[Contributor, Hao, shares on hacking the sharing economy with Airbnb and Uber.]
Sometimes, the best way to stretch your miles & points is to supplement the glitz and glamour of rewards travel with a relatively new way of travel.
Startups like Airbnb and Uber offer affordable and inventive ways to travel, revolving around the idea of sharing.
Airbnb
Airbnb pairs up hosts and their homes, spare apartments, or rooms with guests from all around the world. For me, the most useful cases of Airbnb have been during extended travels or in places where hotels are too costly (either in cash or points). I spent six weeks in London at an Airbnb. With the combination of Airbnb and extended stay pricing, I was able to find a place for only $20 a night during the summer. The private room in a house came complete with access to the kitchen, spacious backyard, and it was an easy five-minute walk to the train station.
Moreover, you can filter your selection by finding mutual friends on social networks, searching by specific neighborhoods, and other amenities. Book with confidence based on reviews and other people’s experiences. And of course – you can use your credit card to earn points and miles on the side. Before booking, make sure to message the host to see if you can snag a better deal before committing to the listing.
Uber
Uber is a car service that pairs up the more expensive, luxury UberLUX or more practical, inexpensive UberX vehicles with smartphone users looking for a ride.
On face value, Uber seems expensive, but the real value out of the service comes from sharing the ride with 2-3 others in your party. Amenities like door-to-door service, complimentary water bottles, and a knowledgeable driver are included.
Let’s take London, for example. A simple tube ride on the Underground costs roughly two pounds, per person, each way. The tube doesn’t go from door-to-door and requires a lot of extra transit time going into and out of the station. If you’re venturing around the city at night, the tube shuts down at midnight, making UberX a very sensible option – compared to the alternatives, which include the traditional, super expensive black cabs of London.
Today, Uber serves fifty cities, most of them in the U.S.
In London, I highly recommend using UberX to/from London Heathrow. Last time I checked, it was 37 pounds, which is a bargain. Taking the tube is about 5 pounds and takes an hour. Trust me, it’s not very fun if you’re lugging around luggage after a long flight.
Tips for using Uber:
1) Create a new Uber for each member of your party.
2) You must assign a unique email, unique phone number, and unique credit card to each account. You can’t use a duplicate identifier for each new account.
3) Tweet the Community Manager of your destination city, list here, to see if there are any promotions going on.
A few London promo codes to stack, after signing up:
1) Uber code steph25 for £25 discount
2) Uber code LDNZERO320 for £10 discount
3) Uber code LDNZERO01 for £10 discount
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— Noob Master