Many of us are early in our careers -- budget conscious yet eager to explore. Curious about the world but worried that we don't have the money (or the time) to justify the luxury of extensive travel. It doesn't have to be that way.
I'm going to tell you about a new program in a minute, but first, a few notes on why I care so passionately about bringing cost-effective travel strategies to you.
Travel sets my soul ablaze.
The triumph of a well-packed suitcase.
Sitting next to someone on the plane who starts out a stranger and ends up a friend.
Suspended in time as you travel from one place to the next; neither here nor there. Enlightened by introspection and enlivened by possibility.
Watching the sun rise and set from the window seat, its gorgeous rays reflected on the pillows of clouds beneath you.
Inhaling as you take in the glorious air of a new city.
The pride of stretching far beyond your comfort zone, eyes wide open as you soak up a new environment. The joy of observing the pace and idiosyncrasies of the throngs of people around you.
Reflecting with nostalgia on your return flight; forever changed by the people you met, the sights you saw, and the person you became.
I feel more alive with each trip I take, even if it's just a long roadtrip in my car -- music blasting, thoughts marinating, ideas generating.
But how do we make the bliss of travel a regular part of our lives, even without winning the lottery?
Enter the Travel Hacking Cartel
Chris Guillebeau, of epic book tour fame (who also plans to visit every country in the world before he turns 35), is on a mission to "democratize free travel."
Yes, FREE travel.
Not "pay an arm and a leg and get worked by airlines" travel. FREE.
Chris will unlock the secret hatches of the airline industry (currently unbeknownst to many of us) so that you can fly around the world without emptying your bank account. In his words, "You’ll learn about glitch fares, Round-the-World tickets, padding out your mileage account, earning elite status, and much more."
This is particularly prescient for me as I prepare to launch my self-funded book tour -- currently 12 cities strong -- while on unpaid leave from Google. Every dollar counts. That's exactly why I'm thrilled to be a launch partner for the Travel Hacking Cartel -- so I can learn for myself AND share the love with you.
The Travel Hacking Cartel is a monthly forum that provides the following:
- Regular “Deal Alerts” sent via email and SMS/text message (when a big opportunity comes up, you will be the first to know).
- Tutorials and an extensive Knowledge Base to get you started (most people have no idea what to do with miles and points...Chris will show you).
- Refer-a-Hacker Program that will pay you 500 Frequent Flyer Miles for each friend you refer.
- The “World's Greatest Guarantee” – if you spend at least 30 minutes a month travel hacking with what you learn above, you will earn enough miles for at least 1 plane ticket every quarter (or 4 plane tickets a year).
Four plane tickets a year! Yes please.
Intrigued?
There are three levels of membership: Economy Class ($15/mo), Business Class ($25/mo), and First Class ($39/mo). You can test the waters with a 14-day trial for $1 and cancel (or downgrade) at any time if you decide it's not for you. If you're one of the first 1,000 to sign-up, you'll get access to a free webinar on "8 Ways to Travel for Free in 2011."
Interested?
Get your travel hack on! Join me and countless others as we learn how to travel the world for free -- for less than the cost of an airport latte.
*Legal Jargon: I am an affiliate for this program. But as always, I am highly selective and will only share things with you when I believe that you will get tremendous benefit.