All About Global Entry and TSA PreCheck

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Earlier today, I flew out to San Francisco and had an overall very smooth trip, particularly going through security at the beginning of the trip.  Say whaaaat??  No, I’m not being facetious; security was a breeze, and here’s why.  To start, there are 2 main program that I think all travelers should know about: 1)  Global Entry – offers expedited customs clearance when re-entering the US form a foreign country. 2)  TSA PreCheck – offers expedited security screening when flying (mostly on domestic flights, but the program is expanding to international itineraries as well).  In particular, you no longer have Continue reading All About Global Entry and TSA PreCheck→

Flights to Italy from New York/Miami $437 roundtrip!!

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Several airlines have launched a sale on flights to Italy from New York City and Miami for as low as $437 roundtrip!  This deal is to Verona Italy, which is in the northern part of Italy, halfway in between Milan and Venice.  Verona has a population of about 265,000 and hosts lots of fairs, shows, and operas. The lowest fares can be found between October 26 and December 11.  In late October/early November, northern Italy is quite pleasant – with average highs close to 60 and lows in the 40s.  If you live near Miami or New York, this is Continue reading Flights to Italy from New York/Miami $437 roundtrip!!→

Initial Thoughts – Overview of the Bahamas

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The Mrs. Guru and I just got back from a quick weekend down in the Bahamas.  I’ll be sharing a full trip report with more details shortly, but wanted to post an initial overview of the Bahamas and how our trip went (make sure to read the taxi scam info at the bottom!) Before the Flight The night before the trip, we stayed in Charlotte at the Comfort Suites Airport on a free stay, courtesy of the Choice Hotels Best Rate Guarantee.  When looking into the that stay, I found a lower rate on another website (compared to the official Continue reading Initial Thoughts – Overview of the Bahamas→

Flights to Machu Picchu (Cuzco) – $402 roundtrip

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If you’ve ever thought about going to Peru to see Machu Picchu, this could be your ticket!  Copa Airlines (partners with United) has launched a sale on flights to Cuzco, the closest city to visit the famous Machu Picchu. The lowest fares are available from Washington, DC at only $402 roundtrip.  Other cities are available such as: Miami: $410 Orlando: $446 New York (JFK): $483 Boston: $538 Los Angeles: $559 Chicago: $579 This sale is valid between late August and late October, when the weather is quite comfortable and dry. Sample Itinerary: You can use ITA Matrix as I did Continue reading Flights to Machu Picchu (Cuzco) – $402 roundtrip→

How to find flight deals to Paris (or anywhere, really)

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A reader recently emailed me a question asking about taking a trip to Paris.  He writes: I was thinking about a trip to Paris, but I’m still trying to figure how feasible that might be. I assume that if anyone would know of a good way to make it happen, it’d be the Guru. Any deals/recommendations for flights/hotels in late July or August for Paris? Every year, I do get several requests for advice on trips to Europe over the summer.  As many of you probably already know, the peak time for travel to Europe is over the summer.  So Continue reading How to find flight deals to Paris (or anywhere, really)→

How Credit Cards Affect Your Credit Score

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I periodically post about valuable bonuses (often 50,000-100,000 miles) being offered when signing up for a credit card.  A very common misconception of credit cards is that they ruin your credit.  While that can be true if you don’t use credit wisely, they can actually improve your credit – and at the same time, be extremely profitable.  So if you’re curious how credit cards affect your credit score, here’s my perspective. First Things First To begin, I am not a financial adviser, so I can’t guarantee any of the information below.  I’m simply providing information about what I’ve learned through Continue reading How Credit Cards Affect Your Credit Score→

North, South Carolina

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The Mrs. Guru and I were in Charleston, SC this weekend for a much-needed getaway.  We stayed at the Doubletree Suites by Hilton, which was in a perfect location for exploring Charleston.  Stay tuned for a more detailed review of the hotel, but overall it was a great place to stay. On the drive, we passed by the rather hilariously named town of North, South Carolina. Yep, re-read that if you need to…there’s a town called North and it’s in the state of South Carolina.  What’s that?  You want to hear more about people from this town?  Well, look no Continue reading North, South Carolina→

Staying On Top of Travel Deals

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There have been some awesome deals lately….$10 flights to DC, $600 roundtrip flights to China, and $130 one way flights to Italy.  A lot of these deals a very time sensitive – often only lasting a day or two, or sometimes even less. I just wanted to post a quick reminder that you can stay on top of these types of deals by Subscribing to the blog, if you haven’t already.  It just takes a second, your email address is kept completely secure, and will never be used for any other purposes.  You’ll simply get an automated email everytime I Continue reading Staying On Top of Travel Deals→

NYC to Milan Flights: $130 (one way)

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A fantastic deal is going on right now for flights from several US cities (mostly NYC and Los Angeles) for flights to Europe (mostly Milan, Prague, and Budapest). It appears to be a mistake that the fare is pricing so low, so I don’t expect this to last more than a few hours.  With this deal, you can get a one way flight from NYC to Milan for as low as $130.  Although it seems completely unrelated, you’ll need to do a search for a multi-segment flight: NYC to Milan, Italy Prague, Czech Republic to Tokyo, Japan By combining those Continue reading NYC to Milan Flights: $130 (one way)→

Cheap Flights to China from DC, Newark, and more!

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If you’re looking for cheap flights to China, listen up!  First off, bear with me while I explain the background of this type of deal: most large airlines these days (Delta, United, American, etc) have hub cities, where most of their flights operate to and from.  And often times, airlines tend to dominate the market at their particular hub cities.  For example, one of Delta’s big hubs is Atlanta, so in order to try to steal business from Delta in the Atlanta market, United might offer special deals for flights to and from Atlanta. Right now, the exact opposite is Continue reading Cheap Flights to China from DC, Newark, and more!→