Are you fed up of spending thousands of dollars on travel? Good news! Travel hacking could be the solution to your travel-related problems. It’s an exciting way to turn credit card bonus and sign-up incentives into miles that can then be used to obtain discounted or complimentary flights for your desired destinations. With a bit of imagination and a little bit of insider knowledge, you can travel for free in no time.
The Basics of Travel Hacking
Travel hacking is about exchanging credit card sign-up bonuses as well as incentives to earn airline miles. The miles can be used to pay for discount or no-cost flights. Some credit cards also permit you to use miles to pay for hotel stays or rental car discounts.
How Does it Work?
The key to successful hacking your travel plans is to take advantage of credit card sign-up bonuses and building out a frequent flyer mile program for a specific group of airlines. When you are ready to book a flight take a look at the price. If the cost is under $300, it’s usually better to pay cash and use your miles to pay to take a more costly flight. When the flights start getting above $500, you’ll want to look into the frequent flyer account and determine which airline offers you the best price. It all boils down to the number of miles or points you have in your travel savings account for every airline.
Get Started with Travel Hacking
Ready to learn the secrets to travel hacking? The first step is to open an account with a sign-up bonus. There are many great credit cards with various advantages and features. It all depends on your preferred airline, spending habits and what features are important to you.
Top Credit Card Picks
Here are a few credit cards that are perfect for travel hacking:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Chase United Explorer
- JetBlue Mastercard
- Capital One Venture X
After you’ve been accepted for a credit or debit card, you’ll have to meet the limit of spending minimum in order to qualify for the bonus. Each card has its own guidelines, so make sure to check for this information. From there you can begin to rack up miles, and then using them to book your dream vacation!
Ready to jet-set with your goals?
Once you’ve accumulated your points balance, it’s time to use them towards delicious vacation! Different credit card companies will have different methods of redeeming your points. Here are a few examples from some of the companies I have experience with:
Getaway by using Chase Ultimate Rewards
If you own a Chase cards, you are able to redeem your points via the Ultimate Rewards portal. Within it, you’ll get access to virtually every airline and you can use a combination of points and cash to pay for your next trip. You can even book completely using points if you’ve got enough balance! Sometimes even if you don’t have enough points to cover the full cost, you still can purchase flights through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal and pay the balance in cash using any credit card.
United
Are you fed up of paying the full cost for your flights? Did you not know that when you book directly through United, you have the option of paying with either points or dollars? Be careful in case you don’t have enough points, you aren’t able to combine points and dollars on the same flight. Don’t worry, though, if you’re only a couple of points short, United provides the option of buying additional miles.
JetBlue
Looking for a flight within the United States? Take a look at JetBlue! JetBlue provides passengers a relaxing and pleasant travel experience that includes extra legroom as well as free snacks. Plus, their booking process is similar to that of United Airlines that allows customers to book using either JetBlue either dollars or points, however, not both. But, JetBlue offers a distinct feature where you can join your points with your family members and earn points twice as fast. Make sure to verify that you are a family member before trying to hack the system.
Reach that Minimum Spend
If you’re like me or my travel buddy Becca You’re probably quite economical and it’s challenging to attempt to spend thousands of dollars to hit the minimum amount required to earn the credit card bonus. Don’t worry, we’ve been through it and are here to share some of our tips and tricks.
Pay your rent (if you can)
This is a huge one! If you’re able pay your rent with credit card, then do it! Just be prepared to be charged a fee, typically around 3 percent. It could be worthwhile in the end in the event that the bonus is substantial enough.
Pay for a medical bill
Another way to reach the required spending is to cover the medical bills. If you don’t have any medical bills coming up then ask your family members to pay their medical bills and they will pay you back.
Repay a loan
If you have any loans take into consideration paying them off with your credit card. Be sure to pay off the credit card balance completely so that you don’t accumulate more debt.
Ask family members for assistance
Talk to your family and determine if they’ve got any large expenses coming up which you could help pay for. Make sure that you are able to are able to trust the person and that they know why you’re taking the initiative.
Purchase presents
If it’s the holiday season, consider buying all your gifts using your credit card. This way you can meet the minimum spending limit and be ready for gift giving. Just make sure you’re not spending more than you were contemplating to.
There are plenty of ways to make the most from using your credit or debit card for travel. accrue points or miles to be used towards flights or other travel-related expenses. Here are a few additional suggestions for maximising the rewards you earn:
Book travel expenses with your credit card
If you’re planning a trip, use the travel credit card to book your flight, hotel, rental car, and any other travel-related expenses. In addition, you’ll achieve the required amount to qualify for a credit card bonus and earn points, but you’ll also be earning points or miles on the costs.
Use your credit card for everyday expenditures
Another method to reach the minimum spending requirement and earn points is making use of your credit card to pay for every day costs. This could be things like gas, groceries and even your telephone bill. Be sure to pay off the balance in full each month so you don’t pay interest.
Make the most of bonus categories
Some travel credit cards will offer miles or points in exchange for specific types of purchases, such as dining or travel. Be sure to review your rewards program on your credit card and take advantage of any bonus categories that match with your spending routines.
Think about the possibility of transferring your balance
If you’re in the middle of a debt on a credit card, consider transferring that balance onto an account with a travel credit card that has the introductory APR of 0% for balance transfer. This will enable you to pay off your debt without accruing interest. It will also help you hit the minimum spending requirement for the credit card’s bonus.
Use your points or miles carefully
Once you’ve accumulated a substantial amount of miles or points Make sure to utilize the points or miles wisely. Examine the rewards program of your credit card, and evaluate the worth of various redemption options. For example using your points to book a flight directly through the airline may give you a better value than using them to purchase a gift card.
Another suggestion is to use rewards cards that allow you to transfer your reward points into other loyalty programmes. This allows you to enjoy a greater variety of choices and more flexibility when you want to redeem your rewards. For example, you may be capable of transferring your rewards to frequent flyer programs of airlines or hotel rewards program. This can give you access to a larger selection of hotels, flights and other travel benefits that aren’t offered through the rewards program of your credit card.
Also, discover if your credit card offers any perks that can help you save money on travel costs. Many cards offer travel insurance and rental car insurance, baggage protection and other benefits that are invaluable when you travel.
When you travel with a friend and both of you earn rewards with your credit card. Just remember that you can’t split the cost on the same card, and be sure to keep track of your rewards separately.
Overall, the key to maximizing your travel rewards is to understand the rewards program of your credit card and to ensure you’re making use of this program in the most effective method. By using all of the strategies I’ve listed that you can get rewards in a short time, use them for valuable travel experiences and take advantage of a broad range of travel perks.