The Easy Way To Travel Free
Travel is one of the most rewarding investments you can make. Having said that, travel isn’t cheap, no doubt about it. Of course, you can find an inexpensive tropical paradise somewhere in Central America or Southeast Asia. However, these “cheap” destinations still come with costs for transportation, accommodation, dining, and activities.
Those expenses add up quickly, and before you know it, you have blown right through your travel budget. Luckily, there are some easy ways you can earn what is essentially free travel. The best part is that anyone can do it. After traveling for nearly 7 years, I’ve learned some tricks to earning and redeeming travel rewards points for first-class international flights and luxury resort getaways. Get ready to earn big and start preparing for your trip!
Enroll In Loyalty Programs
Signing up for loyalty programs is an absolute must if you want to play the points game to earn free travel. Major airlines and hotels offer loyalty programs when you frequently choose their company over the competition. They then reward you for it with perks and free upgrades. Hotel groups like Hilton (Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, DoubleTree, Hampton Inn…) or Marriott (W Hotels, St. Regis, JW Marriott, Westin…) offer various hotels for varying budgets that still let you earn points under one umbrella. Likewise, major airlines have formed alliances, such as SkyTeam (Delta, KLM, Air France, AeroMexico, Korean Air…), OneWorld (American Airlines, British Airways, Alaska Air…) and StarAlliance (United, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Lufthansa…), so that you can fly with several different airlines and still have your miles accrue in one central rewards program.
For instance, I am based in Atlanta. So, I enjoy the benefit of having the world’s busiest airport right in my backyard. It also happens to be the main hub of Delta Airlines right in my backyard. For that reason, I am a member of the Delta SkyMiles rewards program. I earn miles and status for regularly choosing to fly with Delta. However, if I am flying a route that is not offered by Delta, but is offered by a partner airline of the SkyTeam alliance, then I will book with the partner airline and still earn Delta SkyMiles as well as enjoy the perks and benefits of my medallion status.
Joining a rewards program doesn’t only get you an increase or multiplier of miles/points earned, and it always comes with a range of benefits that increase in value the more frequently you book with your chosen airline alliance or hotel group. This means that whenever I book a or flight or hotel room, I am usually upgraded to a nicer hotel room or a better seat on flights. Year after year, this adds up to huge savings. Now, not only will you be traveling for free, but you’ll be doing it in style!
Sign Up For Rewards Credit Credit Cards
The easiest way to earn points or miles to earn free travel quickly is to sign up for credit cards offering a big reward bonus. First, decide what it is you want to gain out of your card. Do you want to experience a long-haul flight in business-class? Or maybe a free stay at a luxury hotel or resort? Different cards offer different rewards and earning structures; be sure to choose the right card for you.
Many cards lure you in with a welcome offer of a substantial amount of bonus points or miles. The catch is two-fold. First, there is usually an annual fee anywhere from $95 -$550. However, the benefits of a good rewards card will more than offset the annual fee’s cost. Second, you will need to meet a minimum spend requirement within a certain time period. When I signed up for my American Express platinum card, for example, I earned 60,000 bonus membership reward points after spending $5,000 within the first three months of having the card. Pause. I know $5,000 can hit you with serious sticker shock. Relax and take a deep breath because I am about to give you some pro tips to offset some or all of that number.
Hit The Minimum Spend
Have a plan to ensure that you will hit the minimum card spend required to earn your bonus reward points. Otherwise, you are just wasting your time. As mentioned before, top-tier rewards cards can come with a hefty spending requirement. Still, it isn’t as big of an obstacle as you might think.
The first thing to do is coordinate receiving your new credit card before any upcoming large purchases. Are you buying new furniture? Replacing the tires on your car? Or perhaps shopping for the holidays? If you know you have some big-ticket items to purchase, go ahead and apply for a rewards card. The money you are already going to spend will help chew up a sizeable chunk of that minimum spend requirement.
The second action to take is to switch any bills or recurring payments over to your new card. This can include a wide range of expenditures such as cable and utility bills, insurance payments, gym memberships, and subscription services such as amazon prime and Netflix. All of this will start to add up, and again this is money that you are planning to spend anyway. So why not make it work for you by earning you a free vacation?
If you still find yourself falling a little short of your minimum spend requirement, don’t worry; by manufacturing spending, you can cross the finish line to reward points glory.
Manufacture Spending
Manufactured spending requires a small degree of effort on your part. The process, though, is simple enough. Here it is in four simple steps process:
- Use your new rewards credit card to purchase a gift or debit card that is PIN-enabled.
- Next, Purchase a money order with your new PIN-enabled gift or debit card.
- Deposit the money order back into your bank account.
- Use the newly deposited funds to pay off your monthly statement.
You can repeat this process as often as you like. So essentially, there is no limit to the miles or points you can earn this way. Do understand that the PIN-enabled cards usually come with a small fee (less than $5), but it is a minimal price to pay for what you get in return.
Maximize Earnings
Many airlines and credit card providers offer online shopping portals. This means that every dollar you spend through the portal will increase your points or miles earnings in multiples so you are traveling for free, fast.
For example, when I use my American Express Platinum card to book a hotel through the American Express Travel site, I earn 5x my dollar spend in points. So if a two-night stay in a hotel costs me $500, I earn 2,500 rewards points by booking through American Express Travel.
Different cards offer different points multipliers for specific purchases. These are usually purchases on airfare, hotels, gas, dining, and groceries. There are many other qualifying purchases to be found through the online portals. These can including everyday needs like office supplies and even clothing. Often, you can visit your favorite online stores directly through your credit card portal and earn big! The multipliers typically range from 2x-5x your dollar spend. So even small purchases will really add up over time.
Change cards annually
It’s important to remember that while a good rewards card will earn you multiple times your actual dollar spend in points or miles on certain purchases, the big bonus rewards of tens of thousands of points or miles are a “one-time-only deal.” If you want to continue to travel for free, you need to rotate your rewards cards annually.
For example, if I sign up for a Chase rewards card and earn 50,000 welcome offer bonus points, I will cancel that card before it renews the following year and replace it with a different card with an enticing welcome bonus. Then, start working to earn its big rewards incentive. Now, most cards will have a minimum 12-24 month period before you can sign up again after canceling and still receive the bonus rewards points. So 12-24 months after canceling my card, I will be eligible for the “one-time-only” welcome offer again. I can reapply for that same Chase card and start the process over again. For this reason, I always keep a couple of different cards at any given time. I simply rotate them once a year to ensure I am maximizing the amount of bonus rewards point I earn.
The art of earning rewards points to treat yourself to free vacations can get profoundly in-depth and complicated. There are people out there like The Points Guy who make a living by teaching travelers the art of “travel hacking.” Over the years, these strategies have helped me immensely. Travel certainly comes with a price tag. Don’t let that stop you from getting out there and exploring all of the wonderful things the world has to offer. Follow these simple tips and tricks, and you will be off to the races when it comes to earning free travel. Remind yourself;
