If you know me, you know I travel A LOT. I traveled so much this year that I hit status on two different airlines (Delta and United). I've amassed hundreds of thousands of miles (if not more) and I'm going to share with you how to make traveling to college and other music auditions less stressful!
When traveling to auditions, there are three main stressors:
TSA
Will there be bin space for my instrument/Will the airline handle my instrument with care?
Can I afford to fly to all of the auditions
The answer to most of these problems can be solved by using credit cards responsibly.
I'm going to start with United Airlines as I live at a United hub (Hello, Denver) and because United was given the green light by the International Federation of Musicians' airline rankings for musicians.
United's Explorer Card offers users
Free TSA Pre Check
Priority Boarding
60,000 Bonus Miles
1 Free Checked Bag
It really is a game changer for those new to using credit cards to travel.
What's the Catch?
The "catch" is that you have to spend $3,000 in the first three months of opening the card to get the bonus miles. Personally, I don't think that's much of a catch. Between rent, food, gas, and certainly with the cost of flights and hotel for auditions, spending $3,000 in three months isn't a big ask.
Priority Boarding
The United Explorer Card has a $0 fee for the first year. Yup, you read that right. It's free for the first year. AND, once you sign up, you automatically qualify for priority boarding (Zone 2) which means you aren’t likely to fight people for bin space. This is one of the main reasons I encourage people to get this credit card. So, so many musicians talk about not having enough bin space for their violin, guitar or other instrument because they are boarding in the last group. They end up having to check their instrument which increases the risk for damage.
So, truly, the card alone is worth it for the priority boarding for peace of mind for your instrument.
TSA & Global Entry
The United Explorer Card also offers reimbursement for TSA PreCheck and Global entry. Personally, I recommend Global Entry if you are going to choose one. Global entry gives you the same perks of TSA PreCheck plus allows you to skip the lines when returning from out of the country. So, if you are planning on auditioning abroad for the Royal College of Music or the Universitaet fuer Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, make sure to sign up for Global Entry. (Honestly, get Global entry anyway because maybe your college will go on an international tour or you will get to study abroad!)
When you do so, Chase (the bank that issues the United Cards) will give you a statement credit for the amount of Global Entry. This will give you peace of mind and allow you a smoother travel experience.
Using The Points
Once you spend the $3,000 requirement in 3 months, the fine print says it takes 6 - 8 weeks for the miles (60,000)* to drop into your account. For me, the sign up bonus came in less than two weeks. So using this sign-up bonus, it would be reasonable to cover two audition flights in full.
For example, let's say I'm leaving my home base (Denver) and have an audition in Juilliard in February. The trip would be 23,400 miles + the mandatory fees making the flight for the audition under $12.00. That a BIG DEAL when it comes to the cost of auditions.
*Note: This is an example from 11/19/24. Prices and points are likely to vary.
A Bonus
And if all of this hasn't convinced you enough, the United Explorer Card also gives you two lounge passes for you to relax on either side of your audition.
So seriously, sign up today and make travelling for auditions less expensive and less stressful!
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Article by: Kensley Behel
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