It’s that feeling you get when you fly economy.

Sucks, huh?

The worst part? Economy flights still cost hundreds of dollars, and this is just domestic flight.

You can easily spend over $1,000 on an international economy flight.

And an international business/first-class flight? You can easily spend $4,000-$10,000+ without having to work a sweat.

It is what it is.

That’s the asking cost.

Luxury travel is expensive, and tickets for luxury travel can be purchased for as high as 55,000 dollars.-Figures per capita, what do they do? 

Do you YOLO and eat your savings?

Do you need a loan to pay it off?

Or do you hope you’ll win the lottery.

Unfortunately, most people believe that. To fly first class, you must do the following:

That’s what I used to believe.

For most my life, I believed that traveling in luxury was the best way to travel. Reserved for the powerful and wealthy

To fly first class, you must be a Wall Street banker, doctor or CEO.

Or you could have had wealthy parents or hoped your boss would pay the bill.

But it turns out, it is all a fabrication.

You can fly first class for cash, of course.

But there is another way…

How I Accidentally Became A Survivor Travel Hacker

I discovered travel hacking as a common practice for most people. I had accumulated a lot of points and had to decide how I would use them.

I could have traded my points for cash.

This was what I saw on the website for my credit card company.

“Get up to 2x more value when on travel purchase”.

It sounds amazing, I thought.

Perfect timing, too, since I was desperate for a vacation after so many hours of work.

So I logged in to my credit card company’s travel portal and booked my Mexico trip for free.

Little did I know, I made 3 critical mistakes…

Travel Hacking Mistake #1 Book your trip using credit card portals

Portals such as the one shown above can be dangerous.

This was my first big error.

Yes, I got a “free” Trip because I had a lot more points.

But I was leaving 5-10x the points value of the table

I received a few nights at a 3 star hotel for my points, but that was it. All-All inclusive Mexico: Resort

I didn’t fly first-class lol.

This is not the vacation I had in mind.

I only realized this after years of trial and error.

Portal redemption is the worst way to redeem points.

There are no entry barriers

It is possible for anyone to do it.

However, it’s not necessary to use one.

Portals are “convenient.”

Remember, Portals can also be literally “in-house” travel agencies Credit card companies own the property.

Then again, you might be asking yourself when credit card companies give a damn about you.

Even if the property was yours, Right Types of credit cards that were approved Right Portals are still considered a death sentence for certain types of points.

This leads me to my next mistake…

Travel Hacking Mistake #2 Not using the Right Type of Card

The key to successful travel hacking is to use the right credit card to earn the right points.

Too many people mistakenly see a 1 on a card.-2% Unlimited Cash back with no annual fee and the ability to think:

“OMG this is so amazing, where do I sign up?”

Don’t worry, I made this mistake too.

These cards sound great to credit card companies.

These cards often have large advertising budgets and are endorsed prominently by celebrities.

Damn you, Samuel L. Jackson.

But unlimited cash is not always possible-Back cards sound cool They are not always the best option to travel hackers.

You need to Focus on cards that give you the most points for travel.

This is the only way to beat credit card companies at their own games.

Travel Hacking Mistake #3 Booking economy flights and staying in average hotels

You can look up the definition of “average hotel” You’d see this picture:

Holiday Inn is a great place to stay.

They are clean and comfortable, offer a free continental breakfast, and have complimentary WiFi.

Yippie…

If you like what you see, great!

You don’t have the right to settle for an average life.

My first travel hacking trip was, as I mentioned earlier in this article, to a 3.5 star resort via an economy flight.

This is what 95% people choose to do when they attempt travel hacking.

They get a free economy at best-Plus flight and a few nights at a hotel in 3-3.5 star hotel.

It doesn’t have be this way.

Actually, I’m going to show you…

You can Stay in the most baller 5-Star hotels The world is Fly business/first class You can get whatever you want for nothing (or pennies per dollar).

Call me crazy, but the Waldorf Astoria is my preferred choice over Holiday Inn.

Luxury travel has never been easier

I am not just going to show you travel hacking.

This is LUXURY travel hacking.

This means that the goal is not to travel for free.

The goal is Enjoy maximum luxury while traveling for free

I like to call it travel hacking with steroids lol.

This means you can fly first class anywhere in the world if the seats fold down like this.

This means that you can still enjoy a full container of caviar at 38,000 feet.

Why?

The better question is: Why not?

Cathay Pacific’s first-class food is unmatched

This means that you should be able to Stay exclusively in 5-Star hotels with penthouse and upgraded suites All this for no cost, of course

My 2-Story Loft (got a free upgrade at Sina The Gray hotel, Milan, Italy). 

Here’s what you need to know…

My crazy trips can’t be achieved if you don’t follow traditional travel hacking strategies. In fact, Most people travel Hackers settle for poor experiences simply because it’s free.

The majority of travel hacking strategies include:

My luxury travel hacking strategies, on the other hand, include: