Two Parts to Travel Hacking - Earning

*Note: This is an old IG post originally posted in June, 2021.

There are two sides to travel hacking. The first and easier side to understand is the earning side.

By applying for and then using credit cards you can accrue bank points, hotel points, and/or airline miles.

The easiest and most immediate way to earn a large number of points or miles is through credit card sign-up bonuses (SUBs).

As a thank you and a way to incentivize you to use their card, credit card issuers will usually give you a large number of points or miles after you meet the minimum spend. This refers to the minimum amount of money you need to spend in a certain amount of time (usually three months) in order to get the SUB.

Tip: It is often a good idea to wait and apply for a credit card when the SUB is higher than it usually is. This gives you more points usually for the same minimum spend.

Depending on when you travel and your destination, a SUB can usually be used to cover the cost of your flights when redeemed. For example, a 60k SUB can get you around $600 worth toward travel (it is easiest to think of 1pt=1 cent, thus 60,000 pts = around $600).

The other longer-term way to gain points is by using credit cards that give you points, miles, or cash back for every dollar you spend. This is why I encourage financially responsible people to use credit cards.

Each store or business is categorized by credit card companies for the service or products they provide. Categories include grocery/supermarket (Safeway, Foodland, etc), drug stores (Longs, CVS), restaurants, gas stations, and travel (Expedia, hotels.com, rental cars, plane tickets), amongst others.

To get the most back, evaluate where you spend money and use the credit card that will give you the most points or % back.

Ex. Use the Citi Premier for 3x pts or the Amex Gold for 4x pts for every dollar you spend at any grocery store (and restaurant).

Anyway, this is the basic idea of earning points and miles.

Happy Earning!