The Beginner’s Guide to Earning Points and Miles

Traveling can be costly, even when you’re sticking to a budget, like spending $30 a day in places such as Thailand, Mexico, and Indonesia. Your expenses add up over time. I have been traveling over the last 7 years quite a bit. I’ve relied on travel credit cards to accumulate points and earn miles, which has allowed me to cover round-trip flights, upgrade flights, and stay in a few luxury hotels or resorts. However, with so many travel credit cards available, choosing the best one can be overwhelming. Factors like annual fees, reward schemes, and earning points on your purchases all play a role. Here’s a beginner’s guide to earning points and miles with your travel credit card!  

ESTABLISH YOUR TRAVEL GOALS

Do you want to use your miles for a first-class flight, or would you prefer to take two coach trips? Having a clear goal will help you stay focused on accumulating points and create a strategy to achieve it. 

POINTS.COM

Keeping track of all your points and miles across different programs can be challenging. Points.com simplifies this with its “loyalty wallet” feature, letting you monitor all your balances—whether for hotels or airlines—in one convenient spot. Another app I highly recommend is App in the Air. It’s perfect for frequent flyers, as it lets you track all of your flights in one place.

SIGN UP FOR LOYALTY PROGRAMS WITH AIRLINES

If possible, focus on earning points with the airline you fly most frequently. I find this challenging due to the unpredictable nature of my travel destinations, which makes it hard to stay with one airline. Regardless of the airline, I always make sure to sign up and enter my loyalty number when booking a flight. I like to use airline alliances like Star Alliance and Oneworld Alliance, which group various airlines together. This allows you to accumulate and redeem miles across multiple airlines within the same alliance, not just one. This can make things so much easier for you. If you forget to claim points for a flight before hand you can claim points after by keeping your boarding pass. You will need the ticket number to to claim the points.  

EARN POINTS FROM THE THINGS YOU PURCHASE 

One of the best ways to earn points is to use your credit card for every purchase. If you pay off the balance in full each month, you can enjoy the rewards without incurring interest charges. Pro Tip: Maximize your rewards by double-dipping! Many shopping and dining portals offer points, and you’ll also earn your regular credit card rewards for each dollar spent. Additionally, many major airline and hotel loyalty programs have dining programs. By registering your credit card with these programs, you can earn bonus points or miles for purchases at participating restaurants.

ONLINE SHOPPING EXTRA POINTS 

 Before heading to Amazon, consider checking an airline or hotel’s shopping portal first. By purchasing through one of these online mileage websites, you'll earn points or miles for every dollar spent. It’s a great deal—these portals redirect you to the same website you'd visit directly, but by clicking through, you’ll earn bonus points or miles in addition to the rewards from your credit card. You can also use shopping portals from various credit card issuers to earn valuable transferable points. Just make sure to use a credit card linked to the issuer’s account. For instance, if you're using the Chase shopping portal to earn 4x Ultimate Rewards points at Bloomingdale's, log in to your Chase account, click through to the retailer via Chase’s portal, and make your purchase with a Chase-linked card.

REDEEM TRAVEL POINTS 

You've mastered the art of accumulating points, but that's just part of the process. Now, you need to learn how to redeem them effectively!

Start by understanding the specifics of the rewards program you’re using. While everyone has different priorities, we all share the goal of maximizing the value of our travel points and miles. A simple way to gauge the value of your points is to divide the cost of a hotel or flight by the number of points or miles required. The higher the resulting value, the better deal you're getting! As a general rule, avoid redeeming your miles for cash. Instead, transfer your points to a partner hotel or airline and book directly for better value. Alternatively, with cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can often get more value by booking travel through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. Now that you’ve mastered the basics of travel reward points and miles, it's time to start spending, earning points, and enjoying fantastic travel perks! 

PICK THE RIGHT CREDIT CARD

 My recommendations, opinions, and reviews are solely my own and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities 

Choosing the best credit card for traveling depends on your preferences and spending habits, but here are some top contenders known for their travel rewards, benefits, and flexibility:

• Rewards Rate: 2x points on travel and dining; 1x point on other purchases.
• Sign-Up Bonus: Generous bonus points if you meet the spending requirement within the first few months.
• Annual Fee: $95.
• Travel Perks: 25% more value when you redeem points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, trip cancellation insurance, and no foreign transaction fees.

• Rewards Rate: 3x points on travel and dining; 1x point on other purchases.
• Sign-Up Bonus: High bonus points with a higher spending threshold.
• Annual Fee: $550.
• Travel Perks: 50% more value on travel redemptions through Chase Ultimate Rewards, access to Priority Pass lounges, travel insurance, and no foreign transaction fees.

• Rewards Rate: 5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com; 5x points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com.
• Sign-Up Bonus: Substantial bonus points if you meet the spending requirement within the first few months.
• Annual Fee: $695.
• Travel Perks: Access to Centurion Lounges and other premium lounges, up to $200 in airline fee credits, comprehensive travel insurance, and no foreign transaction fees.

• Rewards Rate: 2 miles per dollar on every purchase.
• Sign-Up Bonus: Significant bonus miles if you meet the spending requirement within the first few months.
• Annual Fee: $95.
• Travel Perks: Miles can be used to erase travel purchases, no foreign transaction fees, and travel accident insurance.

• Rewards Rate: 2 miles per dollar on all purchases; 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
• Sign-Up Bonus: Large bonus miles if you meet the spending requirement within the first few months.
• Annual Fee: $395.
• Travel Perks: $300 annual travel credit, access to Priority Pass lounges, 10,000 bonus miles each account anniversary, and no foreign transaction fees.

• Rewards Rate: 4x points on restaurants, including takeout and delivery; 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com; 1x point on other purchases.
• Sign-Up Bonus: Attractive bonus points if you meet the spending requirement within the first few months.
• Annual Fee: $250.
• Travel Perks: No foreign transaction fees and up to $120 dining credit annually.

• Rewards Rate: 3x points on travel (including gas stations); 2x points on dining and entertainment; 1x point on other purchases.
• Sign-Up Bonus: Significant bonus points with a spending requirement.
• Annual Fee: $95.
• Travel Perks: No foreign transaction fees and access to travel and purchase protections.

When choosing a travel credit card, consider factors like the annual fee, rewards rate, travel benefits, and how well the card aligns with your spending habits and travel preferences.