I get asked a version of the same question a lot lately: "Joseph, what is this travel club thing you keep mentioning, and what does it actually cost?"

Fair question. So here's the honest, no-hype answer.

Twenty years after retiring from the Air Force, travel has become one of the biggest parts of my life — the Grand Canyon, the Caribbean, diving in Boracay, finally going back to the Philippines after 31 years away. None of that happened because money was no object. It happened because I got smarter about how I book and plan.

A few years ago, that meant joining a travel club called DreamTrips. I want to walk you through exactly what it is, what it costs, and what you get — plainly, so you can decide for yourself if it's a fit, instead of just taking my word for it.

What It Actually Is

DreamTrips is a membership-based travel club. You pay to join, and in exchange you get access to a private booking platform, a point system, curated group trips, and — as of this year — an AI travel companion that helps you plan. It's generally priced lower than what you'd find booking the same things on your own.

It is not a subscription box, a timeshare, or a single all-inclusive resort deal. It's closer to a discount and rewards system built specifically around travel — and it's grown into a real community: over 2 million members, 70+ countries, more than 30,000 curated trips, and over $200 million saved along the way since 2005.

What It Costs

There are now three membership levels:

Economy Class

• $149 one-time enrollment + $49/month

• Access to the DreamTrips Travel Portal — more than 2,000,000 hotels worldwide, savings of up to 80%

• 110% Hotel Price Guarantee: find the same hotel cheaper elsewhere and they'll credit you the difference, plus 10% toward your next booking

• Savings on cruises (from as low as $10/person/night), flights, rental cars, and activities

• Alfred, your AI travel companion, from day one

Business Class Membership

• $289 one-time enrollment + $89/month

• Everything in Economy, plus:

• Signature DreamTrips — member-exclusive curated group adventures, averaging 54% below comparable public pricing

• Hands-free voice planning with Alfred

• 289 points at enrollment, plus 89 points every month

First Class Membership

• $599 one-time enrollment + $199/month

• Everything in Business Class, plus:

• Airport lounge access at 1,300+ lounges worldwide

• 24/7 concierge service in more than 70 languages

• Dine & Stay access at 1,200+ independent hotels across Europe, with breakfast, dinner, and accommodation included

• A complimentary Founders DreamTrip after 12 consecutive months as a paid member

• 599 points at enrollment, plus 199 points every month

I won't tell you which one is "worth it" for you — that depends entirely on how often you travel and what kind of trips you take. If you travel once a year, do the math on whether the monthly cost pencils out against what you'd actually save. If you travel more, or the idea of lounge access, concierge service, and a free annual trip appeals to you, First Class may make more sense.

Who I've Seen This Work Well For

Based on what I've experienced as a member:

• People who already travel at least once or twice a year and want to stop overpaying for it

• People who like the idea of curated group trips instead of planning every detail themselves

• People who'd rather ask an AI travel companion "what should this trip cost" than dig through a dozen browser tabs

• People comfortable with a membership model — think wholesale club, not pay-per-trip travel agent

Who It Probably Isn't For

• If you travel rarely, the monthly cost may not pencil out — do that math honestly before joining

• If you want a human travel agent handling every detail personally — this is a self-service model with strong support (and now AI assistance) behind it, not full-service planning

One More Thing Worth Mentioning

Some members also choose to share DreamTrips with others and earn commissions for doing so — DreamTrips calls this becoming a Brand Ambassador. That's a completely separate decision from the travel membership itself, and like any commission-based opportunity, results vary person to person and aren't guaranteed. If you're only interested in the travel savings, that's a complete and valid reason to join on its own — no further commitment required.

See the Details for Yourself

If any of this sounds like it could save you real money on trips you're already planning to take, I'd rather you look at the actual numbers than take my summary of them:

See DreamTrips Membership Details here