Today we’d like to introduce you to Alison Spencer.
Hi Alison, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with travel. My free time was spent looking at maps and planning detailed vacations I wasn’t actually going on. Friends and family started to notice and began asking me for tips on finding the best travel.
I soon had a group of people that I would regularly text when I found a good deal. In 2017, I started Salty Flights, a centralized place where I could share all the best deals as I found them. This page has quickly grown into a valuable resource for people who want to travel more, but have flexibility on where they’d like to go.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Because I have no insider information, I am limited to the deals that I find. Sometimes it is difficult to find good deals to places people are wanting to go. The worldwide pandemic also threw a wrench into things. International borders closed, travel was discouraged, and travel industries were falling apart.
It has been a difficult balance knowing when to discourage travel to protect communities, while also understanding that many of these local economies rely entirely on tourism. I never expected a fun travel Instagram page to present me with such moral dilemmas.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My grandpa once set a goal to visit all 50 states. Growing up, I was lucky enough to join him in a few of his final states. I became obsessed with helping him check off his list, and quickly set my own personal goal. I also wanted to visit all 50 states but added that I would like to visit every continent as well.
Travel can be expensive, so I found unique ways to make my adventurous heart happy. In college, I did an internship at Walt Disney World, giving me an inside scoop on everyone’s favorite mouse. Additionally, just outside of college, I worked for a local airline, earning free flights along the way. This gave me more experience with various destinations but especially taught me how airlines work.
I’ve been the broke college student who wants to travel but doesn’t have the budget for anything fancy. I’ve done the long layovers, the connecting flights, the cheap hotels. I’m also the mom who now wants to find trips that are family-friendly, affordable, and comfortable.
I genuinely love to talk about travel. Let’s go somewhere!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
When I was 10 years old, my family went to North Carolina (one of the last states my grandpa had left on his list!). It was Easter weekend, and while I was excited to be on vacation, I was a little disappointed that I was going to miss the holiday back at home. I was shocked when I woke up on Sunday morning to discover that the Easter Bunny had visited my hotel room!
There were candies hidden all over, and a small basket sitting on the table. It was one of the first moments in my life where I realized how small this world really is. Traditions can happen anywhere, and memories can be made in the most surprising circumstances. To this day, I cannot figure out how that Easter Bunny was able to create such magic without waking me up.
Contact Info:
- Email: salty.flights@gmail.com
- Instagram: @salty.flights
Image Credits
Rebecca Johnson Photography
