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My TED Talk: We're Living in the Golden Age of Travel

Dec. 20, 2016
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4 min read
brian at ted
My TED Talk: We're Living in the Golden Age of Travel
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For the last several years, I've been attending the TED conference in Vancouver. It's a week-long "bootcamp for the brain," where some of the world's most innovative minds in Technology Entertainment and Design (get it?) come and speak about their work. Being asked to give a TED talk on the main stage is a major recognition of your impact on the world, and I can only hope to one day have made enough of an impact in a certain area to have that opportunity.

In the meantime, TED has TED University, which are five-minute quick talks that are simply about interesting things conference attendees are doing. You apply and, if chosen, you work with the TEDU staff and do several Skype rehearsals and then present during the TED conference, albeit on a smaller side stage. TEDU is open to all attendees of TED, and even though they're much shorter than a normal TED talk, some of the most interesting talks have come from TEDU.

I figured I'd apply to give a TEDU talk on something mileage related, however, five minutes isn't enough time to give even the quickest primer on how to maximize miles and points. I wanted to put it in the context that the TED participants could relate to, since most of them travel the world for their demanding professional lives. I decided I would make the claim that the golden age of travel is NOW, and that ordinary people would travel in luxury if they knew how to maximize their miles and points. I wanted to be able to use some data to prove my point, which is why I wanted to make it a broader travel topic and then narrow in at the end on miles and points enough to pique people's interest in the topic.

Even though I'm highly critical of myself and, in hindsight, I would have changed my talk, I'm happy that I pushed myself to do this. I was the first to go out of our class of about 15 speakers, and I have to admit my adrenaline was rushing as I took the stage. There are no teleprompters with TED talks, and it's highly discouraged to look at note cards, so the pressure is on to deliver an effortlessly engaging talk. Even though I barely touched the tip of the iceberg of miles and points, I had a ton of people come up to me after the talk and throughout the conference asking for help with their miles/points/strategy, which made it a success to me. When you have some of the world's best minds — neurosurgeons even! — coming up to you and asking for your professional opinion, it feels pretty darn good!

Anyway, here's the talk. If anything, it should make you realize that we are living in an unprecedented time to travel — even if you're in economy. Travel nowadays is safer and faster than ever before, and I firmly believe a more connected globe is a better one for humanity.

Do you agree that we're living in the golden age of travel?

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Featured image by Ryan Lash/TED

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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.