NOTE: I did not receive compensation for this post. The views expressed are as a happy customer (and raving fan!)
I love a good deal. Give me a sale on just about anything and I’ll purchase it. Buy one get one free? Of course I need two! My favorite shampoo is 50% off? I’d better stock up like it’s the apocalypse.
But as much as I love the thrill of the hunt, I simply don’t have time to scour the web for flight deals or attempt to rack up thousands of rewards points.
Enter Next Vacay.
Why You Need Next Vacay
When I discovered Next Vacay at the beginning of 2017 it was a game changer. No longer did I have to search for great flight deals, they found me! A membership with Next Vacay saves me the legwork and all I have to do is sit back, relax, and decide where I want to go next. But more on how it works in a minute.
First, who is Next Vacay ideal for? I’d argue just about everyone!
- People who want awesome deals on flights, but don’t want to search multiple travel sites
- People who don’t understand the art of travel hacking (where gurus always seem to earn enough points/miles/rewards to fly around the world in first class for $1.67)
- Families who travel together (which translates to multiple airline seats… cha-ching!)
- Wanderlusters who want to see the world, but feel it’s not something they can afford
- Couples who are looking for a romantic getaway without breaking the bank
- Friends who want to travel together on a budget
- Anyone with a sense of adventure
How It Works
Next Vacay’s membership service is really quite simple.
- Choose the airport closest to you from the 187 available (with more being added by the day)
- Next Vacay’s software and staff then do hundreds of searches per day for travel deals near you
- When a deal is found, Next Vacay sends instructions on how to book it directly with the airline
It’s that easy!
Now I know what you’re thinking – a membership that can save you thousands must be expensive. But surprisingly, the annual membership fee for Next Vacay is only $25. You read that right, $25 a year!
Not only is a membership extremely cheap, but trying it is risk-free! Next Vacay gives you a 30-day trial period before charging you a cent. And if you decide the deals you receive aren’t something you want, you can cancel your membership within 6 months for a full refund. (Not that you’ll want to, believe me!)
The Types of Deals
Next Vacay’s deals are different than a lot of others out there because they look at it through the eyes of the average traveler. Most people can’t pick up and fly halfway across the world on a moment’s notice. Instead, travelers have to consider requesting for time off, making arrangements for a pet or house sitter, coordinating with a friend or significant other, etc.
That’s why Next Vacay only delivers deals that are realistic for the average Joe. Not only is the typical deal between 2-10 months out (giving you plenty of time to prepare for the trip), but they also take several other factors into consideration.
Is it a legitimate deal? Is the destination safe? Does it require a connection through a country that would be easy to pass through? How many connections will the member have and how long will the layovers be? Is the airline reputable?
Before delivering a deal to your inbox, Next Vacay takes all of this into consideration. Basically, if it’s not a trip they’d take themselves, then they won’t send it out to their members. Sure you can find cheap flights if you have 4 connections, and a 13-hour layover in Doha. But who wants that?
Next Vacay is also working on a dream destination deal finder, which they expect to launch later this year. With it, members can specify a place they’ve always wanted to go, and Next Vacay will search out affordable ways to get there.
Who’s Behind the Scenes
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Naveen Dittakavi, one of the founders of Next Vacay (and now one of my favorite people). Naveen and his wife, Shaylee, launched Next Vacay in April 2016. Back then, they worked as a two-person team delivering the world to travelers at an affordable price. Since, they’ve grown into a 20-person team that operates like a family.
“It’s about serving people. That’s why it’s not an expensive product. It’s about being good to our team and there for them through life changes, and together we’re all able to touch a lot of people’s lives.”
– Naveen Dittakavi
Focusing on enriching people’s lives instead of a bottom line? Now that’s a mission I can get behind!
Naveen and Shaylee have always loved to travel. From childhood, they found it was a wonderful way to learn by experiencing other cultures and seeing things from a different point of view.
So before having their first child, they tried to pack in as many adventures as possible. To make it more affordable, they developed a system that found amazing deals on flights all over the world. This include round trip tickets to places like Barcelona for $600 each and India for $300 each!
Suddenly, their friends and family began asking how Naveen and Shaylee could afford to go on all these exotic vacations (and how could they do it too?!) So after 6 months of software creation and 20 months of tweaking, Next Vacay was born.
Nowadays, Naveen and Shaylee are kept busy with a focus on family, their business, and a team that depends on them. In fact, they didn’t take another vacation until 18 months after they launched Next Vacay!
Making Travel Accessible For All
At the heart of each deal Next Vacay delivers is a desire to help people explore and connect. From families traveling together, to friends going on a new adventure, to visiting dream destinations once assumed to be out of reach.
One way Next Vacay is helping its members is by introducing children to the world around them. Because Next Vacay can deliver deals that are often cheaper than domestic flights, entire families are able to travel abroad. Not only do those trips create lasting memories, but they also help open children’s eyes to more than just their own backyard.
“You’re exposing small children to a different world, a different lifestyle, and a different way of living. It’s very impactful. I remember some of my first trips abroad, and seeing the way that I lived at home is not at all the way people were living in other places. It changes you. And if you can start changing people at a young age, exposing them to more perspectives and viewpoints, then I think it creates a more whole person.”
– Naveen Dittakavi
It’s also allowing members to experience destinations they never dreamed they could afford. But with the incredible deals delivered by Next Vacay, suddenly those dreams are a reality!
Naveen recalls one Seattle member in particular who came from a working class background. She and her family never thought international travel was in the cards for them. However, when Next Vacay delivered a deal from Seattle to London round trip for the mid-200’s, she was in! Suddenly, she and her mom were traveling abroad for the first time in their lives.
“That’s why we started this business. To make the world accessible to people who felt like it was out of reach. And so, when we read those messages – and we get them often – that’s what motivates us as a whole team. We share those deals with the research team and say ‘Keep doing what you’re doing, because you’re changing lives.'”
– Naveen Dittakavi
Opening my email now is like walking down the stairs on Christmas morning. I can’t wait to see what deals Next Vacay has found for me, and what new and amazing destinations I can explore. And I love that not only am I saving tons of money, but I’m also supporting a company that’s trying to make the world a little better.
So if you want travel hacking prices without the travel hacking headache, then sign up for Next Vacay! I can personally tell you that it’s well worth the $25 a year, and will forever change the way you travel.
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Hello
I am very very interested in becoming a next vacay member. In the past 2 years I’ve had some rather uneventful things happen and I think it’s about time I see the world. I’ve been putting off any travel due to trips being so expensive until a friend of mine told me about next vacay…now here I am.
What I understand is I pay a yearly membership of $25 and next vacay will send me affordable flights depending on my countries of interest.
Does that mean I have to handle hotel bookings?
Looking forward to your reply.
-Kamalini
You’re correct! With my $25/year Next Vacay membership they send me incredible deals as they become available from my home airport, and I then book my accomodations from discount websites (you can find those on my post about the best sites from travel deals – https://www.scenicsuitcase.com/best-sites-for-travel-deals/).
Next Vacay is such a great service, I use it all the time in my own travels. You’ll love it!