Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without.
Name: Lee Abbamonte
Occupation: Entrepreneur and multimedia travel personality
Hometown: Trumbull, CT
Residence: New York, NY
College: BS from University of Maryland, MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management
College major: Finance, Marketing
Website: LeeAbbamonte.com
Twitter: @LeeAbbamonte
Facebook: Lee Abbamonte
Pinterest: Lee Abbamonte
Google+: Lee Abbamonte
Instagram: leeabbamonte
YouTube: Lee Abbamonte
Short bio: The youngest American to visit every country in the world and founder of LeeAbbamonte.com.
How often do you fly? Several times a month.
How many countries have you been to? All 193 UN countries and 318 total.
How many continents have you been to? 7
Earliest travel memory: New Jersey Shore as a kid—Stone Harbor, not the nasty places featured in the TV show.
Favorite American city: New York.
Favorite international city: Sydney.
Least favorite country: Nigeria.
Friendliest people in the world: Canada.
Country with the meanest immigration officers: Israel.
Favorite World Heritage Site: Easter Island.
Favorite airline: Singapore Airlines.
Favorite aircraft type: Dreamliner.
Aisle or window: Aisle.
Favorite airport lounge: Qatar Airways lounge in Doha.
Favorite U.S. airport: Phoenix.
Favorite international airport: Singapore Changi.
Favorite hotel: W Scottsdale.
Favorite cruise line: Azamara Club Cruises.
Favorite travel credit card: SPG American Express Card.
Favorite island: Lord Howe Island.
Favorite beach: Dewey Beach, Delaware.
Favorite fancy restaurant: Il Mulino in Las Vegas.
Favorite hole-in-the-wall: Frank Pepe Pizzeria in New Haven, CT.
Favorite bar: Triona’s in New York.
Favorite fruit: Apple.
Favorite food: Pizza.
Least favorite food: Salmon.
Drink of choice (in the air and on the ground): Ginger ale in air, Vitamin Water Formula 50 on ground.
Favorite travel movie(s): The first 3 Indiana Jones movies or any James Bond before Daniel Craig took over—if those count as travel movies.
Favorite travel show(s): If it’s not on ESPN I don’t watch it—true story.
Favorite travel book(s): “Chasing 193,” my book coming out soon!
Right now I am reading: ESPN.com.
Top 3 favorite travel newsletters/magazines/blogs: I truthfully don’t read any blogs but I like anything written by Annie Fitzsimmons of Nat Geo, Paula Froelich of Yahoo Travel or Johnny Jet!
Favorite travel website(s)—besides JohnnyJet.com, of course! LeeAbbamonte.com obviously!
5 things you bring on a plane: Laptop, ear buds, breath mints, deodorant—everyone should!
What do you always seem to forget? Cell phone charger.
What do you like least about travel? Delays!
What do you want your loved one to buy you from an airport Duty Free store? Johnnie Walker Blue.
Favorite travel app(s): TripIt, Google Maps, XE Currency, Google Translate, Gogobot.
Most embarrassing travel moment: Missing a flight because I took a rickshaw to the airport in India to save a few bucks and it broke down—that was dumb!
Worst travel moment: I was on an airplane where the oxygen masks came down once—that was pretty scary and definitely sucked but we made an emergency landing safely.
What’s your dream destination? Space…seriously, I’ve been everywhere else!
Favorite travel charity: Save Darfur.
Best travel tip: Bring half the clothes and twice the money and never under any circumstances eat yellow snow!
