Are you fed up of spending an enormous amount on flights? Good news! Travel hacking can be the solution to all your travel woes. It’s an exciting method to convert sign-up bonuses and incentives into airline miles which you can use to obtain discounted or cheap flights from your dream destinations. With a little bit of imagination and some know-how, you’ll travel for free within a matter of minutes.
The Basics of Travel Hacking
Travel hacking is all about swapping credit card sign-up bonus and rewards for airline miles. These miles can later be used to purchase cheap or free flight tickets. Certain credit cards will also permit you to use miles for hotel stays and car rental discounts.
How Does it Work?
The key to successful hacking travel is taking advantage of credit card sign-up bonuses and establishing frequent flyer miles for a specific group of airlines. When it comes time to book a flight consider the cost. If the cost is less than $300, it’s usually better to pay in cash and use your miles to pay to book a higher-priced flight. When the flights start getting above $500, you’ll want to look into your frequent flyer accounts and find out which airline will give you the best deal. It all comes down to the amount of points or miles in your travel bank for each airline.
Get Started with Travel Hacking
Ready to learn the secrets to travel hacking? The first step is opening a credit card with a sign-up bonus. There are a lot of fantastic credit cards that offer 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 card options that can be excellent for travel hacking:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Chase United Explorer
- JetBlue Mastercard
- Capital One Venture X
If you’ve been approved for a credit card you’ll have to meet the minimum spend limit in order to get the bonus. Each card has its own guidelines, so make certain to verify this information. From there, it’s all about racking up miles and using them to plan your dream vacation!
Are you ready to set sail with your ideas?
After you’ve accrued your points balance, you’re ready to use them towards delicious vacation! Different credit card providers will have different methods of redeeming your rewards, here are a few examples from some of the companies I have experience with:
Escape by using Chase Ultimate Rewards
If you have an Chase cards, you can redeem your points through the Ultimate Rewards portal. In this portal you’ll have access to almost every airline. You can make use of a combination of the points as well as cash in order to book your trip. You can even book entirely with points if you’ve enough balance! Sometimes, even if you don’t possess enough points for the entire price, you can book flights using the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal and pay the balance cash using every credit card.
United
Are you tired of paying the full cost for flights? Did you not know that when you book directly through United You have the option to pay with either points or dollars? Be careful, if you don’t have enough points you can’t combine dollars and points on one flight. Don’t worry, though, if you’re just a few points away, United also offers the option to purchase additional miles.
JetBlue
Are you looking for a domestic flight? You should look no further than JetBlue! JetBlue offers a comfortable and enjoyable flight experience , with more legroom as well as free snacks. In addition, their booking procedure is similar to United’s, allowing customers to book using either JetBlue points or dollars, however, not both. But, JetBlue offers a distinct feature that lets you pool your points together with your family members and earn points twice as quickly. Be sure to verify that you are a family member before trying to hack into the system.
Hit that Minimum Spend
If you’re like me or my travel companion Becca I’m sure you’re pretty frugal and it can be difficult to think of spending thousands of dollars to hit the required amount to qualify for a credit card bonus. Don’t worry, we’ve been through it and we’re here to share our tips and tricks.
Pay your rent (if you can)
This is an important one! If you’re able to pay for your rent using credit card, then do it! Be prepared to pay a cost, which is usually at least 3 percent. It might be worth it over the long term if the bonus is high enough.
Make a payment on a medical expense
Another great way to hit the minimum spend is to cover the medical bills. If you do not have any medical expenses in the near future then ask your family members if you can pay them for theirs, and they will reimburse you.
Repay a loan
If you’re a borrower take into consideration making payments on them with your credit card. Make sure to pay the credit card balance in full , so that you don’t end up with additional debt.
Ask family members for assistance
Discuss your family with them and see if they have any large expenses coming up which you could help pay for. Just make sure you are able to trust the person and that they understand why you’re taking the initiative.
Buy gifts
If you’re celebrating the holidays, consider buying all your gifts using the credit card you have. This way you can hit that minimum spend and also be prepared for giving gifts. Be sure to avoid paying more than you planning to.
There are plenty of ways to make the most out of the travel credit card. You can earn miles or points to use towards flights or other travel-related expenses. Here are some additional suggestions for maximising the rewards you earn:
Make travel reservations using your credit card
If you’re planning a vacation, make use of your travel credit card to book your hotel, flight or rental car, as well as other travel costs. You’ll not only be able to hit the minimum amount of spending required for your credit card bonus, but you’ll also be earning points or miles for those expenses.
Make use of your credit card to pay for everyday expenses
Another way to meet the minimum amount of spending in order to accumulate points by utilising your credit cards to pay every day costs. This could be things like gas, groceries and even your telephone bill. Make sure you pay the balance off in full each month so you don’t accumulate interest.
Take advantage of bonus categories
A lot of travel credit cards provide miles or bonus points for specific types of purchases, like eating out or traveling. Be sure to review your rewards program on your credit card and avail the bonus categories that are in line with your spending routines.
Think about the possibility of transferring your balance
If you have existing outstanding debt due to a high-interest credit card, you might want to transfer the balance to a travel credit card with an introductory rate of 0% for balance transfer. This will let you pay off the debt without accruing interest, and also assist you in reaching the minimum spending requirement for the credit card’s bonus.
Use your points or miles wisely
If you’ve amassed a large amount of miles or points make sure you use them in a responsible manner. Examine the rewards program of your credit card and compare the worth of various redemption options. For example you can use points to purchase a flight directly through the airline may provide you with a greater value than using them for the purchase of a gift card.
Another tip is to use a rewards card that allows you to transfer your rewards to different loyalty program. This allows you to have a wider range of options and greater flexibility in redeeming your rewards. For example, you may be eligible to transfer your rewards to the frequent flyer program of an airline or a Hotel rewards programme. This can give an access larger selection of hotels, flights, and other travel perks which are not available through the rewards program of your credit card.
Also, determine if your credit card offers any perks that can save you money on travel-related expenses. Some cards offer travel insurance as well as rental car insurance baggage protection, and other benefits that could be very beneficial when traveling.
Finally, when you’re traveling with someone else, both of you can earn rewards using your credit card. Just remember that you can’t divide the cost with the same card. Also, make sure you keep track of your rewards separately.
In the end, the most important thing to do to reaping the maximum benefits from your travel rewards is to know the rewards program on your credit card and make sure you’re making use of it in the most efficient way possible. Through an array of strategies I’ve listed in this article, you’ll be able earn rewards quickly, redeem rewards for valuable travel experiences and benefit from a wide range of travel perks.