Touring the Americas on $500 per Week
My alarm is set for 3 a.m. tomorrow, when I’ll catch the Subway ($2.25) across the street to the JFK AirTrain ($5). This will be my commute for much of the next four weeks, as I trek between my apartment in Lower Manhattan and the rest of North, Central and South America using JetBlue’s All You Can Jet Pass ($699). Despite spending nearly $1,000 without a single trip to the airport, my airfare for this month’s 21 flight segments is already on my credit card statement, leaving another $1,000 for tours, lodging, and entertainment over the next month.
Will I be able to stay within my budget? I won’t know for certain until after I hit the blackjack tables during my three-day trip to Las Vegas (that’s a joke) towards the end of the month, but if I’m able to keep costs down in Costa Rica, Phoenix, Syracuse, Bermuda, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Vegas, and Bogota, then anything is possible! I’m traveling with or staying with friends whenever practical to minimize expenses, and using hotel rewards points for one exception (Seattle) and Airbnb.com for another (San Francisco). Check back often as I recap each day’s activities (and progress towards my budget). To the rest of my JetBlue AYCJers — I wish you an incredible month, and look forward to meeting many of you beginning tomorrow morning!
The thought crossed my mind about putting down some bets in Vegas to help pay for the trip. But the bad thing would be to lose it and then blow money that could have gone towards the trip. That’s why it’s called gambling!
Have a great month and safe travels.