Churning Credit Cards Taught Me How to Substantially Decrease my Travel Expenses Through Points
If you watched my TikTok linked above, you may notice that my trip to 4 states [CO, WY, KS, and NE] were booked mostly through points.
Traveling can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. With a little planning and effort, you can use credit card points and hacking to travel for free or at a discounted rate. Keep reading if you’re interested in learning more!
What is credit card travel hacking?
Credit card travel hacking is the process of using credit card rewards points to travel for free or at a discounted rate. This can be done by signing up for credit cards with generous sign-up bonuses, using shopping portals to earn bonus points on purchases, and transferring points to partner airlines and hotels.
How to travel with credit card points and hacking:
- Sign up for credit cards with generous sign-up bonuses. Many travel credit cards offer sign-up bonuses of 50,000 points or more after you spend a certain amount of money on purchases within a certain period of time. These bonus points can be redeemed for travel, so they’re a great way to start your travel hacking journey.
- Use shopping portals to earn bonus points on purchases. Shopping portals are websites that partner with retailers to offer bonus points on purchases. When you shop through a shopping portal, you’ll earn points from both the shopping portal and the retailer.
- Transfer points to partner airlines and hotels. Many travel credit cards allow you to transfer points to partner airlines and hotels. This is a great way to maximize the value of your points, as you can often redeem them for more valuable travel rewards when you transfer them to a partner program.
Tips for travel hacking:
- Be organized. Travel hacking can be complex, so it’s important to be organized. Keep track of your credit card points balances, spending requirements, and partner programs.
- Be patient. It takes time and effort to build up a large enough balance of credit card points to travel for free. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately.
- Be flexible. Travel hacking often requires you to be flexible with your travel plans. For example, you may need to fly on a less popular day or stay at a hotel that you wouldn’t normally choose.
I booked my upcoming trip to Japan for 11 nights with my credit card points. Follow my TikTok, Instagram, or this blog to stay updated on the full breakdown of my Japan trip to come!
If you’re interested in getting started on credit card points, here are a couple credit cards I personally used to kickstart my journey. Disclaimer is that at no charge you, I may receive referral bonuses if you are to sign up through my link.
- Capital One Venture [75,000 Bonus Points]
- Chase Sapphire Preferred [60,000 Bonus Points]
- http://AmEx Hilton [100,000 Bonus Points]
Conclusion:
Traveling with credit card points and hacking is a great way to save money on travel. By following the tips above, you can start planning your next free or discounted vacation.
Additional tips:
- Use a rewards credit card tracker. There are a number of online tools that can help you track your credit card points balances, spending requirements, and partner programs.
- Follow travel hacking blogs and podcasts. There are a number of resources available to help you learn more about travel hacking and get tips from other travelers.
- Start small. Don’t try to book a round-the-world trip on your first try. Start by booking a short trip or a single flight. Once you get the hang of it, you can start booking more ambitious trips.
With a little planning and effort, you can use credit card points and hacking to travel the world for free or at a discounted rate.
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