05 Feb
Travel

Airlines Must Own Up to Environmental Impact and 8 Other Top Aviation Stories This Week

pixelschoen / Adobe

Carbon offsetting might sound good, but airlines need to be more proactive and less profit driven when it comes to the environment. pixelschoen / Adobe

Skift Take: This week in aviation news, carbon offsetting has become a popular way for airlines to improve their image, but the reality is they are still pumping millions of tons of CO2 into the air. In addition, the coronavirus continued to hamper travel, including cancelled flights for airlines.

— Danielle Hyams

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05 Feb
Travel

Japanese Prime Minister Doesn’t Expect Virus to Affect Tokyo Olympics

Tomohiro Ohsumi / AP Photo

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe Tomohiro Ohsumi / AP Photo

Skift Take: Japan has doubled down on using international sporting events like the forthcoming Olympic Games as a way to turbocharge its tourism industry. It’s clear from the prime minister’s remarks on Monday that it doesn’t expect the coronavirus to get in the way of that.

— Rosie Spinks

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05 Feb
Travel

Asian Destinations Hit by Fallout From Coronavirus and 6 Other Top Tourism Stories This Week

Artinun / Adobe

Destinations that are popular with Chinese tourists, like Thailand and Japan are feeling the impact of Chinas ban on tours as the country tried to contain the coronavirus. Artinun / Adobe

Skift Take: This week in tourism news, destinations that rely heavily on Chinese travelers like Thailand and Japan are feeling the pinch as China halts outbound tours in its struggle to contain the rapidly spreading coronavirus. Plus, Pakistan, which was once one of the most dangerous places, is gearing up with a new tourism push.

— Danielle Hyams

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05 Feb
Travel

Centre Pompidou Ramps Up China Strategy With Shanghai Satellite

Pascale Gueret / Adobe

Centre Pompidou received 3.33 million visitors in 2019; a mere 1 percent of these hailed from China. Pascale Gueret / Adobe

Skift Take: The Parisian contemporary arts institution is taking the long view in its approach to attracting Chinese outbound travelers. This segment is increasingly seeking cultural experiences, so it’s a smart move to park a satellite branch in China’s cultural capital to build brand awareness.

— Faye Chiu

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05 Jan
Travel

How To Get Rewarded For Every Mode of Transportation You Use

Travel rewards from the metro

Whether we’re on a long-term trip overseas, enduring a busy work week or embarking on a weekend adventure, a lot of time is spent traveling between the places we visit. Although the actual ‘travel’ part of traveling can be a positive experience at times, it can also be extremely exhausting. But, what if you could get rewarded for your travels, no matter what mode of transportation you use? Sure, it sounds like a bit of gimmick, however, it’s actually quite real.

There is indeed a way to earn travel rewards for sitting in traffic, taking the subway, biking or even skiing.

The Transportation Industry and Travel Rewards

Every year people across the globe travel 25 trillion miles via some form of ground transportation. In fact, economists put $18 trillion as the cost people pay for moving from A to B through ground transport. Yet, the universal behavior of mobility goes largely unrewarded. So the question is – why are the only travel rewards programs focused solely around flying? This is where the Miles App swoops in to save the day.

How Does The Miles App Work?

Simply put, Miles is an app that delivers value for every mile traveled, across every mode of transportation – with greener forms of travel rewarded even further. The app is designed to work seamlessly in the background, logging each trip from start to end along with the mode of transportation used. For example, users who carpool or take a rideshare service earn 2x miles, those who use public transit receive 3x the miles, those who bike earn 5X, and those who walk or run earn 10x the miles. You’re even rewarded 3X the miles for skiing!

The Best Part – Getting Rewarded

You might be wondering what exactly you can do with these “miles” that you earn and accumulate throughout all your travels. They’re essentially points you can use to redeem rewards with leading brands and retailers across various categories. Rewards cost as little as 100 miles and are redeemable either online or at a nearby store. Rewards include free products and services, credits, and discounts with brands such as Target, Ray-Ban, Home Chef, Garmin, TOMS, Silvercar, YourMechanic, Chewy.com, Thrive Market, and many more. With over 200 brand partners offering exclusive specials on the Miles platform, there’s typically a reward for everyone.

But The Value Doesn’t Stop There (more travel rewards)

Miles doesn’t only work with brands to provide rewards. They also partner with cities and public transit authorities to encourage users to choose more sustainable modes of transportation. The way they do this is through what’s called a “challenge”. For example, Caltrain, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, put out a challenge to residents to take three train trips. Once completed, the user was rewarded with a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card. With challenges like this which encourage users to partake in greener forms of transportation, the Miles app incentivizes a more eco-friendly and healthy lifestyle, while providing users with rewards they love. They’re on a mission to deliver as much value for every mile traveled, all while promoting green travel. What’s there not to really like about this program?

To build up your miles quickly, there are a few things you can do. Here are some top suggestions:

Refer a friend! Every time you refer Miles to a friend, they’ll receive 1,500 miles upon sign up and you’ll receive a bonus 1,000 miles when they complete their first trip.

Use eco-friendly forms of transportation whenever possible. The bus and train give you 3X the miles, biking 5X, and when walking & running you earn 10X the miles.

Take a road trip with friends! Carpooling gives you 2X the miles, and your friend gets to earn along with you.

Get 250 bonus miles when you use this exclusive code given to me by the Miles team – “earl2019”. It needs to be used soon though as it’s only valid through 12/31/2019 and only for the first 500 users!

So, if you have a chance, I highly recommend downloading the Miles app. There’s no other app out there that offers rewards for all forms of ground travel like Miles does. They’re also constantly adding new reward options and challenges which are not only exciting and fun, but well worth the bonuses you receive!

The post How To Get Rewarded For Every Mode of Transportation You Use appeared first on Wandering Earl.

05 Jan
Travel

Using an Airalo eSIM to Stay Connected While Traveling

Airalo eSIM

I remember the days when it was almost impossible to stay connected globally. Whenever I was traveling abroad, I had to either rely solely on Wi-fi, search for the best local SIM cards and then carry multiple SIM cards everywhere I went. Of course, this was not ideal.

I had to keep track of all the cards, it all cost a decent amount of money and there was also the fear of not being able to work abroad because of the poor Wi-Fi connectivity in the places I stayed. Luckily, times have changed for the better and now with a simple eSIM card, we can travel and stay connected at the same time without too much hassle.

So, what is an eSIM card exactly?

It is basically a SIM card that is embedded in your device and allows for easy and stress-free access to the Internet when traveling to different countries. The good news is that an eSIM doesn’t require a physical SIM card and to connect, all you need to do is scan a QR code and enter a confirmation code. Then, as long as you have an unlocked eSIM-compatible device (we’ll get to this in a moment) you’re good to go.

One of the main eSIM companies is called Airalo. They are the world’s first eSIM store that offers access to more than 100 eSIMs via compatible devices at the most affordable rates. To figure out how this all works, let’s start with the basics by answering some useful questions.

1. How do I purchase an Airalo eSIM?

The easiest way to purchase an eSIM on Airalo is to visit their website (airalo.com), find the country you’re planning to visit and purchase the eSIM data plan that suits you best. If you’re traveling to different countries in one region, Airalo also offers regional eSIM data plans. For example, if I was going on a trip to Germany, Austria, and France and got their Europe eSIM, this would allow me to stay connected in all of these countries.

2. How do I install an eSIM data pack?

This is quite easy. After you purchase the eSIM, you’ll receive detailed information on how to add the purchased eSIM to your phone. But there are two options available. The first option iss to add the eSIM by scanning the QR code. The procedure is simple and involves going into your account, then to ‘settings/cellular mobile plan’, ‘add cellular/mobile plan’ and then you’ll be able to scan the eSIM QR Code and enter the 4-digit confirmation code when prompted. The other option is to add the purchased eSIM manually. I think they have this option in case you experience issues while scanning the QR code. All you have to do is follow the steps which are included in the eSIM confirmation details after your purchase.

Airalo eSIM - new technology

3. How do I activate my Airalo eSIM?

With Airalo’s eSIM, it actually activates as soon as you land in the destination the eSIM is designed for. If you purchase an Airalo eSIM for India, once you land in Delhi or Mumbai or wherever your first stop is in that country, just turn on your mobile device. Make sure your data is turned on and the eSIM will automatically connect to the local network and become active. If you purchase one of the time limited eSIMs (such as one that is valid only for a week), your time begins as soon as your phone connects.

4. Can I install the eSIM before I travel?

Yes, you can install the eSIM before you hit the road, but your data pack gets activated once you reach your destination.

5. How do top-ups work?

If you need to top-up your Airalo eSim, it’s also very easy to do. Simply log in to your Airalo account (either on the website or on their app), click on ‘My eSIMs’, choose the eSIM you want to top-up, and select the top-up amount. It basically takes less than 2 minutes to finalize the purchase.

Airalo eSIM - local rates

6. Does an eSIM come with a phone number?

Yes, it does, but you can also use the Dual SIM / Dual Standby technology in compatible handset models that allows you to stay connected with both your eSIM and your physical SIM simultaneously. You can also choose which of these two SIM cards you wish to use for your data connectivity.

7. Can I make phone calls with my Airalo eSIM?

Yes, you can, as long as it’s done via VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). This means, you are free to make calls via FaceTime, Skype, WhatsApp and similar platforms. You cannot use the phone number itself to make phone calls.

8. Do eSIMs expire?

Most of Airalo’s eSIMs don’t expire. However, there are some exceptions, specifically when you purchase a time-limited eSIM. This includes eSIMs such as their ‘Thailand unlimited data for 8 days’. Naturally, the eSIM expires after 8 days, although you could renew it before then.

9. How can I tell if my phone is eSIM compatible?

This is quite an important question and one that you should look at before purchasing an eSIM. Airalo is expanding their list of devices that are compatible with the eSIM technology, but for now, here are the devices that can be paired with their eSIM cards:

iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
Nuu Mobile X5
Google Pixel 3 & 3XL
Google Pixel 4
Windows 10 PCs
Lenovo Yoga 630
HP Spectre Folio
iPad Air (3rd Generation)
iPad Pro (3rd Generation)
iPad Mini (5th Generation)
Gemini PDA
Motorola Razr 2019
Samsung Galaxy Fold

 

If you have a compatible device, this could be the ideal solution for staying connected during your travels.

It’s super simple, quite affordable and ensures you’re connected as soon as you arrive. Times certainly have changed!

The post Using an Airalo eSIM to Stay Connected While Traveling appeared first on Wandering Earl.

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