Joney Talks!

Fly for free and travel more for less!

In today’s episode, we will speak to my friend Julia Menez, from Geo Breeze Travel.

Julia is the host of the Geo Breeze Travel podcast and is a travel hacking coach: She teaches people like you and me to travel for free or at least for a fraction of the cost. (Who doesn’t like a free hotel upgrade or a free flight ticket to a place you’ve been wanting to go? and so on 😀)

Julia will give us an introduction to travel hacking: What travel hacking is, how she got started, what the pitfalls are, and how you can do it too. While most of the tips will be more relevant for our American friends, Julia will provide great ones for us in Europe as well.

Listen here:

…or listen on Apple Podcasts

This episode is for you if you want to travel for a fraction of the cost but do not know where to start (or are already wasting too much time online)

Key Takeaways:

• If traveling is your passion, can you find a job where traveling is required or that has overseas travel opportunities?
• Start with the end in mind and get specific on your travel goals: Where do you want to travel to, which city, which hotel? What activities do you plan to do? Defining his will help you to find the right credit card/travel reward program and the right amount of points you need to collect.
• Regarding credit cards: Set everything on auto-pay, pay your cards on time to avoid late payment fees. These are the cards with the highest interest rates. On that note, travel hacking is not yet for you if you are still in debt (you can however start to learn).
• Connect with people who have done this before in your country in order to save time: Use focus groups, meetups, hire a travel hacking coach (did not know that existed), the hangouts (don’t be afraid to spend a few dollars, it is about saving your time), etc. 
• Don’t be afraid to ask for upgrades! There is no guarantee it will work, but if you do not ask you will not get it!
• Travel hacking is not only about flying exclusively for free: A great cash deal is fine too!

Who is Julia?

Julia Menez is a travel hacking coach, speaker, and host of the Geobreeze Travel Podcast.

After traveling to more than 30 countries before the age of 30 and saving thousands of dollars each year by travel hacking, Julia distills the strategies from top travel hackers around the world in her Geobreeze Travel podcast, and prepares personalized points and miles plans for her private coaching clients.

Through her podcast, Julia features a diverse roster of guests with experiences that are traditionally underrepresented in larger points and miles blogs and media. Her episodes often highlight travel hacking women, immigrants, or people of color.

Julia has been a speaker for FinConX, a course instructor for Frequent Traveler University Online, and has led workshops for thousands of attendees at events such as the SHEFACTOR 2020 Summit — an event that featured speakers such as Bethany Hamilton, Kaitlyn Bristowe, and Missy Franklin. She has also been featured in numerous business and travel podcasts. Julia is available for comments and interviews regarding award travel, personal finance, entrepreneurship, and women in business.

RESOURCES 

• Websites: Geo Breeze
• Podcast: Stock Stories Podcast
• Instagram: @geobreezetravel
• Pinterest: @geobreezetravel
• Twitter: @Geobreezetravel
• Tools:
  • Julia’s free upgrade e-mail template
  • Award Wallet
  • Card Pointers
• Book recommendations: In Her Purpose
• Best purchase under 100 dollars: A Soda Stream water maker

If you liked this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and do follow us on social media as well for more great content, check our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and join our e-mail list. I would love to connect with you!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. That means I may make a small commission (at no cost to you) if you make a purchase. This will help to support Joney Talks!