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5 Ways To Use Frequent Flyer Miles (Other Than Flying)

by Anil Polat | Jan 26, 2021 | Air, Car, Lodging, Money | 0

You might not be flying as much lately – global pandemic or otherwise – but your accumulated frequent flyer miles don’t have to go to waste. Although many airlines have extended frequent flyer programs so your miles won’t expire any time soon, you can put the miles you have now to good use.

Here are 5 ways to use your frequent flyer miles for everything that’s not a flight.

1. Shopping

Most airlines have online malls with a number of retailers including Apple and Best Buy. You’ll find these online malls through the airline mileage website and can use any miles you have for discounts or to purchase items outright. Additionally if you’re using a credit card with mile perks, they most likely will have an online store as well.

2. Take A Road Trip

Frequent flyer miles can be used for car rentals or hotels so don’t limit yourself to the sky. As a general rule you’ll get more bang for your mile using points in the travel industry as opposed to a new iPad (see point 1 above).

3. Convert To Cash

You can trade in frequent flyer miles for cash, especially if they’re accumulated through a credit card. NerdWallet breaks down Marriott’s award program (.3 cents per point) but according to Alex Miller, the CEO of Upgraded Points, you want to aim for conversions of a cent per mile.

4. Donate

You’re a good person, I’m sure but just so you know, unless you bought your frequent flyer miles donating them won’t be a tax deduction in most cases. You can though donate your miles, in case you didn’t know that. (Works for random currency you’ve accumulated traveling too.) There are a number of good causes most mileage programs have partnered with and your miles can help others escape political violence or make ends meet (by converting miles to cash).

5. Give To Friends And Family

There’s often a fee to transfer miles to another account (if you’re married though maybe not so contact the airline) but for those people who need to fly, your miles might help them get what they need for a free flight. Like many of the points already mentioned, the best way is through the airline’s online mileage program site, then call to see what better options they might offer you.

While You Wait

Most people haven’t checked up on the miles they have recently or when they might be expiring. If that sounds like you, check your frequent flyer miles right now to make sure they aren’t (or haven’t) vanished. Contact the airlines to see what extension plans are in effect since when travel does resume, you’re likely to get some great deals with the miles you have. So, unless you have a good reason not to, it’s best to stash your miles until you’re ready for sky time since they can protect you from flight cancellations as well.

Trove Wallet Might Convince You On Minimalist Money Carrying

by Anil Polat | Jan 21, 2021 | Money, Pictures and Video | 0

The Trove Wallet is a slim wallet that differs itself from the competition buy going for a small and soft aesthetic that might entice you to finally leave the fold.

You can watch my full review in the video above or read on.

Trove’s Minimalism

Like most slim wallets, the Trove Wallet cuts down on pockets by giving you space for the stuff you actually use. Unlike most slim wallets however, the Trove is made of an elastic material, not hard plastic or metal. The flexibility of the design, which primarily uses two fabrics stitched together results in a wallet that’s only as big as it needs to be.

The first elastic fabric comes in a variety of colors you can choose from with a single piece of material (reflex, carbon-fiber, or leather) used to hold the form together. (Reflex and carbon fiber are vegan options.) All of the components can be configured with the colors you want from the reflex to the stitching or you can choose from Trove’s default selection.

Additionally, you can add a “Swift” tab which let’s you pull up your cards out of the front pocket of the Trove. Honestly, I couldn’t see using this wallet without it.

Fabric Design

Although the Trove Wallet is physically small, it’s also physically diverse and inconspicuous. There are three compartments, two on the top and one on the bottom formed by the tension between the two top pockets coming together. The best way to use the Trove is to put your 2 or 3 most used cards in the front pocket, less used cards in the rear pocket, and cash in the “underneath” pocket. You could also use this underneath pocket for receipts or miscellaneous items like a coin or two but you won’t be able to carry much change at all.

Who’s The Trove For?

Read this part first, react, then give it a second to sink in: the Trove Wallet holds up to 10 cards and a few bills of cash, maybe a receipt. Your gut reaction might be “there’s no way I can reduce my wallet to all of that!” But if you check your current wallet, that’s probably all you’re carrying as it is. (Plus that membership card you haven’t looked at in 5 years.)

For frequent travelers, the trade offs for a slim wallet will be worth the switch. The Trove Wallet is slim, light, and so much more convenient although it takes a week to get used to the new form factor. Traditionalists who don’t like change probably aren’t reading at this point but if you’ve been on the fence about slim wallets, the Trove brings a lot of the best from folding and slim wallets.

Bose Noise-Cancelling Earbuds vs. Sony: How To Choose!

by Anil Polat | Jan 14, 2021 | Pictures and Video, Tech | 0

Bose and Sony make two of the best over-ear noise-canceling (ANC) headphones on the consumer market. ANC is a feature that uses anti-sound waves to create a silent room between your ears and can nearly eliminate jet engine noise on a flight for example. Until now though the tech to make ANC work was bulky, limiting it to full size headphones. With the new releases of the Sony WF-1000XM3 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, ANC has made its way into portable buds with varying results.

You can see the difference between the Bose QC Earbuds and Sony WF-1000XM3 in the video above but here’s a hint: if you value sound quality and good ANC, you’re going to have to pay for it.

Bose QuietComfort Earphones, 2020 Model, Soapstone

Bose QC, Clunky King

The QC are function over design… sort of. The function isn’t all that great (my full review here) except when it comes to two features you may have guessed. It’s hard to compare the Bose QC to the Sony WF-1000XM3 in terms of sound quality and ANC since Bose has brought the over-ear quality to their earbuds. Just about everything else with the physical design could be refined, the touch controls improved, and the Bose Music app enhanced. But for those of you who really care about ANC – frequent flyers especially – the Bose are a class ahead of the WF-1000XM3.

Sony WF-1000XM3 Industry Leading Noise Canceling Truly Wireless...

Sony’s Slimming Down

On the other hand, the Sony WF-1000XM3 are what you wish Bose’s headphones looked like. They are earbuds are smaller and the charging case is slimmer, more pocket-able, and gives you 18 hours of additional charge (versus 12 for the Bose). You can watch my full review of the Sony WF-1000XM3 in the video below.

How To Decide

With the Sony now floating on sale to prices half that of the Bose QC (just keep watching for discounts) they’re a much more attractive option. Unless you’re looking to completely replace your over-ear headphones, fly frequently, or place a high value on premium sound quality and are willing to pay for it, the Sony WF-1000XM3 have a lot to offer. A lot to offer when they’re on sale for significantly less than the Bose QC.

How To Rent An Office Anywhere In The World

by Anil Polat | Jan 12, 2021 | Green, Money, Pictures and Video, Travel Unravel | 0

Renting an office most anywhere in the world can be an expensive commitment. Often on trips longer than a few days (or just pandemics in general) you need a quiet place to work outside of your home or rental accommodation. Regus Spaces is a service that let’s you rent temporary space in over 3,300 locations worldwide with agreements as short as one month. Here’s how it works.

Regus Rentals

Regus is a company with a network of 3300 work spaces worldwide and includes other brands like Spaces, which is focused on temporary or short-term rentals. There are a number of options using Spaces but it basically breaks down into two basic categories: time and type.

The first general option with a Spaces subscription is the duration. You sign up for a monthly or year subscription (discounts if you do the latter) and can cancel with one month’s notice. If you only need temporary office space for a month, simply cancel the day you sign up. Options to rent are 5, 10, or unlimited days in a month with some restrictions. Most notably the days of the week (business days only) and hours (typically from 9am-5pm). Otherwise you’re free to use your office days as you please and can book at any of the 3,300 locations the day before.

The second option is type.

Lounge Access – Similar to an airport lounge, this levels gives you access to Regus business lounges. These are open spaces with free high-speed (I’ve tested, it’s fast) wifi and common facilities like a printer, scanner, and photocopier.
Co-Working Option – Includes all the Lounge Perks but guarantees you a desk with rates (varying worldwide) starting at a little over $100.
Private Office – Gives you a dedicated private office space, including access to all of the perks and spaces in the other plan types.

The private office option usually runs about double the price of a co-working monthly membership.

Not Renting A Single Space

It’s important to note that in all of these Spaces plans you’re not renting a single co-working desk or private office in say, Berlin. Your subscription gives you access to all of the 3,300 Regus locations. Working one day in Berlin then flying to London for a business trip? You can split your days in between them or simply try a new office across town from another Regus location.

Every office has a different design, some are open plans with large windows while others are more traditional four walls and a desk. You can visit any of the locations as a member or set one up to see what nearby options are before you sign up. Take a look in my video here of a look inside a Regus/Space temporary office. For those of you who travel frequently or simply need a quiet place to get some work done outside of the house or hotel, Spaces has a number of flexible places in a location that might be close to you.

The Bose QuietComfort Noise-Canceling Earbuds Are Made For Frequent Flyers

by Anil Polat | Jan 7, 2021 | Pictures and Video, Tech | 0

The new QuietComfort (QC) Earbuds are the first generation of noise canceling earbuds for Bose and it shows. These are clunky earbuds with an even clunkier case but Bose is hoping you’ll overlook all of the QC’s shortcomings for its superior sound and excellent noise canceling (ANC). For most people, those two features won’t be enough for the pricey price tag but if you fly a lot, then these Bose could just be for you.

Portable But Not Comfortable

At 3.9 x 2.6 x 2.7cm (1.54 x 1.02 x 1.06 in) the Bose QC are relatively large earbuds which noticeably stick out of your ears. They’re not too heavy – 8.5 grams each – and thanks to Bose’s familiar wingtip design the QC are much more comfortable than they look. These larger earbuds though don’t come with longer battery life, hovering around 5-6 hours per bud. The beefy charging/carry case also has a disappointing 12 hours of battery life although it supports wireless charging. (I think most of us would have preferred a bigger battery rather than the space the wireless coil takes.)

Bose QuietComfort Earphones, 2020 Model, Soapstone

A lot of these physical design drawbacks come from being a first gen product certainly but Bose is banking that you’ll appreciate what’s housed inside – not what’s missing.

Impressive Sound And True Noise Canceling

Where Bose does know a thing or two about is sound quality and noise cancellation. First, the sound quality. It is immersive, full, with vibrant tones across the spectrum from highs to mids to lows. When listening to these QC the thought of “these are huge earbuds” becomes “I can’t believe the sound coming out of buds this small.”

That’s the same thought when activating active noise cancelling as well. As the world around you melts into silence (a close competitor to over-ear versions) even with a jet engine screaming in the background the QC show off what they’re capable of. With 10 levels of noise cancellation through the Bose Music app you can go from ambient mode all the way to quiet library.

Travel Trades

Given the powerful noise canceling frequent flyers might be tempted to get a pair of the Bose QC. Yes, the touch controls for volume, noise canceling levels, and pause/play aren’t sensitive enough to work reliably and the charging case is an odd shape that’s hard to pocket. It’s true the QC can’t connect to multiple devices and staying connected is something of an adventure you shouldn’t have to deal with at premium prices.

I’m glad Bose added IPX4 certification, meaning they can reliably survive a splash of water so you can use these in light rain. I like the auto pause when you take the earbuds out. But if it weren’t for the exceptional sound quality and ANC it would be hard to justify the price. For most people it still won’t justify the price but if you find yourself on planes or other noisy situations often, the Bose QC could just convince you.

How To Overcome Your Travel Fears In The New Year

by Anil Polat | Jan 5, 2021 | Advice, Money | 0

The thought of traveling around the world seems daunting but add in the challenge of doing it with no money and it sounds downright scary. Michael Wigge though is someone who did just that in 2013, among other travel challenges. Now, he’s has taken those lessons from the road to teach you how to overcome your own fears. I spoke with Michael on a recent episode of the foXnoMad Podcast and asked how he’s teaching others what fear is and how you can conquer it. Techniques Michael’s had to use himself as he talks in front of large groups as a motivational speaker.

You might remember Michael from this live chat from several years ago when he answered your questions on what it was like to barter his way around the world. In this episode you can listen to here, we spoke about traveling the world for free, Michael’s work as a motivational speaker in Germany, and what it was like getting paid to be a human couch in Las Vegas.

How to Travel the World for FREE: I did it, and you can do it...

It was nice to catch up with Michael after a few years and glean the lessons he’s teaching others from a life of travel challenges with the accompanying highs and lows that comes with the journey. Whatever your goals may be using your fear as a guide rather than an obstacle can make any plan a reality.

About Anil Polat

Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More