Brent and Michael's Secret Travel Hacks, Part 26!

Get free Starbucks refills, find a bigger room in Japan, know if that business seat is a good deal, add easy money to your charity event, get hotel discounts, and get a REAL ID ASAP.

Two travel hacks hacking our way through more hacks.

Yet another edition of our unusual travel hacks!

For other travel hack columns, go to Part Thirteen and Part Fourteen and Part Fifteen and Part Sixteen and Part Seventeen and Part Eighteen and Part Nineteen and Part Twenty and Part Twenty-One and Part Twenty-Two and Part Twenty-Three and Part Twenty-Four and Part Twenty-Five.

Here are the latest hacks:

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Need to charge your phone fast? Put it in airplane mode to disable cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth — all big power drains.

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As of January 27, 2025, Starbucks has started offering free refills to everyone — not just Starbucks Rewards members.

*Free refills of hot and iced brewed coffee and tea during same store visit. Excludes Cold Brew, Nitro Cold Brew, Iced Tea Lemonade, and flavored Iced Tea and Starbucks Refreshers® base. At participating stores.

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Looking for multimedia versions of some of our articles? You’re in luck!

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In a previous column, I wrote about how to shop at Costco without a membership: have a member buy you a gift card, which grants you access to the store (and then you just pay the difference for anything you buy above the gift card amount).

Non-members can also buy prescriptions at Costco — either online or at the physical store — or get an optical exam (but not buy glasses).

And certain U.S. states — namely, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Texas, and Vermont — will also let you buy alcohol.

If they question you upon entry for not having a membership card, just explain why you’re there.

h/t Madeline

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In Asian countries where space is at a high premium, like Japan, many “single” hotel rooms have been classified as “doubles” with the addition of a double bed. But the bed can take up the entire room.

Technically, this is called a “semi-double,” but that information doesn’t always make it into the listing’s English translation, and the room dimensions are often left off too.

To be sure you get an actual double room, request twin beds, which require an actual double room. You’ll end up with more space.

Oh, and that single bed was probably a full or a double anyway — not even a queen.

h/t Claire at Wander, Wonder, Write

I didn’t say it was a lot of extra room! Photo by yi_sk on Unsplash.

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Want to get an upgrade to premium, business, or first class on your flight? Dress up in nice clothes and tell the gate agent it’s your anniversary.

Kidding! I doubt this travel hack worked even back in 1985, when people first started suggesting it.

Look, like all travel bargains, the only way to consistently get a good deal on anything is to study the market carefully, and when you see what you know is a good price, you pounce.

But how do you know what a “good price” is?