How Credit Cards Changed My Life

Flying First Class from India to Dubai

Updated: October 26th, 2020

I find it interesting that some people either hate credit cards or love credit cards. After all, they’re just a tool to help you buy things more conveniently. Sure, if you spend uncontrollably you’ll go into debt and pay outrageous interest fees, but that’s totally up to the person using the card. For me, these little pieces of plastic with a barcode and signature on the back have totally changed my life.

I’ll always remember the first credit card I received. It was an MBNA MasterCard with the Edmonton Oilers logo on it. I got it at a hockey game when I was 18 because they were giving out a t-shirt and I needed my first card. These days, I would never apply for a credit card that had no reward points and only came with a crappy t-shirt. However, receiving that first credit card at 18 did do something really good for me – the beginning of my credit score history.

A Quick Guide to Travel Vaccines

What Vaccinations Should You Get?

Depending on where you’re going, vaccinations can be a very important part of your travel plans. At the same time, I want to caution you from getting every single vaccination that everyone says you should get. I’m not a doctor so I can’t tell you what to get and what not to get. However, in all my years of travel, I’ve noticed that the most popular vaccinations that many travellers get are:

Hepatitis A and B
Tetanus
Typhoid
Yellow Fever

When it comes to malaria, there are no vaccinations but there are pills that help fight the disease should you contract it. I have travelled to many malaria-infested countries but have always opted to not take the pills. This is because I am usually traveling for many months and malaria pills are very hard on the liver if taken long-term. Taking them will depend on where you are going, how serious the situation is in the country you’re visiting and how long you’re going for. It is best to do your research, speak to a doctor and make an educated decision. The best prevention of malaria is not getting bitten by mosquitoes, which means covering up your skin and wearing bug spray that contains DEET.

Before deciding what vaccinations you may need, it helps to do some research on the country and area you are planning to visit. It also depends on what vaccinations you had growing up.

Taking a Shower at 40,000 Feet | How I Travelled First Class on Emirates for $89

Although travel has been a passion of mine for many years now, luxury was never really part of the equation. Sure, I like a little bit of bling bling now and then but I’m the kind of guy who’d rather be sleeping in a tent in the mountains than living it up in a 5-star hotel (most of the time, anyway). So it was somewhat odd to recently find myself sitting first class on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Houston. Not just any Emirates flight either – the A380. The Cream of the crop. The golden goose of travel hacking.

After having breakfast in the Emirates first class lounge (included with the flight), my wife and I both boarded the luxurious aircraft for a 17-hour trans-Atlantic flight. It’s a long haul flying over the Middle East, Europe, the Atlantic ocean, and most of the US in one jaunt but it was made all the better by sitting in pure luxury.

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What Vaccinations Should You Get?