Travel Hacking a Myth? This Reporter Thinks So

Our parents think we are doing something illegal. Our friends don’t bother liking our vacation photos anymore. And our colleagues are waiting for retirement before they travel the world the ‘right way’. Add in another points skeptic by the name of Simon Calder, a travel writer for the Independent, a UK media outlet, to this list.

In his article, “The Myth of ‘travel hackers’ who bag luxury trips for pennies“, Calder writes, “Personally, I’d rather stick to economy even on the 14-hour-plus flight from Abu Dhabi to New York than spend days on end managing multiple credit cards.” He then cites a travel blogger, Upon Arriving, who took a great trip around the world on points as an example of what is possible if you do points the right way. Finally, he concludes, “Although it means missing out on the credit-card shuffle and the inflight canapes, I prefer a simple life of travel.”

I fail to see how the title of the article and the evidence provided by the offer are congruent. What is the myth? Clearly, the blogger used in the article proved that it can be done and many of us bloggers and readers have proved it time and time again. The article should be called “I’m too lazy to spend time to figure out the points game which is why I rationalize that peasant class is preferable.”

This conclusion is the same as when I dismiss reselling. “Oh that’s too much work. That’s such a hassle just for points.” Since the end of easy MS, many have quit the points profession, frustrated that it isn’t as convenient as the glory days of the Bird. While I’m not going to spend my time perfecting reselling, I have found other ways to keep this ‘myth’ alive. And if this adventure ever ends, I’ll always have the memories as evidence that, at one point, this was a reality. By then, I hope to be a cash money millionaire, flying private jets, and staying on my own island in the Grand Caymans anyway.