Speaker 1: Hey, I'm Brian Kelly, the points manager, and today I'm going toe-to-toe with GPT-4 chat to give you the best tips on how to travel on a budget . Budget. Traveling isn't about staying in hostels and flying on the cheapest airlines. It's a state of mind. It's about winning on the systems you book in. So, whether it is hotels or airlines, it is not necessarily the cheapest option, as cheap can be expensive when you take into account all the available fees. So my best tips for traveling on a budget (00:00:30) is to be flexible. This is where you save the most money when traveling. Additionally, when possible, take advantage of loyalty points, which can save you considerable amounts of money. Personally, I believe that there is no ideal destination for a limited budget. You can go to the most expensive cities in the world, but when your hotels and flights are free, you can go eat street food. So I don't like to force people to say this is where you go at this time and date because there are amazing deals at all times. So I recommend (00:01:00) using technology, flight alerts and huge data sets to determine the best time to buy a flight. So now let's listen to the GPT-4 chat. For any misleading information, I'll deduct a point, and for anything that's very insightful, I'll give them points and I promise to be fair, because I'm the points guy. Speaker 2: Traveling on a budget can be rewarding and fun with these great tips. Plan ahead. Early bookings can guarantee cheaper flights and accommodation. Speaker 1: Planning the furthest in advance (00:01:30) will often get you the highest airfare. Airlines therefore like to take advantage of nervous Nellys who book very far in advance. We call it the Goldilocks rule. You don't want to book two at the last minute because that's when they raise the rates and prices. For business travelers who need to get there but too far in advance, you actually spend more. On average, there is a sweet spot. For domestic flights, you're looking at about eight weeks before the flight, and for international flights, three to four months before to get the lowest rate. And there are also great last minute deals (00:02:00), especially if you have frequent flyer miles. What most people don't realize is that last minute airlines will post tons of super, super, super cheap points. Tickets because they want to occupy every last seat. Speaker 2: Travel off-season, avoid peak times to benefit from lower prices and fewer people staying in budget accommodations. Think hostels, budget, hotels or vacation rentals. Speaker 1: A budget for different people can mean different things. So staying in hostels, yes it can save you (00:02:30) money, but there are also ways to stay in nice hotels that give you free breakfast and are safer and feel less use of corporate codes and points. So I don't think this is the best advice for everyone. Many people do not want to stay in youthful turmoil. They are generally aimed at a younger audience. So I feel like this advice was pretty focused and pretty basic. So I'm going to subtract half a point. Speaker 2: Eat like a local, opt for street food or local restaurants (00:03:00) rather than tourist spots. Use public transportation. Save money by using free bus, train or subway activities. Explore free attractions such as parks, museums or historical sites. Pack your luggage intelligently, avoid extra costs by packing light and bringing the essentials. Use travel apps. Apps can help you find discounts and navigate foreign countries efficiently. Set a daily budget, track expenses to avoid overspending. Local SIM card. (00:03:30) Reduce roaming charges by using a local SIM card for data and calls. Speaker 1: Unless you need high, high, high speeds. The time it takes to change your SIM card and get a different phone number and all the hassle that comes with it is probably not worth it. Speaker 3: In five words or less, what is the cheapest day of the week to fly. Speaker 1: In general? Tuesdays, speaker 2: Tuesday or Wednesday. Speaker 1: Tuesday is cheaper. ai, Speaker 3: What is the cheapest time of day to fly? Speaker 1: Generally speaking, (00:04:00) noon, Speaker 2: Early morning or late. Speaker 1: At night? In my experience traveling around the world, airports are quietest at midday and airfares generally follow demand. So I don't think this is good advice. Speaker 3: Which credit card offers the best travel benefits? Speaker 1: American Express Platinum Speaker 2: Chase Sapphire Reserve. Speaker 1: Looking purely at the benefits, the American Express Platinum blows the sapphire out of the water with lounge access. Also, when it comes to purchase protection, which is a benefit that a lot of people underestimate American Express, they will take away (00:04:30) your purchases if you buy something and lose it while traveling . There are some parts of the Chase Sapphire Reserve, like flight delay and cancellation coverage. I give the edge to Chase Sapphire. But how often are your flights canceled? It's a small percentage. So, in addition to the global entry and pre-check offered by the reserve, American Express Platinum also offers a clear service that will help you get through the airport. Hunting. Sapphire Reserve isn't chasing Sapphire Reserve wins on points, but that's sort of indisputable. Amex Platinum Wins on Speaker 3: Pros. What are the best international travel destinations for budget travelers? Speaker 1: (00:05:00) Southeast Asia, Latin America, Speaker 2: Mexico City, Bangkok, Lisbon. Speaker 3: What are the best domestic destinations for budget travelers Speaker 1: Road trips? Florida, Georgia, Texas, Speaker 2: New Orleans, Austin, Las Vegas. Speaker 1: New Orleans can be very expensive, especially at peak times, so can Vegas. Speaker 3: What is the advantage of traveling on a budget? Speaker 1: Save money. Travel more Speaker 2: Discovering hidden and affordable gems. Speaker 3: (00:05:30) What is the hardest part of traveling on a budget? Speaker 1: Say no to cool experiences, Speaker 2: Limited choices, strict planning Speaker 1: Cat, GPT-4, then you are not giving good advice because there are a lot of choices for budget travelers. So Speaker 3: What is the most important thing to do when traveling on a budget? Speaker 1: Open your mind. Meet Friends, Speaker 2: Plan and budget carefully. Speaker 1: It's an experience, it's a lifestyle and it will uplift you if done correctly. So minus two points (00:06:00) for just being boring. Speaker 3: What is the most common misconception about traveling on a budget? Speaker 1: It's about making sacrifices. Speaker 2: This is poor quality or restrictive. Speaker 3: Why should people travel Speaker 1: To change their mindset? Speaker 2: Broadening perspectives creates memories. Speaker 1: This is the first point I will make to AI today. Well done. We asked a lot of questions. Let's ask ourselves, what questions should we ask ourselves when traveling on a budget? (00:06:30) What do you have? Speaker 2: What is affordable housing? What free activities are available? How can I save money on meals? Speaker 1: Basic but not fake. Speaker 1: I guess the biggest problem I have with asking an expert for advice or talking with GPT advice is that you don't get the full picture. And I hate to say that the cheapest day of the week is Tuesday to fly. This is usually the case, but you can get great deals on Fridays. Offers come and go. (00:07:00) It's about knowing how to evaluate a transaction and when to access it and use technology. These days, there are so many tools that you can set alerts so that when flights fall below a certain price, you'll be alerted and can buy right then and there. And here's a tip too. Even after purchasing a flight, many airlines will allow you to change it if the flight is canceled, this is budget travel. I think today's advice was good, but I would recommend anyone who wants to travel more and spend less to look into the systems. (00:07:30) The best deals come from flexibility and intelligence, from knowing how to operate every system in every country you go to. I recommend going to international countries where the US dollar is strong. There are even countries where you can get a better exchange rate on the black or gray market, but ultimately this can stretch your dollar longer. So think of budget travel as maximizing your budget so you can save money and travel more.
