While first-class flying isn’t always an option, that doesn’t mean you have to compromise your experience
Luxury travel is undoubtedly wonderful, but gosh can it get expensive. Whether it’s first-class flying, Michelin starred meals, or high-class hotels, these things don’t tend to come cheap. That is unless of course, you’ve done your research beforehand. You deserve the star treatment, even if your purse disagrees. Here are our top tips on how to experience luxury for less.
Make Friends with Flying
One thing that every frequent traveler will know is that it pays to have an arsenal of games ready for long journeys. Whether you’re tapping away on your mobile or laying out a deck of cards, having something to take your mind off the hours ahead always makes time pass more quickly.
One way that mobile gamers can make the experience that little more special, is by signing up for loyalty schemes with their favorite game provider. Most gaming companies offer some kind of bonus for loyal customers, but looking out for free schemes is the key.
Poker players should take note of PokerStars’ Platinum Elite Club, which is available to all players and rewards you with free chips every time you play, as well as plenty of other benefits. It’s one thing to have a game to pull out when the flight is getting boring, but it’s quite another to be part of an exclusive club.
Another company that has really splashed out on their Member’s Only perks is Amazon. Their Amazon Prime for mobile club allows you to sign up with your Amazon Prime account. If you already have an account, then it’s a totally free addition and means that you can collect ‘loot’ on many of your favorite apps.
Sleep in Peace
Feeling well-rested when you arrive at your destination can feel like an unreachable dream for many of us. A noisy plane or a fidgeting passenger can make all hopes of drifting off to sleep disappear. The simplest trick in the book is to sign yourself up to a frequent flyer program and book yourself in business class. If you holiday less often though, then don’t fear, there are some more tricks to give you the ultimate luxury of a few hours shut-eye.
If you enjoy falling asleep to a story, or just want to cancel out the hum of the plane, then being able to have a whole host of audiobooks at your fingertips is probably your idea of heaven. Audible can offer you that with their loyalty scheme. The scheme isn’t a free one. However, they do offer a free month trial so you can decide whether it’s for you or not, plus you get a book totally free every month!
Another tip that cannot be understated is the importance of a great sleep mask. Whilst there are many top-end designers who certainly offer something beautiful, they tend to come with an eye-watering price tag. Versace and Slip both offer super-luxury options, but at close to £200, they’re perhaps a little extravagant. One surprisingly bougie option comes from COS, in the form of a pure cashmere eye mask. Cashmere is the perfect material, as it allows the skin to retain moisture and regulates temperature, plus at only £25 it’s an absolute steal.
Grab Yourself a Bargain Bedroom
Although Airbnb is budget-friendly, there are plenty of rooms that are seriously upmarket
Although it’s lovely getting fresh sheets every day and gorging yourself at the hotel breakfast buffet, it’s not strictly necessary booking yourself into a hotel for the entirety of your holiday. A simple way to save money and potentially experience an ever better stay is to look into booking an Airbnb.
The whole ethos of the company is to allow tourists to live like locals by moving them into a local person’s home. Some rooms are literally a spare room, whilst others take the form of a penthouse suite, either way, it certainly ensures you really get the most out of your trip. The other big bonus to these stays is that there are some seriously luxury options available with a much more budget-friendly price tag.
If you really can’t forego the hotel experience, then the advice from industry experts is to book your trip exactly six weeks in advance. There are occasionally last-minute deals to be found, but you really run the risk of not being able to book anywhere at all if you leave it too late. Once you’re at your six-week marker, check out sites that compare deals for you, such as Trivago and Booking.com. You really could save a whole lot of money.
