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The Penny Pincher's Passport to Luxury Travel: The Art of Cultivating Preferred Customer Status By Joel L. Widzer

Your Passport To Luxury
Traveling Like the Rich and Famous

The First Time I Saw Paris

My enduring love for luxury travel began the first time I saw Paris. The comfort and ease of my first class transatlantic flight had enabled me to arrive in that magical city relaxed and refreshed. But nothing prepared me for what I saw when I entered my elegant suite on the top floor of the fashionable, five-star Prince de Galles Hotel.

It was as if I had entered another world, a world of timeless beauty and unparalleled luxury. The floor I stood upon was sparkling marble; the plush fabrics of the furnishings were soft and inviting. Fresh, fragrant flowers in a crystal vase adorned a table that stood before a grand picture window. And through that window, regal and magnificent, was the Eiffel Tower.

From the moment I opened that door to the world of first class luxury, I vowed never to turn back. I have since traveled to more than twenty countries, on more than 500 first class flights, and to the finest five-star hotels known to the world. Now I can open those doors for you. The Penny Pincher's passport to Luxury Travel is the first book to reveal the hidden secrets of how to access a world of first class travel, impeccable service, and preferred customer status--all at a fraction of the usual cost and regardless of your level of travel experience.

Through easy, step-by-step instructions and advice, you will learn how to obtain first class airline seats, the best hotel rooms, and the finest luxury rental cars--without having to spend a fortune. You will gain insight into the benefits of traveling against the grain, learn how to transform travel misfortunes into fortunes and understand how to spend travel dollars wisely. And you will discover the importance of building long-term, loyal relationships with travel companies, learn how to invest your tips wisely, and reap the rewards of researching your travel plans.

Luxury Travel: No Longer Just For The Privileged Few

Along the journey of this book you will meet a few interesting individuals with whom I have had the opportunity to work first hand to help them secure a first class travel experience. These people are not wealthy; they have varied backgrounds and income levels, just like you. Their stories of achieving first class travel experiences at discount prices will help you see how easy it is to apply the fundamental principles of this book.

Each of these individuals fits into categories of travelers that I would define as frequent, moderate, occasional, or infrequent travelers. At the end of this chapter, you will see a chart that defines each category of traveler, along with annual travel budgets for each category. The budgets will give you an approximate yet realistic idea of how much you can expect to spend every year on travel for a first class experience; however, your actual costs will vary in accordance with the destinations you choose, the number of people in your family, and prevailing economic conditions.

You are going to meet Robert and Cindy, who are occasional travelers. They are a young couple in their late thirties with three children, two in high school and one in her first year of college. Robert and Cindy were married and had children when they were very young, and Cindy just received her college degree. Until recently they were not able to put any money aside for what they considered to be unnecessary activities like travel. However, it has always been their dream to take a second honeymoon, and you will see how they were able to enjoy a romantic and luxurious one-week trip to Bali on a tight budget of only $2,500.

Another couple, Mark and Donna, are what I would call infrequent travelers. They were able to take their two children on a wonderful seven-day family vacation to Disney World while staying well within their budget of $2,750. This budget included the cost of tickets to Disney World, which was $955 for the week. With the remaining $1,795, this family of four was able to fly first class at coach prices from Orange County, California to Orlando, Florida, and stay in a spacious hotel suite for the same price as a small room.

Then you'll meet Lance, a single man in his thirties with a good job and a passion for first class travel. I would consider him a moderate traveler. The luxury travel bug bit Lance shortly after graduating from college, when his job gave him the opportunity to travel the world in the grandest style possible. He stayed at the finest hotels and flew worldwide in a private 727 and on commercial flights, but always in first class. However, when his assignment ended he came back to reality. Facing a puzzling dilemma, Lance, who was very thrifty, did not like to spend much of his own money on travel. However, after traveling in such a luxurious manner he did not want to settle for cramped coach seats and second-rate hotels. You will learn how Lance solved his dilemma and still travels in luxury while staying within his annual travel budget of $6,000.

After a lifetime of hard work, Ed and Carol, a retired couple in their sixties, feel that now is the time for them to see the world and pursue their love of travel. Like Lance, they are moderate travelers. However, Ed has some medical concerns, and when he travels he needs to be extra careful in securing his comfort. Ed and Carol also need to pay attention to their budget, since they are on a fixed income and could experience unexpected medical costs at any time. Work with Ed and Carol, I was able to help them satisfy their need for comfort while staying within their annual travel budget of $15,000.

Carl and Mary are your typical empty nesters who enjoy traveling now that their children are out of the house. Carl travels frequently for business, but would usually settle for coach airline seats, low frills hotels, and compact rental cars--until I showed him how to use the frequency of his travels to his advantage. Now he always travels in luxury, not only for business, but also for his personal travels with his wife Mary. Although Mary is an infrequent traveler, she has been able to benefit from Carl's frequent travels. Now both enjoy the comforts of first class travel while spending about $5,000 annually.

You will be introduced to Richard and Kathy, who live in the Midwest with their three children. Richard and Kathy are very involved in their children's activities; however, once a year they take time for themselves with a 10-day Caribbean cruise. Before I worked with Richard and Kathy, they were on a very tight budget of $3,500 and booked all their cruise arrangements through a travel agent. Now they make all their bookings themselves. Consequently, they enjoy a first class flight to their port destination and an upgraded cabin on the cruise ship. And the price of this enhanced travel experience? It's more than a thousand dollars cheaper than the cruise they used to book through a travel agent. With this extra savings they have been able to take another vacation with their children. This is not to say that it's a bad idea to use travel agents. Although I have found it more advantageous to book my own travel, there are many travel agents who are extremely knowledgeable about the travel marketplace, who can be very adept at helping you secure luxury travels at a discount, and who can be a valuable resource for all your travel needs. Later in this book I will discuss what to look for in a travel agent who will go the extra mile for you.

Throughout this book you will meet many other people who have enjoyed luxury travels at a discount. And of course, you will read about my own luxury travels throughout the world. I am a frequent traveler, and on average, approximately 60% of my travel is business related. With the exception of a few overseas flight segments that were in business class, all of my air travels since 1991 have been in first class. I fly over 100,000 air miles per year in first unwillingness by that company to continue extending their warmth and courtesy.

It is also important to remember that although businesses want to provide for their customers' needs, they cannot do so to the detriment of the business. All companies need to consider the profitability of their operation. Therefore, it is important to learn what accomodations and exceptions are feasible for a company to make. This concept will be discussed in greater detail in a later chapter.

Quality Service Means Taking Responsibility And Going The Extra Mile

The employees of the Ritz-Carlton Hotels do an excellent job in taking responsibility for problems and acting with initiative. Displayed throughout the workers' area in the Ritz-Carlton Hotels are signs reminding employees to take responsibility for their guests' needs. It is this consistent sense of responsibility on the part of employees that provides the guests of the Ritz-Carlton with exceptional service.

When I was a guest of the Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong, I noticed that along the side of my bed there was a conspicuous button marked "service." Being curious and even a little skeptical that someone would actually respond if I pushed the button, I pushed it. Within a few short minutes, a valet appeared at my door. Embarrassed by his rapid and obviously earnest response, I asked if I could have a pair of slacks pressed. He told me that it was Sunday and the cleaning service did not operate on Sundays; however, he would do his best to accomodate me. Within thirty minutes he returned with my freshly pressed slacks. Clearly, he had gone out of his way to give me exceptional service, and for that I gave him a generous tip. This is a fine example of the type of service you should expect as a luxury traveler.

My experience at a particular Four Season Hotel is another example of exceptional service. On one occasion, I was traveling with my two dogs, and when making my reservations, I requested that I be allowed to bring them to the hotel with me. To my surprise, a few days prior to my arrival, the hotel called me to ask about the size of the dogs, their favorite treats, and their names. And when I arrived at my room, the hotel had prepared a special area for my dogs with their own beds, treats, and special bowls imprinted with their own names! I believe that is going the extra mile.

Don't Settle For Less Than The Best

While dining at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua in Hawaii with my wife, I learned how important is it to choose only travel companies that make exceptional service a high priority. About ten minutes after we sat down at our table, an older gentleman who from outward appearances seemed to be very wealthy sat at a table adjacent to ours, accompanied by a well-dressed young woman. The waiter, who was responsible for both tables, took one look at the other couple and completely neglected my wife and me for the remainder of our meal while showering them with impeccable service. When their wine glasses were empty, the waiter rushed to refill them, and in the meantime my wife's glass remained unfilled. When the older man's female companion returned to their table after a brief absence, the waiter raced across the room to assist her with her chair. Yet we sat needlessly long with our dinner plates needing to be cleared. It took so long for us to get out waiters attention that we decided not to wait for dessert, and left the restaurant without leaving a tip for the waiter.

Apparently our dissatisfaction was communicated to the hotel's Food and Beverage Manager, who called our room to express his concern. After discussing our poor service, he apologized profusely and offered to make amends. When I mentioned that we were unable to order dessert, he offered us complimentary desserts of our choice. Within two minutes, a room service waiter delivered them to our room, and the Food and Beverage Manager paid for our entire meal that evening.

Once you understand what quality service is, you should not accept anything less. When you appreciate the impact that service has on your travel experiences you know why you should only spend your travel dollars on companies that make it a habit to offer quality service. This principle will be discussed in greater detail later in this book. Undoubtedly, things will go wrong on occasion, no matter what kind of travel company you choose as a consumer. However, if my wife and I had dined at a hotel that was accustomed to offering a lower level of service, the Food and Beverage Manager probably would not have taken an interest in or responsibility for our dissatisfaction. Consequently, part of our travel experience would have been disappointing.

Let Smart Service employees Bring Out the Best In You

What my wife and I observed in the dining room of the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua is not uncommon. Often, waiters and other service personnel offer the rich and famous a discriminatory level of lavish service because of a preconceived notion that wealthy clientele will tip more generously than the rest of us. However, savvy workers know that this is often not the case. Having worked my through college in service sector jobs, I learned first hand that people of average income are usually better tippers. As a valet at a Malibu, California beachfront restaurant, I constantly received higher tips from the drivers of average cars, whereas the drivers of luxury cars would often tip a pittance or nothing at all. I still find this observation to hold true, as evidenced by what I see every Saturday when I get my car washed. I bought my car from a dealer who offers free Saturday car washes to owners of this type of vehicle. Each Saturday the dealer fills the reception room with pastries, bagels, doughnuts, coffee, and juices. Human nature being what it is, car owners happily partake in the free food and services. However, when the attendants pull up with their nicely washed car, most of the owners who paid in excess of $50,000 for their vehicles do not even have the courtesy to tip one dollar for this gracious service.

Another good example of this tendency to prejudge customers comes from a friend of mine who was shopping for a Porsche in Beverly Hills. On that particular day, he was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. When he first walked onto the lot, he was shunned by all the salespeople except for one astute salesperson who treated my friend graciously and courteously. The salesman made such an impression on my friend that he bought a Porsche that same day, in cash and at list price. The other salespeople were dismayed, and more to the point, without a sale.

In any event, those employees who prejudge customers based solely on outward appearances are not the kind of employees you want serving your needs. You want to find the personnel who will readily and genuinely provide quality service to you and go the extra mile, whether your travel bill amounts to a dime or a hundred dollars. And when you are the recipient of good service, you have an added responsibility to treat others how you would like to be treated. It is your responsibility not to take advantage of service industry employees in your pursuit of fine service. Remember that these people will go the extra mile for you, but you must show respect and appreciation for their hard work and most importantly, do not treat them like servants. I guarantee you will learn how to travel to a five-star resort and receive preferential treatment; however, when receiving this fine service you should be respectful and reciprocate. In the chapter on tipping, you will see how you can reward these individuals and in return receive treatment fit for a king.

Our everyday lives are typically involved with serving others. If you are an employee, you are most likely serving your supervisor and customers. If you are a homemaker, you are probably serving the needs of your family. If you are a business traveler, your journeys are strenuous enough with long daily meetings in a new city each day, along with being away from the comforts of family and home. We all work hard in whatever field of endeavor we have chosen, and so it is vital to reward ourselves whenever we have the opportunity. I have found luxury travel to be a well-deserved reward for hard work.

Regardless of what you do or what your reasons are for traveling, your journeys away can provide you with the opportunity to take a luxurious break from the stresses of daily life. this is your time to pamper yourself and to enjoy your sensual surroundings. So experience the highest level of quality service by seeking out the quality companies that make it their mission to give all of their customers preferential treatment.

Copyright © 1999 Travelers' Tales Inc.,O'Reilly & Associates