Car Lovers Treat Their Vehicles With Very Gentle Hands

There's one thing car lovers have in common - they all treat their vehicles with respect. It's important that you do what you can to look after your car and treat it with gentle hands. This is the best way to ensure it lasts a long time, and that it runs as well as possible.

Make Sure You Have the Correct Tyres

One of the most important parts of caring for a car is making sure you have the right tyres. This is something that so many drivers seem to overlook, and it can make a real difference. Having the wrong tyres is not good for the vehicle, and can sometimes be dangerous as well. Statistics tell us that 1 in 4 young drivers have never checked their tyre pressure. Furthermore, 989 people were killed due to tyre-related problems, so it's crucial to get this part right. Ensure you choose the right tyres for your ride, and you'll be much safer on the roads as a result.

Clean and Polish

Keeping your vehicle clean and polished is a wonderful way of making sure it looks great all the time. There are so many things involved in this, and you need to plan out your time to make sure you give the car the attention it deserves. Cleaning the vehicle every few weeks keeps it looking great. Take it to the car wash, or, alternatively, you might want to wash it yourself. You could say even add a coat of wax or polish to the car after cleaning it for a wonderful finish.

Use the Owner's Manual

Another thing you might consider is using your car owner's manual. This is a book that you will be given when you buy your car. It's something that's important to study and absorb, and you can use it to help you with vehicle maintenance. However, a lot of people put their manuals away and don't need to use them for months. By that point, they've often forgotten where they put them. Well, did you know, you can find your car owner's manual online?! Visiting sites like http://ift.tt/MZl7bW will allow you to access online manuals for use whenever you need them.

Get it Serviced

Perhaps the easiest way of looking after your car is to make sure you get it serviced. This is important because it gets the car professional care and attention. You can find garages that are specifically geared towards a certain make or model of car. For instance, you could get a Toyota service or a Ford service, if those are the types of car you have. This is something you need to make sure you look into because it's important. Sure, you might be able to do a bit yourself when it comes to your car. But, there will be certain things that require professional attention.

Keeping your car in peak condition is really important because it makes it useable all the time. You're going to be able to call on it whenever you need to use it, and this makes it more practical. There are so many things you can do to care for your car, and you should use this to help you.

Pixabay

from Cool Cars Blog http://ift.tt/2ccGJZR

Meet The Carmakers Who Made Small Cars Hip Again

Once upon a time small cars were seen as a compromise. They were for people who couldn't afford a big saloon. And it showed. Car makers didn't put as much effort into their hatchbacks as they did the rest of their fleet. And small car buyers were often left short-changed. Just think back to the rust bucket that was the Fiat Uno.

But now things have changed. Small cars have gotten reliable. But the big turnaround has been with perceptions. The city cars of today are stylish in the same way we have come to expect from more luxurious models. And it's all thanks to a few spirited car makers looking to improve consumer options in this critical market.

Mini Cooper

When the original Mini was released back in the 1960s, it quickly garnered a reputation. Sure it was a small, nippy car. But it was plagued with reliability issues and had no modern comforts whatsoever.

commons.wikimedia.org

But something interesting happened. The car developed a cult following in the years that followed. There was a sort of longing for a return of the car, in the same way as many want to see the return of the VW camper. But now a new, modern version of the original can be found on sites like www.coopermini.co.uk. And it doesn't come with any of the drawbacks of the original.

Thanks to more than forty years of automotive innovation, the new Mini is more reliable, functional and, frankly, not so mini. It's also retained the original styling and charm that made the mini so attractive to so many people. And that's why it's managed to remain a style icon until this day.

Alfa Romeo MiTo

If you've ever owned an Alfa, you'll know that the Italian car maker is all about making beautiful cars. Traditionally, the car maker has concerned itself with making coupes. But now it's turned its attention to the supermini market. What Alfa offers on the MiTo is their trademark styling, as well as a car that is robust. But what buyers will really like about the MiTo is its exclusivity. There just aren't all that many of these cars around. Hence, Alfa Romeo does with the MiTo what it does with its other vehicles: offer a sense of occasion.

www.flickr.com

What's more, the Alfa comes with something approaching sporty performance. The Cloverleaf model comes with an impressive 168 bhp. And that puts it squarely in the same performance bracket as a Golf GTi. But as www.theguardian.com points out, it loses a contest with the Mini in the charm department.

Mercedes A-Class

Traditionally Mercedes haven't been all that interested in cars outside of the luxury segment. And it the past, they've left smaller car models in the hands of subsidiaries, like Smart. But now the company has brought its A game, quite literally, to the small car market. Viewed head on, it's hard to see that the new Mercedes A-Class is a hatchback. The bold styling at the front is borrowed from larger C-Class and looks very impressive. As a result, the Mercedes gives off the sense that it is truly a premium car.

commons.wikimedia.org

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How to Travel Hack in Australia and New Zealand

One of the advantages of being a traveler from North America is that we have so many ways to travel hack. As you know, I'm a big, big fan of travel hacking (the art of collecting points and miles for free travel). It is way helps keep me in free flights, hotels, and other travel expenses. I earn over one million points a year and save many of thousands of dollars in travel expenses!

But, while North Americans have more travel hacking options than others, it's not limited to just this reason. Today, I'm interviewing Keith Mason from Pointshack AU. Keith is the premier expert on travel hacking in Australia and New Zealand. In this interview, he shares his tips on how to collect points in miles in the lands down under!

Nomadic Matt: Tell us about yourself. How did you get started in travel hacking? 
Keith Mason: I'm originally from the UKSydney. Around five years ago, when my first child was born, I wanted to visit family back in Europe and figured that there had to be a way to ensure I didn't end up traveling in economy the whole way.

I researched the hell out of this one trip and ended up using points to get the three of us into premium economy or business class for a round-the-world itinerary, without paying more than we would have for economy.

In the process, I realized that a lot of the information out there for someone in Australia wanting to learn more about earning and using points was either buried in forums or more relevant to overseas travelers.

My day job was making and managing websites, so starting Point Hacks was a logical next step — and now it's my full-time gig, which is astounding!

There are some great news sites out there, locally and globally, covering the latest routes, airline news, and speculation — so we don't try to do that. Instead, we've created a vast amount of frequent flyer and rewards program guides to earning and using the key currencies for us (Qantas Points, Velocity Points, Asia Miles, KrisFlyer Miles). And while we have a focus on Australia and New Zealand, many of our guides will be relevant for folks outside Australia too.

In the U.S., we have a ton of travel hacking options. What's the industry like in Australia and New Zealand? 
I guess there are two ways to look that question: what are the opportunities when it comes to earning and using points effectively, and what's the information on offer to help you do so like?

In terms of the opportunities, there are heaps. It's a mature market. Qantas has half as many frequent flyer members as the total population of the country (how many of those are active, I don't know!), a very advanced and profitable frequent flyer program, and a great and generally well-loved and well-known brand.

They have also done deals with almost every bank out there, so there a vast number of Qantas-branded credit cards. The competition between banks and retailers is generally good, so while there are only two local airlines and frequent flyer programs, consumers have a number of options to earn points.

On the redemption side, Qantas and Velocity are obviously the key players, and for the most part, burning points comes with a lot of carrier-imposed fees and surcharges. Using points for an economy flight to the US, for example, could add $500–700 in fees on what would otherwise be $1,200 cash fare.

That's a common complaint, but it's the first thing you realize and hopefully take into account when playing the points game here. It means it's even more important to keep saving your points for premium cabins to get the most value from them — redeeming points for economy travel with either program is rarely great value.

There are a few outliers and hidden options to minimize fees, and this is one of the things we try to highlight on Point Hacks, when we can. For example, by using Qantas Points on American Airlines–operated flights to the US, taxes and fees are virtually nothing. Same applies for using Qantas Points on Fiji Airways to the US too.

That said, every Australian willing to look away from a Qantas-linked card has a heap of access to overseas frequent flyer programs from the various banks' flexible points programs — Membership Rewards is a key player here. That puts Asia Miles and KrisFlyer firmly on the map for those earning points from credit card spending and bonuses.

In New Zealand, the market is quite different: the points earning and redemption opportunities seem to be a lot less lucrative, with Air New Zealand's revenue-based program commanding a lot of consumer attention and brand loyalty.

What's the #1 way to earn points where you are?
Like many places, it's mostly about frequent flyer or bank rewards program credit cards. The credit reporting system here is not as transparent as in the US, so I think people need to be more wary about hitting many sign-up bonuses and constantly switching cards — it can impact their ability to get other forms of credit in future, which could be more important, for example, a mortgage or car loan.

But that said, the banks put a lot of good offers out there to convince customers to switch, so there is a lot of appeal to use card bonuses and applications to boost balances as fast as possible.

My focus is to try and help people choose the right card or card rewards program that will work for their preferences in the long term — and if a sign-up bonus is good too, then that's even better. That seems more sustainable for everyone.

Otherwise the mix of points-earning opportunities — outside of flying, of course — is pretty diverse, with utilities, supermarkets, mortgages, bank accounts, cinema tickets, online shopping, and most other product segments all having a points-earning option.

I've noticed a lot of credit cards in your part of the world come with very high fees. Is that a hindrance to collecting a lot of points? 
Generally the bonuses on offer are relative to the annual fee you'll pay — though this is not always the case, as banks are trying to stimulate customers to switch a lot right now.

There are a handful with low fees ($0–100, say) that earn well, primarily American Express–issued cards. Otherwise, yes, you're looking at fees north of $150 for the better points-earning cards, but if you're a good customer, you can often get these annual fees waived or discounted.

It's a small barrier to entry, but by no means a deal-breaker.

How can someone can get started? 
Funny you should ask! I created a free email course to help people earn more points and understand the system better. There are around 10 emails that will get sent out over three weeks.

In short though, I've met a few ex-pats who have ended up staying in Australia and want to get cracking on building up their balances here, and there are a couple of levels of things to consider.

Given we all know the need to try and consolidate your attention on a key program to earn a large, usable points balance, the first decision is around how "all-in" with Qantas Frequent Flyer you are. If your (or your partner's) job has you flying with Qantas a lot, or for some other reason you want to be loyal to Qantas, then that's pretty much your decision — Qantas has almost no credit card program transfer partners here, with Qantas-branded and "direct earn" cards making up the bulk of the market.

Qantas is not a bad program — it's easy enough to rack up a large number of points from retail purchases and credit card spending to offset their high points-redemption rates (when compared to Asia Miles, for example) — and Qantas Points are one of the best-value ways of redeeming for travel with Emirates, who have a key route network to and from Europe and the Middle East from Australia.

If you can afford to look away from being totally loyal to Qantas, then it's usually worth doing so. KrisFlyer, as we know, has some great value redemptions on Singapore Airlines–operated flights, and Singapore Airlines has a massive presence here, while Asia Miles can offer some great redemption pricing to Asia, the US, and Europe too.

And finally, Virgin Australia's Velocity program is slightly better priced, with generally better redemption availability for Australian domestic flights.

So in all, if you are earning the majority of your points in Australia from credit card spending, going for a flexible points program is usually the right way to go to get the most value.

Where do you see the future of travel hacking in your part of the world?
I hope we don't move toward the US model! It seems US frequent flyer programs are forging a path toward revenue-based point-earning rates and redemption quickly, and we actually have it OK here by comparison if that fully materializes.

I also think that the relative simplicity in the Australian market is a good thing for consumers — there is some healthy tension and competition between Virgin and Qantas now — and this is relatively new, having grown over the last four years.

We aren't at the point where we have a full roster of programs to choose from, so this actually makes life a lot easier in many ways: we have to look at how we maximize the opportunities from the programs we do have access to, instead of constantly hand-wringing about which program we should be using or splitting our hard-earned points across multiple programs.

For those earning from flying, it's usually a choice between two carriers: Virgin or Qantas, which makes life pretty simple by comparison to many other markets.

As I mentioned before, both programs are very mature in their thinking and strategies in which they offer points earn opportunities, and the competition between them has generally kept redemption rates relatively steady. Qantas even reduced the cost of some economy redemptions earlier this year — I'm not sure I've seen that kind of move in many other markets.

So I feel like things are stable, and that's a good thing.

When redeeming awards, how can consumers maximize their awards? Do you have three must-do tips? 
I'm going to focus on Qantas Points for these, given that's the currency most people have ready access to here. (We just wrote up our best uses of 100,000 Qantas Points here.)

The first key idea is to get your head around who Qantas's best partners are, versus their Oneworld partners, who are higher priced. American Airlines, Emirates, Jetstar, and Fiji Airways are the key redemption partners where you can redeem your miles at a cheaper rate (the same rate as redeeming for Qantas flights). Given how few frequent flyer partners Emirates has, using Qantas Points for Emirates flights ends up being a great use for them.

Qantas also has a very good multi-sector round-the-world award chart, too. This is a great redemption to aim for, which can be used for up to 35,000 miles of travel in economy, premium, business or first class, with stopovers in up to five cities over a 12-month period.

Pricing seems high at 280,000 points in business class and 420,000 in first class, plus $1,000–1,550 in fuel surcharges and taxes per person. But this is only a little higher than a return redemption to Europe or New York from Australia, so it's an easy way to add on a heap of additional flights and destinations. This works for any class of travel too, not just premium cabins.

Finally, don't forget about Jetstar redemptions as a good use of Qantas Points. They are priced even more cheaply than Qantas's own flights, given that they are a low-cost carrier, and they operate a "premium" cabin, StarClass, which is priced similarly to premium economy levels, in terms of points, on many international routes. Jetstar has a massive route network across Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan — and Qantas Points are one of the main ways to redeem for Jetstar flights, if cash prices for tickets are high.

Here in the US (and in Canada) you can multiply your points earned and "juice" your account via dining programs, gift cards, shopping online, and a ton of other bonuses. Do you have similar programs? 
We sure do. I'd say we have as many as any other region. Qantas and Virgin's Velocity program both offer the ability to earn points from dining, movies, wine, gift card purchases, and utility and phone bills — there's probably a points-earn partner in almost every product category.

One of my favorite ways to pick up more points from everyday spending is by having the right credit card with bonus point categories to meet your spending habits. These are primarily American Express–issued cards, but Citi has an option too in the Citi Prestige Visa (which is a bit different here than the Prestige issued in the US).

We've run through some of the credit cards with bonus points for travel, bonus points for supermarket spending, bonus points for gas/fuel, bonus points for restaurants and cafés, and finally, one of my favorites, bonus points for overseas spending.

Supermarkets here have a lot of gift card partners, so you can then try and pick up three points per dollar in many, many other places too by being strategic about buying gift cards to use for other purchases.

Ok! Let's end with some lightening round questions. First one, what's your favorite airline?
It's a tie between Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and, yes, Qantas, for me.

Least favorite?
I'm not that mean! I'm not a fan of Jetstar's economy product, but mostly because I'm not built to fit in their seats.

Window or aisle?
Window, always.

Favorite business class?
Etihad A380.

Favorite lounge?
Qantas First Class Melbourne.

To stay up to date on the latest OZ and NZ travel hacks, follow Keith and his blog at Pointshack!

For more information on how to earn points and miles that you can use toward free travel, check out The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking. This book shows you exactly how to take money out of the travel equation and frequent flier programs to get free flights and hotel rooms.  The strategies in this book will get you out of your house faster, cheaper, and in comfort.

Click here to learn more and start reading it today!

The post How to Travel Hack in Australia and New Zealand appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Nomadic Matt's Travel Site http://ift.tt/2bU0VCk

How to Travel Hack in Australia and New Zealand

One of the advantages of being a traveler from North America is that we have so many ways to travel hack. As you know, I’m a big, big fan of travel hacking (the art of collecting points and miles for free travel). It is way helps keep me in free flights, hotels, and other travel expenses. I earn over one million points a year and save many of thousands of dollars in travel expenses!

But, while North Americans have more travel hacking options than others, it’s not limited to just this reason. Today, I’m interviewing Keith Mason from Pointshack AU. Keith is the premier expert on travel hacking in Australia and New Zealand. In this interview, he shares his tips on how to collect points in miles in the lands down under!

Nomadic Matt: Tell us about yourself. How did you get started in travel hacking? 
Keith Mason: I’m originally from the UK<, but now I live in Sydney. Around five years ago, when my first child was born, I wanted to visit family back in Europe and figured that there had to be a way to ensure I didn’t end up traveling in economy the whole way.

I researched the hell out of this one trip and ended up using points to get the three of us into premium economy or business class for a round-the-world itinerary, without paying more than we would have for economy.

In the process, I realized that a lot of the information out there for someone in Australia wanting to learn more about earning and using points was either buried in forums or more relevant to overseas travelers.

My day job was making and managing websites, so starting Point Hacks was a logical next step — and now it’s my full-time gig, which is astounding!

There are some great news sites out there, locally and globally, covering the latest routes, airline news, and speculation — so we don’t try to do that. Instead, we’ve created a vast amount of frequent flyer and rewards program guides to earning and using the key currencies for us (Qantas Points, Velocity Points, Asia Miles, KrisFlyer Miles). And while we have a focus on Australia and New Zealand, many of our guides will be relevant for folks outside Australia too.

In the U.S., we have a ton of travel hacking options. What’s the industry like in Australia and New Zealand? 
I guess there are two ways to look that question: what are the opportunities when it comes to earning and using points effectively, and what’s the information on offer to help you do so like?

In terms of the opportunities, there are heaps. It’s a mature market. Qantas has half as many frequent flyer members as the total population of the country (how many of those are active, I don’t know!), a very advanced and profitable frequent flyer program, and a great and generally well-loved and well-known brand.

They have also done deals with almost every bank out there, so there a vast number of Qantas-branded credit cards. The competition between banks and retailers is generally good, so while there are only two local airlines and frequent flyer programs, consumers have a number of options to earn points.

On the redemption side, Qantas and Velocity are obviously the key players, and for the most part, burning points comes with a lot of carrier-imposed fees and surcharges. Using points for an economy flight to the US, for example, could add $500–700 in fees on what would otherwise be $1,200 cash fare.

That’s a common complaint, but it’s the first thing you realize and hopefully take into account when playing the points game here. It means it’s even more important to keep saving your points for premium cabins to get the most value from them — redeeming points for economy travel with either program is rarely great value.

There are a few outliers and hidden options to minimize fees, and this is one of the things we try to highlight on Point Hacks, when we can. For example, by using Qantas Points on American Airlines–operated flights to the US, taxes and fees are virtually nothing. Same applies for using Qantas Points on Fiji Airways to the US too.

That said, every Australian willing to look away from a Qantas-linked card has a heap of access to overseas frequent flyer programs from the various banks’ flexible points programs — Membership Rewards is a key player here. That puts Asia Miles and KrisFlyer firmly on the map for those earning points from credit card spending and bonuses.

In New Zealand, the market is quite different: the points earning and redemption opportunities seem to be a lot less lucrative, with Air New Zealand’s revenue-based program commanding a lot of consumer attention and brand loyalty.

What’s the #1 way to earn points where you are?
Like many places, it’s mostly about frequent flyer or bank rewards program credit cards. The credit reporting system here is not as transparent as in the US, so I think people need to be more wary about hitting many sign-up bonuses and constantly switching cards — it can impact their ability to get other forms of credit in future, which could be more important, for example, a mortgage or car loan.

But that said, the banks put a lot of good offers out there to convince customers to switch, so there is a lot of appeal to use card bonuses and applications to boost balances as fast as possible.

My focus is to try and help people choose the right card or card rewards program that will work for their preferences in the long term — and if a sign-up bonus is good too, then that’s even better. That seems more sustainable for everyone.

Otherwise the mix of points-earning opportunities — outside of flying, of course — is pretty diverse, with utilities, supermarkets, mortgages, bank accounts, cinema tickets, online shopping, and most other product segments all having a points-earning option.

I’ve noticed a lot of credit cards in your part of the world come with very high fees. Is that a hindrance to collecting a lot of points? 
Generally the bonuses on offer are relative to the annual fee you’ll pay — though this is not always the case, as banks are trying to stimulate customers to switch a lot right now.

There are a handful with low fees ($0–100, say) that earn well, primarily American Express–issued cards. Otherwise, yes, you’re looking at fees north of $150 for the better points-earning cards, but if you’re a good customer, you can often get these annual fees waived or discounted.

It’s a small barrier to entry, but by no means a deal-breaker.

How can someone can get started? 
Funny you should ask! I created a free email course to help people earn more points and understand the system better. There are around 10 emails that will get sent out over three weeks.

In short though, I’ve met a few ex-pats who have ended up staying in Australia and want to get cracking on building up their balances here, and there are a couple of levels of things to consider.

Given we all know the need to try and consolidate your attention on a key program to earn a large, usable points balance, the first decision is around how “all-in” with Qantas Frequent Flyer you are. If your (or your partner’s) job has you flying with Qantas a lot, or for some other reason you want to be loyal to Qantas, then that’s pretty much your decision — Qantas has almost no credit card program transfer partners here, with Qantas-branded and “direct earn” cards making up the bulk of the market.

Qantas is not a bad program — it’s easy enough to rack up a large number of points from retail purchases and credit card spending to offset their high points-redemption rates (when compared to Asia Miles, for example) — and Qantas Points are one of the best-value ways of redeeming for travel with Emirates, who have a key route network to and from Europe and the Middle East from Australia.

If you can afford to look away from being totally loyal to Qantas, then it’s usually worth doing so. KrisFlyer, as we know, has some great value redemptions on Singapore Airlines–operated flights, and Singapore Airlines has a massive presence here, while Asia Miles can offer some great redemption pricing to Asia, the US, and Europe too.

And finally, Virgin Australia’s Velocity program is slightly better priced, with generally better redemption availability for Australian domestic flights.

So in all, if you are earning the majority of your points in Australia from credit card spending, going for a flexible points program is usually the right way to go to get the most value.

Where do you see the future of travel hacking in your part of the world?
I hope we don’t move toward the US model! It seems US frequent flyer programs are forging a path toward revenue-based point-earning rates and redemption quickly, and we actually have it OK here by comparison if that fully materializes.

I also think that the relative simplicity in the Australian market is a good thing for consumers — there is some healthy tension and competition between Virgin and Qantas now — and this is relatively new, having grown over the last four years.

We aren’t at the point where we have a full roster of programs to choose from, so this actually makes life a lot easier in many ways: we have to look at how we maximize the opportunities from the programs we do have access to, instead of constantly hand-wringing about which program we should be using or splitting our hard-earned points across multiple programs.

For those earning from flying, it’s usually a choice between two carriers: Virgin or Qantas, which makes life pretty simple by comparison to many other markets.

As I mentioned before, both programs are very mature in their thinking and strategies in which they offer points earn opportunities, and the competition between them has generally kept redemption rates relatively steady. Qantas even reduced the cost of some economy redemptions earlier this year — I’m not sure I’ve seen that kind of move in many other markets.

So I feel like things are stable, and that’s a good thing.

When redeeming awards, how can consumers maximize their awards? Do you have three must-do tips? 
I’m going to focus on Qantas Points for these, given that’s the currency most people have ready access to here. (We just wrote up our best uses of 100,000 Qantas Points here.)

The first key idea is to get your head around who Qantas’s best partners are, versus their Oneworld partners, who are higher priced. American Airlines, Emirates, Jetstar, and Fiji Airways are the key redemption partners where you can redeem your miles at a cheaper rate (the same rate as redeeming for Qantas flights). Given how few frequent flyer partners Emirates has, using Qantas Points for Emirates flights ends up being a great use for them.

Qantas also has a very good multi-sector round-the-world award chart, too. This is a great redemption to aim for, which can be used for up to 35,000 miles of travel in economy, premium, business or first class, with stopovers in up to five cities over a 12-month period.

Pricing seems high at 280,000 points in business class and 420,000 in first class, plus $1,000–1,550 in fuel surcharges and taxes per person. But this is only a little higher than a return redemption to Europe or New York from Australia, so it’s an easy way to add on a heap of additional flights and destinations. This works for any class of travel too, not just premium cabins.

Finally, don’t forget about Jetstar redemptions as a good use of Qantas Points. They are priced even more cheaply than Qantas’s own flights, given that they are a low-cost carrier, and they operate a “premium” cabin, StarClass, which is priced similarly to premium economy levels, in terms of points, on many international routes. Jetstar has a massive route network across Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan — and Qantas Points are one of the main ways to redeem for Jetstar flights, if cash prices for tickets are high.

Here in the US (and in Canada) you can multiply your points earned and “juice” your account via dining programs, gift cards, shopping online, and a ton of other bonuses. Do you have similar programs? 
We sure do. I’d say we have as many as any other region. Qantas and Virgin’s Velocity program both offer the ability to earn points from dining, movies, wine, gift card purchases, and utility and phone bills — there’s probably a points-earn partner in almost every product category.

One of my favorite ways to pick up more points from everyday spending is by having the right credit card with bonus point categories to meet your spending habits. These are primarily American Express–issued cards, but Citi has an option too in the Citi Prestige Visa (which is a bit different here than the Prestige issued in the US).

We’ve run through some of the credit cards with bonus points for travel, bonus points for supermarket spending, bonus points for gas/fuel, bonus points for restaurants and cafés, and finally, one of my favorites, bonus points for overseas spending.

Supermarkets here have a lot of gift card partners, so you can then try and pick up three points per dollar in many, many other places too by being strategic about buying gift cards to use for other purchases.

Ok! Let’s end with some lightening round questions. First one, what’s your favorite airline?
It’s a tie between Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and, yes, Qantas, for me.

Least favorite?
I’m not that mean! I’m not a fan of Jetstar’s economy product, but mostly because I’m not built to fit in their seats.

Window or aisle?
Window, always.

Favorite business class?
Etihad A380.

Favorite lounge?
Qantas First Class Melbourne.

To stay up to date on the latest OZ and NZ travel hacks, follow Keith and his blog at Pointshack!

For more information on how to earn points and miles that you can use toward free travel, check out The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking. This book shows you exactly how to take money out of the travel equation and frequent flier programs to get free flights and hotel rooms.  The strategies in this book will get you out of your house faster, cheaper, and in comfort.

Click here to learn more and start reading it today!

The post How to Travel Hack in Australia and New Zealand appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

from Nomadic Matt's Travel Site http://ift.tt/2bU0VCk

Dubai: The Las Vegas of the Middle East?

Dubai. It’s a city that conjures up images of Vegas-like glitz (minus the gambling and drinking). Before visiting last month, my friends had painted a picture of it in my mind: hot and filled with malls, expensive shops, restaurants, and expats. Modern and spread out, without a lot of “soul.” It would be artificial and not demand more than a day or two, they told me.

But when people tell me to zig, I always love to zag, so I decided to spend five days there, determined to find something redeeming about the city. (I picked an excellent time to visit too: an English friend had just moved to the city, so I had a place to stay and a tour guide!)

Since the work week in the Arab world runs from Sunday to Thursday, I decided to split my trip into two: the first three days would be with my friend seeing the new, international Dubai, followed by two days exploring old Dubai while she worked.

Given that Dubai is a Middle Eastern country with strict laws about vice, I didn’t imagine there’d be too much “craziness” there. My trip would be mellow, spent by the pool and in low key hotel bars and international restaurants.

I was very wrong!

“New” Dubai shocked me by how lubricated with alcohol it was. From the ritual of Friday brunch (more on that later) to the fall-down drunks in bars, the 2-for-1 specials, and endless happy hours, I was surprised at how much partying there was in a city that only allowed alcohol in very limited forms.¹ Everywhere you went, drinking — and drinking to excess — was common.²

In a way, Dubai reminded me of most expat-heavy places in the world. It seems whenever cities attract a lot of foreigners from various nations around the world, they in large part tend to live in a little alcohol-fueled bubble — going to a small selection of restaurants, bars, and neighborhoods, often with scant interaction with locals. They live a pseudo-Western lifestyle. I saw it Bangkok, Taipei, and Hong Kong.

I was seeing it now in Dubai too.

I think this has a lot to do with the fact that you’re in a culture you will always have outsider status in, that most of your new friends are met via work and will probably leave in a few years, and because there’s a sense that it is all temporary and fake. It’s not real life. It’s this little world we live in right now — a bubble — so why not have fun?

Take brunch, for example. In most of the world, it’s a late breakfast with some mimosas or Bloody Marys. Sure, it’s a chance to cut a bit loose on the weekend, but it’s a controlled event. In Dubai, it’s an all-day, all-you-can-eat-and-drink bender. More than that, it is a ritual. A tradition. “Have you experienced brunch?” people would ask. “You can’t come to Dubai and not brunch. It’s part of the city’s culture!” (By that I think they meant expat culture!)

It’s not cheap (250-700 AED, or $68-190 USD), so they make the most out of it. I’ve rarely seen people drink so much in so few hours. By the time we arrived at the bars later in the evening, I saw grown adults barely keeping themselves from falling down in a way that would make even the most ardent spring breakers cringe.

“New” Dubai was like an alternative reality that existed inside the hotels and bars. The local conservative culture didn’t apply there. Seemingly no rules did.

So, when Sunday rolled around and my friend went off to work, I was excited to explore “old” Dubai, set on the Dubai river, and get a peek at local life. In this part of town, there weren’t any skyscrapers, expats, or Western stores — just mosques, markets, small restaurants, and shops. The glitz and hotel bars and malls seemed a world away. I could take a dhow across the river, eat cheap food, mix with the locals, and get a sense of the day-to-day pace of the city.

Exploring the Dubai Museum, the gold markets, and the Jumeirah Mosque; haggling at local stalls; and marveling at the somewhat monolithically brown architecture, I felt more like I was in the Middle East. After three days, it was the first time I felt like I was some place foreign.

Yet, while I enjoyed seeing “old” Dubai, the city as a whole didn’t really thrill me.

But I’m not ready to write off Dubai yet. There’s still more of Dubai to see and explore. I didn’t make it into the desert, missed a number of attractions, and the oppressive August heat made it hard to wander the city’s streets and alleys.

Dubai is still a mystery to me. I can’t wrap my head around it and am determined to return, turn over more stones, and get under this city’s skin.

But one thing is for certain – this city is more than a stopover destination!

1 – Alcohol can only be served in places attached to hotels so you’ll often find long walkways from hotels to nearby entertainment complexes to get around this rule. Otherwise, alcohol can only be bought at duty-free or by residents with a special liquor license.
2 – This wasn’t just the expats either. I saw Emiratis and other Middle Easterners drinking in the same fashion.

The post Dubai: The Las Vegas of the Middle East? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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Dubai: The Las Vegas of the Middle East?

Dubai. It's a city that conjures up images of Vegas-like glitz (minus the gambling and drinking). Before visiting last month, my friends had painted a picture of it in my mind: hot and filled with malls, expensive shops, restaurants, and expats. Modern and spread out, without a lot of "soul." It would be artificial and not demand more than a day or two, they told me.

But when people tell me to zig, I always love to zag, so I decided to spend five days there, determined to find something redeeming about the city. (I picked an excellent time to visit too: an English friend had just moved to the city, so I had a place to stay and a tour guide!)

Since the work week in the Arab world runs from Sunday to Thursday, I decided to split my trip into two: the first three days would be with my friend seeing the new, international Dubai, followed by two days exploring old Dubai while she worked.

Given that Dubai is a Middle Eastern country with strict laws about vice, I didn't imagine there'd be too much "craziness" there. My trip would be mellow, spent by the pool and in low key hotel bars and international restaurants.

I was very wrong!

"New" Dubai shocked me by how lubricated with alcohol it was. From the ritual of Friday brunch (more on that later) to the fall-down drunks in bars, the 2-for-1 specials, and endless happy hours, I was surprised at how much partying there was in a city that only allowed alcohol in very limited forms.¹ Everywhere you went, drinking — and drinking to excess — was common.²

In a way, Dubai reminded me of most expat-heavy places in the world. It seems whenever cities attract a lot of foreigners from various nations around the world, they in large part tend to live in a little alcohol-fueled bubble — going to a small selection of restaurants, bars, and neighborhoods, often with scant interaction with locals. They live a pseudo-Western lifestyle. I saw it Bangkok, Taipei, and Hong Kong.

I was seeing it now in Dubai too.

I think this has a lot to do with the fact that you're in a culture you will always have outsider status in, that most of your new friends are met via work and will probably leave in a few years, and because there's a sense that it is all temporary and fake. It's not real life. It's this little world we live in right now — a bubble — so why not have fun?

Take brunch, for example. In most of the world, it's a late breakfast with some mimosas or Bloody Marys. Sure, it's a chance to cut a bit loose on the weekend, but it's a controlled event. In Dubai, it's an all-day, all-you-can-eat-and-drink bender. More than that, it is a ritual. A tradition. "Have you experienced brunch?" people would ask. "You can't come to Dubai and not brunch. It's part of the city's culture!" (By that I think they meant expat culture!)

It's not cheap (250-700 AED, or $68-190 USD), so they make the most out of it. I've rarely seen people drink so much in so few hours. By the time we arrived at the bars later in the evening, I saw grown adults barely keeping themselves from falling down in a way that would make even the most ardent spring breakers cringe.

"New" Dubai was like an alternative reality that existed inside the hotels and bars. The local conservative culture didn't apply there. Seemingly no rules did.

So, when Sunday rolled around and my friend went off to work, I was excited to explore "old" Dubai, set on the Dubai river, and get a peek at local life. In this part of town, there weren't any skyscrapers, expats, or Western stores — just mosques, markets, small restaurants, and shops. The glitz and hotel bars and malls seemed a world away. I could take a dhow across the river, eat cheap food, mix with the locals, and get a sense of the day-to-day pace of the city.

Exploring the Dubai Museum, the gold markets, and the Jumeirah Mosque; haggling at local stalls; and marveling at the somewhat monolithically brown architecture, I felt more like I was in the Middle East. After three days, it was the first time I felt like I was some place foreign.

Yet, while I enjoyed seeing "old" Dubai, the city as a whole didn't really thrill me.

But I'm not ready to write off Dubai yet. There's still more of Dubai to see and explore. I didn't make it into the desert, missed a number of attractions, and the oppressive August heat made it hard to wander the city's streets and alleys.

Dubai is still a mystery to me. I can't wrap my head around it and am determined to return, turn over more stones, and get under this city's skin.

But one thing is for certain – this city is more than a stopover destination!

1 – Alcohol can only be served in places attached to hotels so you'll often find long walkways from hotels to nearby entertainment complexes to get around this rule. Otherwise, alcohol can only be bought at duty-free or by residents with a special liquor license.
2 – This wasn't just the expats either. I saw Emiratis and other Middle Easterners drinking in the same fashion.

The post Dubai: The Las Vegas of the Middle East? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

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Should LGBT Travelers Visit Anti-LGBT Countries?

I've added an LGBT column for the website to make the site more inclusive and talk about issues that affect some members of our community. In this column, we will hear from voices in the LGBT community about their experiences on the road, safety tips, events, and overall advice for other LGBT travelers to get the most out of their time on the road! Back again this month is our column leader Adam from travelsofadam.com. 

At last count, there are 77 countries where homosexuality is illegal, with death sentences possible in at least 12 of those. As a traveler, it's rare (but not totally unlikely) for LGBT tourists to get caught up in local antigay laws when traveling. But there are such stories out there: a gay British tourist jailed in Morocco, a gay Swedish tourist jailed in Tunisia, a couple facing harassment in Dubai, entrapment in Egypt…the list goes on. It's not always safe or easy for gay travelers (and certainly even harder for LGBT locals living under those laws and customs).

There are ethical and moral issues in play, as well as safety issues. Out Now Consulting's LGBT research shows that a key factor for LGBT travelers is determining how welcome they will feel in the places that they visit, and that many of those travelers are choosing purposefully not to visit places with anti-LGBT laws.

But as someone who believes in creating fewer borders, should my sexuality also control my travel plans?

For me, it's a gray area. There's no clear-cut answer for how or where I travel. There are some anti-gay destinations that I have zero interest in visiting to begin with, and their anti-gay laws just make the destination that much less attractive — for example: Dubai. But countless friends (gay and straight) have been there and go often. And I don't judge them for it. My travel preferences are my own.

But then there are also some anti-gay destinations which I do have an interest in visiting. I may not make plans to travel there now, but I won't cross them off my list either.

At the very least, I believe travelers need to learn about and understand a destination's political restrictions before traveling — even when those laws don't apply to you. Once you're fully informed about the political and security situation, attendant risks, and necessary precautions, the decision whether to visit an anti-gay destination is yours to make.

But, by visiting anti-gay destinations, can we actually make a difference? 

A 2012 UN World Tourism Organization report estimates that the economic impact of LGBT travelers in the USA alone is over $65 billion per year, and another source cites potentially over $200 billion for LGBT leisure spending globally.

So first, let's address the issue of not traveling to a given destination. Travel boycotts are a contentious issue, and one that brings up as many questions as answers. Do you boycott an entire country for its anti-gay laws, or just a specific region or state? What if the people there aren't universally anti-gay? For example, in the US, North Carolina and Mississippi recently passed anti-LGBT legislation. Do you then boycott the entirety of the USA, or just those states?

And there are always going to be LGBT individuals in every city, state, and country, many still closeted. By boycotting anti-gay destinations, are you hurting or helping those LGBT locals?

Ashton Giese, Outreach Director for OutRight Action International and editor of the weekly GAYography news brief, suggests that "boycotts don't really work against dictators or authoritarian regimes. Democratic institutions have to exist, where people and businesses could actually have a voice to make change."

By boycotting anti-gay destinations, however, you also miss out on the opportunity to support LGBT businesses that may exist there. Ashton recommends: "See if there's some type of LGBT tour guide or safe space to assist. I visited Egypt in February. It was incredible to see the sights and interact with the gay community there."

If you do want to visit a destination with anti-LGBT laws on the books, it's still important to consider safety. Do you have to hide your sexuality, or can you just be mindful if and when to come out? You might want to book with travel agencies that specialize in LGBT tourism, as they'll be more familiar with LGBT-friendly hotels, tours, guides, and specific activities. Independent gay group tour operators often have the most recent information regarding a country's LGBT safety for tourists.

But it's not just your own safety you need to keep in mind. Visiting an anti-gay destination to specifically seek out LGBT venues or groups can backfire. Sometimes giving a secret LGBT venue extra visibility can actually harm the small business, making it a potential target for hate crimes after you, the tourist, are long gone. As travelers, we're often in a bubble with our "tourist privilege," so it's important to be mindful of privacy issues, not just for yourself but for the people you interact with when traveling.

Do you always have to be an activist? 

If it's possible to visit safely as an LGBT traveler, should we deny ourselves travel experiences because of who we are? Most LGBT travelers I've spoken to about this issue are conflicted. There's a sense that you shouldn't give your tourism money to notoriously anti-gay destinations, but where people draw those lines seems to vary. For example, Uganda may have horrible anti-gay legislation, but there are still LGBT people living there — and still LGBT tourists traveling there. Not to mention a thriving tourism industry.

Troy Petenbrink, a journalist and blogger, wrote, "In general, I think we do more to help change anti-gay destinations' attitudes and behaviors by rewarding destinations that openly welcome us. I believe destinations seeing the power of the LGBT travel dollar benefiting their competition can bring about change. Those who argue that gays and lesbians vacationing in a horrible anti-LGBT destination such as Jamaica will somehow bring about change are foolish — and potentially dangerous."

****

In the end, travel is often political. And choosing to specifically not visit a destination is a political statement, hopefully formed out of a belief system and ideas based on reality. My best holidays have been ones where I've both had fun and learned something and I've found travel to be an amazing way to discover the many differences in our world.

When visiting homophobic places, it's important to make yourself aware of the local customs and laws, while still being mindful of both your safety and that of the locals. Trust your instincts and make informed decisions.

For me, I don't rule out visiting anti-LGBT destinations. Governments change and people's attitudes don't often reflect their government's. While I think it's important to be extremely cautious — and some countries aren't on my bucket list because of their policies — I believe it's just as important to take each country on a case-by-case basis and look at the overall situation.

The best we can do is be as informed as we can, but also remember that, while it is important to be cautious, if we believe travel can break down barriers, a blanket boycott of all anti-LGBT destinations won't do that.

Adam Groffman is a former graphic designer who left a publishing job in Boston to travel around the world before settling in Berlin, Germany. He's a gay travel expert, writer, and blogger and publishes a series of LGBT-friendly Hipster City Guides from around the world on his gay travel blog, Travels of Adam. When he's not out exploring the coolest bars and clubs, he's usually enjoying the local arts and culture scene. Find more of his travel tips (and embarrassing stories) on Twitter @travelsofadam.

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