Are you tired of spending an enormous amount on flights? Then, there’s a good news! Travel hacking could be the solution to all your travel woes. It’s an exciting method to convert credit card bonus and sign-up incentives into miles which can be used to get discounted or even cheap flights from your dream destinations. With a bit of imagination and a little bit of insider knowledge, you can fly for no cost in no time.
The Basics of Travel Hacking
Travel hacking is about swapping credit card sign-up bonus and incentives for airline miles. These miles can then be used to buy discount or no-cost flights. Certain credit cards will also let you redeem miles towards hotel stays or car rental deals.
How Does it Work?
The secret to success in travel hacking is to take advantage of the sign-up bonuses for credit cards and establishing a frequent flyer mile program with a limited number of airlines. When it comes time to make a booking consider the cost. If the cost is less than $300, it’s generally better to pay cash and save your miles for a more expensive flight. If the prices start to rise over $500, you’ll need to check those frequent flyer accounts to determine which airline offers you the best price. All it boils down to is the amount of points or miles you have in your travel savings account for every airline.
Get Started with Travel Hacking
Are you interested in learning the secrets to travel hacking? The first step is opening the credit card that comes with a sign-up bonus. There are a lot of fantastic credit cards that offer a variety of advantages and features. It is all dependent on the airline, spending habits and what features are important 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
After you’ve been accepted for a credit card, you’ll need to reach the limit of spending minimum in order to qualify for the bonus. Every card has different 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 trip!
Ready to jet-set with your goals?
Now that you’ve built up the points balance, you’re ready to redeem them for some nice travel! Different credit card providers will have different methods of redeeming your rewards, here are some examples from a few of the companies I’ve worked with:
Getaway through Chase Ultimate Reward
If you own an Chase card, you are able to redeem your points via the Ultimate Rewards portal. In the portal, you’ll have access to almost every airline. You can use a combination of money and points to book your travel. You can even book entirely with points if you’ve enough balance! Sometimes even if you do not have enough points to cover the total price, you can book flights using the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal and pay the balance cash using any credit card.
United
Are you fed up of paying the full cost for your flight tickets? Did you know that when you book directly through United you can choose the option of paying with either points or dollars? But, be careful in case you don’t have enough points you aren’t able to combine dollars and points for flights. Don’t worry, though, if you’re only a couple of points away, United also offers the possibility of purchasing additional miles.
JetBlue
Looking for a flight within the United States? Look no further than JetBlue! JetBlue provides a comfortable and enjoyable flight experience , with more space and complimentary snacks. Additionally, their booking process is similar to United’s that allows customers to book using either JetBlue dollar or points, but not both. But, JetBlue is unique in that they offer a feature that lets you 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 into the system.
Reach that Minimum Spend
If you’re like me or my travel buddy Becca, you’re probably pretty frugal and it can be daunting to try to spend thousands of dollars in order to meet the minimum spend for the credit card bonus. Don’t worry as we’ve done it and are here to share our tricks and tips.
Pay your rent (if you can)
This is a huge one! If you’re able pay your rent using credit card, go for it! Make sure you pay a fee, usually around 3 percent. It may be worth it in the end in the event that the bonus is substantial enough.
Pay for a medical bill
Another way to reach the minimum spend is to pay for 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’ll pay you back.
Repay the loan
If you’re in the middle of a loan take into consideration paying them off with your credit card. Be sure to pay off the balance on your credit card in full so you don’t accrue additional debt.
Ask family for help
Talk to your family and see if they have any major expenses in the near future that you can contribute for. Make sure that you are able to trust the person and they know why you’re doing this.
Purchase presents
If it’s the holiday season take into consideration buying all your gifts with cards from your credit account. So you’ll be able to hit that minimum spend and be ready for giving gifts. Just make sure you’re not spending more than you were already contemplating to.
There are plenty of methods to get the most of your travel credit card. You can earn miles or points to spend on flights or other travel-related expenses. Here are a few more suggestions for maximising your rewards
Make travel reservations using your credit card
If you’re planning a trip, use the travel credit card for booking your hotel, flight, rental car, and any other travel expenses. Not only will you be able to hit the required amount to qualify for a credit card bonus, but you’ll also be earning points or miles to cover these expenses.
Use your credit card for all your daily expenditures
Another way to hit the minimum amount of spending in order to accumulate points by making use of your credit card to pay for every day expenses. This could be things like food, gas, and even your phone bill. Be sure to pay the balance off each month in full so you don’t pay interest.
Make the most of bonus categories
Some travel credit cards will offer miles or points in exchange for certain types of purchases, such as dining or travel. Make sure you review your rewards program on your credit card and make use of any bonus categories that match with your spending habits.
Consider a balance transfer
If you have existing debt on a credit card, think about transferring that balance onto the travel credit card which has the introductory APR of 0% for balance transfer. This will allow you to pay off the debt without accruing interest and simultaneously aid in achieving the minimum spend for the credit card bonus.
Make use of your miles or points wisely
If you’ve amassed a large amount of points or miles Make sure to utilize them wisely. Examine the rewards program of your credit card and compare the worth of various redemption options. For example using points to book a flight directly with the airline might give you a better value than using them to purchase an gift card.
Another suggestion is to use rewards cards that allow you to transfer your points to other loyalty programs. This allows you to enjoy a greater variety of choices and more flexibility in you want to redeem your rewards. For instance, you might be capable of transferring your reward to an airline’s frequent flyer program or a hotel rewards program. This can give the benefit of a larger range of flights, hotels as well as other travel perks that aren’t offered through your credit card’s rewards program.
In addition, you should discover if your credit card offers certain benefits that will help you save money on travel expenses. A lot of credit cards provide travel insurance and rental car insurance, baggage protection, and other benefits that are extremely valuable when you’re traveling.
Finally, when you’re traveling with someone else and both of you get rewards on your own credit card. Make sure you don’t share the costs on the same card and make sure to keep track of your rewards separately.
The key to maximizing your travel rewards is to know your credit card’s rewards program and to ensure you’re making use of this program in the most effective method possible. Through a combination of the methods I’ve described in this article, you’ll be able earn rewards quickly, redeem them for valuable travel experiences, and enjoy a wide variety of travel benefits.