Fly with Chris and Di

Taking advantage of frequent flyer programs is a great way to save on flights and upgrade to a more comfortable flight. You can also use some points for other things like merchandise or even drinks. It can get confusing trying to make sense of all of the options. This is why we are sharing our experience on how to maximize those benefits and get the most out of your miles program.

We talk about how to become a frequent flyer member. If you're already a member, don't worry, we have stuff for you too. We talk about some of the benefits of being a frequent flyer. We also talk about how to sign up for frequent flyer programs, and we also talk about how to get the most out of your miles. We also wrap up the show with a comparison of three different airlines and the benefits that they provide. We've done the research, so you can just enjoy the benefits.

Show Notes

[02:45] Being part of a frequent flyer plan really makes you feel special. It also makes purchase of tickets and check in really easy. The airline will have all of your information including precheck to make the security experience much easier.

[04:08] Your information is also already stored, so you don't have to waste time retyping your information every time you purchase a new ticket.

[04:35] Another great benefit is earning free flights. You can use your points for flights or extras like upgrades, baggage fees, and drinks.

[07:16] You can also trade your points for experiences or merchandise or even Amazon gift cards.

[08:08] It's easy to sign up for frequent flyer miles. Go to the airline website and click on the join now button. Once you enter your information, you'll get a frequent flyer number. We keep our information on a spreadsheet. Take a picture and keep the info on your phone.

[11:02] Make sure your frequent flyer number is connected to your ticket when you purchase the ticket from other online sites.

[13:36] Airlines want to build brand loyalty, and they want you to be members. Staying loyal to one brand will help you maximize your miles.

[16:10] Saving your miles for the most expensive tickets will save you more money. It's always great to upgrade to even comfort plus. Be flexible with your flight time to maximize points. Sometimes miles to upgrade aren't the best use. Save the miles for purchasing tickets.

[18:16] American Airlines AAdvantage they provide miles with 34 partners. You can use the miles for a lot of different things. There are four elite status levels including gold, platinum, executive platinum, and platinum pro. These miles do expire after 18 months.

[20:00] With Delta SkyMiles, you earn 5 SkyMiles for every dollar. There are also partner airlines. You can also earn on purchases with credit cards. Miles can be used for travel, upgrades, and merchandise. Medallion status gives you unlimited upgrades. Miles never expire.

[22:54] Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program. This is based on the amount of money you spend. They're also no blackout dates, and the points never expire. You can also get companion tickets which are two tickets for the price of one.

[24:48] Benefits often change over time, but these are updated as of today.

Links and Resources:

Airbnb Get $40 off your first home booking of $75 or more and $15 off towards an experience of $50 or more

Waldorf Astoria and the Conrad Hotel and Resorts Get a $100 daily credit when you stay 2 or more nights and book at least 3 days in advance

American Airlines AAdvantage

Delta SkyMiles

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

For pictures, tips and more, be sure to check out our Fly with Chris and Di Facebook page and signup to download a copy of The Best City for You. Please take a moment and subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Become a Fly Insider and get the inside scoop, behind the scenes photos, and exclusive travel deals.

Booking a trip or vacation can be frustrating for people who don't know where or when to look, but it's possible to save and still have awesome trips when you know where and how to look for the best deals. This is why we invited budget travel expert Nikki Rue on the show today.

Nikki runs She Saves She Travels where she shares budget travel tips, inspiration from her trips, and more with her readers. Nikie gives us great tips on the best time to book a flight, why it's so important to be flexible with dates and airports, and she shares some little heard of subscription services that can save travelers big bucks to local and exotic locations.

Show Notes

[02:36] Nikki Rue runs the travel blog She Saves She Travels. She has been traveling for years. It's her goal to break the myth that you have to be rich to travel.

[03:14] She teaches people how to budget and prioritize their trips through her site. She also gives awesome travel tips and shares inspiration about the trips that she has been on.

[03:34] Nikki is flexible with her travel dates. Traveling in the off season or on Wednesdays and Tuesdays is less expensive.

[05:22] You may be able to find cheaper flights at a different airport. You can also fly into neighboring towns. Major airports are a little less expensive.

[08:03] Try going into incognito mode in your browser to find a cheaper flight.

[10:09] You can sometimes get better deals by booking separate flights, because you could use different airlines for each flight.

[11:33] Be creative and look at different options.

[12:30] Let the flight prices come to you. You can do this through discount subscription services like Next Vacay.

[14:48] Nikki shares her favorite subscription services like FareDrop, Scott's Cheap Flights, and Secret Flying. People don't realize the value of these services.

[16:48] Kayak is also awesome for looking at flight prices. Flights are usually the best price from 60 to 90 days out.

[18:22] The time of day also matters. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings are good times to look for flights.

[19:39] The three favorite places that Nikki has been to are Hawaii and the island of Kauai, Turks and Caicos, and any beaches or anywhere she can relax.

Links and Resources:

Waldorf Astoria and the Conrad Hotel and Resorts Get a $100 daily credit when you stay 2 or more nights and book at least 3 days in advance

Get a Free Month of Audible and A Free Book

She Saves She Travels

Budget Travel Tips Including How to Book Flights

She Saves She Travels on Instagram

She Saves She Travels on Facebook

She Saves She Travels on Pinterest

Next Vacay

Secret Flying

Scott's Cheap Flights

FareDrop

Kayak

For pictures, tips and more, be sure to check out our Fly with Chris and Di Facebook page and signup to download a copy of The Best City for You. Please take a moment and subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Become a Fly Insider and get the inside scoop, behind the scenes photos, and exclusive travel deals.

One of our favorite trips was the birthday trip that I planned for Chris last year. Chris likes planning. He plans most of our trips, and he is not a fan of surprises. So, I couldn't completely surprise him with the trip, but he was surprised by the great planning and what a wonderful time he had. Chris is a fan of bourbon, so I thought it would be a great idea to take him and some friends on a bourbon tour.

It's good I wasn't trying to create a complete surprise, because I needed some input from Chris to design the perfect birthday bourbon tour. First I needed to know if he was even interested in a bourbon tour. Then I needed to know which distilleries he would like to visit and who he wanted to go on the trip with us. Once I had this information the preparation could begin. In this episode, we share how I laid out and planned the trip, and all of the fun things we did.

Show Notes

[04:22] The first thing that Di did when planning this trip was ask Chris key questions. You will get a really great experience if you hire one of the companies that offer tours.

[05:11] Chris looked at the guest list, and they were all bourbon fans. Chris is a fan of Blanton's bourbon, so they had to go to Buffalo Trace Distillery.

[06:05] Some people on the guest list were fans of Woodford Reserve and Four Roses Bourbon, so these distilleries were also added to the tour.

[06:32] Chris chose the locations from a list where he had to choose the east or the south route.

[07:04] The tour is a full day tour that includes admission to most of the distilleries.

[07:18] While planning, we needed to know which route we were going to take and how many people were going to be on the tour.

[08:01] We were planning more than the day of touring. We had to plan how to get there and how to get home, because we had 13 people in our group.

[08:29] We needed to create an itinerary for a group that told people where to be and when to be there.

[09:12] We also rented a van, so we could all drive down together.

[10:22] This was a 3-day weekend and the tour was planned for Saturday. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Louisville.

[11:48] We arrived Friday afternoon, so we went to Churchill Downs horse track and had a couple of mint juleps. Di picked a winner that everyone bet on except Chris.

[13:48] When we went back to the hotel, it was happy hour. They had free food and the waitresses bring you drinks. It was like a huge party.

[15:53] Then we had dinner at a pizza place called Birracibo. The windows made it feel like we were sitting outside.

[16:56] That left the rest of the night for us to have fun on Fourth Street Live. This is where they have live concerts on the street, and there are bars and restaurants.

[17:51] The first place we went was the Sports and Social Club. They had cornhole, bowling, and beer pong. It was like a college bar for grownups.

[20:07] Then we went to PBR the pro bull riding bar. It's a country bar where you dance.

[21:10] We were right around the corner from the hotel. We had a big day in the morning, so we walked back.

[21:28] We used Mint Julep Tours for our excursion. We also brought a cooler.

[23:37] Our driver Dan picked us up early in the morning. We had a really nice private bus.

[25:09] We saw famous horse farms on our way to Woodford Reserve. The grounds and buildings were beautiful and a bus took us to the distillery.

[28:35] The storage warehouse with the stacked barrels was really interesting. Then we went into a tasting room. You get a row of bourbon and chocolate bourbon balls that pair with the whiskey.

[32:56] We went to a restaurant called Addies. We had drinks and really good food.

[33:49] Then Dan took us to Four Roses. At Four Roses, we had a quick tasting and then headed to Buffalo Trace.

[37:55] We had another tour, and then it was time for the tasting. If you want a tour where you drink this is the one.

[40:25] We got back to the hotel around 5:30 which was just in time to get ready for Chris's birthday dinner at Brendon's Catch 23.

[41:35] It's good to make reservations beforehand when you have a large group. We had a great table, birthday cake, and a wonderful time.

[42:13] Di was thorough with the planning, but she also left some time for flexibility in the schedule. After dinner, we had time to go to the casino.

[43:29] The next morning, we had a nice ride back and got to chat with our friends.

Links and Resources:

Become a Fly Insider

Mint Julep Experiences

Fourth Street Live!

Embassy Suites hotel 501 S. Fourth Street, Louisville, KY

Lyft get up to $5 off with your first ride

Waldorf Astoria and the Conrad Hotel and Resorts Get a $100 daily credit when you stay 2 or more nights and book at least 3 days in advance

Blanton's Bourbon

Buffalo Trace Distillery

Woodford Reserve

Four Roses Bourbon

Churchill Downs

The Sports and Social Club

PBR Louisville

Brendon's Catch 23

For pictures, tips and more, be sure to check out our Fly with Chris and Di Facebook page and signup to download a copy of The Best City for You. Please take a moment and subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Become a Fly Insider and get the inside scoop, behind the scenes photos, and exclusive travel deals.

Worrying about whether your home is safe can really take the fun out of vacation. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to secure your home and create peace of mind so that you can enjoy your trip. Today, we have expert realtor Amy Corey here to share 10 tips that will help secure your home while you are on vacation.

Amy is the realtor that we used to buy a home, sell a home, and to help get us connected with an agent in Tennessee. Amy works by referral only, so she is freed up to focus on the buying and selling of client homes instead of worrying about marketing her business. We think Amy is wonderful and are super excited to have her here today. We also share a funny story about our house buying experience with Amy.

Show Notes

[05:20] Amy calls herself a real-estate brat because her mom was in real estate for 36 years. Amy is now celebrating 15 years this month as a residential realtor.

[06:10] Any works exclusively by referral in Indiana and all over the country. She has a top notch group of professional agents that are represented in every state.

[06:35] She has helped many clients move out of Indiana. She has also had the honor of helping the many agents that she networks with.

[07:38] Working by referral gives her the opportunity to put her head down and focus on what's needed whether it's selling or buying. She always hopes to exceed her clients expectations.

[10:46] One of the first and foremost things you can do to protect your home is to get a home security system. They have become much more inexpensive recently. They also add to the resale value when you sell your home.

[11:46] It's nice to have a monitored system with a local presence.

[13:17] Amy works with an agent at ADT who helps educate clients and find discounts for them.

[14:23] Hold your mail, packages, and newspaper delivery when you are gone. Have a trusted neighbor keep an eye on things and look for packages.

[16:40] Keep your lawn mowed and watered. A brown lawn lets people know that you are gone.

[21:54] When it comes to social media, don't post about your trip until you are back home.

[23:18] Have a safe at home in case something happens. Put important documents and sentimental items in your safe.

[25:59] Lock your garage door. There is a manual lock to the side.

[30:20] Lights are so important for security. Get motion sensor lights for the outside, especially in dark areas. Also have timers for your inside lights and vary the areas and times.

[33:36] There's a lot of advantages to spending a little to stay safe.

[34:16] Have the stickers or signs that say that you have a security system.

[35:52] Quick rundown: Utilize a home security system. Hold the mail. Have a plan for packages and flyers. Don't skip on home maintenance. Be careful on social media. Utilize a safe. Disconnect your garage door and lock it. Install a sensor on outdoor lights. Install timers on indoor lights. Advertise security.

Links and Resources:

Become a Fly Insider

Airbnb Get $40 off your first home booking of $75 or more and $15 off towards an experience of $50 or more

StitchFix Get $25 off your first fix

Amy W. Corey

The Corey Connection

Amy Corey on Facebook

@AmyWCorey on Twitter

Arlo - Wireless Home Security Camera System

Ring Door View Cam

Philips Hue Dusk-to-Dawn Outdoor Motion Sensor for Smart Home

For pictures, tips and more, be sure to check out our Fly with Chris and Di Facebook page and signup to download a copy of The Best City for You. Please take a moment and subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Become a Fly Insider and get the inside scoop, behind the scenes photos, and exclusive travel deals.

Do you have any questions you would like to ask a pilot? We have some burning questions that we would like to ask a pilot, so we are super excited to have our guest today Brian Harris. Brian is Chris's cousin. He has been a pilot for a long time. Brian is going to answer all of our questions, and we also have a question from a listener.

We have also taken some trips with Brian, and at the end of the episode Brian and Chris share a trip they took when they were young. If you would like your question answered during our show check out our Facebook page to see what is coming up and join in on the interviewing fun.

Show Notes

[02:45] Brian has wanted to be a pilot since the 6th grade. He started with an aviation explorer program with the scouts. He fell in love with aviation and majored in aeronautical technology at Tennessee State University.

[03:18] He then went to two flight schools and then instructed for a year and a half before landing his dream job as a pilot in 2002.

[03:31] His ultimate dream of becoming a FedEx pilot was realized in October of 2016.

[03:56] Brian's first flight was when he worked with a flight instructor at the YMCA who knew he wanted to be a pilot and offered to take him on flight.

[04:29] They flew around, and he was hooked for sure.

[05:03] After getting his degree he went to an aviation academy. He did three weeks of ground school and then the flight training where he soloed after three or four flights.

[05:31] Then he went to All Transport Professionals or ATP in Atlanta. He got the rest of his ratings at ATP, and then he instructed for about a year and a half.

[05:45] Once he was hired by an airline, he went through training on the airplane he was going to be on. They also have yearly training, which used to be every six months.

[06:03] They fly in a simulator and make sure that they are still proficient. Any FAA problem areas will be implemented into the training program. They also work on takeoffs, landings, and emergencies.

[07:01] Flight simulators are cool and amazingly hard.

[07:39] What happens if someone has a medical emergency? The flight attendant first notifies the pilot. They will radio the company and air traffic control. When there's an emergency the flight is expedited. The plane can also communicate with a medical facility and talk to a doctor, if needed.

[09:49] What do you eat on a long flight? He used to bring his own lunch or eat 30 little bags of peanuts. At FedEx, he gets to order his meals. On long flights, there is a third pilot, so they can rotate breaks.

[14:20] Why do we need to put our phones on airplane mode? It's just to avoid interference with navigational aids.

[16:20] What are the restroom rules? The crew asks passengers to remain seated, so they can taxi into takeoff.

[18:08] Now there is a passenger bill of rights.

[19:03] Why do we have to put our seats back up? It's about safety. It's hard to get by with the seats back. There can be emergencies on takeoffs and landings.

[21:41] Chris and Brian had a Cadillac Caravan going to Nashville to Opryland. They also drove a Cadillac with three adults and 5 kids from Memphis, Tennessee to Orlando, Florida. They spent a week there and had a great time. Godfather's Pizza was the best pizza that Brian had ever had.

[22:48] They didn't have any technology, they just played games in the car for 16 hours. They did have a CB radio.

Links and Resources:

Become a Fly Insider

Waldorf Astoria and the Conrad Hotel and Resorts Get a $100 daily credit when you stay 2 or more nights and book at least 3 days in advance

Lyft get up to $5 off with your first ride

For pictures, tips and more, be sure to check out our Fly with Chris and Di Facebook page and signup to download a copy of The Best City for You. Please take a moment and subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Become a Fly Insider and get the inside scoop, behind the scenes photos, and exclusive travel deals.

We've been sharing travel tips and some of our great travel experiences with you. Today, we are doing something a bit different. We are sharing the actual four-day itinerary of our Southern California trip. In this trip, we had a great time and managed to see a lot in a very short amount of time. We spent some time in LA, a day in San Diego, and even made it South of the Border in Tijuana.

People often ask how we do so much in such a short amount of time. It really comes down to planning. We wanted to get the most out of our trip, so we were very mindful of the time we had. If you want to make a similar trip, we share what we did each and every day, If you don't want to plan, you can just follow our itinerary to get the most out of your trip.

Show Notes

[02:25] We took this trip from Indianapolis. We knew we would gain a little time, because we were going from Eastern Time to Pacific Time, so we left early.

[03:25] If your flight is longer than three hours, upgrade if you can.

[03:58] We had our nephew LJ with us. We were a party of five.

[04:44] We had been to New York, Chicago, Florida, and we were trying to find somewhere in the US to go. We decided to go to California.

[06:04] We arrived at LAX. We rented a Jeep Liberty. It was a little cozy in the back for the kids. You may want to make sure, you are able to get a larger car if you have multiple people.

[08:42] We knew San Diego was only a couple of hours away, so we decided to go there too.

[09:25] We stayed at the Hampton Inn SeaWorld location. We had two double beds and a sleeper sofa.

[10:02] We took the Pacific Coast Highway out of LA to San Diego, and made a stop at Manhattan Beach.

[11:43] We had lunch at In-N-Out Burger. We drove up in to the hills and took some amazing pictures. We left that day open to explore and not have to rush.

[14:02] You have to give yourself flexibility when you have a plan.

[14:48] We got to San Diego in the afternoon and checked in at the desk. The clerk suggested we go to Tijuana. She gave Chris directions to a restaurant in Puerto Nuevo that had butter fried lobster.

[16:56] We head over the border and lost cell phone service. We were in Mexico with no GPS or map. We sat outside overlooking the Pacific. A mariachi played and charged a fee.

[19:52] The fried lobster wasn't the best. The sun was setting as we left. There is a line to get back into the US.

[21:28] There's bumper to bumper traffic, but the line has people selling things and banging on your car windows. It was a great life lesson for the kids.

[24:29] We got back late, went to sleep, and our itinerary really starts now.

[24:39] We ate breakfast at the hotel and went to Sea World. They had roller coasters, and we saw the whales. There are touch tanks and shows.

[26:45] Sea World has an all-day dining deal that is a great deal. It was $29.99 for adults and $18.99 for the children.

[27:49] We spent a day at SeaWorld, then we headed over to the Hyatt Place in Anaheim. We had a main bedroom and then another room with a bunk bed and a pull-out couch.

[29:44] We used the Go City Los Angeles card. The Go Card can be a big money-saver.

[31:19] We asked the kids what they wanted to do. We went over the list of things to do and bought the Go Card at home.

[33:06] It took us two hours to get to Hollywood. We went to the walk of fame, the TCL Chinese Theatre, the Dolby Theatre, and a Hollywood movie star tour on a bus.

[37:14] That night they were filming the ESPYS at the Staple Center. We ate at a restaurant with outdoor seating that was right along the path where the athletes were walking, and we got to see everyone. Then we went back to the hotel.

[41:25] The next day was our Universal Studios Tour. It was a lot of fun. We were also able to fit in the Warner Brothers tour. We even went on the set of Friends.

[44:35] We also went into a sound effects room were they took a movie without sound and then layered in each sound until there was a cacophony of sounds. Each portion of sound is recorded separately.

[45:52] We then spent the afternoon in Venice Beach and rented bikes. We were able to layer this in before heading to the airport. We even saw a man levitating.

[48:35] Our flight wasn't until 10:00 pm, so we went to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles.

[50:40] Quick recap: Pacific Coast, In-N-Out Burger, Tijuana, SeaWorld, Universal Studios, Warner Bros. Studios, Hollywood Movie Star Tour, Dolby Theatre Tour, ESPYS outside the Staples Center, Venice Beach, and Roscoe's.

Links and Resources:

Become a Fly Insider

Hampton Inn

StitchFix Get $25 off your first fix

In-N-Out Burger

Airbnb Get $40 off your first home booking of $75 or more and $15 off towards an experience of $50 or more

SeaWorld

Hyatt Place in Anaheim

Go Los Angeles Card

Hollywood Walk of Fame

TCL Chinese Theatre

Dolby Theatre

Hollywood Celebrity & Star Homes Tour

The ESPYS

Universal Studios

Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Venice Beach

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles

For pictures, tips and more, be sure to check out our Fly with Chris and Di Facebook page and signup to download a copy of The Best City for You. Please take a moment and subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Become a Fly Insider and get the inside scoop, behind the scenes photos, and exclusive travel deals.

We are talking about relaxing in Cabo San Lucas. Summer travel can be crowded with so many people taking vacations. Our Cabo trip was amazing. We went in February, and were able to beat the crowds and enjoy relaxing in Cabo. If you live somewhere that has a cold winter climate, Cabo can be the perfect escape.

We are going to walk you through our relaxation trip to Cabo San Lucas and give you advice and pro tips along the way. We'll tell you about upgrades to get. How to make the most of your airport and transportation to the hotel. We share our entire journey, and our tips for unwinding and relaxing by the pool, meeting people, enjoying great food, and fun games.

Show Notes

[03:20] This was Chris's first relaxation trip.

[03:52] Getting to Cabo requires a long flight.

[04:05] Our first tip is to upgrade to comfort plus or first class if it's reasonable. Any flight over three hours starts to get uncomfortable in economy.

[05:05] Tropical airports like the one in Cabo are fun. As soon as you come out of the plane, there is a bar. We had a drink while waiting for our transfer.

[05:56] It's a good idea to have a transfer plan. Get clear on who you are riding with.

[06:33] The ride from the airport to Dreams, where we stayed, was only a 30 minute ride. You are on the coast the entire time, and it is a nice ride.

[07:24] We stayed at an all-inclusive resort called Dreams. It was quiet and calm and relaxing.

[08:18] They'll immediately ask if you want to upgrade to the preferred club room.

[08:35] We got a one bedroom suite with an ocean view. There was a gift basket with food and wine. There was a family room with a couch and dining area.

[09:30] There are also special club areas with snacks and premium liquor. There was also an adult pool and beach area.

[10:38] Our room also overlooked the adult pool. It was quiet and there were scenic sunsets.

[12:18] The pools have a couple of swim up bars. There were also areas just for the club members.

[13:16] If you go to this property, you don't have to go to the sales pitch to buy in to further vacations.

[15:06] A couple of our friends were also there at the same time. We planned a deep-sea fishing trip on a chartered boat.

[17:27] It was early and windy and the water wasn't calm. When the boat stopped moving and started rocking Di got motion sickness.

[19:48] After a couple of hours, the captain decided to take Di back to shore.

[21:40] We also went whale watching. It was a cute little boat and a great deal. We saw a lot of whales. We were right beside them. We also explored the Sea of Cortez and saw seals.

[24:32] We went to Cabo Wabo after whale watching. Then we hung out at the resort for the next few days.

[26:01] We played cards, scrabble, monopoly, and we met a lot of people. The club area was very relaxing.

[26:44] We hung out at the pool and relaxed.

[27:31] There was a spa with a gym, hot tub, cold pool, and sauna. There were also services like massages.

[28:40] We did not swim in the Sea of Cortez. Most of the areas aren't swimmable beaches. It's too deep and there are undercurrents. We did see whales, and there is horse riding on the beach.

[29:38] The food was fabulous. The had specialty restaurants, and you didn't need a reservation.

[31:21] We ate at the poolside restaurant almost everyday. You can also eat in your room. Di's favorite was the seafood restaurant complete with flaming dessert.

Links and Resources:

Get a Free Month of Audible and A Free Book

Become a Fly Insider

Dreams Los Cabos

Cabo Wabo Cantina

For pictures, tips and more, be sure to check out our Fly with Chris and Di Facebook page and signup to download a copy of The Best City for You. Please take a moment and subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Become a Fly Insider and get the inside scoop, behind the scenes photos, and exclusive travel deals.

We share a lot of tips and tricks for planning your own vacation, but when it comes to group trips or something as important as a destination wedding, there are a lot of advantages to turning to the help of a professional. This is why we are excited to have Ashley Morris on the show today. Ashley is the founder and owner of Alpaca Your Bags Travel which specializes in group trips and destination weddings.

Ashley shares important tips that only a travel professional can provide. An experienced professional can make recommendations, get discounts to rooms and amenities, and be the go between who handles the group financial part. We also grill Ashley on her favorite destinations, how she ended up with such a fun business name, and why she got involved in the travel industry. Ashley's knowledge and passion really shine through in this fun interview.

Show Notes

[02:55] Ashley Morris is the owner and founder of Alpaca Your Bags Travel. The name may be funny but they take travel very seriously.

[03:06] She's in her fifth year of business with Alpaca Your Bags. Prior to that, she worked in corporate marketing and advertising.

[03:19] One of the things she brings to her new career is all of her past experience in advertising. She used to help people make marketing decisions, now she cuts through the clutter and helps people make travel decisions.

[03:42] Ashley believes everyone's style of travel is different, and there's something out there for everyone.

[03:51] 75% of Ashley's business is group travel mostly for destination weddings. She also specializes in celebration groups whether it's a birthday, a family reunion, or a family holiday.

[05:10] Ashley shares how she ended up with the name Alpaca Your Bags.

[05:44] Ashley and her future husband wanted a destination wedding where they could focus on each other and quality time with friends and family.

[06:22] The plan was to find an amazing tropical all-inclusive destination. They knew what they wanted, but not how to do it.

[07:01] Her first attempt with a travel agent didn't go smoothly. Technology in the travel industry is a bit outdated.

[07:40] They planned their wedding and had 60 people go to the Dominican Republic for their event.

[08:04] When they returned, Ashley was looking for a next career and went to travel agent school.

[08:36] It's her goal to make everything as easy as possible for her clients. She has a streamlined process where everything is done using technology.

[09:22] Clients often get overwhelmed going online and doing their own research.

[10:01] For something as important as a destination wedding having a travel adviser is really helpful. Ashley takes the time to get to know her clients, so she can plan the perfect event.

[11:28] There are nuances to group travel that make it very helpful to have a travel professional on your side. Group booking can be a challenge.

[13:12] Benefits of booking a group travel trip include travel professionals have relationships with the top resorts and hotels.

[14:30] When you work with an adviser, you can get free rooms, discounts, excursions, and more. Without the help of an expert, you are leaving money on the table.

[16:09] Ashley is constantly on the pulse of what is happening. She also travels to the destinations.

[17:01] It's not just about the resort, there are a lot of moving parts to a trip like transportation.

[17:34] A true travel expert will have actually been to the destination.

[18:10] Ashley asks questions to narrow down the destination. Do you want a legal or symbolic destination wedding?

[20:05] You do the legal part in the US, before you leave, then when you get to your destination you have a symbolic wedding.

[20:53] In a symbolic wedding, anyone can officiate that wedding.

[21:42] Legal destination weddings in Jamaica are very simple.

[22:15] Do you want an all-inclusive resort? These are concentrated in Mexico, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic.

[24:18] What is the comfort level of your friends and family when traveling?

[26:12] Is it important to do what you want or accommodate as many people as possible?

[27:41] What do you want to do when you get there?

[28:59] Ashley's top three destinations are Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo. She also likes Ocho Rios in Jamaica.

[36:18] Fifty percent of engagements happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. The ideal amount of time to let your family and friends know that you are having a destination wedding is 11 to 12 months.

[37:03] The ideal time to contact Ashley would be 12 to 13 months before your event.

Links and Resources:

Get a Free Month of Audible and A Free Book

Become a Fly Insider

Alpaca Your Bags

Book a Free Consultation with Ashley Morris

Call Ashley (212) 804-8956

15 Reasons to Go "all Inclusive" for Your Destination Wedding

Alpaca Your Bags on Instagram

Cabo San Lucas

San Jose Del Cabo

Ocho Rios in Jamaica

For pictures, tips and more, be sure to check out our Fly with Chris and Di Facebook page and signup to download a copy of The Best City for You. Please take a moment and subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Become a Fly Insider and get the inside scoop, behind the scenes photos, and exclusive travel deals.

Over the past several weeks, you've had an opportunity to see behind the scenes and get to know us a little bit. Today, is a special episode where we go deeper behind the scenes and give you an opportunity to know a little bit more about Di and her travel adventures. Chris interviews Di about her early childhood travel experience.

Some of her favorite vacation spots, and many surprises along the way. We also discuss some of Di's top 3 places to go, where she would like to go, and great family adventures. We talk about restaurants, excursions, and more. We hope you enjoy this little peek into Di's travel history and what she loves the most about it.

Show Notes

[03:08] We've been married for 11 years.

[03:38] Di's Father worked for an airline, and she started traveling at a very young age.

[04:27] Di grew up in Atlanta. One of her favorite travel memories was a station wagon trip to Disney World. Her family and some other family friends formed a caravan and headed to Disney World.

[05:26] Somebody had strapped a camping potty on the roof. It flew off the top and someone had to pull over and pick it up on the side of the road.

[07:27] Her family flew standby a lot. They had to dress up and wait for their name to be called. They also got to fly first class.

[08:27] They had been waiting all day for a flight. Their name never got called, and they were invited to stay in the pilots lounge. They got to sleep on big leather recliners.

[10:11] Di has been traveling since she was an infant.

[10:58] Di loved horses as a child. At least twice she got to go to the Mayan Dude Ranch in Texas.

[12:26] This was an all inclusive resort, where you got to ride trail horses all the time. They also had breakfast wagon trains where breakfast would be at the river. There was tubing and a pool. There were also activities geared for adults.

[15:57] The cabins also had bunks that were like an old mine. It was a kid's wild west dream.

[17:21] Di loves Ocean Isle Beach in North Carolina.

[18:52] Her number one vacation would be the Mediterranean Cruise. We went on the Royal Caribbean with Chris's sister and brother-in-law. France and Rome were beautiful.

[21:05] Number two was the London, Paris, Scotland trip we just talked about.

[22:24] Number three was Vegas. We never run out of things to do in Vegas. There are so many things happening and a lot of outside the box things to do there too.

[24:36] Di's favorite family trip with the kids was our California trip. We went to Universal Studios, Sea World, the NBC backlot tour and the Friends set, and we ate at Roscoe's. We also liked In & Out Burger and an unexpected trip to Mexico.

[26:54] We went into Tijuana and accidentally kept going South to get great seafood. We didn't have phone service or GPS. Crossing over the border was an experience. We were happy to get back into the US.

[31:38] The kids loved LA.

[31:54] Di wants to go to Bora Bora. Island, sun, clear water, a hut over the water, Bora Bora sounds awesome.

[33:44] Australia is number two for places that Di wants to go.

[35:06] Number three is Hawaii.

[36:41] Di's top travel peeve is people who don't know how to board a plane.

[37:25] Di's favorite restaurants that we've been to are Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse and Rosie's Cantina in Huntsville, AL.

[39:36] The offroading Jeep Tour in the Dominican Republic with the kids was Di's favorite excursion. You ride an open bus, then ride through sand. Then you get to jump into a crystal clear underwater spring. Then we rode out to a beautiful beach. We were covered from head to toe in mud and had a blast.

Links and Resources:

Get a Free Month of Audible and A Free Book

Become a Fly Insider

Episode 12 A Unique Disney Trip

Mayan Dude Ranch - Bandera Texas

Mediterranean Cruise

London Trip

Vegas

Roscoe's House of Chicken N Waffles

Hawaii

Bora Bora

Australia

Episode 6 How to Save Time (and Your Sanity) at the Airport (part 3)

Del Frisco Vegas

Rosie's Cantina, Huntsville

Jeep Tour in Punta Cana

Ocean Isle Beach

Episode 15 Our Trip to London, Paris, and Scotland

Episode 7 Vegas Off the Strip

Puerto Nuevo, Mexico

Episode 9 First Time Rv-ers

For pictures, tips and more, be sure to check out our Fly with Chris and Di Facebook page and signup to download a copy of The Best City for You. Please take a moment and subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Become a Fly Insider and get the inside scoop, behind the scenes photos, and exclusive travel deals.

We took a fantastic trip back in October. We went to London, Paris, and Scotland. We did this trip in a pretty short amount of time, but we have a lot of inside tips and tricks and links that can help you get the most out of your London, Paris, and Scotland trip.

This all came about because Chris is a Titans fan and found out about the NFL experience in London where the Titans were playing the Chargers and the NFL Experience helps plan your trip. Chris had never been to London before, and he and Di decided to add on a few more days to go to Paris and Scotland too.

This is an in depth episode where we walk you through our amazing trip, and we share tips and things that will help you get the most out of a similar trip. We also include all kinds of links and resources that can help with your planning and with getting ideas on how to make your trip your own. We also throw in some great pro tips to avoid things like jet lag.

Show Notes

[02:03] Chris is a Titans fan. The Titans had a game in London against the Chargers. Chris thought it would be great to go to the game. Diane had been to London before, but Chris hadn't.

[02:55] The NFL experience is all about seeing your team play. It's a great way to get tickets, but they also help coordinate the hotels and help plan things. It's a little more expensive, but we had a great time. The event was amazing.

[04:12] We also added some extra days for Paris and Scotland.

[04:22] The NFL experience was 5 days. You get a couple days before the game, then see the game and head home.

[04:31] We got there a day ahead. We also didn't want to have jet lag.

[05:03] We started exploring options. We even considered Ireland, but decided to check out Scotland.

[05:34] Paris was also only a Chunnel ride away.

[06:38] We flew into Heathrow overnight which was a genius idea with helping to combat jet lag. Pro tip: take an overnight trip and don't mess up your sleep patterns.

[07:50] Arriving refreshed will allow you to hit the ground running.

[08:13] From Indianapolis to Heathrow, we had a layover in Chicago and we have the Admiral Club. If you can, get a day pass for the Admiral Club if you have a layover.

[09:46] We stayed in two different places in London. We arrived a day early and stayed at the Hilton on Park Lane for the first night. Then with the NFL Experience we stayed at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane.

[10:20] The Park was right across the street from Buckingham Palace. We also used points at the Hilton and it was fabulous. As diamond members, we had our first afternoon tea.

[11:30] tea is a wonderful experience with tea and pastries. We watched the double decker buses and it was great.

[11:55] Then we began exploring the neighborhood.

[12:07] Chris found a place on Yelp. He found Burger & Lobster.

[14:24] We joined the NFL Experience at the Sheraton. We were all rested, and everyone else was tired. If your room isn't ready, you can leave your bags at the desk.

[15:34] We kicked things off with a Double Decker bus tour. We saw a lot of the city and got to know people in the group. We also had happy hour with the group. They feed you and give you drinks.

[16:27] You have options of things to do, but you don't have to do everything, so you can enjoy down time.

[16:49] We ended up at the London Eye on the Thames. Our London Eye tour was a champagne tour. There was a big cart full of champagne.

[19:44] The second day we saw the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

[22:09] We went to the Barrowboy & Banker Pub Fan Rally where we got to meet some of the players.

[24:19] We also went on a dinner cruise on the Thames (The Dixie Harmony). There was music and drinks, and we went up and down the river and they opened up the Tower Bridge.

[27:03] The next day was game day at Wembley Stadium. All of the teams were represented, because this is a huge event for Europe.

[29:02] It was like a cross between a rugby match and an NFL game. People were dressed in crazy costumes and were like fanatics.

[30:55] We took the Eurostar Chunnel to Paris We were only two or three hours away from Paris. Chris wanted to see the Eiffel Tower and the Mona Lisa.

[33:00] The train was clean and comfortable and it really flies.

[33:46] Pro tips: Give yourself time for Chunnel security and have the things you need. We left our belongings in London, which kept us moving quickly.

[35:01] They took the Hop-on-Hop Off bus, it's an easy mode of transportation, plus you can sightsee. They hopped off at the Louvre and took the skip the line small group tour. We went straight to the front of the line. Another awesome perk was skipping the bathroom line.

[40:59] Chris did research on. There are seven major pieces of art. He found great reviews on his short museum tour where they got to see the main pieces. It was fast, but not rushed.

[43:22] We got back on the Hop-on-Hop off bus and saw Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. We got to see a lot of things while staying on the bus.

[45:11] There were tons of cafes. We ate at Five Guys.

[46:50] We got back on the train and went back to London.

[47:16] We found a local train to Scotland. Chris wanted to see St. Andrews, go to a scotch distillery, he also wanted to drive on the left side of the road.

[49:45] The train was the best option from London to Edinburgh.

[50:54] We stayed at the Hilton in Edinburgh. The castle was amazing. We walked around town and went up to the castle.

[52:54] We had tacos in Scotland. Chris almost bought a kilt. We discovered the Whisky Experience.

[54:42] They talk you through the five regions of scotch which are Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Campbeltown, and Islay. You learn how scotch is made. We get to try the regional whiskeys.

[57:44] We had pizza at a place that gives you a blanket. We went to a local pub. There was a Scottish jam session.

[01:02:08] We had to rent a car to go to St. Andrews. The steering wheel was on the right side. There are also a lot of roundabouts.

[01:05:58] St. Andrews is a public golf course. We took a tour of the grounds and heard about the history of how the course came about.

[01:09:18] Scotland reminded Di of Ireland. Driving through the countryside was a great experience. It's beautiful and gorgeous during the day, but scary at night.

[01:10:54] We stayed at a gorgeous boutique hotel called the Braemar Hotel - Craigendarroch Suites (Hilton). It was a suite with an old castle type of feel.

[01:11:52] There are little squirrel figurines all over the property, and they all wear different outfits.

[01:12:59] We stopped at the Glenfiddich Distillery. There were woolly Scottish cows that are super cute.

[01:15:39] The Scottish countryside is amazing.

[01:17:41] We took an Uber to the Doubletree Hotel for and early morning airport run. Always give yourself plenty of time.

Links and Resources:

Get a Free MOnth of Audible and A Free Book

Travel Money Belt

American Airlines Admirals Club

Hilton on Park Lane

Sheraton Grand Park

Booking.com

NFL Experience

London Eye

Barrowboy & Banker Pub

Changing of the Guard

Dixie Queen

London (booking.com)

Eurostar- Chunnel

Louvre Museum Skip the Line Small Group Tour

Hop-on-Hop-Off Paris

Glenfiddich Distillery Tour

The Chunnel

Admiral Club

Yelp

Burger & Lobster

Five Guys

For pictures, tips and more, be sure to check out our Fly with Chris and Di Facebook page and signup to download a copy of The Best City for You. Please take a moment and subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. It will only get better from here. Don't miss out on future episodes where we continue to share tips and tricks to get the most out of your vacation.