How to travel in style

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This was published 4 years ago

How to travel in style

By Ben Groundwater
Travelling in style is possible with this life hack.

Travelling in style is possible with this life hack.Credit: Getty

This is sponsored content for St.George.

A champagne lifestyle on a beer budget: for many travellers, that's the dream. To live the life without having to shell out too much for it. To enjoy all of the modern niceties, even if it's not your usual style. That's what it's all about.

It might sound unattainable, but the truth is that if you're smart with your money and tactical in your spending, you too can travel in style without having to blow your budget.

Consider, first, your flight, which is so often where travellers feel that pang of jealousy as the lucky few enjoy their lounge access and the experience of getting to the plane door and turning left towards the comfort of business class. There are ways to make this happen without breaking the bank.

To begin with, pick your favourite airline and fly with them as often as possible. Airlines reward loyalty, often in the form of frequent flyer points. The more you fly with that airline, the more points you'll earn and the more benefits you'll enjoy.

Those points can be used to purchase upgrades to business or even first class. An elevated loyalty status – say, up to gold or even platinum – will also allow you access to the airline's lounge facilities and put you first in line for a free upgrade if the flight has been overbooked.

Credit: Getty

And that's not the only way to secure an upgrade. Some airlines now offer the chance to bid for business class seats when you book your economy fare – once the flight is ready to depart, the top bidders will be allocated any spare seats at the front of the cabin. It's worth putting in the smallest bid possible for this. You just never know if anyone else has bothered to throw their hat in the ring.

If you want to be certain of securing the business class experience, you could also opt to fly with a budget carrier. Sure, the front of the cabin isn't going to be as luxurious as on a full-service flight, but there are budget carriers who offer flatbed seats and plenty of the accompanying mod-cons for a fraction of the price of their competitors.

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For guaranteed access to the lounge, even without a gold card or business-class tickets, there are websites that offer single-entry passes for various lounges in airports around the world. That's a much cheaper option than buying an annual pass that you won't make use of. And there are also certain credit cards, including the St.George Amplify Signature credit card, that offer lounge passes as part of their rewards to members.

Of course, taking flights aren't your only option for earning bonuses with smart spending. Some credit cards provide frequent flyer points and rewards to use on experiences you might not have access to otherwise.

For example, you already know how much money you're likely to spend in a year, so look into credit cards that offer the best rewards – frequent flyer points or other bonuses – for that amount of spending. You can keep an eye out, too, for special bonus points offers from your credit card company and take them up if you can. More points, after all, equals more rewards.

And even without points, there are other good things in life that can be accessed for a fraction of the perceived cost. How about dining at Michelin-starred restaurants, the types that regularly turn up in the 50 Best list? Plenty of these eateries are eye-wateringly pricey, and you're not exactly going to find a discount coupon for them in your mailbox. However, there are some that aren't expensive at all.

For foodies on a budget, South-East Asia is your happy place. Here, Michelin-starred cuisine in Singapore starts at $3.15, at Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice. Food at the Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan in Hong Kong starts at $5.50. That's doable.

Credit: Getty

And then, of course, you need a nice hotel room to return to at the end of your meal. Much like the way airlines work, the secret here is loyalty. Choose a hotel brand you like, one that has outlets spread around the world, and join their loyalty program. You'll enjoy upgrades and special perks as a result of that membership. Book using your credit card to accrue further rewards points at the same time.

It's also worth targeting your destinations wisely. You're not going to get much bang for your buck in, say, Tokyo. Somewhere like Vietnam, however, or Thailand, you'll be able to secure five-star luxury for the amount you would have paid for a two-star box somewhere else.

Champagne lifestyle on a beer budget. That's what it's all about.

A St.George Amplify Signature credit card could help you realise your travel dreams and so much more. You could get 80,000 bonus Qantas points and a reduced annual card fee of $139 for the first year, usually $279. (Offer ends 12/02/2020. New cards only. Minimum $6k spend on eligible purchases within 90 days). Plus, you'll also enjoy two complimentary Qantas lounge passes every year, birthday bonus points and an uncapped points earn rate. Credit criteria, T&Cs apply. Learn more. Credit provided by St.George Bank - A Division of Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457 141 AFSL and Australian credit licence 233714.

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