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WOW Air Will Pay You And Your Bestie $4,000 A Month To Travel The World

April 23, 2018
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5 min read
WOW air TF-MOM Airbus A321 lands at Frankfurt airport
WOW Air Will Pay You And Your Bestie $4,000 A Month To Travel The World
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Iceland's budget carrier WOW Air lived up to its name today by launching the WOW Travel Guide competition. Touted as "the best summer job ever," the airline is seeking a "fun pair of individuals who are able to think big" to move to Reykjavik for the summer and travel the world for free.

The landing page for the "Best Summer Job" site seeks applicants to help create a world travel guide. Source: WOW Air.

"We are now accepting applications for a 3 month paid summer job, where you will move to Iceland and travel the world with your best friend," reads the text on the airline's brightly colored contest page. "Your mission will be to explore some of WOW Air's 38 destinations and document your travels to create a complete digital Travel Guide."

Contest winners will each receive a monthly stipend of $4,000 per month, and will share an all-expenses apartment in downtown Reykjavik, the airline's base of operations.

The free apartment provided by WOW air has a distinctly minimalist Scandinavian vibe. Image courtesy of WOW air.

The apartment will serve as home base for the duo's travels, which will be determined by the travelers themselves from among the destinations that WOW serves. The lucky winners have 38 destinations across Europe and North America to choose from, including Barcelona, Los Angeles, Stockholm, and New York, as well as Iceland to explore. Transportation and Iceland tours are also part of the winners' package, while additional travel and living expenses will also be paid by the airline.

In exchange for the monthly stipend and free room and board, the contest winners will document their trips as brand ambassadors for WOW Air, capturing social-friendly videos and writing posts, including travel tips, for the destinations they visit. The completed content will be featured under the Travel Guide section of WOW Air's website. Some of WOW's suggested categories for coverage include:



EXPLORE...
  • Food: Find out the local secrets
  • Culture: How to act like a local
  • Nightlife: When and where to go...
  • Nature: Wildlife, parks and beaches
  • Transport: Uber, metro or bike?
  • Budget: Discover ways to stay on budget
CREATE...
  • Vlogs showcasing each destination
  • Instagram stories with handy travel tips
  • Photographs that frame your experience
  • Any other form of creative media you can think of
  • A complete digital travel guide to the destinations
ENJOY...
  • Moving to Iceland with your best friend (June 1st - August 15th)
  • Living and working in downtown Reykjavik, Iceland
  • Flying out to explore new countries all summer long
  • Sampling the best each destination has to offer
  • Earning money while doing it

The contest is open to applicants 18 years of age or older, from anywhere in the world. In order to apply, candidates must submit a two-minute clip offering travel tips for their hometown by May 14, 2018. A panel of judges will select and announce the winners via social media on May 18. The adventure will begin just two short weeks later on June 1.

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For those who like to know all the details, the terms and conditions page indicates that the winners can expect:

  • Weeks of travel with flights, hotels, activities and travel allowance all paid for by WOW Air. Travel Guides will also gain social media exposure and hopefully some priceless memories.
  • Accommodation in Iceland: Travel Guides will stay at a furnished apartment in downtown ReykjavĆ­k, while in Iceland.
  • Hotels: WOW Air will be taking care of choosing, booking and paying for Travel Guide hotels or other overnight accommodations when they are traveling on behalf of WOW Air in connection with the Travel Guide project.
  • Flights: Flights will be provided by WOW Air from and to WOW Airā€™s destinations of the summer of 2018. If the Travel Guideā€™s domicile isnā€™t in one of WOW Airā€™s destination cities, then Travel Guide is responsible for all travel expenses for the journey to the nearest WOW Air destination.
  • Travel allowance: Payments made in accordance with regulations of Iceland.
  • Travel Guides will take eight trips to random WOW Air destinations from Iceland. Each trip will last for 2-4 days. Travel Guides will also take at least four domestic trips in Iceland. All trips will be taken over the course of 10 weeks during the summer of 2018.

WOW Air's contest is the latest from a long line of brands getting increasingly creative with their travel budgets. In October 2017, The New York Times posted an open call for a travel writer to visit the newspaper's 52 Places to Go in 2018 ā€“ and write about them. The media company received more than 9,000 applications (including one from yours truly), ultimately going through a second round of finalists before choosing Jada Yuan, an experienced travel journalist who has already hit up 14 spots on the 2018 list.

And just last month, European travel company Busabout offered to a free tour of Europe ā€“ plus pay ā€“ for four "travel addicts" to spend three months documenting their travels across Europe. Busabout's contest ended last week on April 17, so the winner should be announced sometime in May.

Even cities are getting in on the idea: Last November, Cancun offered one lucky traveler $10,000 a month for a six-month brand ambassadorship.

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  • $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 ExpressĀ® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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Rewards Rate

4XEarn 4X Membership RewardsĀ® 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.
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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

Thereā€™s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. Itā€™s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If youā€™re hitting the skies soon, youā€™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 Dunkinā€™ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, thereā€™s no reason that foodies shouldnā€™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 RewardsĀ® 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 youā€™re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount ā€“ all with no credit score impact. If youā€™re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership RewardsĀ® 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 RewardsĀ® 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 RewardsĀ® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership RewardsĀ® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership RewardsĀ® 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. Thatā€™s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership RewardsĀ® 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 ExpressĀ® 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 ExpressĀ® 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 ExpressĀ® 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.