“Social Media is pointless” – Yes, those words have come out of my mouth before. I don’t enjoy social media personally. If it wasn’t for my blog, I probably wouldn’t even bother having an Instagram or two Facebook accounts (don’t ask). I would definitely NOT bother with Instagram and have already done away with Snapchat. When I travel, I make it a point to put my phone down often to enjoy the moment.
But I recognize that social media is useful for promoting content and connecting with readers – all crucial things when you’re blogging about travel. That being said, social media isn’t just important for the purpose of sharing and consuming information. Here are five ways social media can enhance your travel experience:
1. Finding mistake fares and award availability
I don’t subscribe to any websites anymore. My inbox is overloaded with spam, making it an inefficient source of information. Instead, I get my news from Twitter. That includes alerts about mistake fares.
Twitter is how I learned about the $550 Hong Kong Airlines business class mistake fare last year. People see a mistake fare alert from The Flight Deal or Airfare Watchdog and retweet it.
Because I follow both accounts (and so does virtually everyone else I know), news of mistake fares are impossible to miss.
On a similar note, people also like to share on Twitter when they find open space for rare awards. Whether it’s Qantas first class or wide-open availability for a new Etihad route, the information makes its way onto Twitter and gets shared.
2. Social media as a travel planning tool
I get it: Most people have a tendency to ask for travel tips on social media and then ignore it. I’ve done it, despite my best intentions. Regardless, if you want first-hand accounts of a destination from people who have traveled there extensively or even live there, social media is a great place to connect.
Whichever stage of your travel planning you’re in, you can find a lot of useful information on social media. It’s not restricted to just Twitter either – I regularly check out Instagram to get a better feel for a specific city or hotel because I know people who are there at the moment are sharing video footage and tagging their locations.
3. Keeping up with the latest in points, miles and manufactured spending
Virtually every important development I’ve shared on manufactured spending was shared with me on Twitter or Facebook. When Target decided to stop accepting credit cards for Redbird loads, the rumors were so rampant on Twitter that I headed out that night and liquidated my few remaining cards.
Readers have used social media to share things with me like CVS implementing a cash-only policy for Vanilla Reload purchases (shoutout to @ringsthecaddy!) or the news that Simon Mall would start selling $1,000 Visa gift cards. Social media is a great way to stay on top of the latest news and rumors about manufactured spending, credit card news and reward program devaluations.
4. Connecting with fellow travel hackers
One of my favorite things about social media is the opportunity to connect with fellow bloggers and readers alike. Sharing trip footage on Instagram and getting feedback from people who are planning their own trips and getting excited about it is fun.
I’ve sent out tweets about visiting a particular city and received meet-up invitations from followers. As much as I love traveling alone, it’s nice to know that if I do want to socialize, I can easily find people on social media that I’m fairly certain aren’t going to murder me outside of Philz Coffee.
There’s also a sense of community on social media that’s great when you’re getting into this hobby and want to connect with like-minded people. A lot of you have been using the PointChaser Facebook Group as a sort of discussion forum, sharing information and soliciting feedback on travel plans. I love seeing people jump in to answer each other’s questions and offer up advice.
5. Help is just a tweet away
Social media is a great way to get the attention of airlines and hotels when things don’t go well. For example, a few months ago my parents were headed to Turkey on a United itinerary. On the morning of their departure, we had an unexpected death in the family and I quickly had to change their travel plans.
With three hours to go before their flight was supposed to depart, I couldn’t get a United agent on the phone. I DM’d the twitter team and they promptly responded. I was able to send them screenshots of all the documentation they needed. They promptly canceled the flights and reissued the miles within a matter of minutes.
When I was at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives last month, I locked myself out of my room literally within minutes of arriving. The walk to the hotel desk under the scorching sun was not appealing, so I DM’d the resort on Twitter for help.
I did the same thing in Thessaloniki three years ago when I was stuck at the Softex refugee camp and couldn’t get a cab to pick me up because the place technically didn’t have an address. The hotel Twitter team sent the coordinates to a cab driver who found me after two previous failed attempts.
And when Google Translate failed me at a Calais bus stop, @FATravelerWriter saved me from waiting for a bus that wasn’t going to arrive because the notice written in French said the route wasn’t operational.
Final thoughts
As much as I often wish we lived in simpler times and social media didn’t consume our lives 24/7, it also has positive attributes. When it comes to connecting with like-minded people and sharing travel experiences, nothing beats the efficiency of social media.
I’d love to know your thoughts: How has social media impacted your travel experience (positive or negative)?
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