Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without.
Name: David DiGregorio
Occupation: Destination Marketing Consultant
Hometown: Syosset, NY, USA
Residence: New York, NY, USA
College: Boston University & The University of Sydney
College major: International Business
Website: stylehiclub.com
Twitter: @darodi
Facebook: Style Hi Club
Pinterest: Chandra DiGregorio
Google+: Style Hi Club
Instagram: stylehiclub
YouTube: David DiGregorio
Short bio: David DiGregorio is the owner of CornerSun Destination Marketing, co-editor of the travel blog Style Hi Club and author of How to Work in Travel. He is an executive board member for the Association of Promotion of Tourism to Africa (APTA) and champion of penguin conservation. David has visited 69 countries on five continents and worked extensively in China, Russia, South Africa, Australia and the United States.
How often do you fly? Several times each month.
How many countries have you been to? 69
How many continents have you been to? Six.
Earliest travel memory: Disney World as a kid.
Favorite American city: New York because it’s home, Boston because it used to be.
Favorite international city: Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro & Sydney.
Least favorite country: I never really gave Swaziland a chance. I’ll have to go back.
Country with the meanest immigration officers: Without a doubt, India.
Favorite World Heritage Site: Venice and its lagoon.
Favorite airline: South African Airways.
Favorite aircraft type: Hot air balloon.
Aisle or window: Aisle.
Favorite airport lounge: Shongololo Lounge at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
Favorite U.S. airport: JFK because it means I’m home.
Favorite international airport: OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
Favorite hotel: The Oyster Box in Durban, South Africa, &Beyond Desert Lodge in Namibia and The Mena House in Giza, Egypt.
Favorite cruise line: Silversea.
Favorite travel credit card: Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Favorite island: Praslin, Seychelles.
Favorite beach: Anse de Lazio, Praslin, Seychelles.
Favorite fancy restaurant: Lagoon at the Cinnamon Grand, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Favorite hole-in-the-wall: The falafel place at the top of the stairs in Safed, Israel.
Favorite bar: Rex Hotel Rooftop in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam.
Favorite fruit: Pineapple.
Favorite food: Lobster Newberg at The Lobster Pot in Provincetown, MA.
Least favorite food: Daal.
Drink of choice (in the air and on the ground): Dark rum and coke.
Favorite travel movie(s): Catch Me if You Can.
Favorite travel show(s): No Reservations.
Favorite travel book(s): “The Geography of Bliss.”
Right now I am reading: “The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America.”
Top 3 favorite travel newsletters/magazines/blogs: Afar, Wandering Earl, Pause the Moment.
Favorite travel website(s)—besides JohnnyJet.com, of course! Hipmunk.
5 things you bring on a plane: Kindle, a really good sleep mask, Ambien, Bose noise cancelling headphones, NorthFace zip-up.
What do you always seem to forget? A working laptop charger.
What do you like least about travel? Being away from family and friends.
What do you want your loved one to buy you from an airport Duty Free store? Rum.
Favorite travel app(s): TripIt, FlightTrack, Hipmunk, Airbnb.
Most embarrassing travel moment: Accidently sitting in the women-only section of a bus in the United Arab Emirates.
Worst travel moment: Nearly freezing to death after walking for six hours in the pouring rain in Nepal.
What’s your dream destination? Antarctica.
Favorite travel charity: Tusk Trust.
Best travel tip: Bring a power strip and a single converter—plug in all you need!
