Escape the madness

One thing I've loved is being part of the Red Carpet Club - it's costs some money but if you fly a lot it's worth it.  

Anyway, here's a trick to escape the madness if you're flying through Washington / Dulles and not part of the red carpet club.  In terminal D the check in desk is on the lower level but there is lots of room to sit around on the top level behind the closed doors. So you could come in and just not go downstairs. :)

Downsize

My buddy Brett just missed his flight and our buddies wedding (probably because the airline check-in person was a tool) but possibly also because he needed to check a bag on a flight that he was late checking into.

Airlines have to cutoff bag check usually 45 minutes before the flight so they can get the bags on the plane so that's why I always think it's better to take a small bag and send stuff out for laundry midway through your trip rather than lugging around a big bag and risk missing a flight and an important meeting or wedding because you can't get your bag on the plane.

2nd option is to still not check it before security and then gate-check your bag. Some airports try and monitor this with TSA but you can usually tell TSA either what you're doing or just tell them you have permission to take this bag with you and they'll let you through with multiple bags (don't try this in London's Heathrow though) I had to throw a camera bag away there because it's ONE carry on MAX!

Ciao Ciao!
DJ

Getting There!

Ok..me and my friend Amy Nave always joke with each other about traveling and so a couple of days ago we were both staying at the Barlows and she was flying out and was just heading out the door and I was like why are you leaving so early. She was leaving at 10:00am for 12:30pm flight. The Barlows live 30 minutes from the airport and so she would've been there two hours early! I slowed her down a bit and it's so fun to watch her stress out. Seriously...it's great... but then b/c I'm a nice guy I showed her some tricks for getting through O'hare really quick b/c I am a self proclaimed expert.

So today I had my flight out and my flight was at 10:00am. The 10:00am fight through LA is the best one because it's not super early and it allows me to just catch the LA -> SB flight at 2:05 so I still have half the day at home.

So anyway, we left the Barlows at 8:50am which is 1hr and 10 minutes before my flight. Awesome...and Sarah got me to the airport at 9:20 so when I was checking in my flight was actually boarding...but I was sure to take some extra time to get a photo.

I didn't run but I walked real fast and got to the gate at 9:40 which means that I got from the Barlow Inn to my gate at O'hare in exactly 50 minutes!

I've been putting some travel tips up on one of my other blogs so check it out if you're bored.

I'm on the plane right now....gotta fly. :)

First Entry - NOT Chicago

Don't have your first entry to the U.S. be Chicago unless you want to walk for 8 miles to get to customs....I swear it was at least a two mile walk and after you've flown for 10 hours it's not fun! 

Park and Fly

These are usually great programs.  Just today I was ready to book a room at the Westin in LA for $220 and then have to pay to leave my car at the airport for 7 days which would've cost at least another $100-$200 but instead I called the hotel and for $259 I'm able to leave my car their in their covered lot for only $40 extra dollars and I got an executive room instead of a traditional room.

I've found it's often worth calling the hotel instead of booking online. The people at the desk can usually get you the online rate and sometimes throw in extras too.

Credit Cards

The best way to pay for things while traveling is with your credit card because then your credit card company negotiates the best exchange rate and believe me they can do it a lot better then you can! :)

....but CC companies are suspicious of purchases made in places outside of your typical purchase area so it's always a good idea to let them know where you'll be traveling to BEFORE you leave so your card doesn't get locked up.

It's also good to take multiple types of credit cards. Visa, Mastercard, AMEX b/c if you only take one and they don't take it then you're outta luck!

Lastly, get to the airport early and exchange money before you leave. It's easier to do in the U.S. and there are no guarantees you'll be able to do it when you get there and chances are you're gonna need cash right away.

New Travel Blog

Yo! Welcome to my new blog about traveling! I travel a lot and it's pretty cool but I didn't use to like it because I didn't know how to do it. Now that I know my way around I love it and it's become a lifestyle for me.

In the past year I've flown over 140,000 miles and have talked with dozens of people about tips and tricks to make traveling life as good as it can get.

I fly with the Star Alliance and stay at the Starwood hotels. I'm a 1k member on United Airlines, a Gold member with the Star Alliance, and a Gold Preferred member with Starwood. These programs cost me NOTHING to be a part of but they get me tons of free upgrades on rooms and flights which IS a big deal so sign up and be loyal!

I also paid a couple hundred bucks to be a part of United's Red Carpet Club which allows me to rest in their lounges inbetween flights. This was THE BEST decision I ever made in regards to travel. Having that break from the chaos and intercom speakers and lousy chairs in the waiting areas as well as the healthy free snacks they give is awesome. Some of the lounges even have showers to use and other cool stuff!

The last thing I want to say today and reason I named this blog what I did is to encourage you to get AIRBORNE! It's a must! It's basically vitamin C and some other healthy things but it really helps you to not get sick and then if you do get sick you won't feel as sick. There is also Emergen-C which is great but I like Airborne b/c it comes in a little tube so it's easier to travel with and it automatically dissolves in the glass so you don't need to stir it.

Happy Travels and look for more fun tips!
DJ