About Derek
Welcome! I am Derek, publisher of The Suburban Travelers and owner of Debrian Media. I live with my family and our German Shepherd in the suburbs of my hometown Atlanta, GA. My wife and I travel frequently, domestically and internationally, and seek to create lasting memories by enjoying first-class experiences on an economy-class budget. We do this in part by utilizing travel reward points and miles. Part of my love for travel is a passion for all things transportation. For me, how we get somewhere is as thrilling as where are going!
Other interests include Formula 1 racing, investing, reading, and home theater. I am a die-hard Georgia Tech football fan and have had season tickets since 2000. At one point I attended 112 consecutive games, home and away, which included trips to Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, Utah, and even Ireland! I was able to do a lot of travel over those eight years!
Arriving in my 48th state in 2013
From the Southeastern U.S. to Europe
My love for travel began at a young age. My dad drove buses for Trailways and, later, Greyhound. I literally grew up on the road, riding buses with him as often as I could. By the time I graduated from high school, I had visited nearly every Southeastern state as well as my first international destination, the Bahamas. Upon college graduation my world expanded when I took my first flight from Atlanta to Washington-Dulles on Delta Air Lines. I still remember being absolutely amazed - I was flying! I quickly added a fascination with commercial aviation to my love for buses. By 2013 I had visited all 48 of the continental U.S. states.
When considering the following year’s vacation, I was at a loss for where to go. I had hit most of the high points in the U.S. and those that I had not were similar trips to those I had recently completed. On a whim, I booked flights for a nine-day adventure to London and Paris and had to plan the entire trip in three weeks. Not knowing anything about international travel - and, frankly, being a little intimidated - I had a lot of work to quickly prepare for an experience of which I had little idea of what to expect. I may never forget the surreal feeling I had walking down the jetway to board my flight to London-Heathrow: I was about to cross the Atlantic and land in Europe the next morning!
My wife and I in Key West
On that first visit, I was captivated by the cafés, museums, iconic sites, and, not least, the passenger trains! I developed an unquenchable thirst for European travel and knew I had to return the following year, so I soon began planning a 2015 trip to Germany. That same year, I met my wife and was thrilled to learn that she also loved to travel. Having studied in Europe in college but not returning since, she was excited to explore Europe with me. Since then, we have been blessed to have completed six European vacations. During a pandemic-induced lull in those trips, we journeyed to several states she had not previously visited. Hopefully, God willing, we will be able to continue these travels for years to come!
First-class experiences on An economy-class Budget
My travel philosophy is to maximize our experiences - transportation, hotels, dining, cultural exposure, etc. - within a reasonable travel budget. Ideally, we want to fly business or first class on international flights. We want to be able to stay in nicer hotels that are conveniently located; if this occasionally includes luxury properties, all the better. We want to go first class when we take an intercity train. We want to be able to dine without fixating about menu prices, hopefully including an occasional fine dining experience. When we need to rent a car, we want a comfortable size, occasionally opting for a luxury model. When we visit crowded, popular sites, we want to be able to take advantage of “skip the line” options.
This is not to say we expect luxury travel at all times, but, if we can have enhanced experiences on a non-luxury budget, that’s the balance we want to achieve. I think it is important, however, to put this in proper perspective: while my wife and I are not rich by popular definition, we are blessed to have sufficient disposable income to travel regularly. We could not do go as often as we do if we were paying full price for the type of travel we desire, so we would have to strike a balance between experiences and frequency. We could either pay for all the upgrades and perks and travel once every three to four years or have more average experiences but travel every year or two. I want to emphasize that the fact that this is a serious first world problem and we am grateful to be able to have it.
So how can we achieve both upgraded experiences and maintain our current budget?
Points and miles - a means to an end more than a "hobby"
PARKING LOT:
we are not taking the frugal jaunts discussed on budget travel blogs.
In researching future European destinations, I began to learn about point and miles and how travel rewards could help me to realize my dream of frequently returning to Europe despite my limited travel budget.
TEXT:
I started collecting Delta SkyMiles in the late 1990s. One of the first credit cards I obtained after college was the American Express Delta SkyMiles Optima. A few years later, I began to collect hotel points. For almost two decades, I did little to earn points and miles aside from flights and stays coupled with putting all my credit card spend on the Amex Delta card. Over that time I used SkyMiles for domestic first class award tickets and for fare reductions on domestic economy flights. For my first trip to Europe, I used 95,000 Delta SkyMiles and paid $202 in taxes and fees for a round-trip economy ticket. I thought I spending my miles wisely - and my European ticket was not a bad use of miles - but, in retrospect, I now know just how inefficient those awards were. I only had a surface knowledge of how reward currencies worked. I truly did not know what I did not know. Then I stumbled across points and miles travel blogs.
After going to London and Paris that first time, I wanted to go back to Europe...soon. As I was researching my return, I found two blogs that remain must-reads: One Mile at a Time and Million Mile Secrets. I learned that, not only was I not getting the most out of my miles, but also I could be earning many more rewards via credit sign-up bonuses, spending on the "right" credit cards, and shopping online via rewards portals. Reading these blogs, I often saw the term "hobby" applied to the pursuit of points and miles. For me, points and miles are not a hobby. Though I am more well versed in earning and using reward currencies, they are a means-to-an-end. Points and miles allow me to travel more frequently and in comfort at a reasonable expense. I can also experience aspirational travel products that are otherwise well beyond my financial means. Points and miles basically resonated with me because they help realize my travel philosophy by both maximizing experience and reducing cost.
