article: Finding discounted flights tends to be hit or miss for most vacationers, but one savvy traveler has managed to plan out an entire two-month trip that will barely cost him a cent. Scott Keyes, a 28-year-old writer for Think Progress, is about to travel 20,000miles on 21 flights, stopping by 13 countries along the way in Europe and South and North America while enjoying first class service. All this for free. Scroll down for video . Scott Keyes (above), a 28-year-old writer for Think Progress, is about to travel 20,000miles on 21 flights . Along the way he will be stopping by 13 countries  in Europe and South and North America . Dayton, Ohio - Dallas, Fort Worth - 861 miles . Dallas, Forth Worth - Mexico City - 935 miles . Oaxaca, Mexico -  Mexico City - 228 miles . Mexico City -  Managua, Nicaragua - 994 miles . Managua - Panama City - 507 miles . Panama City - Port of Spain, Trinidad - 1234 miles . Port of Spain - St Lucia 217 miles . St Lucia - St George's, Grenada - 131 miles . St George's - Miami - 1535 miles . Miami - Dusseldorf, Germany, 4733 miles . Dusseldorf - Dresden, Germany, 304 miles . Prague, Czech Rep -  Vienna, Austria, 173 miles . Vienna -  Kiev, Ukraine, 665 miles . Lvov, Ukraine - Vienna, 356 miles . Vienna - Sofia, Bulgaria, 500 miles . Sofia - Vienna, 500 miles . Vienna - Vilnius, Lithuania, 587 miles . Vilnius - Helsinki, Finland, 393 miles . Helsinki - Berlin, Germany, 697 miles . Berlin - Chicago, 4412 miles . Chicago - Dayton, 240 miles . Total: 20205 miles . Keyes decided to plan his trip when he realized he had some free time between his departure from Oaxaca, Mexico, where he has lived for the past year, to return home to the United States and get back to full time work. So he rounded up all his airline miles, and the points he had acquired on his 25 credit cards. In the end, he was able to book a vacation with stops in Mexico, Nicaragua, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Grenada, Germany, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Lithuania, and Finland without having to pay more than a few dollars on any of the flights. He will also be in the United States a few times, but just to catch connection flights. In the end he spent somewhere between 10 and 15 hours putting the entire trip together, which also includes free hotels, at a cost of 136,500 frequent flyer miles. 'It’s tough when you have a job and you have to ask your boss for time off,' Keyes told Business Insider. 'You only have a limited time off and then you spend a lot of that traveling. I figured while I’m in a position where I don’t have a 9-to-5, I might as well take advantage.' In fact, Keyes is such a pro at travelling on the extremely cheap that he even wrote two eBooks detailing his strategies: How to Fly for Free and How to Find Free Flights. And the easiest way is a bit more obvious than many might think. 'If your ultimate goal is to be able to find as cheap a flight as possible and go somewhere cool for not much money then starting with an open, blank slate and going wherever there’s a cheap flight right now is going to be your best bet,' said Keyes. The young man posts photos from his trips on his Instagram account . Keyes is seen posing in front of the famed Materhorn on a previous trip, which straddles the border of Switzerland and Italy . Striking up a pose: Keyes at a Mexican wrestling match (left) and enjoying a hike (right) Keyes poses while rafting down Sumidero Canyon which is located near the city of Chiapa de Corzo in Mexico . Wading into the waters of Hierve el agua in Oaxaca, Mexico, rock formations and the remnants of old geysers . This strategy has certainly worked for the young man as he has logged an impressive 354,000 miles in the sky while visiting 30 countries over the course of his lifetime. This next trip will increase that number to 42 countries. 'Just gonna go to the market for a pig's head': Keyes at a Mexican butcher shop (left) and camping on the beach (right) in Hawaii . Those credit cards meanwhile come in handy during those long layovers thanks to the access they provide to private lounges were travelers like Keyes can enjoy free food and drinks, hop online and even grab a quick shower. 'I’ve got a nice work space, food, drinks, some Wi-Fi. This is like this whole other world,' said Keyes during a layover in Dallas, Texas as he sat in the American Express lounge. Even better, Keyes explains that the more you look for discounts, the better you become a finding and anticipating airline deals. 'It’s not necessarily easy or intuitive for beginners,' he said. 'But the good news is that because if you do a little bit of leg work — learn how to get a few miles and how to use them well — you can start to travel really, really well.'
highlights: Scott Keyes, a 28-year-old writer, is about to travel 20,000 miles on 21 flights and visit 13 countries .
  For this trip he will pay hardly anything, with all flights and hotels already covered thanks to airline miles and credit card points .
  He will make stops in Mexico, Nicaragua, Trinidad, St. Lucia, Grenada, Germany, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Lithuania, and Finland .
  The trip took him between 10 to 15 hours to plan and cost him 136,500 frequent flyer miles .
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