Do you have an airplane “must-watch” movie? Is it Crazy Rich Asians? Yup, me too. (I just rewatched it on my way back from Mexico City, and it was not my first—or honestly, even fifth—viewing.)
Turns out, everyone is tuning into this feel-good movie from 2018 that’s part rom-com and part family drama, set in glittering Singapore, from their fully reclined airplane seats. In fact, “15,000 people watch Crazy Rich Asians on American Airlines flights each week,” according to Pam Habner, head of U.S. Branded Cards and Lending for Citi, the credit card partner of American Airlines.
The movie’s star, Henry Golding, who plays the dashing Nick Young, also knows you’re watching the film from cruising altitude. “It’s really comfort viewing, which is so great,” said Golding when I chatted with him at the recent launch event for the new Citi Strata Elite credit card. And Golding isn’t just jet-setting on screen. Before he became a well-known actor, he spent a decade hosting a travel show where he circled the globe. So when Citi Strata Elite was looking for a spokesperson for their new travel benefits credit card, Golding was an easy choice, says Habner.
Golding is still traveling, but these days, it’s a little bit different. “Now I travel with my two kids, and it is expensive!” he says. “They’re 4 and [almost] 2, and that’s when you gotta start buying extra tickets. Like, I don’t mind if they sit on my lap—I don’t care,” he adds, joking.
So what is Golding’s top tip for traveling the globe? And how does he deal with pricey family travel? Although he’s been everywhere from remote destinations to red carpets, there’s one thing he always does when he arrives someplace new—and one rule he now follows for affordable travel. Read on to find out the details, and you may just have a few new rules that’ll make a world of difference on your next trip too.
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Reader’s Digest: What’s one thing you always do when you travel?
Henry Golding: One of my greatest travel moments is sitting in a coffee shop mid-afternoon, outside. It’s how to get to know a new place, sitting there, people-watching and absorbing what’s going on.
Reader’s Digest: What’s one travel lesson you’ve learned the hard way?
Henry Golding: One of the things I haven’t done in the past, and I’ve learned through this experience working with Citi [Strata Elite card], is understanding that you should be rewarded for the things you spend on, which is travel and dining experiences. So for me, it’s been learning how to really make the most of your travel spending, and turning that into new experiences for my family.
Reader’s Digest: Is there a destination that really surprised you?
Henry Golding: Kazakhstan! I loved it. The food was amazing, so are the people, and it’s such a beautiful landscape.
Reader’s Digest: Time for a few “rapid response” questions we always like to ask our celebrity interview subjects. First up: Dogs or cats?
Henry Golding: That’s a tough one! I love cats. But I love dogs too. But I’m allergic to cats … but dogs, you have to walk every day and clean up after. Can we do a hybrid, like a fox? We have a young pup fox that snoops around and steals one of my shoes … and it’s the cutest little thing.
Reader’s Digest: Aisle or window?
Henry Golding: Window.
Reader’s Digest: What’s your favorite food for breakfast?
Henry Golding: From Malaysia, roti canai. [Editor’s note: Roti canai is a savory flat bread and part of a traditional Malaysian breakfast, a meal that actually received UNESCO Heritage designation this year.]
Reader’s Digest: If you weren’t an actor, what would you be doing?
Henry Golding: I’d probably still be travel hosting. That was my love for a long time.
Reader’s Digest: Would you rather travel to the past or the future?
Henry Golding: The past. I would watch, from a distance, my parents meeting for the first time. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
Reader’s Digest: What advice would you give to your younger self?
Henry Golding: I think I turned out OK, so if I did things differently, I don’t think it would turn out the way it has. So my advice would be: Keep doing what you’re doing, kid.
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