Have you ever wondered how to get the best deals on flights or how to find the cheapest luxury hotel? Sure you can use the internet, but there are some pretty strange “travel hacks” that you can do to ensure you get the most value for your money. There’s a man out there who has compiled a collection of videos for how to travel like a celebrity without the VIP budget. Meet Justin Ross Lee, he’s an American socialite, internet celebrity, and luxury traveller who has come up with some pretty crazy ideas to get the most out of your traveling experience. We are going to take a look at some of his travel hacks and others that you can potentially use to get a better seat on an airplane or to get access to the first class lounge. He claims that these work and they are certainly interesting, but many of them are definitely ethically ambiguous.
8. Check into your flight the fastest by departing at arrivals
Justin explains in one of his videos that one of the hacks he has used successfully is departing for your flight at arrivals. By doing this you can skip the line and most of the wait. You’ll probably be only one of a few people doing this, so you can spend the least amount of time waiting around the airport.
7. Enable private browsing when booking a flight or hotel
Another known travel hack is to enable private browsing on your internet browser when booking a flight or hotel. Every travel site collects cookies from page visitors that tells them a variety of information about you, like if you’re from an affluent area, for example. If you’ve visited a hotel site a few times and then are finally ready to book, for example, it will be a little more expensive. Private browsing ensures that you get the best prices, and all internet browsers are capable of private browsing.
6. Declare that you have a gun in your luggage to ensure it won’t be lost
This is one of the more risky travel hacks that Justin tells us to do, and we don’t recommend doing it. Still you are allowed by the TSA to pack a small and unloaded firearm in your luggage, in a locked box and you have to declare it. This doesn’t work for carry-on obviously, but Justin says that even if its a replica, the airline will surely keep an eye on your luggage and you can be sure that it won’t be misplaced or lost.
5. Change your seat on an airplane by faking a food allergy
Justin tells us that if you are on the plane and sitting next to someone you don’t like, say, a crying child, to order some food like peanuts and then fake having an allergy attack. From there you start complaining to the staff and they will most likely move your seat. Justin said it’s worked for him before, but the ethics around it are certainly in the gray area.
4. Check sites like Four Square for WiFi passwords
Many hotels, airports, bars, and restaurants, for example, do not give out their WiFi passwords for free or at all. Luckily there are many travel websites out there like Four Square and people often comment on the page relating to your location what the WiFi passwords are. This way you can at least try to always get free WiFi where you go.
3. Print out multiple business cards showing you work for a variety of companies
Another hack Justin tells us to do is to print out multiple business cards that say you work for a variety of companies. While this is probably at best, quasi-legal if not illegal, having these business cards can get you deals or free stuff. Many airports or hotels offer special promotions to people from a certain company and Justin says to have a portfolio of them so you can get access to that discount meal at an airports restaurant, for example.
2. Exploit nice staff members at a hotel to get a better room
Another fairly unethical travel hack that Justin talks about is how to upgrade your room at a hotel for free. He says that after checking in he tries to find the nicest, caring, and the most empowered staff members at a hotel, and then he complains to them until they give him a free room upgrade.
1. Use the first class lounge as a free office
Another great hack from Justin is how to use the first class lounge at an airport as an office. These lounges typically are really premium, have free WiFi, and offer complimentary food and drinks (including booze). So if you’re looking for an office space on the go, Justin says to purchase a refundable first class ticket for any flight. This will get you access to the lounge, and then at the end of the day you can just cancel the ticket to get your money back.
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