A Dialog with Julia Menez — TripIt Weblog

Going Locations is a brand new collection from TripIt that highlights frequent vacationers to showcase their distinctive journey kinds and insider ideas. 

Earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic, you can discover Julia Menez, founding father of points-and-miles technique podcast and consultancy, Geobreeze, country-hopping round Europe or Asia. She usually took 4 or extra worldwide journeys a 12 months; normally flying in financial system—and at all times on factors and miles. Her go-to mode for country-hopping? Cruises. Her favourite cease? Tallinn, Estonia. 

“I’m an enormous “Recreation of Thrones” fan,” Julia advised me. “And Excessive Valyrian has roots within the Estonian language, so I used to be naturally drawn to the place. Tallinn was so charming. I like to recommend it to everybody!” 

Quick ahead to 2022, and journey appears a bit totally different for Julia. 

“Now, I journey much more domestically—and perhaps twice a 12 months internationally. I additionally go for enterprise or top notch once I do. It’s fewer journeys, however a nicer expertise—and nets out to be the identical price-wise,” she stated. 

She’s additionally been planning journeys that contain much less hopping round—and extra staying put—on account of the heightened border-crossing necessities in place resulting from COVID-19. 

Factors and miles—a recreation the place everybody wins 

When she’s not touring, Julia runs her podcast the place she interviews factors strategists to find out how they journey without spending a dime. She’s additionally a factors technique coach, serving to individuals stage up their points-and-miles recreation. 

After all, she’s at all times looking out to place her personal factors and miles to make use of. 

“I preserve a bucket listing of award-travel candy spots, after which preserve an eye fixed out for good award availability,” she stated. “In the case of reserving, I at all times seize an accessible award first—whether or not that’s a flight or a lodge—after which I construct the remainder of my itinerary from there.” 

So, what’s on her bucket listing of award-travel locations? “For starters, Greece! I grew to become obsessive about Greek mythology at a younger age. It’s been my dream to go to, nevertheless it’s at all times been so costly to go once you’re paying with money. I’m hoping to go this 12 months utilizing factors and miles.” 

Staying organized—from planning to touchdown to loyalty standing 

In the case of planning a visit, Julia and her husband break up up the duties. She handles reserving flights and lodging with their factors and miles; he handles the on-the-ground particulars.

However in terms of organizing their journey plans, Julia depends on TripIt. 

“I exploit TripIt to maintain all my affirmation numbers in a single place. I don’t need to dig by means of my emails, particularly once I’m checking right into a flight. I additionally use it to substantiate I’ve booked the appropriate lodge dates. Once you’re getting in late, the very last thing you need to be questioning is, did I e-book a room for tonight?”

When she’s on the go, Julia makes use of TripIt’s airport maps to navigate the terminal and discover out what lounges are close by. She additionally checks the COVID-19 journey steering function to know what to anticipate from totally different nations’ entry necessities. 

And when she’s again residence, Julia makes use of TripIt to assist her estimate when she’ll earn loyalty program standing. “Each the Level Tracker function and the way in which TripIt organizes itineraries are actually useful for holding observe of once I’ll get standing annually.” 

With extra luxurious journey experiences on the horizon—and much extra nations to say on her scratch-off world map—you’ll in all probability catch Julia people-watching at an airport lounge, serving to somebody e-book their very own dream journeys with factors and miles (verify her out on Instagram for useful ideas!), or a little bit of each. 

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