Travel Advice

Westjet Calgary (YYC) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) Business Class vs. Premium Economy

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Pro tip: Flying from Calgary to Tokyo Narita in business and then back in premium economy is a great compromise since the flight back to Calgary is 15% shorter due to tailwinds.

Many smaller cities (London, Waterloo, Hamilton, Ottawa) fly to Calgary so this flight is a great option if you don’t have direct options like with Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal.

Important transfer note on the way back Canada: Your bags will transfer automatically, but be prepared to have to exit and go through security again. This is particularly important if you plan on getting duty free liquor to bring back to Canada.

Business Class

Seat:
Goes fully flat and everything in between with lower back arch support that can adjusted – all controlled via the touch screen.
Plenty of storage space and outlets for all your electronics.
Makeup mirror.
Large screen with lots of movies, TV shows and games.

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Travel Advice

Booking Greek Island Ferries

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Going to the Greek islands? Lucky you!

If you’re planning a trip to Greece, visiting the beautiful Greek islands should be high on your itinerary. One of the best ways to get from Athens to the Greek islands is by ferry. Booking a Greek island ferry can be a bit overwhelming, but with a few tips, you can ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip.

The ferries are the main mode of transportation between the greek islands and the mainland, and they can get booked up quickly during peak season. In this post, we’ll look at the best options for booking ferry tickets for the Greek islands.

Just want to book? Use the widget below:

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Travel Advice

BCx Healthcare Benefits Review

Moving to the U.S.? Travelling there regularly or planning to stay for awhile?  Healthcare in the U.S. can be complicated and travel insurance should be a high priority for anyone visiting the U.S.

But what about for smaller issues?  Things like minor infections, colds, etc.  Going to the hospital or urgent care can be time consuming and costly.

Luckily, a new flexible subscription program is being offered from BCx that provides unlimited tele-med coverage and unlimited prescription drug coverage for $15/month.  Tele-med is where you can video-call (or regular call) a U.S. board certified doctor to discuss your ailments.  You can even get a prescription through the same doctor if it is deemed necessary.

courtesy of MDLive.com
Courtesy of MDLive.com

The tele-med service is provided by MDlive.com and normally costs $75 per call.  With a BCx subscription, it’s unlimited!

Signing up takes less than 3 minutes and is 100% online.  And a prescription drug card is sent via email usually the next business day.

BCx Drug Card

Currently, the first month is free for the monthly option.  The annual option provides even more savings.

Finally, the cost includes up to 7 family members and require no medical questionnaire.  Acceptance is guaranteed!

 

Travel Tech

KnowRoaming Unlimited Data Plans Are Now $3.99 a day or $9.99 for 3 days!

KnowRoaming has reduced their unlimited data packages to $3.99 USD a day or $9.99 USD for the 3-day package.  Their packages can be used in over 200 countries and includes unlimited WhatsApp messaging and calls with every top-up.

Other packages include:

  • USA 3-day – $5.99 USD
  • Global SIM Card + 7-day Unlimited Data package – $22.99 USD
  • Global SIM Sticker + 7-day Unlimited Data package – $34.99 USD

Best of all, with their SIM Sticker, you can use both your home phone number and an international number at the same time!

Use Promo Code “RAITA00” at checkout for a discount (on some sim packages).

N. America, Travel Advice

Air Canada Bid Upgrade Guide

Flying Air Canada and looking to splurge? Upgrade to premium economy or business class by bidding on potential empty seats!  Here is a quick guide to help you through the process.

Important note: Bids are non-refundable (if accepted/won) and the cost is above and beyond your original ticket price.  You will not gain any additional reward miles on bid upgraded seats.

First, you must already have a ticket and booking reference (book through a site like Expedia to get an immediate booking reference by email).  Once you have these, head over to Air Canada’s bidding website to see if your flight is eligible for bid upgrades.  To check eligibility, simply enter your booking reference and last name.

AC-bid-upgrade-eligibility

Next, select the flights you want to bid on and which class (premium economy or business class).  If you have a round-trip ticket, you must bid on both the outgoing and incoming flights during the same session (but you can choose to not provide a bid on one of the directions if you do not feel like it).  Use the slider to choose your bid price.  Note that there is a minimum threshold that you can bid.

AC-Bid-Upgrade-Slider

Tip: If you’re only willing to bid the minimum, bid slightly above to beat out everyone else that is bidding the minimum.

Once you have chosen your bid, you will be taken to a confirmation and payment screen to enter your credit card information.

AC-Bid-Upgrade-Payment-Screen

Once your bid is confirmed, your credit card will only be charged if Air Canada accepts your bid.  You will usually receive confirmation 72 hours before your scheduled flight.

Happy bidding!

N. America

Tasty Tours – Toronto Food Tour Review

If you find yourself in Toronto and hungry (pun intended!) for some less-touristy options away from the obvious CN Tower and Dundas Square areas, be sure to check out Tasty Tours!  Tasty Tours takes you on a walk through the China Town and Kensington area of Toronto, famous for its local cuisine and anti-big-brand attitude (you won’t find a single big-brand store in the Kensington neighbourhood – Just ask Nike, they tried).

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Europe

Food Tours Stockholm, Sweden Review

Are you a foodie looking to try Swedish delicacies, but don’t have the time or budget to sit down at different restaurants?  Fortunately, Food Tours Stockholm’s Nordic Experience tour has you covered.  This 4-hour tour will take you around Stockholm on foot and by subway to different areas to try everything from bear (yes, bear!) to cheese to chocolate and includes various non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks.  It is a great tour that will not only fill your stomach, but also helps you get acquainted with Stockholm’s history.

Travel Tech

How to get discounts on DJI Drones

So you’ve decided to invest in a drone, but with the popularity of the market leading DJI brand, discounts are hard to come by.  Unfortunately, direct discounts are next to impossible, but with some creativity it’s possible to save both time and some money the DJI Spark, Mavic, and Phantom!

 

Tip Number #1:  Don’t buy from traditional retail

Traditional retail means high markups.  Not to mention travel time, parking and sales tax.

 

Tip Number #2: Buy online and save the tax

Buy via Amazon for a chance to save the tax.  ‘Chance’ because it depends on which state/province you live in.  Also, ‘via Amazon’ meaning from a third party who lists on Amazon, but not direct from Amazon.  Assuming the third party isn’t in the same province as you, there shouldn’t be any tax (see below).  This in itself can save you hundreds of dollars.

DJI-Drone-Discount

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Europe

Isle of Man Bike Rentals with Green Wheelers

Isle of Man – The small Island country found between Ireland, Scotland and England.  The whole island can be discovered over the course of a few days using a combination of foot, tram (pulled by a horse!), steam/electric rail, bus and bicycle.  If being outdoors is your thing, the island is very bicycle friendly and offers courses for all levels.  For those who are more experienced, the perimeter of the whole island can be cycled in a day.  For those who are not as ambitious, luckily there is Green Wheelers Bike Tours.

Green Wheelers offers both bike rentals and tours for beginner to intermediate cyclists.  The best part is, if you’re not sure what level you are, Green Wheelers’ bicycles are all battery assisted allowing you to adjust the difficulty as you go.  It is recommended that you do at least one tour with Green Wheelers and then rent their bicycles to discover the rest of the island on your own.

One must-do experience is to go to the West side of the island where the roads run along the coast line.  From there, you can do an epic downhill ride down to the ocean.  Don’t worry though, you have your battery assistance to get you back up if needed!

Europe

Steam Packet Isle of Man Ferry Review and Seat Class Comparison

If you’re off to Isle of Man, there are two way to get there; by Ferry or plane.  Although the flight may only be 45 minutes, if you factor in having to go early, the security lineups and the fact that the Isle of Man airport isn’t in Douglas, the ferry is a very pleasant and efficient alternative, taking about 3-hours each way.  The best part, the Ferry terminal docks in the heart of Douglas.

The main difference between the economy tickets, is the location of the seats.  The ones near the front of the boat (with the best view) are slightly more expensive, but all economy tickets allow you to access most of the amenities.  The restaurant on the ferry is reasonably priced and has a good selection of food and drinks.  For those travelling with kids, there is a play area, alongside a separate two theatres to keep both adults and kids entertained.  Finally, if you’re brave enough, be sure to go out on the deck to get some fresh ocean air!

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