what Instagram is pushing and this is where your growth will come from.
Edit your photos like me - I created presets awhile back and you can edit your photos with easy 1 step presets.
Get Paid to Travel - if you are ready to leave the 9-5 and live a life of travel, my comprehensive e-book teaches everything! You will need to put in the work, but it has been the most rewarding career and business.