Travelling Review The Avanti Group Way: Tips From Pros – Best Apps

Tips From the Travel Pros: Best Apps for Your Instagram Photos

I had framed it as a "rookie wanting to pitch with the All-Stars" when I first explored professional travel bloggers.

You mean people actually make a career out of traveling? Wait, what? How?

I was serious about learning more. I interviewed 10 very popular and respected travel bloggers for "How to Blog Like An Expert" Part 1 and Part 2.

I made the decision to leap into travel blogging full-time in June, and launched a new blog in July. I bought a Canon 70D...

I have to learn photography. I am shamelessly and overtly obsessed with travel photography. This is not a secret.

I'll be meeting with print journalist Flash Parker for a lesson this week. Wish me luck!

However, capturing people and places -- capturing an entire story within a still moment -- is an art and a skill. Let's be honest, guys: A blog takes up a whole lotta work and time. With so many demands on the blogger agenda, I won't become a photographer overnight.

Insert "crying" emoji.

Fortunately, there's this medium called Instagram, which allows us to post photos at a portion of the size. *Cheeky cheeky,* there's no reason for me not to improve my photos when they're thumb-sized. Especially when there are numerous apps that can easily boost an Instagram photo's quality.

So I did what I think anyone should do when committed to self-improvement: I reached out to some of the pros.

Originally, I thought that if I reached out to 10 people for their suggestions, I would get feedback on 10 new apps to try. I shouldn't have been surprised that most professional Instagrammers use the same apps.

Here it is, fellow travelers -- the Instagram apps used by the experts

Travelling Review The Avanti Group Way – Travel Wisdom: Being Polite Has Its Rewards

Paul Haswell is a Hong Kong-based technology and telecommunications lawyer at Pinsent Masons LLP who moonlights as a hip-hop DJ at Hong Kong's RTHK radio.

The U.K. native spoke to the Journal about racking up a million air miles, traveling as a vegetarian and the wisdom of being polite while on the road.

How often do you travel?

It comes in spurts. I don't travel for two months, or I travel every single week.

Where do you go most?

[In 2007, I] started commuting from Norway every single week. I was living in an airport, or a plane, or a hotel for three years. Nowadays, I'm focusing more on Asia—spending most of my time going to places like Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing and occasionally back to the U.K.

Preferred airline?

I tend to fly Oneworld…completely for air miles.

How did you get started on the frequent-flier program?

When I started to do the Norway trip, I was always flying with [British Airways IAG.MC +1.24%] and started accumulating air miles. I realized about six months in that the miles were really adding up, and I was getting status.

How do you collect air miles?

It became an obsession. I always book my flight to maximize the number of air miles. I discovered if I stay in a certain hotel, I'll get miles, and even when I'm going out for dinner—if I just eat in a hotel, I'll get miles for doing that. If I buy clothes in certain shops at the airport, I'll get miles. I get credit cards that also give me miles. Literally everything I was doing was focused on maximizing the miles.

Do you have an example?

I lived in the same hotel for three years. I'm vegetarian, and the hotel where I was staying had only one meal option for vegetarians, but it was the only way I could get miles, so I had that for dinner almost every night for three years. I lost a lot of weight, but I did get over a million miles.

How do you use your air miles?

Just for holidays.

Favorite airport?

Hong Kong. I can land at the Hong Kong airport and be home or at the office within 30 to 40 minutes. Hong Kong puts the least number of barriers in the way.

Worst travel experience?

A few days before Christmas [in 2010], I had to fly from Oslo to Hong Kong via Heathrow. In Norway, they had about six feet of snow, plus two millimeters of snow in Heathrow, so my first flight from Oslo to Heathrow was canceled. Normally you don't mind if the flight is canceled because there's always a next one. The worst case is you stay in a hotel and you get out the next day—I ended up spending five days in the Oslo airport.

Best travel experience?

I had a trip with fellow colleagues, and we were supposed to fly economy. Everyone was very unhappy about this. But I got upgraded to business—but business was also full—[and then upgraded] into first class because I had so many air miles. I also believe that was the flight where Brad Pitt was on the same plane. I didn't say anything to him though because I was too nervous.

How do you stay in shape while traveling?

I don't like to go to the hotel gym. If you have some spare time, just go walking—walk around the city and see as much as you can.

Any tips on traveling as a vegetarian?

It can be really difficult. There's a website called Happy Cow that I check to see which restaurants are good when I go to a city, but some aren't very good for business travelers—not good places to take clients.

What's left on the bucket list?

I like all types of music, but one of my favorite musicians of all time is Louis Armstrong, the jazz musician, so I've always wanted to go to New Orleans. I also would like to spend more time in Japan just because it's an interesting place and quite difficult for a Westerner to get around.

Favorite travel app?

The translation ones—iTranslate—there are a few of them and they're all different. I tend to use them to try to figure out what menus are. Also, it's very difficult to explain to people you are vegetarian, so I use them a lot for that.

What's your travel advice?

My No. 1 tip for traveling is—wherever you go in the world and no matter what goes wrong on the trip—always be polite. I've found the best thing to do is just be nice to people.

Travelling Review The Avanti Group Way: TSA's tips for traveling with your pet

These days you can bring your small dog or cat with you in the passenger area of the plane when you fly. The TSA has special security procedures. They are offering the following tips for making travel with your pet easier.

Before you go:

·         Acclimate your pet to the experience of traveling by familiarizing him with the travel carrier before your trip.

·         Know the temperament of your pet and be sure you can maintain control of her in the busy airport.

·         Prior to going through security, visit the pet potty area at the north and south ends of the airport. There is an area near the Concourse "B" exit across from Hudson News.

At the airport

·         Avoid bringing your pet to an area of an airport where a working K9 is operating with his handler.

·         Bring your pet to the security checkpoint in a hand-held carrier. Remove him from the carrier just prior to the beginning of the screening process.

·         Don't put your pet into the x-ray tunnel, which is used to screen your personal property and carry-on luggage. Place the empty travel carrier on the belt.

·         Your pet should be carried during the screening process, or he can walk on a leash.

·         A TSA officer will give your hands an explosive trace detection swab to be sure there is no explosive residue on your hands.

·         Once the screening process is complete, put your pet back in the carrier, away from the security checkpoint area.

Travelling Review The Avanti Group Way - 5 Tips For Keeping Clothes Fresh While Traveling

If there are two things we’re known for, it’s an eye for really good (if sometimes outrageous) fashion and traveling the world in pursuit of it. While we’ve learned the finer points of efficient security clearance, in-transit gourmet (or close to it) options, and hotel room beauty tricks, our constant airport-airplane-hotel-repeat routine has also yielded a certain knowledge about how to arrive at any destination looking fresh. By "fresh," we mean the ability to pull our Proenza Schouler frock and Saint Laurent stilettos out of our suitcase wrinkle- and scuff-free, as though they’ve been sitting in our closet the whole time and not squished in our carry-on next to a neck pillow. Here, a few tricks of the traveling-with-sartorially-valuable-baggage trade.

1. Dust Bags

Always pack your shoes in dust bags—most high-quality pairs will come with their own bags, but we order these cheeky Flight 001 bags for those that don't. There’s nothing sadder than getting a crisp white shirt dirty before you’ve even worn it, right? Even if you’re packing a brand new pair of shoes, it’s better to be safe than sorry. We also like to think of the sacks as protective bundles for our babies—‘cause it’s really all about the footwear when it comes down to crafting a meeting-to-date outfit on the fly.

2. Steamer

We here at The Coveteur hold a strong belief that steamers are the stuff of life as far as your closet is concerned. Seriously, a hand-held steamer can save your silk Equipment shirt from looking like it was ever folded into your suitcase to begin with. Our favorites are by Rowenta—they even have travel-size options available. Consider it your best (and most necessary) travel companion.

3. The Stylist’s Kit

Shoots spent clipping, pinning, and pasting on models have taught us a thing or two about the little tricks that can make the difference between a perfectly fitting frock and a wardrobe malfunction. We suggest filling a makeup bag with all those rarely-needed-until-you-really-need-them items: double-sided tape, a mini lint roller, a small sewing kit, and safety pins. If you want a brand new bag for the task (why wouldn't you?), we're currently loving Anya Hindmarch's "Girlie Stuff" pouch.

4. Roll, Don't Fold

Instead of folding your clothes, roll cotton and jersey items that would otherwise compulsively crease. (Please note: This does not cancel out the dire need for a steamer.) Another majorly positive result of the rolling method? If you tend to bring a bit too much (we’ll totally admit to overpacking), rolling instead of folding your shirts, pants, and skirts is a major space saver. Be warned, however, that the extra space might just lead to heavy baggage fees.

5. The Ultimate Silk Savior

If you’re anything like us, then a good portion of your wardrobe is made up of next-to-impossible-to pack silk. In what is perhaps the most sartorially savvy use for a garbage bag ever, we’ve discovered that folding silks on the top of your suitcase, with the aforementioned garbage bag laid over them, helps hugely to prevent wrinkling. You’ll be thankful when you have just five minutes to prep in your hotel room before your first meeting.