This January, I joined a very special flight, traveling from Frankfurt, Germany to Bogota, Colombia, with three fellow aviation geeks. Gino Bertuccio and Cherag Dubash flew on the port side of Lufthansa’s Airbus A340-600 first-class cabin, in 1A and 2A, with Buenos Aires-based travel agent Agustin Aguero seated with me on the starboard side.I had plenty of time to chat with Agustin during the 12-hour journey. I learned about his adventures, including self-funded travels around the world. It’s common for travel agents to get discounts or even complimentary nights at hotels and resorts, but premium-cabin travel is rarely included; if they want to fly up front, they’re often left to buy a ticket themselves, or book or upgrade using points and miles. Agustin provided some insight into how he gets it done.Question: What do you do for work?Answer: I’m a travel agent. I prepare personal travels, flights, hotels and activities.Q: How many miles did you fly in 2019?I flew 69,000 miles last year.Q: How many nights do you spend at home each year?About 300.Q: How much of your travel is business vs. leisure?Sign up for our daily newsletterEmail addressSign upI would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. See privacy policy.100% of my travel is leisure.Q: What’s your favorite first-class product?Singapore Airlines, but I prefer the 777 over the A380.Q: And business class?Qatar Airways Qsuite.Q: Do you ever fly economy?Yes, for short-haul travel.Q: When was your first international first-class flight?Bangkok to Doha with Qatar, in 2017.Q: What are some of your favorite places to visit?Sydney, Istanbul, Tokyo, London and Amsterdam.Q: What are your preferred airlines?I prefer Asian airlines, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific, and also Qatar Airways.Q: Do you have a preferred hotel chain?I prefer boutique hotels, since they’re more private.Q: What’s your biggest travel pet peeve?When people get too drunk when they fly.Q: Which credit cards do you use on a regular basis?Tarjeta Visa Signature LATAM Pass, from BBVA (only available in South America).Q: Aside from your passport, what are some items you’ll never leave home without?My credit card, and my iPhone 11 Pro.For a closer look at what it’s like to travel like Agustin, see:Onboard Lufthansa with some of the world’s most frequent first-class flyersOur review of Lufthansa’s First Class Terminal at Frankfurt AirportTPG’s Lufthansa first class review, on the Airbus A380
