Good morning! Or should I say, bonjour!
I'm writing to you from Paris Orly airport after a hectic transit from Charles de Gaulle, a feat I do not recommend trying.
I thought about stopping for a baguette on the way, but I would’ve been laughed out of the bakery. Despite living in Canada, my French is “très beaucoup de bad.”
But I have something better than a baguette; some sweet tips, tricks, and news to share with you:
- 🥂 Y'all haven't been maximizing airport lounge access...
- 💳 Travel hacking term of the week: Splitting tender
- ✈️ Pilot's perspective: navigating harsh winter storms
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🥂 Y'all haven't been maximizing airport lounges...
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I don't know if you remember, but we sent out a community survey for you all to fill out a while back.
It was actually only 5 days ago, so if you don't remember, maybe get that checked out.
Anyway, our team of data wizards has been hard at work sifting through the results, and I wanted to start sharing bits and pieces of it with you. Specifically, I wanted to start with this question:
"Have you visited an airport lounge this year?" The results were somewhat surprising 👇
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Here's why I'm surprised:
Almost 80% of survey responders have more than two credit cards, with many of you owning more than four credit cards.
That means a sizeable chunk of people who own multiple credit cards don't currently have lounge access.
To me, airport lounges are one of the best (maybe even the single best) parts of travel hacking. I can say with certainty that it is the thing that got me involved in credit cards, points, miles, etc.
In fact, yesterday in Toronto, I went to five (yes, FIVE) different airport lounges, all for free. Regardless of which airline I fly, which terminal I'm in, or what type of vibe I want, there is a lounge to spend time in before a flight.
In 2022 I had well over 100 combined lounge visits. Imagine how much money I'm saving on food, drinks, and sometimes even beds on long layovers, all because of credit card perks.
If you want to get started with lounge access (which I think many of you do), we have a dedicated lounge survey that will give you credit card recommendations for lounge access based on the airlines you like, how many people you travel with, and which airport(s) you fly through most often.
I know it's a little too soon for another survey, but think of it this way: you're trading one more minute of your time for unlimited free food when you travel.
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We'll have a post up on our website soon with the full results of the survey, and I'll be sending out newsletter content specifically based on some of the results I've seen. |
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💳 Travel hacking term of the week: Splitting tender
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This topic is fresh on my mind and is a technique I've used multiple times in the last week. It's not necessarily just a travel hack, but more of a credit card hack.
But credit cards and travel go together like Tom Hanks and volleyballs, so I will tell you about it anyway.
The term "splitting tender" simply means breaking a purchase into multiple payments. An easy example is you go to a store and make a $100 purchase.
At the register, you say, "Hey, bro. Can I split tender on this bad boy?"
The cashier, being a proficient travel hacker, knows exactly what you're talking about and lets you pay $50 on one credit card and the remaining $50 on another card.
Let me give you some examples. Here are some of the statement credits I've earned on one credit card recently:
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As you can see, these credits are no joke. $100 off Marriott Bonvoy, $200 at American Airlines, and multiple credits at Lululemon, all on one card.
Now imagine I had multiple cards, each with credits like this... If I have two cards with that $100 Marriott Bonvoy credit, I could simply ask the hotel staff to split my bill into two separate charges and use each card to get $200 off the bill.
Just a few days ago, I went "ham" at Lululemon.
"Lulu" (we're on a first-name basis) is one of my favorite places to buy travel clothing. Their stuff is really high quality, and the athletic element translates perfectly to travel (stretchy, durable fabric, odor-resistant, etc.).
It also happened that I had a ton of credits for Lululemon between my credit cards:
- Card 1: Spend $50, get a $50 credit
- Card 2: Spend $50, get a $50 credit
- Card 3: Spend $50, get a $50 credit
- Card 4: Spend $100, get a $25 credit
- Card 5: Spend $80, get a $20 credit
So if we use our well-exercised math skills to add these up, we'd end up with $195 of credits after spending $330. Since Lululemon lets you split tender, this was easy to max out, putting only the bare minimum on each card to trigger the credits.
Lulu's clothing can get pretty expensive. So without splitting tender, you'd have to spend a lot more than $50 to get a $50 credit in most cases. With this technique, however, you could buy one really nice item for $150 and use all three $50 credits while spending a net of $0.
$195 of free high-quality travel clothing from one of my favorite brands is pretty amazing.
More importantly, mastering the art of statement credits helps to justify high annual fees so you can comfortably reap the other amazing travel benefits without stressing about annual fee season.
If you own multiple credit cards or have a partner or family member who you can tag-team with, splitting tender is a great way to maximize your statement credit offers without overspending.
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✈️ Pilot's perspective: how do they fly in winter storms?
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I don't know about you, but I am absolutely fascinated by pilots. Their job is so important and intricate, and it never ceases to amaze me just how knowledgeable every single commercial pilot is.
But even the best pilots are challenged by snow, ice, wind, and other extreme weather conditions.
This article from The Points Guy covers some really cool topics discussed by an actual pilot.
If you've ever wondered about how pilots land a plane on an icy runway in February, how de-icing machines work, or what goes through a pilot's head when a blizzard hits, definitely check it out.
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That's all I can muster today, my brain is totally fried. I've been up for 30 hours and still have a 3-hour flight before I get to sleep...
Do you take advantage of statement credits and free lounge access on your credit cards? Do you want to? Are you fascinated by pilots and planes, or do you not really think about those things when you travel?
Let me know by replying to this email or reaching out on social media.
Have a... great... d... 😴😴😴😴
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