Tips & Hacks
Are exorbitant carry-on fees ruining your budget travel plans? In this episode of No Tourists Allowed, hosts Mike Putman and James Ferrara reveal how to bypass low-cost airline fees and completely upgrade your travel strategy. Tune in to discover an ingenious new wearable hack that acts as a wearable suitcase, plus learn how to seamlessly merge corporate trips with leisure vacations to maximize your global experiences without breaking the bank.
The episode kicks off with Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban, the young entrepreneur behind Flygaroo - a revolutionary travel vest capable of holding up to 25 pounds of clothing to outsmart strict baggage policies on low-cost carriers. Mike and James also explore the booming trend of "bleisure travel," explaining how extending corporate trips over a weekend can actually save companies money on airfare while providing employees with rich, morale-boosting cultural experiences. Finally, they break down eye-opening industry research showing a massive generational shift, as Millennials and Gen Z increasingly ditch DIY vacation planning to rely on professional travel advisors for unique, secure, and stress-free getaways.
Ready to travel smarter and save big on your next international adventure? Subscribe to No Tourists Allowed, leave us a review, and grab your own vest and support the Flygaroo campaign!
Episode Resources:
The Inspiration Behind Flygaroo
Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban:
Like the tip of the iceberg was a flight that I took from Cusco to Arequipa, inside Peru. I was going there for volunteering months ago and the actual ticket price was just 13.97 euros. This is approximately 14 dollars.
And what happened? Of course there are no airline tickets for 14 dollars for a domestic flight. The cost of the suitcase was 50 euros. I said no way, but the air crew was surveilling me and they wanted to charge me.
I just went to the bathroom and I put all of the clothes on top of me. Of course, this was a very sweaty situation since it was very warm with 50 layers of clothes and very uncomfortable for me.
That is why I said we have to develop something a bit cooler, a bit more comfortable, and that more people can do. I know that a lot of people don't just go to the bathroom to wear clothes on top of them.
I bought a three-meter textile fabric and went to artisans in Arequipa City through the markets. I begged them on my knees, "Please, please, please help a young entrepreneur accomplish his dreams."
Actually Oscar, who is an artisan in Arequipa, helped me design the first version of the Flygaroo. I had my ideas in mind, so we sketched them a bit. And that was the MVP.
Then I posted on LinkedIn and I created my website, which is flygaroo.com. Now this is the Flygaroo number two, which is a bit more professional.
Introduction to No Tourists Allowed
Mike Putman:
Hello and good day, everyone. I'm Mike Putman.
James Ferrara:
And I'm James Ferrara. Welcome to No Tourists Allowed. Mike, we have a special guest coming up.
Mike Putman:
Yeah, we do. We have Nicholas from Flygaroo joining us. I look forward to having him and understanding more about his role in the travel business.
James Ferrara:
Yeah. And then we're going to talk about some big trends in the travel business having to do with business travel, the use of travel advisors, and some other big trends in the industry.
There has been some big marketing research released lately, so we're going to talk about that too. But why don't we get right to our guest, Mike, who is someone that you met in an interesting way and has a very interesting product.
Mike Putman:
Mr. Nicholas Gutierrez de Esteban.
Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban:
Good afternoon. This is Nicolas reaching out from Spain.
Mike Putman:
All right. Well, thanks for joining No Tourists Allowed, Nicolas. Glad you were able to make it on our podcast.
I met Nicolas a few months ago. Nicolas, can you tell our audience a little bit about your backstory, the product that you have invented, why you invented it, and what problem it solves?
Saving Money on Low-Cost Airlines
Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban:
So the audience has a bit more background, Mike and I never met in person. We met digitally through LinkedIn since I did a post explaining my new company called Flygaroo.
For the audience that is not seeing us on camera, I've been traveling for almost two years and I've taken more than 40 international flights. Forty international flights sounds like a big deal in just over a year and a half.
It is a lot of money, but I don't want to pay extra fees. I've saved 50 euros probably on every flight. So 50 euros multiplied by 40 flights, I've saved around 2000 euros.
How have I done that? I created a traveling vest that actually replaces your luggage. It is just like a normal vest, like a puffer you would see in the street, but the interior pockets are expandable.
You can fit as much as 10 kilos. That would be a normal carry-on that low-cost airlines would charge you for. You can fit everything inside the travel vest.
Mike Putman:
And for our Americans, 10 kilos is about 25 pounds. So quite a bit.
Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban:
Quite a bit. I know a lot of people that used to travel with those carry-on suitcases on low-cost airlines. The European counterparts are EasyJet, Ryanair, and other brands.
They used to go to the counter and pay 80 euro fines because they were not allowed to bring those carry-ons without having paid for them. Now there are almost 50 people already traveling with those Flygaroo jackets.
James Ferrara:
Yeah, a lot of them go by weight now, too. It used to just be by size of the carry-on item, but now they're actually checking the weight. If you're transferring that weight onto your person, you could save a ton of money.
Mike Putman:
It was funny because just today I was looking at tickets. James and I are actually going from London to Porto, Portugal, and I saw Ryanair. There is very little service between London and Porto.
Ryanair had several flights and offered this great fare. But then you have to add in a carry-on, and you are allowed up to 10 kilograms, but you have to pay for that.
I think it was 40 pounds or something like that. It was more than the airline ticket itself.
Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban:
My experience, like the tip of the iceberg, was a flight that I took from Cusco to Arequipa, inside Peru. I was going there for volunteering four months ago.
The actual ticket price was just 13.97 euros, which is approximately 14 dollars. And what happened? Of course, there are no airline tickets for 14 dollars for a domestic flight.
The cost of the suitcase was 50 euros and I said no way. But the air crew was surveilling me and they wanted to charge me, so I just went to the bathroom and I put all of the clothes on top of me.
This was a very sweaty situation since it was very warm with 50 layers of clothes and very uncomfortable for me. That's why I said we have to develop something a bit cooler and more comfortable that more people can do.
I know that a lot of people don't just go to the bathroom to wear clothes on top of them. I bought a three-meter textile fabric and went to artisans in Arequipa City through the markets.
I begged them on my knees, "Please, please, please help a young entrepreneur accomplish his dreams." Actually Oscar, who is an artisan in Arequipa, helped me design the first version of the Flygaroo.
I had my ideas in mind, so we sketched them a bit and that was the MVP. Then I posted on LinkedIn and created my website, flygaroo.com. Now this is the Flygaroo number two which is a bit more professional.
Design, Materials, and Airport Security
James Ferrara:
And what is it made out of, Nicholas?
Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban:
Now we actually want to start making that from recycled fabrics, a type of polyester. For this new batch coming in early October, we are changing the materials and still investigating the best fabrics.
Also, it is very important that the interior pockets are expandable to fit more and more clothes. So far, the 50 clients that have used it all over the world are liking it. I think new customers would love the new fabrics.
James Ferrara:
What are you putting in there? Just help me understand. You are putting actual clothing in the vest?
Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban:
Yes. What you would normally take on your carry-on suitcase. In many airlines, you can wear a normal backpack that complies with the rules for free, but not a carry-on suitcase.
The under-backseat backpack is for free, but the suitcase that you put in your overhead is not. So you would put all of the things that are inside there.
For example, T-shirts, pants, underwear, and shoes, I would put them in the backpack. But you can put hoodies and so on in the vest.
People get surprised, even myself, when I do the videos demonstrating how many things you can fit. I don't think that many people would exploit the Flygaroo as I do.
James Ferrara:
Do the security or the gate agents ever look at you and say, "Boy, he looks like a skinny guy, but with a really big vest on"? Is it a problem?
Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban:
Thank you, James, for the question. Some people are worried since it's a product that doesn't really exist on the market. They are worried they will go through security or customs and people will look at it as strange.
My response, and I have tested this at many different airports, is that when you pass it through security, it is just like a normal bag. You just zip it up, put it on the tray, and it goes through the x-rays perfectly.
The most important thing is when you are checking in or boarding the plane. That's when you should wear it and zip it a bit, and it actually doesn't look that strange.
Maybe if they look at you that much, they will find it suspicious. But so far, we haven't had any problems. Of course, if they tell you anything, we want to include a note in the pockets that says there is no law that allows you to open or check my clothing.
It is a bit of a hack that we found. I don't know if the crew people at the airport would like it because they get incentives from the low-cost airlines to scout people and hand them down.
But I always show it to the flight attendants and they love it since they don't have those incentives.
James Ferrara:
They probably want one too.
Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban:
I show them the website always and they find it funny. After I show them the website, they are like, "Okay, but does this exist?" And I'm like, "Yeah, look, you want to test it?" We have a bit of a laugh.
How to Purchase and Support the Brand
Mike Putman:
So if our listeners out there want to get their own Flygaroo vest, how do they do that?
Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban:
Right now, I'm starting a Kickstarter campaign. For the audience that doesn't know it, many entrepreneurs go to the Kickstarter website and submit a video with specifications on the product.
You can co-invest or buy it early. Of course, I also have my website which is flygaroo.com. It has all of the integrations with any credit card, so it's super easy to buy and I will just ship it to your doorstep.
Mike Putman:
If you'd like to purchase one of Nicholas's great travel vests, you can go to his website, and that is f-l-y-g-a-r-o-o.com.
James Ferrara:
That's it. And you said it's like flying kangaroo? That's where the idea came from because of the pouch?
Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban:
I was thinking about names and I did my university exchange in China. I saw that all of the companies, like the Amazon of China, use a cat.
All of the apps and the super apps are analogies of animals. I wanted to mimic that. I was like, "Flygaroo needs an image." What better than a flying kangaroo that has the joey pocket? Same as my travel vest.
James Ferrara:
Excellent. Well, look, we wish you the best. I think it's a great idea and it will help our listeners travel better, which is what we're all about. Thank you. Great to have you with us, Nicholas.
Nicolas Gutierrez de Esteban:
Thank you, James. Thank you, Mike, for everything.
Reflections on Young Entrepreneurs
Mike Putman:
What a great guy. I really enjoyed hearing about Nicholas's story. What an interesting product.
It might not be for everyone, but for those people who travel a lot on low-cost carriers, especially in Europe, this is a money-saving product that will probably save enough money so you can travel twice as much.
James Ferrara:
I know people who travel, even not on low-cost carriers, but who are carry-on gurus. They will do anything not to have to check a bag. So Flygaroo is an interesting tool for them.
Plus, I really like giving a leg up to a young entrepreneur, Mike. That is what we're all about. Our businesses have always been about that.
Give a look to Flygaroo and give Nicholas a chance. Let's help him out. Maybe he will become the next big mogul in the travel industry.
Mike Putman:
James, if you won't check a bag, I will buy you a vest.
James Ferrara:
You know that I'm checking several bags. So this is definitely not a product for me, except that I kind of like the way it looks. I might just wear it as fashion. Anyhow, Mike, you had an interesting subject for this week.
The Evolution of Bleisure Travel
Mike Putman:
Yeah. Let's talk a little bit about the rise of the bleisure traveler. That is a new term to a lot of you, but this term is really defined by a new phenomenon which has taken place post-COVID.
This phenomenon is where business travelers interlope leisure trips and combine those into one, hence the name bleisure travel.
James Ferrara:
It's not a real word; we made this word up. I have a friend of mine who thought this had to do with leisure travel for his community.
You can't look this up in the dictionary, but this has been a really serious term of art in the travel industry for a couple of years now.
Mike Putman:
Coming out of COVID, people were not traveling and had this pent-up demand to travel. They began taking advantage of the business trip, which their company would typically fund.
They might tack on a day or two in advance or in the rear to add some extra travel time and do some fun things or visit some interesting sites in the city that they're going to travel in for business.
James Ferrara:
Mike, I feel like you and I are the grandfathers of this idea. We've been doing this for a long time.
Mike Putman:
But our whole life is leisure.
James Ferrara:
I have to go to Budapest for a travel industry event and I've never been to Budapest. I'm adding on a couple of days. I'm going to travel all the way there, so why would I not? That is really a bleisure trip for me.
Mike Putman:
Absolutely. It's a great way to take advantage of the flight being paid for, because that is often a big piece of the travel budget. While you're there visiting the city or country, why not extend it a couple of days?
James Ferrara:
Your business is paying for your flight.
Mike Putman:
Yeah, a couple of days of accommodation and you've got a great trip that you look forward to. Also, a lot of times the business actually wins in the situation because a lot of airfares charge a premium if you don't stay over a weekend.
If you leave on a Tuesday and come back on a Friday, you would pay one price for an airfare. Whereas if you left on a Tuesday and came back on a Sunday, generally speaking, you would pay a much lower price.
You actually can save your company some money by combining these two things together, by having a lower airfare and staying an extra couple of nights.
When you think about bleisure travel, it's also important to think about how this helps local economies and communities, especially if you're going to a city that's not a tourist destination.
Say Chicago or Houston or some other big city that doesn't necessarily depend greatly on leisure to drive their economy. By staying over a weekend, you can actually boost up the economy there locally.
You can participate in some cultural things in that community that would not only enhance your experience, but you could share a little bit about your culture with those communities while you're traveling there as well.
James Ferrara:
I want to speak as an employer, Mike, too. I actually endorse this for employees because it gives them an opportunity for downtime, to recharge their batteries, and to do it in a very valuable way through travel.
As you said, they are exposing themselves to new cultures and having new experiences. This makes for happier employees and more valuable employees. They have more to bring to the table because they've become worldly.
Mike Putman:
They have these rich experiences. There is a lot of research that has been done about the value of keeping your employees happy and incentivizing them. Nothing pays employees more than travel.
It's even a better incentive than cash. If you give an employee a $500 cash bonus, they are probably going to go pay bills. They have a very thin memory of that incentive.
But when you give them travel, they think about it before they go, while they are experiencing it, and then when they come back and share their photos and memories. They are recognizing that a third time.
That is why a lot of these large incentive educators talk about using travel to help leverage a great experience for employees especially.
The Increasing Demand for Travel Advisors
James Ferrara:
Now, there are some challenges with it. It certainly costs you money, and you have to keep your expenses separate and do this in an ethical way.
Your business shouldn't be paying for your leisure time unless you've got some kind of very good deal. There is a bit of research involved, although, of course, you can work with a professional travel advisor, and that is a lot of help.
Mike Putman:
Well, speaking of working with a professional travel advisor, there's some new research out this week that I think you want to share.
James Ferrara:
That's true. MMGY, the big research firm in the travel industry, just came out with a big study done in conjunction with ASTA, the American Society of Travel Advisors. They found some interesting things.
First off, two-thirds of the traveling public is intending to use a travel advisor at some point in the next two years. That is a big turnaround, Mike.
There have been times in this industry when the number has been less than half that. I think that this is really generationally affected.
Boomers have always been take-charge and thought, "I can do it myself." They have been the least likely to use a travel agent. But millennials and now Gen Z have very high usage of travel advisors.
I think they get it. They want the help and they understand the model. They know it doesn't cost them anything, they might get better results, and they might actually save money.
They are going to get all this work done for them. Gen Z and millennials are also very aware because they are so used to using online resources. They are aware of how overwhelming the options are if you try to do this yourself.
They are aware of how much time it would take, and you'd never really get to the kind of knowledge and access that a professional travel advisor gets.
It's really cool to see that show up in the research. Two-thirds of the American traveling public now intend to use a travel advisor for their travels.
The other thing the research said that was interesting is that people are less concerned about cost and more interested in prioritizing the experience. They want unique, once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
They are not so much driven by budget right now; they are driven by chasing those experiences. The other big trend is security.
There is a lot of research around how the whole tariff debate is affecting the way people are traveling and where they are choosing to go, whether or not they feel safe versus resented as Americans. Safety and security is a bigger issue now than it's been for a while.
Mike Putman:
For sure. Times have changed and the opinions of citizens of other countries have changed for Americans as well. Something to keep in mind.
Back to the use of travel agents, maybe millennials and Gen Zs have a higher value of their own time. They understand that by putting this in the hands of a professional, they are going to have a better experience.
They are going to save a lot of time and potentially save some money. Maybe their value equation is different from the boomers.
Maybe it's just that people for a period of time went online and tried to do their own thing and had some failures. If you have one or two vacations a year, do you really want to risk your entire family's vacation to feel like you're in control?
James Ferrara:
Yeah, I've heard some Airbnb nightmares and all that do-it-yourself stuff. It's a risk.
Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up
Mike Putman:
Thank you guys for listening. We're going to wrap this episode up. Please come back next week where we'll have another exciting episode. Make sure you tell your friends about No Tourists Allowed.
James Ferrara:
We love that you listen in. We love your comments. I love bumping into some of you at events and you're always so kind to say that you listen and enjoy. Tell your friends, win the cruise, and we'll see you here on our next episode of No Tourists Allowed.
