2018 is full of long weekends, and there are very interesting ones too.It is almost time to hop into the new year, so it is time to stop thinking where we could have been in 2017 and start making the year of the long weekend 2018, work for us.

Here is our attempt to give you a headstart on all that is in store for you in 2018 in terms of travel before you get stumped like we do when trying to book last minute tickets and overpriced hotels. So, let’s go!

January 2018

January comes with two long weekends at both ends of a week. That just means take 3 days off and you have a whole lot of family or friends time.

• January 20-22, 2018 (Saturday to Monday)
• January 26-28, 2018 (Friday to Sunday)

This would be one of the best times to hit the beaches in India or fly off for a quick international break in South-east Asia. Some destinations you could fly for free on redeeming your JPMiles are Bangkok, Singapore, Goa, Kochi and Diu.

February 2018

The month where balloons, candies and cakes take over and love is in the air around Valentine’s day. There is a very long weekend in February:

• February 10-13, 2018 (Saturday to Tuesday, including Monday off)

But if you wanted to add February 14 to the mix as well, you’d have a lovely time to whisk away your significant other and serenade them. Here are some destinations for which the flight tickets are redeemable with JPMiles:

• Paris (Shipra said yes, here!)
• Goa (Check into the Park Hyatt Goa Resort & Spa, our first love!)
• Udaipur (The most romantic city in India)

March 2018

Holi festivities will come in early next year. That means that March 2018 will begin and end with two long weekends:

• March 1-4, 2018 (Thursday to Sunday)
• March 29-April 1, 2018 (Thursday to Sunday)

This is a great time to head into the hills and the waters both! We headed to Srinagar in March, and there was still snow to play with. Some nice places to tick off your list in India are Srinagar and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

April 2018

April doesn’t disappoint us next year, and there is a long weekend yet again, dovetailing with the May 1 Labour Day weekend.

• April 28 – May 1, 2018 (Saturday to Tuesday)

It will be getting hot, so how about a getaway in the hills? Dehradun is the place to go, given its proximity to Mussoorie, and it is a great destination to pick if you wish to use your JPMiles. We love the JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa there, and there are a lot many more hotels too.

June 2018

Hallelujah, there is a long weekend in June, and that is something we’ve missed, haven’t we? This time around there is one for the win.

• June 15 – 17, 2018 (Friday to Sunday)

Given the heat, this is the ideal time to head to the hills. You could fly to Chandigarh, and from there Shimla is an easy 90 minutes beautiful drive with roads winding up the hills. For the more adventurous, you could head further up to Leh, which is an absolutely good use of JPMiles given the high ticket prices in this season. Or how about disconnecting from the world and living in a mountain cottage in the Himalayas in Nepal, just like we did.

But do not miss Goa in the rains, it is the perfect time to visit! And further down south, there is Bekal and Chikmanglur, which are driving distance from Mangalore, another two of the many destinations you can fly to for free with your JPMiles. By the way, you only need 5000 JPMiles to fly from Mumbai to Goa, the lowest award flight redemption!

September 2018

Fast forward to September and the season for long weekends picks up again. There are many long weekends coming up:

• September 1 – 3 (Saturday to Monday)
• September 13 – 16 (Thursday to Sunday)

This would be a great time to head up to Amritsar, an ideal time where the weather is not so hot and not so cold. Amritsar is a food lover’s paradise. The Amritsari fish is to die for, and then there are the Jalebis and Kesar da Dhaba which will cook up a storm if you’re vegetarian. We always go there once a year, just for the love of food, and the Golden Temple too!

October 2018

October always starts with a long weekend. So you always have to have plans. Given the festive season, this is one time to pack your bags if festivals are more about the people than the festivities:

• September 29 – October 2 (Saturday to Tuesday)
• October 18 – 21 (Thursday to Sunday)

The cultural juices of India are in full flow this time of the year. So, how about a trip to Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mysore or Calcutta during the festivals. We’ve celebrated Dussehra in Delhi, Durga Puja in Kolkata and eaten our way through Ahmedabad, all during the festivals.

It is a magical time to be in a different city than your own. Best part, Jet Airways has good connectivity to all these destinations and it’s a great time to use your JPMiles considering the skyrocketing ticket prices.

November 2018

The magical month when Diwali is here. For us, it is always home, which still means travel. For you, it could mean a time to get away, maybe even to Maldives or Colombo:

• November 3 – 11 (Saturday to next Sunday)

What does this mean? A lot of time away. If you are into beaches, head up to Colombo, which is a Jet Airways destination. If the Maldives is on your list, you could transit via Abu Dhabi on Etihad which is also bookable on JPMiles.

But if cities are your thing, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are good places to go not far away from home. Jet Airways usually has enough Award Flight ticket availability for a family if you book well in advance! After all, I’m giving you a heads up.

December 2018

Alrighty, the year-end is here. Where do you want to be one year from now for the holidays next year? Past years, we’ve gone far away from India, and all of these tickets are on miles. JetPrivilege is partners with over 20 airlines and you could practically head out anywhere across the globe by redeeming your JPMiles for all these airlines. Talk Christmas Markets in Europe or the beaches of Australia, it is all possible.

Fund those vacations with JPmiles

Taking so many holidays does need you to be born rich, either money wise or air miles wise. Earning JPMiles is in your own hands. And you can ensure a consistent supply year round.

One of the easiest and fastest ways to earn JPMiles is through everyday spends. And these come by way of Jet Airways / JetPrivilege co-brand credit cards, where you can earn JPMiles, get joining and yearly bonuses, enjoy discounts and a whole lot of travel benefits.

Here are some of the best signup offers on Jet Airways / JetPrivilege credit cards, which will give you the instant boost on your JetPrivilege account to book those tickets:

JetPrivilege HDFC Bank Diners Club Credit Card

The best credit card to get a startup bonus. 30K JPMiles towards initiation of the card (15K JPMiles to pay your fees, 15K JPMiles towards meeting minimum spend). Not just that, one free ticket coming along.

With the best-earning ratio for ticket bookings on Jet Airways, this card is on top of my list of credit cards to have in your pocket. Not just that, you get complimentary lounge access at over 700 lounges across the world.

Jet Airways American Express Platinum Credit Card

For 5000 INR fees, you get 12,500 JPMiles, making it a sweet card to load up on miles for your JetPrivilege kitty. You get 10,000 JPMiles towards initiation and another 2,500 miles for applying through the JetPrivilege Cards portal.

Jet Airways ICICI Bank Sapphiro American Express Credit Card (Visa Variant available)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a discounted, 2500 INR fees valid through December 31, you get 10,000 JPMiles, making it a very nice deal to generate JPMiles. You are getting JPMiles at 25 paise per mile. Just make sure you make your application through JetPrivilege Cards portal.

Jet Airways IndusInd Bank Odyssey American Express Credit Card

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jet Airways IndusInd Bank Credit Cards give 15000 JPMiles for signup, which is a great way to add to the JPMiles kitty. If you book your card via the JetPrivilege Credit Cards portal, you get an additional 1500 JPMiles. So a total 16,500 JPMiles for INR 10,000 with a free ticket.

Bottomline

When you sign up within the year, you get ahead of the queue so that you have your miles ready to book tickets early next year rather than waiting through later part of the year when award inventory may have dried up.

And while on the topic of planning those vacations, you can book your hotels at hotels.jetprivilege.com and dining at delights.jetprivilege.com to get even more JPMiles out of those. Don’t forget your co-brand card to pay for these too.