How InterMiles helped me realize my passion for travel!

 “Would you rather be part of a big conglomerate or help me build something truly unique here?” said Manish, CEO of InterMiles. Never then had I thought that the next 6 years of my life would be such an adventure, a learning experience, and one that introduced me to my passion – experiential travel.

And as I write this blog sitting in the valleys of Uttarakhand, nestled amongst pine trees, burbling river, and the grand Nandadevi snow-peaked range in front, I can only proudly look back at all we achieved – both professionally and personally.

My journey with then JetPrivilege started way back in 2014 as a Consultant from Ernst & Young tasked to help JPPL set up its technology eco-system. A few months later, Manish convinced me to join JPPL, a one-year-old infant but a 25-year-old start-up with 50 employees against an offer I had in CIO’s office of one of India's largest companies.

During the times of Jet Airways, complimentary domestic and international staff travel, that too in a Business Class including your entire family, was an attraction & employee benefit like never before. Almost all the employees of that time will tell you stories of how at the last minute they were able to board the flight or had to anxiously wait at the gate and then asked to catch the next one. After a few rounds, we had become champs at last-minute sprint to airport clearance. My parents still reminisce about their delight on getting an upgrade on international routes.

With JetPrivilege, I traveled to Thailand (which for many had become a weekend gateway), Sri Lanka, Singapore, Hongkong, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, USA, UAE, Bhutan, Turkey Indonesia and many more domestic destinations. At each of these destinations, I mostly stayed in AirBnB and became a strong proponent of eating, staying, and traveling locally. Thanks to JPPL, me & my family could collect some unforgettable memories & experiences that we shall cherish forever.

This is also how “Stamp On My Passport” as an idea was born. And now, my daughter is trying to start her YouTube travel channel - Anaiya's World.

Some of these experiences include:

• Being pickpocketed in Paris and then helped by a Pakistan national with 4 euros to buy a train ticket
• Watching Pandit Ravi Shankar teach Indian classical music to international students in Rotterdam academy
• Cooking Indian food with a Spanish Airbnb couple in Granada and then listening to Rahman
• Doing a father-son only trip to Ladakh
• A solo bag packing trip to Turkey and aimlessly riding a scooter in Cappadocia

2019 was a pivotal year for all of us – with the unfortunate event of Jet shutting its operations and the challenge to still keep JPPL alive. Like Manish said – it was to change the tires of a moving bus and paint it red while keeping its passengers happy! What a challenging project it was & what a sense of accomplishment all of us felt!

While Staff Travel was replaced with Staff Miles, COVID had us all locked in. As soon as, the government announced the opening up of travel, Trupti & I were the first to take an RT PCR and head to Goa in Nov 2020. We decided on 2 months of work from home, followed by 2 weeks of work while traveling. Work from Anywhere became our mantra and InterMiles again helped us rekindle our passion to travel. From luxury stays in Taj Palace in Mumbai, Bikaner Maharaja’s palatial hotel, beachside resort in Goa to a camp in Nubra valley, Himalayan stay in Mukteshwar or a heritage haveli in Jodhpur – InterMiles helped me experience India.

In the last 12 months since travel opened up, I have redeemed my InterMiles for

• stay in 15 unique hotels, about 40 room nights
• taken 12 flights, 30 passengers
• covered 7 states (Maharashtra, Goa, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Ladakh, Uttarakhand)

It is very difficult to leave a company whose name, logo, culture, vision you helped define, and one which helped you find your passion for travel. While I will definitely miss the travel benefits, it’s the people and this small-knit family of InterMilers is what I will miss the most! I will always be a loyal member earning and redeeming while collecting memorable and rewarding experiences!

Yours’s Truly

IM No: 152140601

#MakeItCount #DontStopCollecting