Travel Advice, Travel Tech

The Future of Connectivity: International Roaming eSIM versus Physical SIM Cards

TL;DR? Get started with eSIM cards now with AloSIM and Airalo. You must have an unlocked phone.

The age of digital revolution has heralded a wave of innovations, one of which is the introduction of International Roaming eSIM. This technology has emerged as a game-changer in the telecommunications sector, setting a new precedent for global connectivity. This post aims to shed light on the concept of international roaming esim, its evolution, advantages, and potential future.

In this era, where everything is rapidly shifting towards digitalization, it’s no surprise that even SIM cards, the primary source of connectivity, have embraced this trend. The international roaming esim is a testament to this transformation, offering numerous benefits over traditional physical SIM cards.

The introduction of international roaming esim has revolutionized the way people connect and communicate, particularly when traveling overseas. It has removed the need for physical SIM cards, providing users with a more flexible, convenient, and cost-effective solution.

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Travel Advice, Travel Tech

Best Roaming SIM/eSIM cards

TL;DR? Get started with eSIM cards now with AloSIM and Airalo. You must have an unlocked phone.

Traveling soon or regularly? Not sure what sim card options are best for you? The good news is, gone are the days of physical sim cards. Almost all carriers and network providers have moved to eSIM cards making it easy to get and use international roaming sim cards through mobile apps like AloSIM and Airalo (Android and iPhone). There is no more need to juggle multiple sim cards as the apps will keep track of the different sim cards for you and even allow you to switch easily between each.

The apps are free to download and there is no cost to the eSIM itself. And because it’s pay-as-you need, you only have to commit to the data package that fits your needs and price with rates starting at $4 for 1GB of data.

International roaming eSIM cards can help you save a lot of money on international roaming fees/costs. So the question isn’t so much which sim card is the best, but which international roaming app is most likely to fit your data needs and budget (hint: most international roaming apps have similar pricing).

Safe travels!

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.

Need tickets now? Go to Ferries in Greece or Let’s Ferry or 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!

 

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, Travel Advice

Air Canada Bid Upgrades Now Available

See some additional ‘hacks’ at the end of this post.

Want to fly premium economy or business class, but not pay the full price?  Air Canada now allows economy ticket holders to place bids on empty premium economy and business class seats before their flight.  Just like any auction, the highest bidder(s) will get the seat(s).

The process is quite simple.  Bids are made online using a sliding scale with a set minimum and maximum amount. When passengers pick their price, a chart lets them know the strength of their offer.  Travellers find out if they have the winning bid about 48 hours before departure.

air-canada-bid-upgrades

According to Air Canada, the purposes of the Offer Strength chart is to be a rough indicator of how likely a bidder is to win the auction, although the algorithm used for this graph seems quite obscure.  It is safe to assume that the chart is a marketing tool to get bidders to bid higher than they otherwise would have with the goal of making the overall top bids higher.

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Travel Advice

Travel Startup? Founder Institute (FI.co) Review and Promotional Discount Code

Are you an aspiring Travel Startup?  Think you can be the next Expedia?  If so, be sure to check out Founder Institute’s Startup Accelerator Program.  Fonder Institute is an idea stage accelerator program that helps founders turn ideas in to fully running businesses in 12 weeks.  Over the course of the program, founders learn everything from startup legal, to user acquisition and of course how to pitch investors.  Each week showcases different investors that Founders can pitch to and connect with.

Other benefits include:

  • Quick idea validation – If you can’t survive Founder Institute, your idea probably won’t survive in the real world
  • Great place to meet dozens of investors and startup industry professionals making it easy to “get in front of” investors
  • Weekly milestones to keep you on track and build your company in a startup focused pace
  • Shares in all the other founders/companies that are part of your program

If you’re interested and missed the early sign-up deadline, use this link to get access to the discount.  Otherwise, go to FI.co to find a free info session near you.  If you go to one of the info sessions, be sure to prepare a 60 second ‘pitch’ as you might have the opportunity to pitch investors there on the spot for some free feedback.  A pitch should focus on Problem, Solutions and Why They Should Care (e.g. market size, traction, revenue, etc.).

Good luck!

 

Travel Advice

Surf Bus Oahu North Shore Tour Review and Tips

If you’re in Honolulu or Waikiki beach area and are looking to do a day trip to the North Shore area, be sure to check out Surf Bus.  They hit up all the main spots with a choice of activities and in the morning and the afternoon included in the price.  Below is a general review and tips to get the most out of your day.  If you can, be sure to ask for Mike as a drive as he’s quite the comedian and will entertain you during the drive.

 

General Schedule

8am – Hotel pickup.
9:30am – Macadamia shop stop for a washroom break and souvenir shopping (15 minutes)
10:30am – Arrive in the North Shore area.
11am – Beginning of your morning activity.   Choices include:
– Snorkling
– Hike + waterfall swim (see above video)
– Bike ride
1pm – Lunch time!
2pm – Beach hangout
3pm – Beginning of your afternoon activity.  Choices include:
– Surfing
– SUP (see above video)
– Kayaking
5pm – Turtle viewing at the beach
5:15pm – Head back to hotel
6:30pm – Arrive back at hotel.

 

Tips

– Make use of the cooler.  Bring your own snacks and water to tide you over for the whole day (and save money).
– Bring your own towel (a quick dry one if you can) and a change of clothes as it can get cool at times.  Wear your swimsuit from the start to save time.
– Try the garlic shrimp hut during your lunch stop (delicious, but very garlicky!) for around $16USD.
– Don’t forget to tip your driver (approx. $10USD).

Travel Advice

How To Turn 20 Days Of Annual Leave Into 47 Days Of Travel in 2017.

If you’re in Australia, you’ll love this!  Awol/Contiki has put together a chart that shows how to turn 20 days of annual leave into 47 days of travel.  By strategically planning your leave days (book them before your colleagues!), you can enjoy up to 47 days of travel if you combine weekends, holidays and your annual leave days.

contiki-47-days-of-travel-for-20-days-leave

So what are you waiting for?  To see the latest deals from Contiki go here. #NoRegrets