A great way to lower your costs when visiting Europe or other parts of North America is to obtain free flights using a Loyalty Card for your Walking Holidays. Many people tell me they never get enough points to travel but you can if you plan the process well.
Tips to obtaining free flights using a Loyalty Card:
1. First, focus only on one card. The major reason that people do not
obtain enough points with a Loyalty Card is that they have
numerous cards and spread their regular shopping too thin. If you
focus on one card and the stores they support your points will grow.
Some Loyalty cards permit other family members to collect points on
the same card which can help. My mother faithfully went to the
merchants to collect points when shopping knowing it was providing
me with additional points. She had no interest personally in the
points.
2. Loyalty Cards may obtained for free, while others for a cost. If
paying for a card ensure the benefits truly outweigh the costs, if
will depend on your spending pattern.
3. Ensure the points are awarded at merchants where you currently
shop or can easily shop. If you do not fly often do not obtain a
airline card unless it supports other merchants.
Which card is best for you will vary depending on where you live and
your spending pattern. In Canada, Britain and the Netherlands the
Air Miles card permits everyday shopping for groceries, hardware and
credit card purchases while allowing you to redeem for flights.
4. Before you obtain a Loyalty Card check how easy it is to redeem
your points for flights? Are there blackout periods; limited seat
availability; limited airlines? How are airport taxes and fees handled?
Do they have a fee to redeem the points? Do points expire after a
period of time if not used?
5. Focus on the flight offer for your points. Although the program may
offer hotel and car rental offers as well only consider them if they
too are good value, they frequently are not. Some Loyalty Card
companies do not offer travel insurance so be sure to obtain
insurance before departing on your Walking Holiday.
And finally remember points from one card may not be equal to those from another plan.
If you carefully follow these tips you too can easily obtain a free flight using your Loylaty Card for your next walking holiday.
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The famous Wimbledon Tennis Championships are played near London in early summer each year. Tennis fans, beginners and experienced alike, watch this two week event with great fascination as the profession dazzle us with a great display of how tennis can be played.
In his book, More Balls Than Hands, Michael Gelb notes an observation from tennis coaches following Wimbledon, the play of their students has improved remarkably. By watching the professionals students observe and learn things they can add to their own performance. Michael notes that you too can take a conscious advantage of this Wimbledon effect in any area of endeavor by immersing yourself in images of excellence.
This too can apply to hiking and trekking as well, for example:
Hiking equipment – people who are hiking or trekking do not use their gear such walking poles or sticks correctly to obtain the benefits for which they were designed. By viewing a DVD on Hiking Poles – Techniques and Tips
Packing – many hikers do not pack the right contents or balance the load in their pack correctly, so watch a DVD or learn about this aspect.
Hiking techniques – by observing hikers along a trail can you pick up some their wisdom. Watch as their experiences as this group hikes for over 250 miles in 27 Days Hiking DVD
Your Routes – an inspiring DVD can guide you on to expect regarding the terrain and what to pack such as with Appalachian Impressions
I have no doubt that studying any professionals of any sport, including hiking or trekking can only help your performance because of the Wimbledon effect.
How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci
Price: $8.77
Michael Gelb’s How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci is an inspiring and inventive guide that teaches readers how to develop their full potential, using the principles of Da Vincian thought identified by the author. Beginning with a brief historical biography of Da Vinci and an overview of the astounding advances made in the arts and sciences during the Renaissance, Gelb illustrates the seven fundamental elements of Da Vinci’s thought process: Questionare: A questing, insatiably curious approach to life Dimostrazione: A commitment to test knowledge through experience Sensazione: The continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, as the means to clarify experience Sfumato: A willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox and uncertainty Arte/Scienza: The development of the balance between science and art, logic and imagination. Whole-brain thinking Corporalita: The cultivation of ambidexterity, fitness and poise Connessione: A recognition and appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and phenomena. Systems thinking. Loaded with practical exercises, quotes, sidebars, illustrations and material drawn directly from Da Vinci’s personal notebooks, How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci is both a tribute to his great achievements and a call to carry on his legacy in our everyday lives by utilizing our potential to the best of our ability. From the Hardcover edition.
Brand: Random House Audio Publishing Group
Originally posted 2009-10-23 09:37:59.
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