Retirees, Business Owners, Premium and Other Flexible Travelers: Keep Your Bags Packed

One thing I’ve learned on my travels is that sometimes it’s easier to go than to stay. What am I talking about? Simply this: some airline experiences – and I’m talking about the experience starting at your doorstep – actually make it easier to leave home. A life-changing, story-making experience such as this doesn’t have to be reserved for billionaires. It can be yours. You just have to be a little flexible, and that may not be as hard as you think.

Let me offer an example.

First Class on Etihad is, in my opinion, as good as it gets. Your vacation starts at your doorstep. Etihad picks you up at your home or hotel, carry your bags from the door, open the car door, take you to the airport, put your bags on a bell cart, have an escort walk you to the lounge, schedule a pre-flight spa treatment, and escort you through security. Wow factor: 50,000 feet.

Etihad’s First Class, called First Apartment, is very difficult to find at the lowest award rates when booked in advance, but if you can travel within a week or two of departure, you can often find a seat, sometimes two, occasionally four. For example, on May 25, Etihad had four First Class Apartments available on June 5, 7, and 8.

I’ve got a lot more to say on this here, but you need to subscribe to read the article. I think this and other articles will be of great insight and value. In this article alone I’ll talk about two fascinating travel paradoxes I’ve noticed – life truths really. I also talk about amazing opportunities for travellers all around the world. If your bucket list includes tramping through the markets of Kathmandu or gazing at the Sydney Opera House with a glass of wine from your hotel room, you’ll find this interesting, revelatory even.

I’ll even talk about my mother-in-law Daphne, and what I’ve learned from her.