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: Lauren Bowling
Occupation: Blogger, Author and Content Marketing Consultant
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Website: financialbestlife.com
Twitter: @finbestlife
Facebook: Financial Best Life
Instagram: thelaurenbowling
Short bio: Lauren Bowling is the award-winning blogger and behind money and travel site FinancialBestLife.com and author of “The Millennial Homeowner: A Guide to Successfully Navigating Your First Home Purchase.” Blogging since 2012, Bowling is a recognized thought leader in the millennial finance space with her expertise featured in the pages of Redbook and Woman’s Day magazines and on leading online financial news sites including Forbes, CNBC, CNNMoney and U.S. News and World Report.
How often do you fly? At least once a month.
How many countries have you been to? 5
How many continents have you been to? 3
Earliest travel memory: My first “big” flight with my parents when we went to Hawaii when I was 13. They had two seats together and two separate and I got picked to sit alone so my mom could sit with my younger brother. I felt so proud and grown up!
Favorite American city: Besides Atlanta? New York, NY.
Favorite international city: Rome, Italy.
I have no desire to go to: Dallas (again).
Friendliest people in the world: They live in Spain!
Favorite World Heritage Site: The Grand Canyon. I’ve never been so humbled, before or since!
Favorite airline: Southwest—it’s cheap and there is never any hassle.
Aisle or window: Aisle. I always have to go to the bathroom and hate climbing over people multiple times to do it.
Favorite U.S. airport: Hartsfield-Jackson here in Atlanta.
Favorite hotel: I like the Kimpton brands.
Favorite cruise line: I’ve actually never been on a cruise.
Favorite travel credit card: I just recently got the Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex and the Uber Visa—both are great!
Favorite National Park: This is tough since my partner and I hike many of the ones here in Georgia quite a bit. I will say I’m DYING (literally, dying) to go to Yellowstone.
Favorite airport restaurant: There is a Chick-Fil-A on Concourse C at Hartsfield-Jackson and while it sounds lame, I always make it a point to stop there when I have morning flights as a little travel treat for myself.
Favorite bar: Dr. Stravinsky’s in Barcelona.
Drink of choice (in the air and on the ground): I don’t drink alcohol on flights—I have a hard-enough time staying hydrated as it is!
Right now I am reading: “The Boys of My Youth” by Jo Ann Beard, “You Are a Bad Ass” by Jen Sincero (I try to rotate one fiction, one non).
Favorite travel website(s)—besides JohnnyJet.com, of course!: The Points Guy (does everyone say that?), I like the city travel guides on Goop.com, Club Thrifty and The Blonde Abroad.
5 things you bring on a plane: My kindle, hand sanitizer, the biggest bottle of water I can find, face oil, and neck pillow.
What do you always seem to forget? Deodorant—always. So embarrassing.
What do you like least about travel? The disruption to my sleep and hydration cycles. I love to travel but it’s always so brutal when I get back!
Favorite travel app(s): I love excursions and I book a lot through GetYourGuide.com, which has a nice app so you can organize it all in one place.
I’m embarrassed I haven’t been to: Paris—I feel like this is one of the first places people check off and I still haven’t been!
Worst travel moment: When I booked three activities each day on a recent trip to Spain and we came back more exhausted than when we left.
What’s your dream destination? South Africa on safari or the Maldives.
Best travel tip: Travel with someone you adore—it’s always better.
