How to Travel Cheaply (or Free) Using Credit Card Points and Miles!
Using credit cards to travel is not a walk in a park but when you master the art, they bring along some awesome perks. While you can save thousands of dollars on air travel, it’s a time investment that requires you to keep track of multiple credit cards and airline accounts, plus finding an open seat doesn’t come easy so you need to park loads of patience and flexibility.
Nonetheless, if you enjoy exploring the globe on a budget, or you appreciate some handsome travel deals and you can remember an online password, you might want to join thousands of travel enthusiasts who use credit card bonus points to travel for almost free internationally.
Get the right travel rewards card (or three)
You’ve got to have a great credit history to qualify for the best travel rewards credit cards. Generally, there are two types of cards: brand-specific travel credit cards which pay higher rewards on specific airlines or hotel and general purpose credit cards which pay higher rewards on all travel purchases you make. So, if you are loyal to a certain brand be it an airline or a hotel, you may want to use the branded credit card. On the other hand, if you travel a lot, using different airlines, then the generic travel credit card will be the best choice for you.
Make sure you hit the spending requirement on credit cards
One of the worst things you can do in regards to travel credit card is missing out on the sign-up bonuses simply because you failed to hit the minimum spending requirement which can range from $1- $10,000 and anything in between. You can easily reach your target by charging your everyday bills from these cards.
Make strategic plans to accumulate points quickly
Earning 1 point at a time can take years before you can finally redeem the points. The good thing is you can use different ways to bag more points faster. For instance;
Use online shopping portals- most major airlines would reward their members with bonus miles just for shopping online. You can earn up to 30 miles for each dollar spent.
Watch out for point promotions- there is a certain time of the year when airlines online portals offer points if you meet certain spending thresholds. You can sign-up to receive notification from your airline whenever they have this kind of promotion.
Use referral programs to continue earning extra points- once your sign-up bonus is posted and the miles spent, you need to find a way to continue earning your points ideally for better rates than 1 mile per each $1 spent and referrals is a great approach.
Redeem your points and miles wisely
Once your points are ripe to redeem, make sure you redeem them in an effective way to get the best value. You can do this by redeeming miles for business and first class. You can score an incredible value out of your rewards by going for the high-end hostels, hotels and premium cabin seats. At the end of it all, you get a first-class experience without actually spending a fortune.
