How to Fly to New York for Free

New York, the city that never sleeps. The big apple. The place you really want to be. It’s like San Francisco on black tight suits and Sinatra melodies or at least that’s how it looked to me after visited. Oh yeah, i flew to and from New York for free. This is how i do it.

Let me take you back a few years, when a dear friend of mine invited me to New York. He actually invited me to his a la NYC birthday party and offered to pay half of the air fares when i replied i’m flattered by the offer but i was on a tight budget. Food and drinks would be free, half way ticket would be free, sleeping would be free. Did i mention i’d be hanging out with a New York Times No1 selling author all the time?

By now you’d be asking yourselves how was it, if i met any hot NYC girls and if what you see in the movies is true. The honest answer is i don’t know. I don’t know because i never flew to New York even when i was paid to do so. I was stupid and coward and childish and sissy.

Moving forward to 2011 and a chance to actually be in New York popped up again but this time my financial status was even worse. I wasn’t only on a tight budget but i was slowly recovering from a 7kg weight loss in 2 months ( i only had money to eat once a day ), knee injury, personal and business issues related to Greek crisis but not only. Around this time, my crappy but loyal laptop was dying and i have to buy a new one, like, immediately. I could hardly surf the web, Gmail and chat at the same time. Spending on buying a new laptop, pay the rent and fly to New York wasn’t an option even though i already had a place to crash.

Three weeks before the opportunity was lost again i booked a round trip ticket to NY. I knew i’d have no money to pay the rent, neither enough for food but i did it. I was going to New York no matter what; and i did for free.

By the time i landed in New York i’ve realized that my dying laptop could be replaced with a new one for way less than originally thought. The exchange rate between the USD and the EUR was in favor of a crazy idea: buying a new laptop in US would cost me nearly 40% off the European price. The extra 40% could easily substitute traveling costs and possible taxes.

Here i am, in New York without spending a buck. A much needed laptop upgrade and a 7 days stay proved to cost way less than initially thought. I didn’t only killed two birds with one stone but i met some amazing people, reunited with an old friend and made a dream come true. In the mean time, my bank account went four figures high when delayed payments finally cashed in.

You can tell the view from the Empire State Building is stunning.

2 comments on “How to Fly to New York for Free”

  1. whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Keep
    up and do things with your way.

    give our greetings to GS and IMF

  2. Think what @apas says: keep calm, hack the world and do epic stuff!

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