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.” 😏
I went with Digicel Jamaica. I looked them up online first. They’re a massive Carribean mobile network, with ads coming at you the minute you step out of the airport. There’s a storefront conveniently located right outside the KIN airport.
My local Jamaican SIM card and phone number was 3000JMD or $30CAD. I’ve got decent coverage between Kingston and Port Antonio, but data was spotty at times.
Get the My Digicel app to top up and monitor your balance.
It’s important to note that you may need to unlock your phone when travelling to use SIM cards on other networks. Locking phones is no longer legal in Canada, but many older phones, like one you might want to bring travelling or as a backup, will need to be unlocked. The good news is that all major carriers will unlock your phone for free now. Do it before you leave.
Prepaid Rates (JMD)
Rate
Calls to Digicel Mobile
$7.99/min
Data
$20/MB
Calling CAN, US, China, and landlines in UK & Spain
$8.99/min
Local Digicel to Digicel SMS
$3.75
SMS to other local networks
$4.75
International SMS
$6.75
This still works out to about 8¢ CAD minute for local calls, which is better than $2.50/min, but data is expensive, so get on a Nuff Data & Unlimited Talk prepaid plan.
The 5GB + Unlimited Talk plan lasts for 28 days and costs 2450.00 JMD, or $24 CAD.
Yesterday I signed up for RingCentral.ca, and next week I’ll cancel my $79 CAD/month mobile plan and port my existing number to the service. I didn’t want to be spending so much just for the privilege of exorbitant international roaming fees.
Instead, for $29 CAD/month, it will act as my own professional “Auto-Receptionist”, routing calls for my business, taking messages and delivering them to me electronically, screening robocalls, and finally forwarding important calls directly to my local phone number, wherever in the world I happen to be.
Roaming is for suckers. Coming from a country with the highest mobile and data rates, the first thing I do when I land in any new country is buy a local SIM card for a reliable number and affordable calling and data rates.
For kicks, I also got a toll free number for my business so new clients I meet around the world can always reach me.
Next week, I’ll be boarding a plane back to Jamaica. I have a one-way ticket. I plan to travel the Caribbean while I work from my laptop and live out of a backpack. I’ll maintain this journal to show you how I do it.
This space will serve as a record of my travels and technology for digital nomads and dreamers alike.
Where I’ve been, and where I’m goin’ to. This is how I travel, with all the mistakes I make along the way. A Canadian digital nomad’s guide to travel hacking.
