by Philip Fox Jones | Feb 4, 2020 | Jamaica, Montego Bay, Negril
I initially refused the 50USD airport pickup offer in favour of finding my own way. I know from experience that local busses and shuttles are a fraction of the cost, and exponentially more adventurous. Call me crazy, but there’s something I love about being crammed into a 28-passenger van with 45 people for 4 hours, speeding down narrow mountain roads for 4 dollars. I realize that novelty comes from the privilege of this not being my daily commute, and I’ve never had the patience for commuting in any economy, but I would expect a stranger to the TTC would be equally amused by the sardines at rush-hour.
Landing in MBJ, after a brief delay at customs, I had missed any connecting busses to Negril. Taxi drivers were offering me rides starting at 100USD for just myself, going down all the way to 60USD. That $50 ride was starting to look pretty good, if it were still available. I called my guesthouse host for assistance, and she was out of options – no one was available last minute. I was on my own now.
It was too late to wander downtown in the dark, encumbered by my backpack. I waited for the next flight to come in, an American Airlines jet with the next round of vacationers destined for resorts with their pre-arranged transportation. Slim chances any of them would be going my way.
As I stood in arrivals asking, “Negril? Negril?”, I was greeted by hurried individuals and shaking heads. I wasn’t the only one trying to hustle a ride, and the cabbies and bus drivers were not impressed. They were already visibly discontent that I had refused their inflated offers, and one driver took me aside to shut me down. He reiterated the price was the price, per person, and I was not going to get a deal by splitting on a ride with someone. He thought I was trying to poach his customers, but at this point I was just hoping to get lucky, maybe someone was returning and had their own vehicle. I was grasping at straws.
I went back to the bus counter, and finally got a break. One person had arrived and was also going to Negril. So they put me in a car that was also picking up another person on the way. The best part? We split and it was only 25USD! Winning? Barely.
Persistence paid off, but was it worth it to wait two hours with no certain outcome at the prospect of saving 25 bucks? No. Certainly not. What could I have done differently to save some money?
I could have arrived on an earlier flight, giving me enough time to scout a local bus in daylight hours. I could have not been delayed at customs by no-one’s-fault-but-mine (adventure!). I could have taken the original offer, knowing I’m in a new place and don’t yet have a lay-of-the-land. Lesson learned.
by Philip Fox Jones | Feb 3, 2020 | Jamaica
Rookie mistake. I suspected this might be an issue, in fact I read it would be. Still, I couldn’t escape the allure of buying a “one-way ticket” for the first time in my life. It will probably also be the last.
Many countries won’t let you in unless you have an out. That is to say, your departure must be booked in advance of your arrival. Fair enough, they don’t want to get stuck with you.
I had planned to visit Cuba directly following Jamaica, but I hadn’t purchased my flight yet. I was hoping that I could find a better deal last-minute from the airport than I could online. More on that in another post, the myth of flying standby (in progress).
But that didn’t fly well for Jamaican customs. They were not amused by my lack of travel planning (aka my sense of adventure!). So I was hauled into an office for an hour while I pulled out my laptop and fervently researched my escape plan. I already had a rough idea of the flight I was going to take, so that saved my some time. FlightConnections was my friend here.
Luckily, I was able to quickly purchase an InterCaribbean Airlines from KIN to SCU for 100USD+taxes. Problem solved, right?
“Where you going from Cuba then?” he asked, not so patiently. “What’s it to you?”, I politely rephrased. I didn’t think it made any difference once I was out of here. But he explained that if I didn’t have an exit flight from Cuba also, I would get tossed back to Kingston and become his problem again.
Once he saw my receipt for the ticket to Cuba, he was reasonably satisfied I wasn’t just a hobo looking to take up residence in his tropical paradise, and let me go before buying the Cuba exit ticket, “But make sure you buy your ticket before you leave.” I promised I would, and was on my way.
Now… after being delayed in the airport for two hours, it’s dark, and all the busses have gone. How do I safely get to Negril, 1.5 hours drive from Montego Bay?
by Philip Fox Jones | Feb 3, 2020 | Anywhere
We’re off to a great start today. My two-month experiment in travel hacking as a digital nomad has begun, and I’m sipping on my second glass of complimentary champagne as I write. Upon boarding, I immediately gave myself an upgrade to Business Class, at no additional cost.
24-hours ago I checked-in via the airlines’ mobile app to select my seat. I set an alarm to remind myself so I could get first choice of remaining seats at the moment they became available. I’ve always been a window-seat guy, but I read a travel blogger recently who flies aisle all the way, so I figured I’d give it a try. I chose the first open seat closest to the front of the plane, so I could be first off. Today it’s 4D. It just so happened to be directly behind the “first class” seats, rows 1-3.
On the plane, a large couple had folded themselves into the fourth row ahead of me. The blonde man with a crew cut must have stood 6’4”. I’m silently applauding myself for selecting the aisle seat already, when I notice something…
All of the seats directly in front of me, the last row of first class seats, were empty. I boarded late to avoid the line and crowds, and was pretty much the last person get on. With no one behind me, there was slim chance these seats would be claimed. I safely stowed my carry-on in the overhead compartment, and took the open seat.
Instead of being asked to move, I was offered a hot towel. AAaaahhhh. Ok then, I guess it’s settled. If the flight attendant knew, she didn’t let on. I’m the only person who knows I’m not supposed to be here, and I’m not about to out myself. Behind me, I overhear a woman requesting to move up to an open seat. Her request is denied and she is informed of the premiums that passengers pay for these exclusive seats. My lips struggle to barely contain the smirk that’s bubbling up onto my face. Good thing I didn’t ask. 😉
Here are some of the things you can expect when you sneak into first class, er, I mean sit in the wrong seat by mistake. Bottled water waiting in your seats – which I promptly dumped into my empty Nalgene for later. Complementary food and drinks. Real glasses, dishware and cutlery. A tray liner! (To keep things from sliding around on the fold-down tray) Ample legroom. Space to stretch out. Space to work.
Lesson? Ask forgiveness, not permission. My original seat was directly behind my upgrade, so I was prepared to feign ignorance if questioned. “4D? Oops! I must have misread the ticket, I thought I was in 3D.” 😏
