How I flew direct from London to LA for $300, without points

Hey, it's Sarah. This week I'm bringing you tips on room upgrades, busting flight price myths and more. [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hi, it’s [Sarah Rappaport](, your Pursuits correspondent in London. In February 2020, I flew direct from London to Los Angeles via Air New Zealand. I sipped crisp New Zealand wines and watched almost the entirety of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The whole time during the 11-hour journey, I felt extremely smug that I was only spending £250 ($300), including baggage, for the seat. No random airports; no multiple connections. No points hacks. How? I set an alarm to book during the airline’s Black Friday sale and was both speedy and lucky. Sadly, there’s no [guarantee the airline will have a Black Friday sale]( that good again, so my delightfully cheap (and pleasant!) flight may not be so easy for me to repeat.  The new Georgian hotel in Santa Monica, if you’re looking for places to stay in the Los Angeles area Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reporting about other ways to save money so you have a budget for those [£1,100 hotel rooms]( or [£760 steaks](. [Here are my big takeaways](, beyond being flexible with your travel dates, which isn’t always feasible: - The old “book flights on Tuesdays to save money” tip hasn’t been true for a while now. - Clearing your browser cache won’t make cheaper fares magically appear. - You should, however, set up price alerts on Google Flights or check out Hopper’s travel app to find the cheapest time to fly. Unlike flying, booking a hotel room last minute can actually be less expensive. [My editor in Dubai]( this week spoke with managers at one luxury hotel who said they were holding the line on New Year’s prices until the first week of December, when they might dip. With many new hotel rooms starting at $1,000 or more, every little bit helps. I’ve written about the [best new hotels in London under $500]( if you’re looking for some inspiration. The Raffles Suite at the newly-opened Raffles London Hotel Can you still snag a better room? We’ve written about [seven ways to get a free room upgrade](, such as using luxury travel advisers. And apologies to my telephone-averse millennials and Gen Zs friends reading this, but calling and asking the front desk before your trip can work. Most of all, it’s important to be polite. Hotel staff work incredibly hard and staffing levels are still below pandemic levels, according [to analysis from Skift](. Staff members are doing their best to make sure you have the best stay possible, so be kind. We at [Pursuits]( also, of course, have moneysaving ideas from people whose budgets are a bit more flexible than ours. Our [Distinguished Travel Hackers]( are posh road warriors who bring us their secret their high-end hacks, tips and off-the-wall experiences. Here are some of our favorites: [Christine Chiu](: “Avoid visiting a city during Fashion Week unless you’re absolutely attending. That is when the entire world congregates in one place, in one tiny space, and so everything is going to require reservations, and hotel prices will be double, triple. So, if you're not physically attending a fashion show, you’re best to avoid Fashion Weeks altogether, and travel before or after.” Actor Henry Golding has tips about Bali. Photographer: Rachel Murray/Getty Images North America [Henry Golding](: “The [Luxe Nomad]( is one of my favorite companies that I use to book villas all around Southeast Asia and that part of the world, [especially Bali](. Because for the same price as putting yourself up in, say, the Hilton, you can get a private villa, your own pool, chef, driver, all built into the price of the villas. You have your own 12-foot walls all the way around, so absolute privacy, at the same price you would be paying at, say, the Hilton or Bulgari hotel.” [Tara Bernerd]( “I travel to LA so frequently that I’ve become a member of PS. [[Annual dues]( start at $1,250 per person and $850 per visit.] These concierge services mean you bypass the main airport terminal [and get access to a private terminal instead]—that in itself is a game changer, so you have every sense of traveling privately. Your luggage is taken off you. Just shortly before they’re about to board everyone else, you are taken through your own security check, put in whatever smart car and driven to the plane. You walk up the steps to the air bridge and go plonk yourself in your seats. I was on a flight with Swiss, in business class, and I had a friend on the plane in first class. When we landed in LA, I went to the PS and he didn’t. I was at my hotel having dinner while he was WhatsApping me from the line for passport control.” Have a great trip, and let me know if any of these tips for flights or hotels worked for you! Connect with Sarah on [Instagram]( or[X.]( Get Ready for the Slopes It’s almost ski season. Here’s what you need to know, from huge upgrades in the US and Japan, to the best cold-weather bags for your gear. [Hundreds of Millions Are Going Into Upgrading Top US Ski Resorts]( Here’s what you need to know. [These Three Independent Resorts Are Bucking the Big Ski Giants]( And it’s great news for US skiers and snowboarders hoping for an authentic experience—and to avoid crowds. [In Colorado, a Tiny Ski Town Faces a Big Future With New Owners]( The acquisition of Silverton Mountain Ski Area by adventure travel operator Heli stands to make a huge destination out of a very tiny town. [Skiing in Japan Is Getting a $1.4 Billion Upgrade Close to Tokyo]( Ken Chan, the former Japan head of Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, is planning a snowy second act on the slopes of Mount Madarao. [A $5,350 Berluti Shearling Tote That’s Anything But Quiet Luxury]( It’s a chic cold-weather carryall for schlepping all your sundries. West End Watch We learned this week that the latest book (and movie) to get a London stage adaptation will be [The Hunger Games](. The stageplay will be by Conor McPherson, who also penned the award-winning Girl From the North Country based on Bob Dylan songs. I am so curious to see how the Hunger Games universe translates onto a West End Stage. It’s the latest intellectual-property driven show hitting the stage. The Palace Theatre in Central London has been the home of the Harry Potter sequel since summer 2016. Next month, [Stranger Things: The First Shadow](—a prequel to the Netflix Inc. program—debuts in London. I’ll be seeing it next month and will report back on if it captures the magic that made it such a smash-hit for audiences. The company of Stranger Things: The First Shadow Credit: Manuel Harlan But the movie turned stage show that is now the hottest ticket in town is Jamie Lloyd’s dazzling revival of Sunset Boulevard starring Nicole Scherzinger. She’s magnetic as the past-her-prime diva Norma Desmond in a new take on the musical. It’s one of our recommendations for [must-see shows](to see in London this fall. If you’re in New York instead—we have you covered on [Broadway recommendations.]( Back to saving money, throughout the run of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, there will be 11 (get it? Eleven?) pairs of “shadow seats” available for £19.59 (the year the prequel is set), bookable by a lottery with [TodayTix.]( The first draw will be on Nov. 6, the day Will Byers went missing in the first season. Here are three other ways to save money on London theater. - Be willing to stand: The Globe Theatre on the Southbank has “groundling” tickets for £5 and £10, meaning you can see world-class Shakespeare for less than a sandwich at Pret. The Donmar has £10 standing tickets, and the theater is so small that your view will still be great. [The Royal Court]( sells standing tickets for 10 pence (not a typo!) on days of performances. - Look for last-minute bargains on “day seats”: Many West End theaters put stalls tickets online that haven’t sold on the day of performances. They’re generally cheaper than booking months in advance. There’s no guarantee one will be available, but I’ve seen sold-out shows for £30 this way many times, by just loading up official websites at 9 or 10 a.m. on the day of a performance when I have a free weeknight. - Be under 25: I used to do this all the time before I aged out of the discounts. RIP my youth, and my bank account balance. The National Theatre offers [£10 tickets for 16-25 year olds](, the Donmar Warehouse has [free tickets f](or under 25s, the Young Vic has [£12 tickets](, and the Almeida offers tickets for [just a fiver](. Elsewhere in Entertainment [Britain’s Food Inflation Brings Opportunity to Food Network Tasty UK]( [Theatre That Hosts the Oscars Is Up for Sale]( [NY Natural History Museum Changing How it Looks After Thousands of Human Remains in Collection]( [What to Do at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Besides Watch the Race]( [Risking It All to Actually Understand Risk, on ‘The Businessweek Show’]( [Taylor Swift Vaults Into Billionaire Ranks With Blockbuster Eras Tour]( So you had questions…. Where are the best cold-weather destinations in Europe? Edinburgh is pretty magical in the winter around the holidays, when it is filled with festive charm. There’s [Hogmanay](, which is a big celebration of the New Year. There’s been an [influx of chic new hotels too](, including [the Gleneagles Townhouse](. The W Edinburgh will open next month, and 100 Princes Street and The Hoxton are set to open early next year. Where’s the best places to go for a spa break outside of London? Cowley Manor Experimental Source: Experimental Group The newly opened [Cowley Manor Experimental]( in the Cotswolds is full of gorgeous Alice in Wonderland-esque design details and is also home to a fantastic spa. It’s only around two hours from London. Even closer to London is [Heckfield Place](, which can be reached in under an hour from central London or Heathrow. The country chic hotel in Hampshire opened a gorgeous new 17,000 square-foot spa this year called [The Bothy by Wildsmith](, which features a massive indoor pool in a room filled with natural light. Australian chef [Skye Gyngell]( of London restaurant [Spring]( designed the food menu. New for subscribers: Free article gifting. Bloomberg.com subscribers can now gift up to five free articles a month to anyone you want. Just look for the "Gift this article" button on stories. (Not a subscriber? Unlock limited access and [sign up here](.) Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? 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