Average Guy Travels

  Lets Talk about TSA Pre Check, Global Entry and Clear   Lots of people have asked me which one they should get. The answer to that depends completely on your travel needs and patterns. In the following paragraphs I will describe to you what they each one is, its benefits and its cost so you can decide which one you want! We will start with TSA Pre Check, TSA Pre Check is a product designed to help you streamline through the security line before your flight. If you have Pre Check you are able to enter a special security line that is typically 80% shorter than the standard security line and will allow you to not remove your shoes, not remove your electronics from their carriers. I had TSA Precheck for several years and got through security in about 15 minutes or less almost 100% of the time. It was definitely worth having. TSA Pre Check is designed for travel within the United States and is currently available at a cost of $77.95. The enrollment process is simple, you ...

  What kind of traveler am I?   Like anything you do, it’s important to gain an understanding of what you hope to achieve or get out of any experience.   There are three basic types of travelers, the business traveler, the specific destination traveler and the experience traveler. We are going to discuss the specific destination traveler and the experience traveler. The specific destination traveler is the traveler who, like the title states, wants to go to a specific place at a specific time and see specific things. This is the most restrictive and expensive way to travel. By choosing this type of travel you must understand you will pay more than the experience traveler. The more restrictions you place on your trip, the harder it will be to save money. One of the ways you can save money on this type of travel is called repositioning. On my most recent trip to Europe, I practiced a type of repositioning. Repositioning involves researching fares and airlines that f...

  Do I have to wait in that huge line at the airport to check my bags?   One of the things I noticed on my last couple trips is that people are really unaware of what they need to do to get from the drop off point to the gate where they board the plane. The airlines are not staffed well enough to guide you so it’s a great idea to have a general understanding of what you need to do from street to gate. Every airline today has its own ap for your smartphone, so if you have made it this far and purchased a low-cost ticket congratulations! Now get on your phone and download the ap for your chosen airline. Sign up for the frequent flyer program of the airline. There is no reason not to take advantage of any credits, miles or benefits they may give you. A common thought process is that “I don’t fly them enough to earn a flight.” That may be true but just a couple thousand frequent flyer miles can earn you an upgraded seat or a free bag or drink on a low-cost carrier. Now tha...

  Lets kick off this Blog with a discussion about (What’s in your wallet?)…….Credit Card rewards are incredibly important to low cost travel and we need to make sure you are getting everything you can out of the cards in your wallet! I will discuss with you what I have learned from watching and reading about the various cards and what I carry. Nothing we discuss is meant to be an absolute, take the information and mold it for your own use.   First, Lets discuss my weapons of choice. I carry the Capital One Venture X and the Non-Branded American Express Gold Card. There are very specific reasons for each of these cards. The Capital One Venture X card awards 2 points for every dollar spent. It has bonus earnings if you book through their portal of 10 points per dollar on Hotels and Rental Cars and 5 points per dollar on flights. There is no additional cost for authorized users and the sign-up bonus averages 75,000 miles.   What this means is that by simply adding thi...

  Welcome to average guy travels ......... Lets start with a little background on who i am and why i started this blog. My name is Dave and I'm a 55 year old married man with two adult children and one nearly adult child. I retired from the Cincinnati police Department in 2022 after 31 years of Law Enforcment. I served in the United States Army during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm where I deployed to Iraq as part of the 1st Battalion 24th Aviation regiment. Im an average guy. In 2014 I created a military program within my agency that became nationally recognized and very successful. This success began a whirlwind of travel that I didnt have much experience with. Since then, I have fallen in love with travelling and can barely stay in the same place for 30 days. I have learned so many tricks and tips to travel both national and international, it has made my life and my bank accounts much healthier. 'm going to share these stories, tips and tricks with you in hopes th...