As travel booms, Aussies feel more empowered than ever to travel ‘their way’. That means allowing their best holiday selves to thrive by adopting an uncompromising approach to travel: wearing what they want when they want to express their authentic self.
With an influx of travellers visiting Sydney for WorldPride from 17 February, many will be overpacking their bags to go all out for the biggest pride event. Of course, luggage might weigh extra as incredible clothes, shoes, glitter, feather boas, wigs, and more come along for the ride. No one understands the pain of fitting a whole wardrobe into a suitcase more than fabulously OTT drag queens.
KAYAK has partnered with Kween Kong, one of Australia’s most iconic drag queens and a runner-up on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, to empower others to travel their way with KAYAK’s Big Baggage Bonus^! .
How can you apply for KAYAK’s Big Baggage Bonus?
Good news if you want to be your loudest and proudest self for WorldPride! You might not have to skimp on those extra items or get caught paying an excess baggage fee! If you’re travelling interstate to Sydney, you can apply for our Big Baggage Bonus^!
Australian passengers flying into Sydney from another domestic airport between 15 February and 5 March 2023 that incur an excess baggage fee at the airport, will be able to apply to KAYAK’s Big Baggage Bonus^ by emailing bigbaggagebonus@kayak.com with a picture of their excess baggage charge receipt and a creative reason why their baggage is over the limit^. Up to 50 travellers will receive a $100 Visa digital gift card to cover the cost incurred by their extra luggage. Full terms and conditions can be found here.
Just like many other fabulous drag queens, Kween Kong never fails to travel in style! We chat with the iconic performer to find out what her personal travel style is, her favourite places to visit and her plans for WorldPride in Sydney.
Kween’s Travel Style
It probably comes as no surprise that my travel style is usually pretty OVER THE TOP! My most outrageous outfits, marvellous makeup and highest heels always come with me. Over the years, I’ve learned how to pack smarter, so I’m able to bring all my fierce looks while still fitting them into one very large suitcase!
Though, the culprit for those times that I’ve ever had to pay excess baggage fees is always the same: Too much sass, too little suitcase space. For the few things that don’t fit, one of my new favourite hacks is to pop them in a gift bag and so far no one has ever questioned it.
My drag queen friends are often the ones to give me tips and tricks on where to go for the best shows or most incredible experiences. When I’m not jet-setting to be part of a show, which is pretty often, I’m packing my bags for fun, exotic destinations filled with adventure and fabulousness. KAYAK’s Explore tool is also an amazing way to find unexpected and popular holiday destinations.
However, my all time favourite travel memory has to be when I was performing in a drag show in a small town in the middle of nowhere. The crowd was so enthusiastic and supportive, it was like they’d never seen a drag queen before! It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.
Travelling to Pride
It’s so exciting that Sydney is hosting WorldPride this year. Travelling to Pride is a lot more fabulous and OTT than usual, and the accessories that people will be bringing to Pride in Sydney will definitely be next level. There will be more rainbows, glitter, and outfits that slay than anywhere else. To top it all off, you get to meet a lot of amazing and talented drag queens along the way!
I’m most looking forward to strutting my stuff while serving realness and showing off my flawless dance moves, all while catching up with my drag family! One of my favourite travel memories was taking a cross-country road trip with them. We spent days stopping at all the best drag venues, meeting other queens, and having the time of our lives. It was a truly unforgettable experience! For anyone considering going on a road trip to Sydney for Pride, KAYAK makes booking a rental car seriously so easy.
Whether I’m travelling for business or pleasure, my top tip is to pack multiple outfits and accessories because you never know when you might need to look on point or who you’ll run into. This is especially true for Pride – it goes without saying that in my world, you have to be ready to slay the competition at a moment’s notice (and that definitely means I’ll be packing all 10 of my wigs because I can never decide which ones to leave behind)!
Kween’s travel plans
My next big overseas trip is to RuPaul’s DragCon in Los Angeles! I’m planning to meet my drag sisters from around the world, enjoy some amazing looks, and just have a fabulous time. Although my travel radar is always pointed to the most stunning cities in the world. From London to Berlin, I love to strut my stuff and show off my most dazzling ‘fits!
The best cities to travel to, in my opinion, are of course the ones with the best drag scenes: New York City, San Francisco, and obviously there are quite a few across Australia. Though I will say that for most Aussies, New Zealand is usually a really underrated travel destination but it’s lowkey one of the best places to visit because it’s like the drag queen capital of the world. There’s a reason why the first two winners of Drag Race Down Under are Kiwis!
No matter where I’m headed, the essentials for choosing which hotel I stay at includes having a well-stocked mini bar, a room with a view, and a staff that recognizes the title of “Queen,” because duh!
^Terms and conditions – Fifty (50) winners will be selected based on the creativity of their comments. The prizes to be awarded are 50 x Visa Digital Cards each valued at AUD $100. Total value for all prizes: AUD$5,000. Start date 15.02.2023 and end date 05.03.2023. To enter the Promotion during the Entry Period, eligible participants will need to: i) email BigBaggageBonus@kayak.com with an image of their baggage receipt; ii) explain in 25 words or less the reason why their baggage is over the limit for Pride. Eligibility: 18 years or older and Australian resident, that flies to Sydney from a domestic airport for the purpose of the festival. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. For official rules, see https://www.kayak.com.au/news/kayak-social-media-promotion-official-rules-big-baggage-bonus/.
