Travel Like A Pro, Part One

Travelling can be a really stressful time, from getting to the airport and the long queues at check-in, to going through security only to discover to your horror that your airline has lost luggage. But it’s not just airports and airlines which stack on the pressure on the road. Have you ever arrived at a hotel after a long haul flight only to be told your room isn’t ready? Or, worse still, that they don’t have any record of your reservation, and the hotel is fully booked that night? As well as racking up the air miles, frequent travellers quickly learn the ropes of getting from A to B to C, and enjoying their stay and their travels as painlessly as possible. For infrequent travellers, however, there are plenty of tips and tricks anyone can use to improve their traveller status, and give off the appearance that they are travelling like a pro. 

Our top tip is to join a frequent flyer program; most do not charge for membership, and there are potentially many benefits to be enjoyed, especially if you travel long haul at least several times a year. For one, you will collect miles every time you fly with the airline or its partners, which could lead to a free flight down the track, or an upgrade from economy to premium economy, or even business class. Frequent flyer programs also have a lineup of additional benefits depending on how many miles you earn, and the level of your membership status, for example, earning additional miles through a program’s partners, from car rental companies to hotel groups and more.

And when it comes to hotels, it’s a great idea to join hotel loyalty clubs, especially those which are free of membership fees. These are programs offered by hotel groups, with various perks for members such as late check-outs and room upgrades, and like airline frequent flyer programs, if an upgrade is on the cards, you are more likely to receive one as a member than if you are a non-member. If you have to travel in economy class, even for leisure, and you travel more than a couple of times a year including long haul, consider joining an airport lounge club, or taking out a lounge group membership such as Priority Pass. These lounges offer a quiet place to wait before, or in between, flights as well as complimentary drinks, food, magazines, Wi-Fi access so you can check your email or surf the internet, and sometimes showers to freshen up in.