Here’s some rare good news for average Joes: You don’t have to have a Wall Street-sized income to jet set like you work on Wall Street.
Many accommodations, airlines, cruises, and Michelin star restaurants are launching new tiers of travel and à la carte options designed to be attainable for the middle class.
They call it “attainable luxury,” we call it traveling smart. Below are our favorite hacks for living large on a medium paycheck.
Save on a safari
Africa’s big five don’t hibernate, so there’s no off-season — just shoulder season when rates drop by up to 50%. Some camps like Namibia’s Etosha Mountain Lodge — from $700 per person, per night during high season — even waive single traveler supplements most charge during these months.
Etosha is also more economical because it offers a “dinner, bed and breakfast rate” (from $262 per person, per night). Most luxury camps only offer all-inclusive rates that include two game drives and three meals. Try to avoid charter flights, too.
Be open to non-traditional safaris — an exploding category — too. Land Cruisers are cool, but if you’ve got the quads, consider a cycling safari. In June, I’m spending $1,500 for four nights of mountain biking and mobile glamping in Botswana’s bush with Natural Selection whose lodges can be $4,000 per person, per night. Small group five-star safaris will also save you approximately 30%.
Last year, I did Kenya and Tanzania with Micato, which runs more than 400 group dates annually. I got my own accommodations at each camp and only had to share a vehicle with a lovely retired couple who I now consider friends.
Sail smarter
Boatsetter and Getmyboat merged in December, creating an even bigger AirBnB for boats. Renting on-demand from boat owners cuts out the middlemen who most middle-class travelers don’t need: yacht brokers. Also, don’t use the instant book option. DM the owner and negotiate on the price. If you can mix your own cocktails and feel confident on a paddleboard, you don’t need a full crew.
Personally, I prefer shared yacht charters, a relatively new phenomenon. Cruise Croatia’s seven-night voyage on its 157-foot yacht-style ship (36 guests max) that cruises the Adriatic costs $370 per person, per night. I’ve also yachted alongside strangers — four fab, fit ladies — around the Turkish Riviera with Sun Fun You: Mediterranean Voyages. An ensuite cabin on their wooden gullet-style yacht starts at $437 per person, per night. A chef, a fitness instructor and concierge/tour guide were at our disposal pretty much 24/7.
Book a daycation
There’s no shame in sleeping in a three-star hotel, while playing at a five-star. Prior to reopening in October, the Waldorf Astoria New York’s spa was exclusively for overnight guests (rates from $1,400 per night). Now, the world’s largest Guerlain Spa is open to the public for just $150 a day.
You don’t even need to book a treatment to enjoy the facilities: an arctic cave, a steam room and a sauna. Many five-star hotels are adopting the day-pass business model.
My husband and I recently posted up by the pool at the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa.
“Day guests can enjoy our multi-level pool complex, lazy river and resort traditions like our complimentary nightly Tequila Toast,” said Sean Mehringer, the resort’s director of ancillary revenue.
Next week, I’m heading to Lake Austin Spa Resort (from $1,100 a night). Their $150 day pass gets you unlimited snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as full access to the resort’s pools, whirlpool, steam room and sauna.
Resort Pass boasts 2,000 hotel partners — many of whom don’t advertise day passes or day rooms. That said, booking directly through the property can cost 15% less.
Michelin star at the bar
The best budget-friendly Michelin star restaurants are all located in Europe, where lunch is often more cherished (and cheaper) than dinner. One-star Baeita in Paris offers a multi-course midday meal for just $70. You’ll also find better deals in second or third cities. Dinner with wine at a two-star restaurant in New York or Chicago will set you back around $500. It’s just $290 at La Fleur in Frankfurt.
Stateside, opt for Michelin-rated restaurants with a bar menu like Jeune et Jolie in Carlsbad, Calif. You won’t be limited to triple-digit tasting menus. Nuts are usually on the house, too.
Learn to compro-flies
Private jets are for all — sorta. Thanks to pandemic-era demand, semi-private jet charters are now a thing. For $3,200 you can fly round-trip from New York to Palm Beach with Slate Aviation. Its jets have 12 to 18 business class seats, but unlike commercial business class, you don’t have to deal with TSA lines. You’ll also have access to private departure and arrival lounges. Plus, the onboard Wi-Fi actually works.
Commercial airlines, meanwhile, are upgrading economy on domestic flights. American added premium economy service to its JFK to LAX flights in October. Think wider seats, more legroom, a personal amenity kit, hot food served on chinaware, a crepe weave blanket and an lumbar Ostrichpillow. From the right angle, a selfie in premium can pass as first class.
Later this year, Delta and United are joining Air France, KLM, Qatar and Emirates in unbundling business. Pay for the perks you want — lay-flat seats — and skip the ones you don’t need: lounge access on a tight layover or two checked bags.
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