The lengthy awaited put up on how I journey hack to attain unbelievable motels and flights around the globe without cost/almost free, is right here!
I simply wish to preface this by saying, there are a number of methods to journey hack. I’ll solely be protecting what I do and know very nicely that works for me.
You need to all the time do analysis and ensure that what you’re doing to achieve your journey targets, works for you. And I’ll go extra in depth about this later.
Second word, it will solely apply to residents of the USA. Every nation might or might not have their very own guidelines on playing cards. I’m not fluent in these exterior of the USA.
So what’s “journey Hacking? In easiest phrases, the artwork of utilizing bank card factors and airline miles to get free/almost free journey.
When you have seen any of my movies about a few of the unbelievable journeys I’ve achieved on factors and miles, that is the place I’m going to speak in depth about it.
In 2023, I secured $52,514 in FREE luxurious journey just by utilizing airline miles and bank card factors. That’s an insane amount of cash that bought me into some bucket listing flights and locations!
So, let’s get began.
Journey Hacking: Introduction
This seems like such an enormous market of individuals are doing it, however perhaps that’s as a result of I spend a lot time on-line and see others. Each time I discuss to individuals or spend time on Fb, nobody appears to know what that is.
I’m not going to gatekeep something right here – I believe everybody ought to be capable of win from these situations. In any case, these are merely perks from airways and bank card firms for utilizing their companies.
Permit me to share with you ways I make my spending and loyalty work for me to transform into free journey, to a few of the most opulent locations that felt out of attain most of my life.
Once you see individuals on-line speaking about factors/miles journeys and you recognize they aren’t wealthy – THIS is how they’re attaining these journey targets.
You do NOT need to be wealthy to profit from journey hacking.
Journey hacking with airline miles for flights
For me, my best strategy to achieve airline miles is by staying loyal to 1 airline and their companion airways.
What I imply by that’s, each single flight I take is with American Airways or their companion airways (ex: Air Tahiti Nui, British Airways, Qatar, and so forth).
You don’t need to be loyal to American Airways if it doesn’t make sense for you. For me, the place I stay and the place I journey steadily, it simply made sense. Many of the main airways within the USA have a program for many who wish to earn standing and be a frequent flier with them.
Different standard airways: Delta, JetBlue, United, and so forth.
Right here is how I earn my airline miles:
Flying – every flight nets me miles that I can convert to future flights. That is the simplest approach for me to earn miles with out a bank card devoted to incomes miles (we are going to speak about this below bank cards).
Having standing – the upper your standing (which I get from being loyal) the upper my bonus of miles on every flight. Incomes extra miles per flight isn’t the one perk of getting standing (I’ll speak about this beneath).
Reserving enterprise/first-class flights – whether or not I fly American Airways or one among their companion airways, I earn miles. However you possibly can earn much more miles once you fly at increased classes.
Instance: I earned 93,214 miles on a roundtrip enterprise class flight from Washington DC to Tahiti final summer season. That’s sufficient miles to fly a number of roundtrip economic system flights within the USA or a method (plus loads of leftover miles) to say Maldives, Barcelona, London, and so forth in Enterprise class lie flat seats.
Different methods to earn miles with American Airways:
Credit score Card join bonuses: At any given time, American Airways normally has a bank card join bonus with 50K miles only for signing up! Generally I see them for 75K miles. What is good about this supply is there is no such thing as a minimal spend to earn – simply buy a pack of gum and the miles are yours. On each flight, they move these affords round.
When you have a partner, each of you possibly can join the cardboard and earn miles every!
Factors per spend on card: in case you have an American Airways co-branded bank card, you possibly can earn miles on on a regular basis spending. Which suggests, you don’t need to all the time be touring to earn miles. I, personally, don’t use this card for my on a regular basis spend, however I’ll speak about my most popular playing cards beneath.
It is a nice strategy to earn miles although, and American Airways shouldn’t be the one airline that gives the sort of card to earn miles.
AA procuring and eating portal: in case you hyperlink a card to their shopping and dining portal, you possibly can earn miles in your purchases.
Buying motels, automotive leases, cruises, or trip packages by means of American Airways: I don’t use this service, however this can be a nice strategy to earn miles. I favor my bank card that’s not AA branded for some of these buy (will share beneath).
It’s free to enroll in AAdvantage, which is the place your miles will likely be below this quantity assigned to you and in addition that is the way you earn standing.
Why is airline standing vital?
Airline standing will be extraordinarily helpful, particularly in case you journey steadily.
For me, I’ve one of many highest stage branded standing’ with American Airways and it has been this fashion for years. Here’s what I get:
- Free checked baggage
- Boarding group 1
- Upgrades to enterprise class on American flights from economic system AND if I’ve another person on my reservation, they mirror my standing and improve with me. That is in fact, based mostly on availability.
- I get upgraded on virtually all my home flights and a few of my Caribbean flights.
- I get perks at every stage of this system every year, and the upper ups internet me the perfect choices. I favor to pick out the “systemwide upgrades.” I take advantage of these on American marked flights and can be utilized for as much as three legs of the flight. This could be an improve from economic system to enterprise. Nice for longer haul flights say to Australia!
What are a few of my finest redemptions with American Airline miles?
The previous few years my finest redemptions have been roundtrip tickets to the Maldives on Qatar within the Qsuites (a number of occasions), enterprise class flights to London and Barcelona roundtrip on British Airways and American Airways. These are usually 70K miles a method.
The Qsuites on Qatar Airways at time of buy, had been over $24K for the 2 tickets I bought with miles. I imagine I paid about $220 out of pocket! Not a foul redemption in any respect.
How I take advantage of my American Airways miles
Now that I’ve miles, right here is how I take advantage of them.
There’s a website known as “seats.aero” and you need to use this to go looking award availability by date and continent. That is how I can simply discover enterprise class seats, which is what I virtually all the time use my miles for.
Protecting a reasonably versatile journey itinerary, permits me to seek out these redemptions, and now and again they launch final minute stuff the place seats will not be full.
Personally, I e book all my flights within the American Airways portal with miles. There are such a lot of methods to do that, however that is how I do it.
I login to my account, search for a method tickets and choose “use miles” to seek out flights. For those who don’t see something in your date, open the calendar on the best and have it kind by the cabin class you need and it’ll present dates of availability.
The right way to determine which airline loyalty program is best for you
This might have many solutions, relying on the place you reside and the place you journey probably the most.
Utilizing myself as the instance:
I stay in Washington, D.C. and have entry to tons of AA flights at DCA, my dwelling airport and Qatar and British Airways at IAD.
I journey principally to the Caribbean, South Pacific, inside the USA, Maldives, Seychelles, Center Jap International locations, and sometimes Europe and Hawaii.
Deciding on American Airways made sense for me as a result of they’ve probably the most flights out of my dwelling airport, DCA, to almost each vacation spot I go to, generally with one connection.
As well as, a number of the worldwide journey I do is simple out of my different airport IAD on American’s companion airways.
You really want to consider what airways you’ve gotten entry to at your private home airport and the place you journey probably the most. In some events, some individuals don’t give attention to airline loyalty and simply rack up factors on bank cards and e book what’s out there with these factors.
It doesn’t matter what you determine, I like to recommend having a plan. Incomes miles with no plan, doesn’t make a number of sense. The airline loyalty you be part of might not even service an space that you simply wish to go.
Be sure that to do a ton of analysis in order that you recognize you’re getting what you need and want and despite the fact that the loyalty packages are free to enroll, it’s best to not cut up your time between them. You’ll be able to accumulate standing and miles sooner with loyalty to 1 community.
Journey hacking with bank card factors for flights and motels
If you’re utilizing a debit card, a card with no perks or one thing aside from a card that’s netting you the very best journey rewards, eliminate it. There are a number of playing cards that on the floor seem to be good playing cards, however perhaps they aren’t.
In case your aim is to not earn factors for journey, then by all means, preserve the playing cards you’ve gotten.
Very first thing to notice – by no means go into debt to “earn” free journey. You might be paying for it if you’re paying curiosity. You want to have the ability to repay your card(s) each single month and preserve a great credit score rating.
A big a part of journey hacking is utilizing the best bank card(s) to get you these free flights or motels.
My private experience or die bank card is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. I’ve been utilizing this card because it launched in August of 2016 and it has been rated the perfect or among the finest, since.
Simply because that is my favourite card, doesn’t imply will probably be yours. That is the place that you must do analysis and discover out what card matches your particular wants.
This card has allowed me to take free journeys to the Maldives and keep on the Ritz Carlton, Le Bora Bora Resort, 4 Seasons Maui. 4 Seasons Boston, Version London, and so forth.
Once I first bought this card, there was a 100K join bonus and I used all these factors in December 2016 to e book flights and motels for a month in Asia. I went to Bali, Singapore and Sri Lanka!
Right here is why I LOVE this card as my main (and I’ve many bank cards):
Execs:
- $300 annual journey credit score
- Entry to precedence move lounges around the globe
- 10 X factors on lodge and automotive bookings with the cardboard within the Chase portal
- 5 X factors on flight purchases within the Chase portal
- 3 X factors on journey bookings and eating on different web sites
- Inbuilt journey insurance coverage
- Credit score for World entry
- No international transaction charges
- 1:1 level transfers to companion packages (like Marriott)
- ..and tons of different advantages!
- They typically have a sign-up bonus of 60-100K with a minimal spend the primary three months
- They offer 10,000 factors as a referral as much as 5 occasions a year- refer a good friend, relative, partner, and so forth along with your code, get the free factors.
Cons:
- $550 annual payment, $75 payment for every approved person
- Lounge entry has gotten restricted inside the USA
Whilst you can see the professionals far outweigh the cons, I’ll say, the annual journey credit score of $300 that hits in January for me, offsets the price of the annual payment of $550 as a result of I do know I’m reserving journey yearly and that $300 hits your account virtually instantly when a journey buy is made.
I form of take a look at that payment as $250 yearly.
Additionally, once I first bought this card in August of 2016, the $300 annual journey credit score was out there instantly. It hit once more in January! Except issues have modified, it is best to get it twice inside the first yr relying on once you join.
Who is that this card good for?
In my trustworthy opinion, this card is NOT for everybody. After having used it for nearly eight years and watching my journey and monetary standing change through the years, I can see now that this can be a nice card for large spenders and those that journey loads.
I don’t wish to trick you right into a card that won’t meet your wants. I can not stress sufficient, to verify and do loads of analysis on the cardboard(s) you wish to have.
For those who can maximize your rewards by reserving journey inside the Chase portal, it is possible for you to to rack up factors at a really fast tempo. That is a part of my technique.
For example of a purchase order I made within the Chase portal this yr and the factors that bought me:
- I booked a lodge by means of the portal that value $11,365.45 and I made 103,618 factors for that buy. I don’t suppose you get factors any taxes or charges connected to these bookings which is why it isn’t a precise 10 X factors acquired.
- These factors ended up being 145,065 as a result of I transferred them to Marriott once they had their 40% switch bonus (defined beneath)
I all the time double verify and ensure that lodge isn’t promoting considerably cheaper elsewhere. I believe my cutoff is about $50, relying on how costly the lodge is. Cause being, if I e book the lodge on one other website, I’ll solely get 3 X factors and lose the opposite 7 X factors.
In my case, I’m solely reserving luxurious motels and resorts, so the worth tag goes to be increased. If you’re extra of a price range or mid stage traveler, you gained’t see the factors rack up fairly as quick and that $50 distinction may very well be the deciding consider the place you e book.
For those who discover that is extra your type, I might discover a card that has a much less hefty annual payment connected to it until you journey sufficient that it is sensible for you.
Maximizing rewards on the Chase Sapphire Reserve
That is the half that issues most! That is the getting the free journey and the perfect methods to do it.
I defined above get the perfect use out of the cardboard with spending, however now that you’ve got achieved the spending and have the factors, what’s subsequent?
At the moment, Chase has 14 switch companions inside the Chase portal you could transfer your factors 1:1, which is a incredible profit. One factor I might extremely suggest NOT doing is utilizing your factors for present playing cards inside the portal or reserving journey with factors within the portal, until that’s the solely possibility.
I’ve booked motels within the portal and it was not the perfect use of the factors. One time I booked the 4 Seasons Maui and it was about 300K factors for a 3 night time keep. Nonetheless, I didn’t need to spend the 1000’s of {dollars} and 4 Seasons doesn’t have a rewards program. So, on the time, that made sense for me.
So what I imply is, transferring these factors to their companions could make them extra beneficial.
For instance, I do know that every yr, a couple of times, Marriott affords a 40-50% switch bonus (no matter they’re providing on the time). That is what I save my factors for!! I really like the Marriott portfolio.
When this time comes, I transfer my Chase factors to Marriott, and get that massive switch bonus. Then, as an added perk, Marriott offers you a free night time in case you e book 4 nights with factors, providing you with a 5 night time keep!!
Considering again to January 2023, I had transferred Chase factors to Marriott once they had provided a 50% redemption prior and determined I needed to remain at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives.
I collected the factors by:
- Reserving my journey within the Chase portal at 5-10 X factors given
- Put most of my purchases on this card
- Had a pair join bonuses
- And utilized that fifty% switch bonus, which I imagine netted me 150K factors
You might be questioning why I didn’t simply use the Chase portal and use my factors there, and there’s a good motive: the redemption was terrible! With the factors I had, I may get one and a half nights at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives. This is the reason the transferring of factors is sensible!
Shifting them to my Marriott factors I used to be capable of get 5 nights – that’s an enormous distinction! My keep at this resort was 5 nights, I might have by no means gone for one and a half nights. LOL
This in fact is only one approach to make use of the factors on the cardboard. Proper now, IHG is providing an 80% switch bonus!!
I haven’t moved factors to every other companions as a result of I do know precisely what I’m going to do with my factors every year and it’s virtually all the time bucket listing Marriott properties or splurging on 4 Seasons’ properties.
Notice: if you’re transferring factors to a switch companion, that you must already be a part of their rewards program, which is free. For instance, you possibly can signal as much as Marriott’s reward program they usually ive you a quantity in your account. Once I transfer factors, I put in my Marriott quantity.
When you have a Chase Card, their portal is extraordinarily simple to make use of and navigate. You could possibly determine it out in below 20 minutes.
The opposite card I take advantage of and why:
I bought the American Categorical Platinum once they had a 100,000 join bonus! I don’t use this card for a lot and the annual payment is $695, BUT all of the perks of the cardboard I take advantage of over the course of the yr, which is a far larger worth than the annual payment, so I stored the cardboard!
Perks of the American Categorical Platinum that I take advantage of (I don’t suggest this as an on a regular basis card, simply as a complement for its advantages)
- Centurion Lounges – I really like these lounges within the USA, a few of the finest, truly!
- $200 lodge credit score
- $200 airline payment credit score
- $200 Uber credit score
- $240 digital leisure credit score – good for streaming companies!
- $100 Saks credit score
- $189 CLEAR+ credit score
- World eating entry – in case you name in, they will typically get you into very onerous eating places to get seats at!
As you possibly can see, I get extra advantages from the cardboard than I’m paying for the annual payment. Most significantly, the entry to Centurion Lounges!!
Different methods to earn factors shortly
One a part of technique for individuals who get massive into journey hacking is getting a number of playing cards.
You HAVE to have a plan although. A whole lot of these playing cards supply wonderful join bonuses, however they’ve a minimal spend on them inside the first three months, usually. Some are six months, however I don’t see that always.
If you wish to maximize these join bonuses, be sure to are in an space of your life the place you possibly can meet the minimal spend necessities to get these factors. I might not suggest spending simply to get factors, have a plan in place.
Having a big different that may tag group the factors constructing can also be helpful!
For instance: say Chase Sapphire Reserve had a 100K join bonus and one among you will get the cardboard, meets the spending after which will get the factors. You’ll be able to then give your vital different your referral code to enroll and you’ll get the ten,000 factors for his or her join they usually can earn 100K after getting the cardboard and reaching their minimal spend.
I see movies now and again on Instagram and Tiktok of standard {couples} incomes one million+ factors/miles EACH in a calendar yr. A pair months in the past I had seen a lady who earned one million and a half for the yr and is a price range traveler.
These factors will go SO FAR!!
My present factors and miles technique
I don’t like to alter issues that work, so I’ve each intention of staying loyal to American Airways (and their companion airways) this yr, protecting my Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum.
I’m at present within the part of including new factors to my pile by including new playing cards to my pockets.
Just lately, I signed up for an American Airways card that has a 100K join bonus. It is a Citi card and can NOT turn out to be something greater than getting these join factors. This card does have a excessive annual payment and I don’t wish to preserve it.
I should pay that annual payment the primary yr, so, I’ll preserve it after which cancel it. You might be asking your self how paying the annual payment works out for the factors?
In my instance above below airways miles, I earned 93,214 miles on a roundtrip enterprise class flight from Washington DC to Tahiti. This ticket value me about $8200. You’ll be able to see how paying the annual payment of $595 for that first yr could be extremely helpful for the miles!
These 100,000 miles simply convert to a number of spherical journey economic system flights within the USA or 60-70K factors a method in lie flat enterprise class seats to say Maldives, London, and so forth.
These flights could be extraordinarily costly! The Maldives flights on Qatar value 1000’s! So, it really works itself out.
After I meet the minimal spend on that card to get the miles, I’ll capitalize on one other card to get factors or miles.
For referral bonuses, I’ll proceed to offer my code out to these need it. You’ll be able to solely get 5 referrals per yr with Chase Sapphire Reserve. However, simple 50K factors I didn’t have in any other case.
Conclusion:
You’ll need to do some work by yourself to seek out what playing cards/airways/programs give you the results you want and your targets.
It took me a short while to get the grasp of how I maximize my very own factors and miles, and it has been unbelievable seeing all of the wonderful bucket listing locations I’ve skilled and unbelievable enterprise and first-class flights.
I do suppose that journey hacking is usually a sport changer, if you’re prepared to find out about it.
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