Former Wall Street trader Vivian Tu is CEO and founder of Your Rich BFF Media, with 2.2 million followers on Instagram and 672,000 subscribers on YouTube. In a recent YouTube short, Tu explained how wealthy individuals can take advantage of offers from various companies to land “hidden” travel perks that most people don't know about.
Here are some specific examples Tu gives in his video, as well as other ways you can earn travel rewards.
Hotel Equity Investment Elite Status and Benefits
As Tu pointed out, some hotel chains offer discounts, status and perks to shareholders who invest in their shares. Accor, for example, offers one of the best shareholder perks of all time. Owners of even one share can qualify for the “Accor Live Limitless” Gold Card, which offers VIP status and perks. However, it's important to note that this only applies to registered shares that have the owner's specific name printed on them. For bearer shares, which are in electronic form and are most commonly used in everyday share trading, 50 shares are required to qualify for this benefit.
IHG, the parent company of 19 hotel brands including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Kimpton, offers a dedicated, restricted-access website for shareholders to access the discounts. Note that to be eligible, shareholders must register certified shares with the IHG registrar.
Cruise Stock Ownership Onboard Credit
Three of the world's largest cruise lines are each offering perks to shareholders. Here are the details:
- Carnival Corporation: For its North American brands, Carnival Corporation is offering customers who hold 100 or more shares a $50 onboard credit for voyages of six days or less, a $100 onboard credit for voyages of seven to 13 days and a $250 onboard credit for cruises longer than 13 days.
- Royal Caribbean Group: Shareholders who hold a minimum of 100 shares will receive $50 on voyages of five nights or less, $100 on voyages of six to 13 nights, $250 on cruises of 14 nights or more and $1,000 onboard credits on world cruises.
- Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: Owners of 100 or more shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings stock can enjoy a $50 onboard credit on cruises of six days or less, a $100 onboard credit on voyages of seven to 13 days, and a $250 credit on longer cruises.
Keep in mind that each of these companies owns a number of different cruise lines, and in most cases, that applies to all of them: Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, for example, owns the eponymous brand Norwegian Cruise Line in addition to Regent Seven Seas and Oceania, Royal Caribbean Group owns Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises, and Carnival owns a whopping nine lines, including Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Seabourn, and Cunard.
Elite Airline Status and Benefits
Unlike hotels and cruise lines, no U.S.-based airlines offer status rewards or “in-flight credits,” but if you're willing to play the credit card rewards game, you can earn some pretty impressive travel perks just by owning the card.
Most airline-related credit cards offer a variety of perks, from free baggage and priority boarding to rental car insurance, travel insurance and lost baggage insurance. Some elite cards also offer airline lounge access or can help account holders move up the status ladder more quickly by earning elite qualification miles more quickly.
How to earn points and miles
Airline and hotel loyalty programs can be very beneficial if you manage your spending carefully. If you plan on flying with a particular airline or staying at a particular hotel, it's best to apply for that airline's loyalty program.
After a certain period of time, you may earn enough credits to pay for a free flight or hotel room. To make the most of your rewards, try to stay loyal to a particular airline or hotel chain so that you can earn rewards faster. This way, a small investment of time will be converted into an attractive reward.
Conclusion
There are plenty of ways to actually turn your travel spending into profits: Tu points out the shareholder perks you can get by actually buying shares in various travel companies, but there are other ways to get a wealth of travel perks, including credit cards and rewards programs.
With a little research, you can find the programs that offer the most value.
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