Are you fed up of spending thousands of dollars on travel? Then, there’s a good news! Travel hacking could be the solution to your travel-related problems. It’s an exciting way to convert credit card welcome bonuses and other incentives into airline miles which you can use to get discounted or even cheap flights from your ideal destinations. With a little bit of imagination and a little bit of insider information, you’ll fly for no cost within a matter of minutes.
The Basics of Travel Hacking
Travel hacking is all about swapping credit card sign-up bonus as well as incentives to earn airline miles. These miles can then be used to buy discounted or even free flights. Certain credit cards will also permit you to use miles to pay for hotel stays or rental car discounts.
How Does it Work?
The most effective method for success in travel hacking is to take advantage of credit card sign-up bonuses and establishing frequent flyer miles with a limited number of airlines. When you are ready to make a booking take a look at the price. If the price is less than $300, it’s generally better to pay cash and use your miles to pay to take a more costly flight. If the prices start to rise above $500, you’ll want to look into your frequent flyer accounts to determine which airline offers you the best deal. It all comes down to the amount of points or miles you have in your travel account for each airline.
Start with Travel Hacking
Ready to learn the secrets to travel hacking? Your first task is opening an account that comes with a welcome bonus. There are plenty of great credit cards that provide many benefits and features. It is all dependent on the airline, your habits with spending and what features are essential to you.
Top Credit Card Picks
Here are some credit cards that are perfect to use for hacking travel:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
- Chase United Explorer
- JetBlue Mastercard
- Capital One Venture X
Once you’ve been approved for a credit card you’ll have to meet the spending limit for minimum expenditure in order to receive the bonus. Each card has its own guidelines, so make certain to verify the details. Then you can begin to rack up miles, and using them to book your dream trip!
Are you ready to set sail with your goals?
Now that you’ve built up your points amount, it’s time to redeem them for some nice getaway! Different credit card companies offer different ways to redeem your rewards, here are some examples from some of the companies I’ve worked with:
Escape by using Chase Ultimate Rewards
If you’re a holder of an Chase credit card, then you are able to use your points to redeem them through the Ultimate Rewards portal. In it, 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 travel. You can book your flight entirely using points if you’ve got the balance for it! Sometimes even if you don’t have enough points to cover the entire cost, you still can purchase flights through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal and pay the balance in cash with the credit card of your choice.
United
Are you tired of paying full price for your flights? Did you know that when you book directly through United You have the option of paying using dollars or points? Be careful in case you don’t have enough points, you aren’t able to combine points and dollars for flights. Don’t worry, though, if you’re only a couple of point short United provides the option of buying additional miles.
JetBlue
Looking for a flight within the United States? Take a look at JetBlue! JetBlue offers passengers a relaxing and pleasant travel experience that includes extra legroom and free snacks. Additionally, their booking process is like United’s which allows you to book with either JetBlue points or dollars however, not both. However, JetBlue has a unique feature where you can combine your points with your family members and earn points twice as quickly. Be sure to verify that you are a family member before trying to hack the system.
Hit that Minimum Spend
If you’re anything like me and my travel buddy Becca I’m sure you’re pretty frugal and it can be difficult to think of spending thousands of dollars to reach the required amount to qualify for a credit card bonus. But don’t fret, we’ve been through it and are here to share our tricks and tips.
Pay your rent (if you can)
This is an important one! If you’re able to pay for your rent using a credit card, do it! Be prepared to pay a fee, usually about 3 percent. It could be worthwhile in the long run in the event that the bonus is substantial enough.
Pay for a medical bill
Another excellent way to meet the required spending is to cover a medical bill. If you do not have any medical expenses coming up Ask your relatives if you could pay their medical bills and they will reimburse you.
Pay off the loan
If you’re a borrower, consider paying them off with your credit card. Just make sure you pay off the balance on your credit card in full , so that you don’t accrue more debt.
Ask family for help
Ask your family members to see if they have any big 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 are aware of the reason for doing it.
Buy gifts
If it’s the holiday season, consider buying all of your gifts with the credit card you have. In this way, you’ll hit that minimum spend and also be ready to give gifts. Just make sure you’re not spending more than you already contemplating to.
There are a lot of ways to get the most from the travel credit card. accumulate miles or points that you can be used towards the cost of flights or other expenses related to travel. Here are a few additional ways to maximize the rewards you earn:
Pay for travel expenses using your credit card
Whenever you’re planning a trip, make use of your travel credit card for booking your flight, hotel or rental car, as well as any other travel-related expenses. Not only will you be able to hit the minimum spend to earn your credit card reward as well, but you’ll also earn points or miles for these costs.
Utilize your credit card to pay for everyday expenditures
Another method to reach the minimum spending requirement to earn rewards is by making use of your credit card for daily expenditures. This can include things like gas, groceries and even your telephone bill. Just make sure to pay off the balance in full each month so you don’t pay interest.
Make the most of bonus categories
Many travel credit cards offer miles or points in exchange for specific types of purchases, like eating out or travelling. Check out the rewards program of your credit card and avail any bonus categories that align with your spending routines.
Consider a balance transfer
If you have existing debt on a credit card, consider transferring that balance onto an account with a travel credit card that has a 0% introductory APR for balance transfers. This will let you pay off your debts without accruing interest. It will also help you hit the minimum spend for the credit card bonus.
Use your points or miles carefully
Once you’ve accumulated a substantial amount of miles or points make sure you use the points or miles wisely. Review the rewards program for your credit card and then compare the value of different redemption options. For example you can use points to purchase a flight directly with the airline could offer better value than using them to purchase a gift card.
Another option is to get an rewards card that permits you to transfer your points to other loyalty programs. This will allow you to enjoy a greater variety of choices and more freedom when it comes to redeeming your rewards. For instance, you might be able to transfer your reward to frequent flyer programs of airlines or Hotel rewards programme. This gives the benefit of a larger selection of hotels, flights, and other travel perks that may not be offered through your credit card’s rewards program.
In addition, you should discover whether your credit card has any perks that can reduce your travel expenses. Many cards offer travel insurance and rental car insurance, baggage protection, and other benefits that can be extremely valuable when you’re traveling.
When you travel with someone else, both of you can earn rewards using your credit card. Make sure you don’t divide the cost with the same card, and be sure to track your rewards in a separate manner.
The key to reaping the maximum benefits from your travel rewards is to know your credit card’s rewards program and make sure you’re using this program in the most effective method. By using an array of strategies I’ve listed that you can earn rewards fast, exchange rewards for valuable travel experiences, and enjoy a wide variety of travel benefits.