How I just booked tickets for 4 to Orlando for $30

Posted on February 20, 2014 by wpengine

You might not believe it, but its true.  We’re headed to sunny Orlando later this Spring to celebrate my brother-in-law’s graduation from high school.  No, he’s not from Florida, but why not celebrate there, right?  Especially if I can get there for $30.

English: Orlando Skyline at night

Orlando Skyline at night (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You’re probably thinking, Sheldon, you simply forgot two more 00’s on the end of the $30, which would make the trip $3000.  No.  You heard me right.  I’m simply paying $30 for booking tickets for 4 to Orlando, Florida.  I’m pretty stoked about it.

Ok.  I’ll be honest.  There is a little bit of cheating here.  The fourth person is a lap child, so I really booked the trip for three people and a lap infant, but regardless it’s a smoking deal.  Let me walk you through the process.

Why I picked Southwest Airlines

We’ve talked about Southwest being one of the best domestic airliners for a variety of reasons:

  • They offer peanuts (and they’re free)
  • They allow 2 checked bags to fly free
  • They allow for changes to your itinerary
  • They are the most generous on award travel within the USA
  • They found a way to make the safety video at the beginning of their flights interesting

I booked the flights to Orlando on Southwest with full confidence knowing that If needs be, I will be able to adjust the itinerary to other flights if for some reason these dates won’t work for me.

Booking the Tickets for 4 to Orlando

You really want to watch the dates carefully with Southwest because their sales come and go.  Upon shopping their flights I found a gem out there that only took 40,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards to pay for the three flights.

Booking Southwest

This Itinerary Made Me Happy

I booked this flight about 4 months before departure and the availability was amazing.  We picked the best flights with the shortest travel time between destinations, which leaves me with the least amount of time chasing children.

I’ll keep my eyes peeled from now until departure, because if for some reason they drop the points requirements for this flight I’ll simply cancel the old reservation and rebook the new one at the lower cost.

Here is a quick YouTube video if you need some help (Click playlist in the upper left and go to video #7):

How to Get your Hands on Some Rapid Rewards

The easiest way to get your paws on a serious amount of Rapid Rewards is to score the Chase Southwest Credit Card.  They actually have four versions of this card, two personal cards and two business cards.  Be patient an make sure you get at least 50,000 as a sign on bonus for picking up one of the four versions.

Transfer Ultimate RewardsA little over a year ago I picked up the Chase Ink Bold card the offered a bonus of 50,000 Ultimate Rewards after meeting a minimum spending requirement.  The card has paid of handsomely with 50,000 Ultimate Rewards, but in a little over a year I’ve been able to build up a stash of up to almost 90,000 points (Muchas gracias 5 points per dollar on many categories).  If you’re interested in transferring UR to airline points you can check out this post.I quickly transferred the points from my Chase card directly to my Rapid Rewards account, and they transferred within about 10 minutes.

It doesn’t matter whether you use the Southwest card, or an Ultimate Rewards earning card like the Sapphire Preferred, Ink Bold, or Ink Plus you should get one and start putting some points on the board.  If you love to travel, you’ll find a way to use them.  My Ultimate Rewards just got me tickets for 4 to Orlando for $30, and you can do the same too.

Come On, Just WorldWanderlust With Us

Whether you’re new to the site, or you’re an avid follower, you know that we encourage people to go more new places every year.  Doing so will enrich your lives with experiences whose value far exceeds that of money, gold, or silver.  Spend the time now making memories with those you love.

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Posted in Chase, Chase Ultimate Reward Points, Credit Cards, How to Wanderlust, Southwest | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Travel to Italy, Spain, France, or Germany for Less Than $160 This Fall

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Brad Christensen

It was about this time last year that I booked my flights to Italy for $81 and 40,000 AAdvantage miles, so I indulged in a little fantasy and just started checking where could possibly go this fall with the 170k AAdvantage miles that are burning a hole in my AwardWallet.

American Airlines allows passengers to book its saver rate (20k each way) on flights to Europe after October 15th, so I used that date or a little later to see when it might be possible.  I know that any time I get routed on British Airways the value of points-booking evaporates with ridiculously high fuel surcharges, so I always uncheck BA as an operator when searching for flights.  It does make the flights a little harder to find, but they are out there and you ought to be taking advantage of them.

What I found was a veritable smorgasbord of almost-free travel… and to Europe, no less! I searched out of SLC since that’s the closest airport to me, but you could likely find these from almost anywhere if you’re willing to spend a few minutes looking for them.

Now, obviously this means nothing to you if you don’t have at least 40k American AAdvantage miles, but if you have a little bit of will and a lot of wanderlust, getting those miles is incredibly easy.

You may have heard the news about US Airways merging with American Airlines.  What that means is that their miles are interchangeable – and getting 40k US Airways miles is really this simple:

  1. You sign up for the US Airways World Mastercard (Using this link because it’s a better offer than the one in the right sidebar of our site, which only gives you 30k).
  2. You make your first purchase on the card
  3. You pay off your card for that purchase and the $89 annual fee
  4. You get 40k US Airways miles

FICO Credit ScoreI know you’re hesitating, and you should be.  None of us take it lightly to apply for credit and we shouldn’t.  It’s a calculated decision and one we need to be careful about, but as you can learn from reading our “Doesn’t it Hurt My Credit” post, the most important pieces to maintaining a high credit score are to never be late on a payment, and pay your balance in full.  That’s how my wife, Nicole, and I have applied for 34 credit cards in the past 3 years and accumulated more than 2.3 million points and when checking my FICO credit score last week it was 806.

We are building an army of worldwanderlusters on the premise that international travel doesn’t have to cost what you think it would. You’ll have more questions about the whole idea and you can find answers in our FAQ page.  If there’s still more you need to know, please feel free to comment below.

But let’s get back to why you came here and look at each of these potential destinations.

Italy

Rome

Brad and Nicole at the Colosseum in October 2013

Sigh.  My wife and I spent 13 days of bliss touring from Venice to Rome last fall. We ran out of superlatives in the first couple of days – and that was before we saw the abundance of masterpieces in Florence. I’d recommend flying into one city and out of another, but for the sake of ease when searching, I found this option to go in and out of Venice.

American AAdvantage

Between the $89 for the annual fee and $69 for the flight, you’re looking at a total of $158 and I know what you’re thinking… but wait, could I do the same thing for my spouse? Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you.

Ok, well flying for free is great and all, but how will you possibly afford hotels in Europe?

For that I’d refer you to the abundance of posts we’ve done on where you can stay for free with hotel points in Italy:

  1. Almost Free Vacation to Europe
  2. Luxury Italian Castles and Villas
  3. Dream Italian Vacation

Spain

Castle in Spain

Photo from wikipedia.org

I’ve spent more time in Spain than in any other foreign country and I can tell you how amazing it is, but I’d prefer to refer you to some posts we’ve done about Spain that also include how you can use the same system to get free nights in amazing hotels.

  1. Almost Free Vacation to Europe
  2. Your Spanish Dream Vacation

The AA points-booking timeframe I found was also in October and lower fees made for a total of only $154 on this one, and no, you don’t pay baggage fees on international flights unless you’re bringing the kitchen sink.

AA Saver Award

France

Everyone dreams of Paris and of course you’ll need to see the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame… but I happen to think the real treasures are outside the city.  This one does wind up being a little more expensive because of the fees to fly into CDG – $189.

AAdvantage miles

We haven’t done a lot of talking about Paris and France on our blog, but we do like the idea of getting in on the Choice hotels program to book free hotels in some of the bigger cities like Paris.

Germany

Parts of Germany will be popping with fall colors in late October and of course we’d urge you to visit some of the sites we’ve detailed in posts about touring Alpine Europe.  This one is also a little more expensive because of the airport fees, but considering that a flight like this would normally cost you about $1000, it’s hard to complain about.

SLC to FRA American

german village

Rothenburg Ob Tauber

We also did a post about what to do in Munich and where you can stay there for free, as well. There’s no way I’d let myself go to Germany without seeing the quaint little town of Rothenburg ob Tauber.  It’s literally like something out of a fairy tale and even though the idea that you could get there as cheaply as we’re talking about may seem like a fairy tale, it’s not.  We’ve been doing it for more than three years now and loving every moment of it.

Thanks for Europe-wanderlusting with us.

 

 

Posted in American Airlines, Europe, US Airways | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

100,000 Bonus With the Citi Executive AAdvantage World Elite MasterCard

Posted on February 14, 2014 by wpengine

It’s here.  One of the most attractive offers I’ve ever seen (for a big spender).

AAdvantage World Elite Mastercard

Link: Citi Executive AAdvantage World Elite MasterCard

Offers like this don’t come around everyday. Granted, paying a MASSIVE annual fee isn’t the highest thing on my priority list right now, but the AAdvantage World Elite MasterCard looks sexy! Here are some of the big stats:

  • Annual Fee: $450 (Ouch)  This is NOT waived the first year.
  • Statement credit is $200 (Basically this offsets the $450 down to $250)
  • Spending requirement is $10,000 within 3 months.  Not for the small spender out there.
  • Bonus Miles: 100,000 (Wow, this is unreal)

Wait:  There is more:

  • Admirals Club Lounge Access (Normally $500 a year) This includes US Airways airport lounges.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • Free checked bag

If you’re not drooling yet, I’m not sure what really excites you.

What is the Admirals Club?

This is the sweet airport lounge that has a quiet area.  It feels more quiet than a library, and provides for a wonderful place to relax for your ridiculously long layovers.  A rare few of them offer showers, which can be nice after a long day of travel.

They vary when it comes to amenities.  Sometimes they’ll even offer snacks and enough for a cheap guy like me to have a meal.  Late last year I spent a couple hours napping in a US Airways lounge.  Upon waking from my slumber I snarfed down a bagel with creme cheese, yogurt, and some oatmeal.  All of which were healthier than the alternatives.  They offer free soft drinks and even a few hard drinks depending on the location.

Somehow they justify charging $500 for an annual pass to the lounge, which is ridiculous. Unless I spent a ton of time flying that wouldn’t be justified.  With this card you’re allowed access for free as long as the card is active.

What will 100,000 AAdvantage Miles get you?

This is one of the largest bonuses ever awarded as a sign on bonus for a credit card.  With AAdvantage miles being one of the most generous when it comes to award availability, it makes the Citi Executive card stand out of the crowd. Here are a few samples for coach travel:

  • 4 Roundtrip SAAver awards within the continental USA
  • 5.7 Roundtrip Reduced Mileage Award Roundtrip tickets within the continental USA
  • 2.5 Roundtrip SAAver trips to Europe (off peak)
  • 3.33 Roundtrip SAAver awards to Central America (off peak)
  • 3.33 Roundtrip SAAver awards to Northern South America (off peak)

Check out their Award Chart to see other options on where to go. Seeing how far the 100k AAdvantage miles will take you has to make you consider an offer like this.  Look at it this way:  Would you pay $250 for over 5 roundtrip flights within the USA?  How about taking that dream vacation to Italy?

Booking An American Airlines AAdvantage Award

Brad did a post the other day showing you how to how to book an AAdvantage Award on American Airlines to Europe without paying enormous surcharges.

Summary about the Citi Executive Card

I’ll be honest about this.  This card is not for everyone.  You can get 50k miles from the regular version that has no annual fee the first year.  You can find that card on our Best Travel Credit Cards page.

If you can slay this spending requirement and you could put the miles to good use, then you ought to consider getting the card.  I’ve never seen an offer for this card with such a large bonus.

This isn’t our link, so we can’t promise the’ll honor the deal, but it sounds like many other people have been qualifying for the offer.  If you decide to make the plunge, let us know how it turned out.

 

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Watch the Live Webcast of our Almost Free Travel Seminar

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Brad Christensen

https://new.livestream.com/accounts/7168074/events/2763008

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I Got the Southwest Companion Pass and It’s Taking Me (and a friend) to Arkansas

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Brad Christensen

A while ago, I wrote about my strategy to get the Southwest Companion Pass that would enable me to bring a companion along for free on every Southwest flight I take for 23 months.  I’m happy to report that it went exactly according to plan – I signed up for the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Premier Card (50k) and the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards® Plus Card (50k), paid for some business expenses on one card and got the required 110k points in order to qualify by the third week of January. I am now in possession of the coveted Southwest Airlines Companion Pass.

My initial plan was to make an escape to Florida this month, but I’ve been involved in a humanitarian project in Haiti that will send me back this month and prohibit me from doing any playing this month.

But as you would expect, it’s burning a hole in my pocket and I’m not about to let it lay idle for long.  Most of my wanderlust is not domestic, and while Southwest will start some service to the Caribbean this summer, the great majority of their routes are within the US, so I’m having to reach a bit to come up with ideas of where to go and what to see. But I am getting a little help from a cold Idaho winter.

As you know, where I can travel and stay inexpensively tends to dictate where I end up traveling, so my first thought was to start with the list of Priority Club Points Break Hotels – where I can stay for only 5k points/night and have a reserve of 80k+ that I got from the Chase Priority Club Select Visa.

Priority Club Points Break

The first thing I notice is that there are 4 hotels in Arkansas.  It wasn’t too long ago that I read “Summer of the Monkeys” by Wilson Rawls to my sons, so I have a little bit of Ozark fever and I’m drawn to the idea.  Plus, I’ve never been to Arkansas, and neither has my brother – so that’s one more state I could get on him. So the next thing I do is to plug their locations into Google Maps to see how I could work a loop through each of them.

Arkansas road trip

Well I’ll be darned if it doesn’t make for a perfect loop – starting and ending in Little Rock – an airport Southwest Airlines just happens to service. Not only is it an airport that SW services, but I can book a flight for a 3-day weekend at the end of March for a mere 14,500 Rapid Rewards points!

I start to get excited when I recall that there was a medieval castle being constructed in Arkansas – along the lines of the Guedelon Castle that is busily under period-specific construction outside of Paris, France – something that has held my attention for almost 8 years as I’ve watched them re-make a castle as if it were the year 1200.  But when I search for the project online, I’m dismayed to see that it’s stalled due to lack of funding and there’s not much there to see.

Ozarks arkansas

Ozark Mountains (Wikipedia)

I go to work seeking out things to see and do in the area and here’s what I think could keep me busy:

Little Rock (Candlewood Suites)

  • Mark Twain Riverboat Tour
  • Murry’s Dinner Playhouse
  • The Old Mill (a water-powered gristmill, featured in “Gone with the Wind.”)
  • Quapaw Quarter Historic Homes

Pine Bluff (Holiday Inn Express)

  • Bass Fishing (Pine Bluff is nick-named “The Bass-Fishing Capital of the World”)
  • Delta Rivers Nature Preserve
  • Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame

Hope (Holiday Inn Express)

By now I’m pretty well convinced that a trip to Arkansas is in the near future for me – maybe even in March.  Have you been to Arkansas?  Are there any other amazing things I need to see there?

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Posted in Domestic travel, Priority Club, Southwest | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Top 5 Myths About International Travel

Posted on February 6, 2014 by wpengine

International Travel Myth # 1

Everything about travel is too expensive

National Geographic

More money to go and more things to experience with Worldwanderlusting.com

“Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Miss Lippy, the part of the story I don’t like is that this is a lie!” – Billy Madison

If you’re new to our site, type your email address in the upper right-hand corner and hit the “Subscribe” Button.  In the last month we’ve shown you:

Leave it to us to show you how to cover common travel expenses like hotels and airfare, which generally represent the bulk of your travel expenses.  When those worries are far behind you, making the plunge on a ridiculously overpriced gondola ride in Venice is an easy decision.

You struggle paying $2 per mango in the US?  So do I.  They’re picked too early and artificially ripened on the way to Wal-Mart.  Try buying a deliciously ripe bag of them in Costa Rica for $2, go ahead and throw in a bag of oranges to ensure you’re getting enough Vitamin C.

Eating foods that are seasonal for the place you’re visiting will definitely help lower the cost of your food bill.  Also shop at grocery stores, and ask locals how to cook the local fare.  More than likely they’d be willing to teach you for free.  Now you’re mixing culture with travel, I love it!

International Travel Myth # 2

I can’t go somewhere I don’t speak the language

International Travel Myth

Heaven forbid we introduce you to a bit of culture here.  This really isn’t a barrier.  More people around the world speak English that you think.  Granted you won’t be able to find a fluent English speaker in every location, but there is something exhilarating to ordering from a menu that you don’t fully understand.

I’ll never forget sitting in a cafe in Moscow in 2006 when I realized that the menu wasn’t coming in English.  I turned around to a lad and politely asked if he spoke English.  He happily responded (A happy Russian is one who doesn’t ignore you) that he did.  After listening to him translate the menu for a moment, I decided to just double up on his exact same order.  Just like the locals, right?

When the food arrived, I was a bit shocked when I realized a fat plate of cow tongue laid before me.  Would I have picked it, no!  Was it delicious?  Yes!  It was his day off and he was totally willing to show me around Moscow.  He showed me cathedrals and proudly displayed his Moscow pride.  We spent the greater part of the day together exploring Moscow, what an experience!

You don’t really have to speak the language to go somewhere.  Learning a few words in their language will impress the locals, so check out a book at the library that teaches you some Espanol and learn common words like bano, taco, buenos dias, and eres muy bonita.  You might even get yourself a girlfriend out of the deal.

International Travel Myth # 3

It’s dangerous out there. You’ll probably die.

Some people really believe that there is a 100% chance of sudden death upon leaving the US soil.  God rest the souls of those individuals who immediately died when they landed in Mexico.

Unfortunately there are some stupid people out there who think it’s ok to hit on the drug dealer’s girlfriend, and end up getting shot dead.  If you’re willing to avoid ripping off the drug dealer, or grinding on his girlfriend, your odds decrease dramatically.

Bad things can happen to people anywhere.  Ask Elizabeth Smart, who was abducted from the second story of her home in Salt Lake City.  Obviously you should take proper precautions when traveling abroad, but it is much more safe than the media makes you think.

Believe it or not there are people who go to places like Egypt, Iran, and Israel all the time. Whether it is for work or pleasure they still survive the trip.

International Travel Myth # 4

Everyone Outside the US Hates Americans

Haitian Friends

Handing out toothbrushes in Haiti

Granted, if you run into an Al Quaeda cell in Afghanistan you won’t find anyone who hates you more.  However, the chances of you taking your first international trip to Afghanistan is rare.  More than likely you’ll choose somewhere like Mexico, Costa Rica, or England.  These are “starter” countries and still offer a great deal of westernization.

You probably ought to leave your USA flag shirt at home.  Please don’t belt out the “Star Spangled Banner” in the tube, or you will embarrass the rest of us.   Do your best to blend into the scenery and act like a local.  Yelling at locals, talking trash about them, and explaining how much better America is than their country will not help your image, and people won’t like that.

For the most part, people out there love America.  They would give anything to live here, and want to learn English too.  Be kind and humble to others, and you’ll find that most people will love visiting with you.

International Travel Myth # 5

There is nothing to see in this world except Disneyland

child travel

He might not remember all of them, but he’s been to seven countries!

BS.  We’re not saying that you shouldn’t take them to Disneyland, but we encourage you to take them abroad too.  Disneyland will be a great memory for the children, no doubt, but it shouldn’t be the only place you take your children.

Taking your children abroad will teach them a variety of things that they won’t get inside the golden gates.  For example, Brad took his family to Panama last January.  Miles, one of his children, had been studying the rainforest in his 1st grade class.  The teacher had made attempts to explain how different it was from an arid Idaho summer.  The learning was enhanced with a visit to a rainforest where he was able to experience the climate, animals, and tropical fruits right off the tree.

Taking your children on international trips will help them to experience cultures, history, art, foods, language, people, architecture, ecosystems, and so many things that you simply can’t find in Disneyworld/land/cruise.  Do yourself and your children a favor by setting aside the same trip every year and going outside of your comfort zone.

Provide for them experiences that will help them to be better citizens of the world.

You can start with this card which gives you $400 in free travel after spending $1000 in the first 3 months.

 

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Here’s a way to get to Colombia, Peru, or Ecuador for not much more than $89

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Brad Christensen

Tickets to these parts of South America will normally run anywhere from $800-$1200 each, but dog’gonnit we just can’t stand to actually pay money for flights any more.  One of my first real dives into the Wanderlusting World was a family trip for 6 to Medellin Colombia – a flight that cost us $564… no, not $564 each, but total… for 6 of us.  The reason it was so cheap was because we had only to pay the taxes – the fares were covered by 150k AA miles which we got for signing up for a pair of Citi AAdvantage cards.

While the world of travel credit cards is a little more stingy today, it’s still entirely possible to get to Colombia, or Ecuador or Peru for that matter, on a single credit card application.

Here’s the deal: late last year, a merger between US Airways and American Airlines was approved.  Since that point, it’s been possible to book US Airways flights with AA miles and vice versa.  I have always felt like AA’s award chart (which you can always find on our Using Airline Miles page) is the most generous – particularly when you’re looking at flights to Europe and northern South America. So it makes sense to use those points on AA.

Right now there are cards which offer bonus points for both US Airways and American Airlines, but at some point in the future, expectations are that the Barclaycard US Airways MasterCard, will soon go away.  What that says to me is that people need to get the card while it still exists and is offering a healthy bonus of 30k points.

This is one of the cards that doesn’t waive the annual fee for the first year, so you will have to fork over $89 right off the bat, but the good news is that there’s no minimum spending requirement – you’re awarded the bonus points after the first purchase.

When booking your flight, you’ll have to fly between 1/16 and 6/14 or 9/7-11/11 (when AA’s Saver fares to South America are available). You’ll have to pay some taxes as well, but it’s a small price to pay for a flight that would normally reach four figures.

You could also follow Sheldon’s excellent instructions on how to book a stopover on American Airlines and turn this trip into a 3-destination uber-vacation with stops in a domestic gateway city like LA, Dallas, or Miami, and open-jaw flights into and out of two of these great countries to visit.

As if you needed convincing, now I’ll provide you with some tantalizing details on each of these countries to fuel your urge to make something like this happen… soon.

As always, if you ever have any questions, we invite you to comment below or to read our FAQ page.

Colombia

We absolutely loved Medellin, but I think you’d be thrilled if you went to Cartagena, or Bogota, too.  Colombia is not the drug-torn world it once was.  When we told people we were taking our family (including 4 kids under the age of 7) to Colombia, so many people looked at us with utter disdain that we finally started telling them we were taking them to Disneyworld.  It was so much less controversial.

But take them to Colombia we did, and what a great time we had.  I’ve written enough about this that if you’re interested in reading more, you’re better off just to see what we’ve written about Colombia.

Peru

The great majority of people who go to Peru, go to see Machu Picchu – and for good reason – it’s an incredible place to visit. But if (or when) I go to Peru this fall, it will be for the Great Amazon Raft Race – a three-day race through remote parts of the Amazon on balsa-wood rafts that teams build and race themselves.

Peru is a great place for adventure, but it’s also a great place for history, culture, and food.  You could also go visit the Uros reed islands in Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable lake on earth.

Ecuador

Ecuador has an abundance of wildlife and untouched rain forest that’s ripe for exploration. You’ll have to fly into a big city like Quito or Guayaquil, but get out of there as soon as possible and enjoy what really makes Ecuador unique.

You’ll also want to check “stand on the equator” off your bucket list.  And because we also like getting hotels for free, look into booking a stay at an eco-lodge on booking.com or another travel site and get your purchase reimbursed by the Barclaycard Arrival(TM) World MasterCard®.

We hope you enjoyed this idea and we’d ask you to share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks for wanderlusting with us.

Posted in Barclaycard, Colombia, South America, US Airways | 9 Comments