Welcome to the Frugal Flyer Team, Quentin!

We’ve had the opportunity to add some great writers to our team this year and continue to see Frugal Flyer grow as one of the best travel and credit card rewards blogs in Canada. As the team and site grow, we are always looking for knowledgeable individuals who want to push the envelope when it comes to the world of miles and points.

With that, we would like to announce the newest addition to the Frugal Flyer team: Quentin Tsang.

Welcome to Frugal Flyer, Quentin!

Quentin dove into the world of travel credit cards in 2019 after being jealous of people going to airport lounges and wondering how he could do the same. Little did he know, this curiosity would lead him to be immersed in the world of points and miles. He loves to nerd out over all aspects of travel credit cards, loyalty programs, and making the most of everyday spending, and can’t wait to share his journey with Frugal Flyer readers. 

While he loves to redeem points for trips around the world, he most frequently uses his stash of points for flights to Sault Ste. Marie to visit family. Quentin spends his free time in the CrossFit gym, with his two dogs, Q (which, believe it or not, he did not name after himself!) and Eli, or experimenting in the kitchen. 

We had a few important questions for Quentin to learn more about him:

What got you into Miles & Points?

Growing up, I always wondered how people skip the long security lines at the airport or how they would go to exclusive lounges before their flight. For one reason or another, I was always told that I needed to make millions of dollars and take countless flights around the world to make it on this “super exclusive flyer list.”

Little did I know, gaining access to airport lounges was as easy as signing up for a travel credit card. I product switched my CIBC Dividend Visa Card to the CIBC Aventura Visa Infinite card, redeemed Aventura points for a flight home to Sault Ste. Marie and visited the Plaza Premium lounge at Toronto Pearson International Airport, all within two months of getting the card!

From that first redemption onwards, I was hooked! I left no stone unturned in the Canadian credit card market, signing up for most of the travel credit cards available to us, meeting the sign-up bonuses, and redeeming for trips around Canada, Europe, and Asia! 

Looking for a new adventure, I opened the next chapter of my points and miles journey by venturing south to the US credit card market. Frugal Flyer was my go-to resource as I looked to build my US credit profile. In fact, I used the ITIN service and, as recommended in the first US credit card article, got the American Express Hilton Honors card (US).

Do you have any redemptions you are looking forward to in 2023 or 2024?

Earlier this year, my partner and I visited my best friend after he moved to Regina, Saskatchewan to start his medical practice. It was my first time seeing his new home in person. We even got to see Connor Bedard’s last home game as a Regina Pat before he was drafted into the NHL! While it’s not a huge or glamorous redemption to somewhere international, it is meaningful trips like these that make the points and miles game worth it for me.

Looking ahead, my family and I are going to Japan in late 2023! Tokyo holds a special place in my heart because it was one of my first big redemptions after getting into the world of points and miles. This time, we’ll spend a few days in Tokyo before taking the Shinkansen bullet train to Osaka. My dad is a huge foodie and has always wanted to experience the world-famous food scene in Osaka, so I’m excited to be able to do this with him. 

As always, I’ll be regularly redeeming points to fly to and from my hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario while I’m away doing my PhD at Queen’s University. I’m always looking forward to being back on Lake Superior and enjoying home-cooked meals from Nana and spending time with the rest of the family.

What areas of travel hacking interest you most? What do you plan to write about on Frugal Flyer?

My favorite part about the travel hacking lifestyle is travel credit cards. I am a huge credit card nerd and I will talk anyone’s ear off about the topic if they are willing to listen. I think everyone on the Frugal Flyer team will agree with me when I say there’s no better thrill than applying and being approved for a new card!

I’m always on the lookout for the next travel credit card that will be joining my wallet; my favorite credit card is the next (Tom Brady fans will know what I’m talking about). I can’t wait to share my journey (approval or denial!) with Frugal Flyer readers and help you add a few useful travel credit cards to your arsenal! 

My main goal when spending on credit cards is to make my dollar go further. When I first got into this lifestyle, my partner asked me, “why do you go through all this effort?” I promptly responded to her, “if we’re going to need to spend the money anyways, might as well get as much back as possible.”

I’ll share my tips and tricks that I’ve learned on how to make the most out of your everyday spending, easily accessible ways to meet minimum spending requirements, and how to redeem those points earned for your next vacation. My goal is to help every dollar you spend go further so you can travel in style!

What do you do in your free time?

I spend most of my free time at my local CrossFit gym, Limestone Athletics. My life has always revolved around sports, so CrossFit has given me an outlet to continue being active and participating in competitions!

I’m also involved with motionball, which is a national not-for-profit that supports Special Olympics Canada. Working with individuals with disabilities was a passion that I developed early on during my undergraduate education, and I’ve continued to be heavily involved in working with motionball to educate the community about the Special Olympics movement and integrate our Special Olympics Athletes into our communities.

If not in the gym, you can find me outside with my camera trying to sharpen my photography skills, looking for the next shoe to add to my sneaker collection, or cheering on the Detroit Lions!

Conclusion

We are very excited to welcome Quentin to the Frugal Flyer team and look forward to his contributions!

Keep an eye out for Quentin’s first article tomorrow to learn more about his journey with travel credit cards and how you can also get started with travel credit cards to make your next vacation that much better.