Why We're Still Holafly Affiliates After 3+ Years (And Why That Matters)

We've been Holafly brand affiliates since May 2022. That's over 3 years of continuous partnership - making us one of Holafly's longest-running affiliate partners.

But here's what matters more than the length of our partnership: We actually use Holafly every single day.

Our affiliate code THEDUFRESNES isn't just a discount we promote. It's connected to a product that literally keeps our family connected across 10+ countries, 4 continents, and 8+ years of full-time international travel.

There's a reason we're still here after 3+ years. There's a reason we renewed our partnership. There's a reason we only recommend Holafly for travel connectivity.

It actually works. And we stake our reputation on it.

Get Holafly: https://holafly.sjv.io/6yWy0q
Use code THEDUFRESNES for up to 32% off

We Only Recommend What We Actually Use

Our Affiliate Philosophy

We get approached by companies constantly - dozens per month - asking us to promote their products, their apps, their services to our YouTube audience and blog readers.

Our answer is almost always no.

Why? Because we have a simple rule:

"If we don't use it ourselves, we don't promote it."

We're not here to make a quick affiliate commission by pushing products we've never tested. We're not here to recommend things just because a company offers us money.

We're here because our reputation with our audience - your trust in our recommendations - is worth more than any single affiliate payment.

What We Actually Promote

In 8+ years of creating travel content, here's what we've consistently promoted as affiliates:

Holafly (since May 2022):

  • Use: Daily, across 10+ countries
  • Why: Unlimited data that actually works
  • Status: Active affiliate, exclusive code THEDUFRESNES

SafetyWing (multiple years):

  • Use: Continuous coverage for our entire family
  • Why: Affordable, reliable travel insurance
  • Status: Active affiliate

Wise (since 2022):

  • Use: Daily for managing money across currencies
  • Why: Best exchange rates, lowest fees
  • Status: Active affiliate

That's it. Three main affiliate partnerships. Three products we use every single day.

Notice what we DON'T promote:

  • VPN services we don't use
  • Travel booking sites we don't book through
  • Luggage brands we don't own
  • Travel apps we've never opened
  • Credit cards we don't have

If we haven't tested it for months or years, we don't recommend it.

Why We Chose Holafly in 2022

The Problem We Had Before Holafly

2017-2022: We used a combination of:

  • Local SIM cards (bought at airports)
  • Data cap eSIMs (Airalo and others)
  • International roaming (expensive)
  • Hotel WiFi (unreliable)

The constant issues:

Local SIM cards:

  • Wasting 1-2 hours at airport finding SIM shop
  • Language barriers
  • Confusing plans
  • Expired when we left country
  • New SIM needed at every border

Data cap eSIMs:

  • Ran out mid-trip every time
  • Bought multiple eSIMs per country
  • More expensive than we realized
  • Unreachable when data depleted
  • Stressful monitoring usage

It was exhausting and expensive.

The Day We Discovered Holafly

May 2022, Thailand:

We were tired of running out of data on our Airalo eSIMs. We'd already bought three 10GB eSIMs that month and we still had two weeks left in Thailand.

A fellow travel creator mentioned Holafly unlimited data. We were skeptical - "unlimited" eSIMs weren't common yet.

We tried it anyway.

What happened:

  • Installed in 2 minutes
  • Activated immediately
  • Never ran out
  • Used 80GB that month
  • No throttling
  • No surprises

We haven't bought another data cap eSIM since.

Why We Became Affiliates

After 6 months of using Holafly (May-October 2022), we reached out to them about an affiliate partnership.

Our pitch was simple:

  • We use your product daily
  • We've tested it across multiple countries
  • We recommend it to friends already
  • We'd like to offer our audience a discount
  • We want a long-term partnership, not a one-off promotion

Holafly agreed.

Our exclusive code THEDUFRESNES was born.

What 3+ Years of Daily Use Taught Us

We've Tested Holafly Across 10+ Countries

Countries where we've used Holafly:

Asia:

  • Vietnam (8+ months, daily use)
  • Thailand (12+ months total across multiple visits)
  • Japan (multiple visits)
  • South Korea
  • Philippines
  • Cambodia
  • Malaysia
  • Singapore
  • Indonesia

North America:

  • Costa Rica (tested, though we have local Costa Rican SIMs)
  • USA (tested during visits)

We've used Holafly in:

  • Major cities (Bangkok, Hanoi, Tokyo, HCMC, Da Nang)
  • Remote islands (Phu Quoc, Koh Samui)
  • Mountains (Sapa at 5,200ft elevation)
  • Rural areas (Vietnamese countryside, Thai rice fields)
  • Winter conditions (Sapa at 5°C)
  • Tropical heat (Thailand at 40°C)

It worked everywhere.

We've Used It in Every Situation

Daily life situations:

Working remotely:

  • Video calls with brands and sponsors
  • Uploading 3-5GB YouTube videos
  • Cloud storage sync
  • Email and Slack
  • Screen sharing during meetings

Creating content:

  • Uploading Instagram Stories (dozens per day)
  • TikTok videos
  • Photo backups to iCloud/Google Photos
  • Downloading footage from cameras
  • Live streaming occasionally

Navigation:

  • Google Maps constantly
  • Finding restaurants and attractions
  • Meeting tour pickups
  • Getting back to accommodation
  • Real-time traffic updates

Family coordination:

  • WhatsApp calls with kids
  • Location sharing
  • Finding each other in crowded markets
  • Video calls to family back home

Emergency situations:

  • Our Da Nang apartment fire (March 2026)
  • Medical appointments
  • Last-minute bookings
  • Problem resolution

Entertainment:

  • Spotify while walking
  • Podcasts during transport
  • Netflix downloads
  • YouTube videos

It handled everything without issues.

We Know What Breaks and What Doesn't

After 3+ years, we've learned:

What works perfectly:

  • Unlimited data (genuinely unlimited - we've used 150GB+ in a month)
  • Signal strength (excellent across all tested countries)
  • Speed (fast enough for video calls and uploads)
  • Reliability (consistent performance)
  • Activation (automatic when you land)
  • Customer service (responsive when we've had questions)

What we've experienced:

  • One brief service outage (March 2025, lasted a few hours, fixed quickly)
  • Occasional slow speeds in extremely remote areas (expected)
  • Some countries have better networks than others (expected)

What doesn't work:

  • Nothing major. After 3+ years of daily use, we have no significant complaints.

This is why we're still affiliates.

Products that don't work? We stop using them and stop promoting them. Holafly still works after 3+ years of heavy use.

Our Apartment Fire: When Holafly Mattered Most

The Day Unlimited Data Saved Our Dogs

March 2026, Da Nang, Vietnam:

Our apartment caught fire while we were out. This is the story we tell when people ask why unlimited data matters.

What happened:

11:00 AM: We left our Da Nang condo to go out for the day. Our 3 chihuahuas were home.

1:30 PM: Fire started in a neighboring unit, spread to our building.

1:45 PM: Property manager discovered the fire, called Shayna on WhatsApp.

Because we had Holafly unlimited data:

  • WhatsApp call went through immediately
  • Shayna called me on WhatsApp (also worked instantly)
  • I booked Grab within 30 seconds
  • Got home in 8 minutes
  • Evacuated our 3 chihuahuas
  • Used data to find and book emergency Airbnb in Hue
  • Coordinated with property manager via WhatsApp
  • Relocated to Hue same day

Total data used during emergency: Probably 5-8GB (navigation, calls, bookings, coordination, photos for insurance)

If We'd Had a Data Cap eSIM

What would have happened with Airalo/Saily/other data caps:

Typical scenario: We're mid-month, already used 8-9GB of our 10GB cap being careful.

1:45 PM: Property manager tries to call on WhatsApp.

Problem: We're out of data.

Result:

  • Call doesn't connect
  • We're completely unreachable
  • Property manager can't reach us
  • We don't know about the fire
  • We find out hours later when we return home or find WiFi
  • Our dogs trapped longer in smoke
  • More damage to our belongings

This is why we'll never use data cap eSIMs again.

Being reachable isn't a luxury when you live internationally. It's essential.

And this is why we recommend Holafly to everyone.

Why We Renewed Our Partnership (Multiple Times)

We Could Promote Anyone

As travel creators with 22,000 YouTube subscribers and established blog traffic, we get approached constantly:

Companies that have reached out:

  • Other eSIM providers (competitors)
  • VPN services
  • Travel insurance companies
  • Booking platforms
  • Credit card companies
  • Travel gear brands
  • Apps and services

Many offer higher commission rates than Holafly.

We say no to almost all of them.

Why We Stick with Holafly

It's simple:

1. We actually use it daily

  • Not testing it for a review
  • Not using it occasionally
  • Daily, across multiple countries, for 3+ years

2. It actually works

  • Unlimited means unlimited (we've tested with 150GB+ months)
  • No throttling
  • No surprises
  • Reliable in 10+ countries

3. Our audience trusts our recommendations

  • When we say "this works," they believe us
  • We won't risk that trust for a higher commission
  • Our reputation > short-term money

4. The product has gotten better

  • Always On feature (1GB/month free forever)
  • More countries added
  • Better pricing
  • Improved customer service

5. The partnership is genuine

  • Holafly knows we actually use the product
  • They value long-term affiliates
  • They support us with exclusive codes
  • It's a real relationship, not transactional

What Makes a Good Affiliate Partnership

Bad affiliate partnerships:

  • Company sends product once
  • Creator reviews it briefly
  • Promotes for commission
  • Never uses it again
  • Relationship ends after campaign

Good affiliate partnerships (ours with Holafly):

  • We discovered product organically
  • Used it for months before reaching out
  • Became affiliates because we already recommended it
  • Continue using it daily
  • Partnership grows over years
  • Both sides benefit from genuine relationship

This is why we're still here after 3+ years.

What Our Exclusive Code THEDUFRESNES Means

It's Not Just a Discount

When we negotiated our affiliate partnership with Holafly, we requested:

1. Exclusive code

  • THEDUFRESNES is ours
  • Not a generic code anyone can use
  • Represents our specific partnership

2. Best available discount

  • Up to 32% off annual plans
  • Up to 10% off standard and monthly plans
  • Competitive with any other Holafly discount

3. Long-term commitment

  • Not a temporary promotion
  • Available year-round
  • No expiration date
  • Valid for new and returning customers

4. Transparency

  • We disclose we earn commission
  • We explain why we recommend Holafly
  • We're honest about our experience

Why Discount Codes Matter

For you (the traveler):

  • Save up to $224/year on annual plans
  • Save money on every purchase
  • Know it's coming from actual users, not marketers

For us:

  • Small commission supports our family
  • Allows us to create free travel content
  • Helps us continue testing products

For Holafly:

  • Long-term affiliates who genuinely use the product
  • Authentic recommendations to real travelers
  • Customers who come from trusted sources

Everyone benefits when the partnership is genuine.

How We Use THEDUFRESNES Code Ourselves

Yes, We Use Our Own Discount Code

This surprises people, but it's true:

We buy our own Holafly plans with the THEDUFRESNES code.

Why?

  • We get the same discount you do
  • We're not given free plans (we pay like everyone else)
  • This keeps us honest about the value

Our current setup:

  • Annual plans for Chris and Shayna (bought with THEDUFRESNES)
  • Cost: $475/year each (32% off with our code)
  • Valid through 2026
  • Used daily across Vietnam and other countries

We literally have skin in the game.

If Holafly stopped working, we'd be out $950 and stuck without connectivity. We wouldn't risk that if we didn't trust the product.

What We Won't Promote (And Why)

The Products We Said No To

To show you how selective we are, here are real offers we've declined:

NordVPN:

  • Offered high commission
  • We declined because we don't use VPNs regularly
  • Don't feel qualified to recommend

Multiple competitor eSIMs:

  • Offered higher commission than Holafly
  • We declined because data caps don't work for us
  • Won't recommend something we wouldn't use

Travel insurance competitors:

  • Offered to pay more than SafetyWing
  • We declined because we're happy with SafetyWing
  • Won't switch for money alone

Booking platforms:

  • Offered commissions on every booking
  • We declined because we book direct most times
  • Don't want to recommend something we don't use

Travel credit cards:

  • Multiple offers
  • We declined because we don't use travel credit cards
  • Don't qualify for US cards as Canadian expats anyway

The pattern: If we don't use it ourselves, we don't promote it. Period.

Our Commitment to You

What You Can Trust About Our Recommendations

When we recommend Holafly:

✅ We use it daily (not just tested once)
✅ We've used it for 3+ years (not a short-term trial)
✅ We've tested across 10+ countries (extensive experience)
✅ We use our own discount code (we pay like you do)
✅ We'll tell you if it stops working (we're honest)
✅ We disclose our affiliate relationship (transparency)
✅ We only promote what we trust (reputation matters)

What we won't do:

❌ Recommend products for commission alone
❌ Promote competitors we don't use
❌ Exaggerate benefits
❌ Hide downsides
❌ Switch partnerships for higher pay
❌ Compromise our integrity

If Holafly Ever Stops Working

Here's our promise:

If Holafly's quality declines, if unlimited stops being unlimited, if reliability drops, if they make changes we can't support:

We'll tell you.

We'll update this blog. We'll tell our YouTube audience. We'll stop promoting it.

Our reputation with you matters more than any affiliate commission.

We're still here after 3+ years because Holafly is still good after 3+ years.

Why Long-Term Affiliates Matter

The Difference Between Us and Generic Affiliate Sites

Generic affiliate site:

  • Reviews dozens of products
  • Never uses any of them long-term
  • Recommends "best of" lists based on commission
  • Updates when commission rates change
  • No personal experience

Us (long-term brand affiliate):

  • Use product daily for 3+ years
  • Genuine long-term experience
  • Recommend based on actual use
  • Update based on experience, not commission
  • Personal stake in product quality

You can trust long-term affiliates differently than generic reviewers.

We're Invested in Holafly's Success

After 3+ years:

  • Our audience knows us as "Holafly users"
  • Our reputation is tied to their quality
  • If they fail, we look bad
  • We want them to succeed because we depend on them

This alignment matters.

We're not casually recommending something. We're staking our reputation on it.

How to Get Holafly with Our Code

Our Exclusive Discount: THEDUFRESNES

Get Holafly: https://holafly.sjv.io/6yWy0q

At checkout, enter: THEDUFRESNES

Savings:

  • Standard plans (7-day, 15-day, 30-day): Up to 10% off
  • Monthly plans: Up to 10% off
  • Annual plans: Up to 32% off ← Best value

What you get:

  • Truly unlimited data (we use 50-150GB/month)
  • Works in 200+ countries
  • Always On: 1GB/month free forever after plan ends
  • Same product we use daily
  • Support from affiliates who actually use it

Why Use Our Code vs Buying Direct

Using THEDUFRESNES:

  • You save up to 32%
  • We earn small commission (supports our family)
  • You support authentic recommendations
  • No extra cost to you

Buying direct:

  • You pay full price
  • Holafly keeps 100%
  • You get same product

Our preference: Use our code. You save money, we earn commission, everyone wins.

But even if you don't: Get Holafly anyway. Unlimited data matters for international travel.

The Bottom Line

We're Not Just Affiliates - We're Users

3+ years later, we're still here because:

✅ Holafly still works every day
✅ Unlimited data is genuinely unlimited
✅ It's proven reliable across 10+ countries
✅ Our apartment fire proved why it matters
✅ The product keeps improving (Always On feature)
✅ We trust it enough to use it for our family
✅ Our reputation depends on recommending quality

We're one of Holafly's longest-running brand affiliates because we're one of Holafly's most committed users.

There's a reason we still work with Holafly after 3+ years.
There's a reason we offer our exclusive discount code.
There's a reason we only recommend products we trust.

It works. And we stake our reputation on it.

Get Holafly with THEDUFRESNES

Ready for unlimited data from affiliates who actually use the product?

👉 Get Holafly: https://holafly.sjv.io/6yWy0q

Code: THEDUFRESNES

Savings:

  • Up to 10% off standard, monthly plans
  • Up to 32% off annual plans ($475/year = $39.58/month)

What you get:

  • Unlimited data we use daily
  • Product tested across 10+ countries
  • Recommendation from 3+ year users
  • Always On: 1GB/month free forever

We've been using Holafly since May 2022. We'll be using it in 2027. Join us. 🌍📱✨

About The Dufresnes

We're Chris, Shayna, Jayden, Lakai, and our three chihuahuas.

Our story:

  • Living internationally since 2017 (8+ years)
  • Full-time travel across 4 continents
  • YouTube: 22,000 subscribers, 800+ videos
  • Holafly users since May 2022 (3+ years)
  • Holafly brand affiliates since October 2022
  • Currently in Hue, Vietnam

Our affiliate philosophy:

  • Only promote what we actually use daily
  • Long-term testing (months/years, not days)
  • Honest reviews (good and bad)
  • Transparent about commissions
  • Reputation over revenue

Products we actively promote:

  • Holafly (since May 2022) - unlimited data eSIM
  • SafetyWing - travel insurance
  • Wise (since 2022) - international money transfers

That's it. Three products. Three we use every single day.

Get Holafly: https://holafly.sjv.io/6yWy0q
Code: THEDUFRESNES (up to 32% off)

3+ years. 10+ countries. Daily use. That's why we're still here. 🌏📱