A cunning travel blogger has reduced the cost of a luxury trip by 120 times
As a rule, a trip around the world in luxury costs a fortune. But one crafty travel blogger was able to cut the cost of a trip that included stops in Tokyo, Singapore and Dubai from $52,000 to $408, paying less than one percent of the original cost. It was a vacation that most people can only dream of. Travel blogger Daniel Gillaspia enjoyed champagne in first class and slept sweetly in luxury hotels in the most expensive cities in the world.
Gillaspia spoke about this unforgettable journey on his website Upon Arriving, where he writes about various ways to collect bonus points using credit cards, hotels and flights.
(25 photos in total)
Daniel Gillaspia traveled the world with his partner and paid only a small fraction of the true cost of the trip. In the photo, he is sitting in the first class cabin of Etihad Airways.
Gillaspia tried out one of the most expensive trips in the world, which included a flight from Tokyo to Singapore by Singapore Airlines first class, where the chairs are folded into double beds.
According to the blogger, he was inspired by other traveling life hackers, and he decided to put his own theory into practice. The American, who mostly works as a lawyer, was collecting points and bonuses for 45 credit cards belonging to him and his partner, which made this journey possible. To keep track of all these maps, he uses an intricate table.
The clever blogger stayed in Tokyo, Singapore, Cape Town (pictured) and Dubai and paid only $408 for flights and hotels.
Taking advantage of subscription bonuses and opportunities to increase the number of points, the couple stubbornly gained bonuses. It took about two years, but in September of this year they finally managed to go on the journey of their dreams.
The first part of the trip is a flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo by Singapore Airlines business class.
Tickets for two would have cost $4,444, but Gillaspia paid only $68 and 131,750 miles under the KrisFlyer loyalty program.
Singapore Airlines Business Class has spacious armchairs that fold out into full-fledged beds.
In Tokyo, Gillaspia paid for two nights at the InterContinental Tokyo Bay Hotel with ten thousand accumulated IHG Rewards Club bonus points, which saved about a thousand dollars.
They were also upgraded during their stay at the hotel. Without paying a cent, the blogger and his partner enjoyed an incredible view from the window of a first-class room.
Instead of spending a fortune on flights and hotels, the blogger spent his hard—earned money on vivid impressions - for example, on a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
The next stage of the trip was Singapore, and the blogger and his partner went there in a separate Singapore Airlines first class cabin. The photo shows how two rooms on board the liner turn into one.
For two, this flight would have cost $ 11,660, but they paid only $ 108 and 102 thousand miles under the KrisFlyer program.
Gillaspia described these cabins, designed by the French designer of expensive yachts Jean-Jacques Costa, as cozy compartments on the train.
Two adjacent first class cabins on board Singapore Airlines aircraft can be combined to create one spacious room, or separated for greater privacy.
Champagne flowed freely on board the plane. Brands such as Krug or Dom Perignon of the 2006 harvest were offered to choose from.
The menu included exquisite dishes with expensive ingredients, including caviar. On board, cosmetic kits with miniatures of Salvatore Ferragamo were given out, as well as Givenchy pajamas, so that passengers could feel almost at home.
In Singapore, the couple stayed for one night at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and did not pay a penny thanks to the points accumulated using a Capital One Venture credit card. Thus, it was possible to save $ 450.
The Marina Bay Sands Hotel is famous for its "endless" swimming pool and stunning views of Singapore's skyscrapers.
After Singapore, the couple headed to Cape Town via Johannesburg. Their Westin Cape Town hotel had a great view of Table Mountain.
The couple saved $7,676 on a flight to Johannesburg by spending 38,250 KrisFlyer miles and using bonuses to pay for transportation and fuel fees, for which they usually pay in cash. The flight to Cape Town was economy class, but absolutely free.
The blogger and his partner spent four nights at the Westin Cape Town hotel, paying for them with 40 thousand points under the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program (SPG) instead of the full cost of $ 1,160.
To take a closer look at Table Mountain, at sunset the couple went there by funicular and took this stunning picture.
From South Africa, the blogger and his partner went to the UAE in Etihad business class, where chairs with a built-in massage function are installed.
The flight cost $ 104 and 110 thousand AA miles instead of $ 4,040. Since they were flying business class, they were entitled to a free transfer to the hotel upon arrival in Dubai.
In the Emirates, Gillaspia spent two nights at the W Hotel in Dubai, using 40 thousand points under the Starwood's Preferred Guest loyalty program and saving $ 534 in the room shown in the photo.
During a short stay in the UAE, the men managed to see the famous Burj Khalifa skyscraper and enjoy the sunset in the desert.
The couple returned to the United States in Etihad first class, which included a personal chauffeur…
...as well as a separate entrance for first class passengers.
This time, the couple flew in a separate room on board an Etihad airline flight from Dubai to New York. This is what their cabin looked like in first class.
The flight, which usually costs $18,000, cost the blogger $104 and 180,000 AA miles.
The cabin had a huge "throne", a spacious seating area, a dressing table and its own mini-bar.
The best in this "suite" on board the airliner was the bathroom.
Especially a full shower.
In New York, the couple stayed at the Ritz Carlton Battery Park Hotel, paying with certificates for free nights and saving $ 1,900.
Here, they also improved the service by placing them in a room with a view of the Statue of Liberty.
After that, the couple made two more flights and completed the trip in Houston. The whole epic would have cost the blogger $ 52,294, but thanks to his life hacks, only $ 408 was spent on hotels and flights. Gillaspia admits that it took a lot of effort, but the expectations from the trip were more than justified.
Keywords: Airline | Blogger | Hotels | Flights | Expenses | Luxury | Travel | Trick