Category Archives: Trip Reports

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Buy Tickets to the Chicago Seminars (Oct 21-23), FTU Virtual (Oct 29), Orange County FTU (Nov 12-13) & FTU Virtual (Dec 3)

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Good afternoon everyone, happy Friday!  There are lots of fun miles & points events coming up in the next few months, so check your schedule and see if you can attend any of these events.  I will be presenting on Vacasa Vacation Rentals and How to Cancel & Rebook Hotels, Airlines & Rental Cars, so if you are interested in those topics, I recommend attending the in-person or virtual events.  Here are details for these 4 events:

Chicago Seminars

  • Date / Time: October 21-23 (4pm – 8:30pm on Friday, 8am – 8pm on Saturday, 8am – 4pm on Sunday)
  • Location: Holiday Inn Chicago-Elk Grove (next to Chicago O’Hare Airport with free airport shuttle)
  • Price: $135
  • Info: FlyerTalk thread
  • Purchase: Eventbrite booking link
  • Grant’s Presentations: Vacasa Vacation Rentals and How to Cancel & Rebook Hotels, Airlines & Rental Cars – date and time TBD

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A Letter to my Younger Travel Hacker Self

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Good afternoon everyone, I hope your week is going well.  Last night, my wife and I were watching Lifetime’s Married at First Sight.  On that episode, the contestant wrote letters to their younger selves, so I thought it would be fun to write a letter to my younger travel hacker self.  Here goes…

Dear Grant,

Your love of travel will continue to grow and you will experience many amazing sights, sounds, food, and memories along the way.  Enjoy the little things in life (like an upgrade or two), but remember to be flexible with your travel plans when things don’t go your way. 

Find people who love travel and travel hacking as much as you do, but don’t be discouraged if your close family and friends are not as excited about these things as you are.  

Take the trips you want to take when you want to go, even if they are not the most flashy or exciting. Don’t chase other’s dream trips and don’t compare yourself or your trips to others.  

Set low expectations for your trips so that you will be happily surprised with the journey.

Last but not least, don’t fall in love with a single credit card or reward program, they can break your heart at a moment’s notice.  Remember, loyalty is not always a two way street.

Sincerely, yourself, from the future

Grant

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Last Call for FTU Virtual Seminar on Saturday, September 17 ($25) or Free with Online Annual Membership

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Good afternoon everyone, happy Friday!  If you are not busy tomorrow (September 17), I highly recommend attending the FTU Virtual Seminar (tickets available for $25) or free if you have the FTU Online Annual Membership.  The seminar starts on Saturday, September 17, at 8am PT / 11am ET.  I have attended all of the FTU Virtual Seminars over the last 2 years and they are always well done, educational, and entertaining – and I am sure this seminar will be no exception!  Click here to view the complete 3-4 hour schedule and lineup of speakers.

If you register for the seminar, but are unable to watch the live stream, you can access the recording of the seminar and watch later on.  This is also a great way to re-watch your favorite presentations and catch any details that you originally missed.

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Register for FTU Virtual Seminar on Saturday, September 17 ($25) or Free with Online Annual Membership

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Good afternoon everyone, I hope you had a great weekend.  If you are not busy this Saturday, September 17, I highly recommend attending the FTU Virtual Seminar (tickets available for $25) or free if you have the FTU Online Annual Membership.  The seminar starts on Saturday, September 17, at 8am PT / 11am ET.  I have attended all of the FTU Virtual Seminars over the last 2 years and they are always well done, educational, and entertaining – and I am sure this seminar will be no exception!  Click here to view the complete 3-4 hour schedule and lineup of speakers.

If you register for the seminar, but are unable to watch the live stream, you can access the recording of the seminar and watch later on.  This is also a great way to re-watch your favorite presentations and catch any details that you originally missed.

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Last Call for FTU Virtual Seminar on Saturday, June 11 ($25) or Free with Online Annual Membership

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Good afternoon everyone, happy Friday!  If you are not busy tomorrow, Saturday, June 11, I highly recommend attending the FTU Virtual Seminar (tickets available for $25) or free if you have the FTU Online Annual Membership.  The seminar starts on Saturday, June 11 at 8am PT / 11am ET.  I have attended all of the FTU Virtual Seminars over the last 2 years and they are always well done, educational, and entertaining – and I am sure this seminar will be no exception!  Click here to view the complete 3-4 hour schedule and lineup of speakers.

If you register for the seminar, but are unable to watch the live stream, you can access the recording of the seminar and watch later on.  This is also a great way to re-watch your favorite presentations and catch any details that you originally missed.

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I’ve written about the FTU Online Annual Membership a few times, but it is a great deal at only $69 (regular price is $129).

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With your FTU Online Annual Membership, you get access to a ton of free and discounted content.  You get complimentary access to the FTU Virtual Seminar on June 11 and all future FTU Virtual Seminars.  You also get a $49 discount code for the next in-person FTU event (that $49 discount will cover most of the cost of the annual membership).

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After you sign up for the FTU Online Annual Membership, make sure to register for the FTU Virtual Seminar (you are not automatically registered for the event).  Just go to the June 11 FTU Virtual Seminar page and you should see the price drop from $25.00 to $0.00.  Just add the item to your cart and check out.  You will then be registered for the FTU Virtual Seminar and you will receive all the event emails, updates, and final schedule.

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After you check out, you will receive a confirmation email.  You will receive the link to join to FTU Virtual Seminar on Friday evening or Saturday morning.

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If you have any questions about the FTU Online Annual Membership or the FTU Virtual Seminar on June 11, please leave a comment below.  Have a great weekend everyone!