The world of points and miles can be incredibly difficult to understand and navigate. The jargon alone can make even the simplest concepts confusing.
Which loyalty program is easiest to earn status with? What’s the best hotel program for earning free nights? What’s the actual best credit card to get (independent of what a blogger may earn in affiliate commissions)? Is mileage running worthwhile and what on earth is this “MS” everyone keeps talking about?
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll answer these questions and help you go from points novice to pro. Here’s everything you need to know about how to travel on points:
- Introduction to travel hacking
- Understanding points and miles
- How to earn points and miles
- 1. Set your points travel goal
- 2. Sign up for a new email account
- 3. Join airline and hotel loyalty programs
- 4. Use a point tracking tool
- 5. Get a rewards credit card
- 6. Complete credit card spending requirements
- 7. Earn points and miles with other financial products
- 8. Earn points and miles with debit cards
- 9. Earn points and miles on household spending
- 10. Maximize category bonuses
- 11. Earn miles with shopping portals
- 12. Sign up for dining rewards programs
- 13. Earn points and miles with survey sites
- 14. Leverage buying groups and retail arbitrage
- Earn elite status faster
- Learn about manufactured spending
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you travel for free with credit cards?
- What is the fastest way to get air miles?
- How to earn airline miles without flying?
- How many miles do you typically need for a free flight?
- What is hidden city travel hack?
- Can I pay my mortgage with a credit card?
- Which is the best hotel points program?
- How many hotel points for a free night?
Introduction to travel hacking
Travel hacking is the art of earning, redeeming, and maximizing points for nearly free travel. By strategically leveraging credit cards, airline miles and hotel points, travel hackers can save thousands of dollars on travel.
Have you ever stepped on a plane and walked past first class thinking, “I wish I could travel like that?” Travel hacking can help you get free airline flights (almost), deeply discounted hotels and upgraded travel without breaking the bank.
Related: Expedia Air Travel Hacks Report offers insight on scoring cheap flights
Understanding points and miles
Points and miles are rewards issued by different loyalty programs and redeemable for travel. Examples include airline miles, hotel points, credit card rewards and cash back. Each type of rewards currency has its own strengths and weaknesses. Here’s a look at each one to help you determine which one to collect:
- Credit Card points: The most flexible rewards, since they are transferable to airlines and hotels (e.g., Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points). Credit card points can also be redeemed for cash back or through designated travel portals. Their flexible use makes them the most valuable type of rewards currency.
- Airline miles: Earned through flying or co-branded credit cards (e.g., United MileagePlus, Delta SkyMiles, American AAdvantage). Airline miles are often used to book free flights and upgrades. However, they can also be used for things like rental cars and hotel bookings.
- Hotel points: Earned through hotel stays or credit cards (e.g., Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt). Hotel points can be used for free nights and room upgrades. They can also be converted to airline miles, though the conversion rate isn’t favorable in most cases.
- Cash back rewards: Cash back rewards are the simplest rewards currency and their value is straightforward. Most cash back cards earn 1-2% on all purchases, with added category bonuses rewarding up to 5%. If you want to keep it simple and have flexibility, get a cash back card. However, if you want to redeem rewards for luxury travel, these cards might not be for you.
If you want to travel with points, flexibility is key. So you should ideally have a mix of points, miles and cash back. That way, you have plenty of options when it comes time to booking.
How do airline miles work?
Airline miles are a type of reward currency earned through airline loyalty programs. Travelers accumulate miles by flying with a specific airline or its partners, using co-branded credit cards, shopping through airline portals, dining programs, or other promotions. These miles can then be redeemed for free or discounted flights, seat upgrades, hotel stays, and other travel-related perks.
The value of airline miles varies depending on the airline, route, and redemption method. Generally, the best value comes from using miles for long-haul or premium cabin flights.
Some airlines use a fixed award chart, while others have dynamic pricing, meaning the number of miles required fluctuates based on demand. To maximize benefits, travelers should strategically earn and redeem miles by taking advantage of promotions and transfer partnerships.
Related: Life lessons I’ve learned from travel hacking
How to earn points and miles
Getting started with points and miles is easier than it seems. It really comes down to three steps:
- Figure out what you want to do with your points
- Determine how many points you need
- Earn the required points
Too simple? Below is a 14-step guide to earning points and miles.
1. Set your points travel goal
Before diving into the world of points and miles, it’s important to set a points goal. Whether it’s a luxury first-class experience or a family vacation on a budget, having a clear goal will shape your strategy. Determine the destinations, preferred airlines or hotel chains, and the class of service you desire. Here are some things to consider when setting your points travel goals:
- Where you want to travel: Where you want to go will determine which rewards you should earn. Some points programs are ideal for domestic travel while others are better for international destinations.
- The type of travel you want to book: Are you looking to fly first class or do you want to get someplace fast and cheap? The number of miles you need to save up will vary greatly, so be sure to figure this out ahead of time.
- How many people you’re collecting points and miles for: If you’re a solo traveler, earning enough miles for a flight is much easier than if you’re saving up for a family vacation.
- How much work are you willing to put into this hobby: Do you plan on researching every loyalty program and finding the best sweet spot redemptions? Or do you want to keep points travel as simple as possible? If you’re in the latter boat, you might be better off collecting a flexible rewards currency like Chase Ultimate Rewards, or opting for cash back rewards.
Once you’ve answered these questions, be sure to read up about some point-chasing goals and principles.
2. Sign up for a new email account
Since you’ll be receiving emails from many different programs, it’s best to keep a separate email account and use it for your frequent flier and loyalty program registrations.
I also like to keep emails from different loyalty programs in designated folders for easy access, which makes it easy to keep track of offers.
Related: How travel hacking changed my life
3. Join airline and hotel loyalty programs
If you’re a complete newbie, you might need to join airline and hotel loyalty programs. Sometimes, it makes sense to wait until a program offers a special offer before joining.
Popular hotel loyalty programs
There are six major hotel loyalty programs you should consider joining. Each program has thousands of popular hotels in its portfolio, across hundreds of destinations worldwide.
You can fully commit to one program or simply stay with whichever hotel offers the lowest rates. Whichever option you choose, you’ll need your loyalty program number to earn points.
- Choice Privilege Club – Join
- Hilton HHonors – Join
- IHG One Rewards – Join
- Marriott Bonvoy – Join
- World of Hyatt – Join
- Wyndham Rewards – Join
Popular airline loyalty programs
When signing up for airline loyalty programs, you want to make sure you’re earning miles in the big three airline alliances: Oneworld, SkyTeam and Star Alliance.
The main U.S.-based airline programs are your best place to start. Alaska Airlines MileagePlan is a popular program for its wide partner network and reasonable redemption rates.
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan – Join (Oneworld Alliance
- American Airlines AAdvantage – Join (Oneworld Alliance)
- Delta Skymiles – Join (SkyTeam Alliance)
- United Airlines MileagePlus – Join (Star Alliance)
Once you understand the basics of airline loyalty programs, you should expand to foreign frequent flyer programs. Many offer lower redemption rates than their American counterparts. You can often credit miles from U.S. airlines to their foreign counterparts at favorable rates (depending on your fare class).
Related: 5 ways I’m earning points and miles these days
4. Use a point tracking tool
Tracking loyalty program balances is key to avoiding expirations. AwardWallet is a point tracking tool that makes this incredibly easy. It’s free to use, though you can also upgrade to a paid version that offers features. You can use AwardWallet to track your point balances and expiration dates. AwardWallet will send you a notice when your points or free night certificates are about to expire.
I’ve personally saved thousands of points from expiration thanks to this tool. In addition to your own points, AwardWallet lets you track account balances for family members. It’s an absolute must if you’re the point person (no pun intended) in your family and want an easy and accurate way to track everyone’s points.
I’ve been using AwardWallet for over a decade to keep track of my family’s points. The tool has even helped me learn about account breaches, like when hackers got into my Radisson Rewards account and wiped out my point balance. I wouldn’t have caught wind of it without a balance notice from AwardWallet.
You can join AwardWallet for free and if you use my referral link, I’ll earn some points and premium subscriptions (thanks for the support!).
5. Get a rewards credit card
Credit cards are a central component of a good points and miles strategy. There are lots of great rewards credit cards to choose from, depending on your spending habits and travel goals. If you’re looking for airline perks, an airline credit card is your best bet. Want hotel elite status?
All the major hotel loyalty programs have one or more co-branded cards to meet your needs. If you want more flexibility in terms of redeeming points, a transferrable rewards card is your best bet. These cards earn flexible rewards that you can transfer to both hotel and loyalty programs, depending on your needs. Lastly, cash-back cards can be a great way to diversify your rewards portfolio and simplify it.
- Airline credit cards: Best for those who want to earn miles and perks with a specific airline. Airline credit cards often provide benefits like free checked bags, discounts on in-flight purchases, companion passes, elite status credits and other perks.
- Hotel credit cards: Co-branded hotel credit cards are great if you want to earn a quick elite status boost with your favorite hotel chain. Most hotel cards provide low or mid-tier elite status, providing useful perks like bonus points and room upgrades during hotel stays. Most hotel cards also provide an annual free night award to justify the annual fee.
- Transferrable rewards credit cards: Credit cards that earn transferrable rewards are great for everyone. They provide the utmost flexibility, allowing you to convert your points to airline miles, hotel points or redeem them for travel bookings at a favorable rate. Examples include cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, American Express Gold and Capital One Venture Card.
- Cash-back credit cards: While cash-back isn’t as valuable as points, cash-back cards are great for those seeking simplicity. Most cash-back cards have no annual fee and either offer a flat-rate structure (i.e. 2% cash back on everything) or rotating bonuses (i.e. 5% cash back on the first $1,500 spent quarterly). Some of the best cash-back credit cards include the Citi Double Cash, Chase Freedom Unlimited and Capital One Savor Card.
After choosing a rewards card, look into applying for business cards next. Business cards have different requirements and typically offer some of the highest welcome bonuses. So it’s worth looking into, if you want to increase your points and miles balance.
Related: My 2025 credit card strategy
6. Complete credit card spending requirements
Completing credit card spending requirements will trigger welcome bonuses that you can redeem towards future travel. While it can be challenging for beginners in the points and miles space to spend thousands of dollars over the course of a few months, it gets easy.
When you’re meeting credit card spending requirements, make sure to avoid falling into a debt trap. Use the card only for your necessary expenses and avoid using it for purchases you can’t pay off immediately.
7. Earn points and miles with other financial products
Did you know you can earn points and miles with brokerage accounts and by opening checking accounts? You do now.
Keep in mind that the points you earn with these accounts may be taxable.
Related: Here’s how to transfer Hyatt awards to someone else
8. Earn points and miles with debit cards
There are still a few debit cards that earn points and miles. These debit cards can be a great alternative for folks who don’t qualify for credit cards or simply don’t want to use them. Debit cards are a safer alternative, as you can only spend what’s in your account.
Just keep in mind that point-earning debit cards generally earn fewer rewards and incur fees when you use them abroad.
9. Earn points and miles on household spending
One of the easiest ways to earn lots of points is to maximize household spending and leverage large purchases. You can do this by setting all of your household bills to auto-pay with your new credit card.
This strategy not only helps in accumulating points but also ensures timely payments, potentially boosting your credit score.
Related: My Amex Gold to Platinum upgrade
10. Maximize category bonuses
When choosing a credit card, you hopefully picked one or more that best suits your spending habits. Many credit cards offer bonus points for specific spending categories such as dining, travel, or gas stations.
Familiarize yourself with your credit card’s bonus categories and use the appropriate card for each purchase to maximize your earnings. Some cards also have rotating quarterly categories; activate and utilize them as applicable.
11. Earn miles with shopping portals
Numerous airlines and hotels have online shopping portals that offer bonus points or miles for purchases made through their links. Before shopping online, check if your loyalty program has a portal and access your desired retailer through it.
Better yet, use a shopping portal aggregator like Cashback Monitor to find the highest-paying portal for specific merchants.
Related: How to get approved for a Capital One credit card
12. Sign up for dining rewards programs
Every major loyalty program has a dining rewards program that lets you earn bonus points at participating restaurants. All you have to do is register your credit card with one of these programs and automatically earn rewards when using that card at restaurants within the program network.
Many of these programs even offer first-dine bonuses, plus extra rewards for completing reviews and other activities. This is an easy way to put your point-earning activity on autopilot.
13. Earn points and miles with survey sites
Sites like E-Rewards allow you to earn points for surveys, which can take 10-30 minutes to complete. Many survey sites even offer bonus miles and points when you join and complete your first survey.
14. Leverage buying groups and retail arbitrage
If you want to earn lots of points for travel, you might want to look into buying groups and retail arbitrage. Both methods require research and organization, but they can be very lucrative.
I know folks who earn thousands of dollars a month in addition to points by leveraging buying groups and retail arbitrage. These methods offer a great way to earn lots of points and complete spending requirements while generating a cash profit or breaking even.
Related: Why Hyatt Privé is a must for anyone without elite status
Earn elite status faster
Loyalty programs reward frequent travelers with elite status, which include perks like free upgrades, bonus points and freebies. Some credit cards even let you earn status via credit card spending while others issue it outright.
By fast-tracking your way to hotel elite status, you can have a much more comfortable travel experience, get perks like free hotel breakfast and even free meals.
Meanwhile, airline elite status can help you secure seat upgrades, free checked bags and airport lounge access.
Learn about manufactured spending
One of the most lucrative ways to earn points and miles for travel is through manufactured spending. Manufactured spending involves earning points via gift card churning: Basically, you buy Visa And Mastercard Gift Cards, then liquidate them via money orders. You then deposit the money orders into your bank account and use it to pay off your credit card balance.
Does it sound like money laundering? Yes. But manufactured spending is perfectly legal. Some banks crack down on manufactured spending activity, so proceed with caution. For example, American Express is known to claw back credit card sign-up bonuses that were earned via gift card purchases. Manufactured spending is a risky way to earn points and miles but it can be rewarding. Be sure to read the manufactured spending resources for beginners to learn more.
- Newbie Guide To Manufactured Spending: Walmart Money Orders
- Newbie Guide To Manufactured Spending: American Express gift cards
- Newbie Guide To Manufactured Spending: American Express for Target
- Newbie Guide To Manufactured Spending: Green Dot MoneyPak
- Newbie Guide To Manufactured Spending: REloadit cards
- Newbie Guide To Manufactured Spending: Paypal My Cash Reload Card
- Newbie Guide To Manufactured Spending: Vanilla Reload Cards
- Newbie Guide To Manufactured Spending: How to cash out prepaid cards
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you travel for free with credit cards?
You can’t travel for free with credit cards, but you can save substantially by redeeming travel rewards. Most ward flights incur taxes and fees, starting at $5.60 and going well over $1,000 depending on the carrier and flight.
What is the fastest way to get air miles?
The fastest way to get airline miles is to transfer them from a credit card rewards program. You can also buy miles and earn them via flights and other travel activities.
How to earn airline miles without flying?
You can earn airline miles without flying by signing up for rewards credit cards and meeting the spending requirement. You can also earn miles through shopping portals, dining rewards programs and retail partnerships.
How many miles do you typically need for a free flight?
How many miles you need for a flight depends on where you’re flying, the miles you’re using and the cabin you want to book (i.e. economy, business, or first class). Short-haul domestic flights cost as little as 1,800 miles each way while international first class can cost over 200,000 each way.
What is hidden city travel hack?
The hidden city travel hack involves booking a cheaper flight with a layover at your real destination and skipping the final leg. This works because airlines sometimes price connecting flights lower than direct ones. However, airlines can penalize you for doing this, including canceling return flights or shutting down your frequent flyer account.
Can I pay my mortgage with a credit card?
You can pay your mortgage with a credit card through third-party services like Plastiq, but you will pay a fee. You can pay your rent fee-free with the Bilt credit card
Which is the best hotel points program?
The best hotel points program depends on your travel preferences. The World of Hyatt program is a popular option thanks to low award redemption rates and luxury properties worldwide. The Hilton Honors program is also one of the best, since it issues top-tier elite status to credit cardholders and offers generous bonus point promotions.
How many hotel points for a free night?
The number of hotel points for a free night depends on the program and hotel. World of Hyatt free night awards start at just 3,500 points, while Hilton Honors free nights start at 5,000. Top-tier luxury properties can cost up to 137,000 Hyatt points and well over 150,000 Hilton points.
I would use the gift card from Carlson at the Aruba Radisson, my favorite place to vacation !
This is a great guide. I found myself signing up for many things and managing the digital login info has become a large task. May I suggest an addition to the Beginner’s Guide?
Sign up for a password management account. This way all usernames and passwords are stored in one location and can be accessed anywhere. There are many free sites/services that exist.
Thanks for the tip, Anthony! I don’t use any password management accounts, so I can’t really recommend one. Please feel free to leave your own recommendation in the comment section.
I’ve used securesafe for many years for mostly business and personal passwords. Now that I’m obsessed with chasing mile and points its adds a more complex layer of needs so I’m progressing to google docs which can be accessed via desktop and mobile platforms while utilizing the 2-step authentication for added security
After using securesafe and then google docs to save passwords, I have progressed to 1password. So much faster using this. I manager 5 bluebirds, and multiple miles/point programs/credit cards for more than one individual.
Dashlane is pretty good!!
is there a way to earn points/rewards when paying my mortgage?
There is! Please see this post: https://www.pointchaser.com/guide/earn-points-mortgage-rent-payments/
If I apply for 3 credit cards and my credit score lowers by 12-15 points, how long before my score goes back up 12-15 points?
In the next couple of months (as your new credit line gets reported), your score will jump back up.
I have Amex Business Sky Miles Gold and Amex Starwood Preferred Guest cards. I’m thinking of applying for another 1 or 2 Amex cards. What would you suggest?
I’d pick up an SPG Amex Business card, since those points are valuable and hard to come by. I also like the new Amex Everyday cards. It’s all about what you’re trying to use your points for.
Hi, I’ve been reading your posts for a while and find lots of valuable information. This guide is awesome. However, the 20-25 links are not clickable and the resources link gives me error. Do you mind to update that please? Thanks a lot.
Thanks for letting me know Bea. It’s been a while since this page was updated, so I didn’t realize it had so many errors.
Ariana,
Is there a email Id I could email you my question
Yes, you can email me at ariana at pointchaser.com
Ariana,
The best blog with good tips ever.more power to you!!!Anyway,I’m a newbie in CC world esp.with points and millage. With my family getting bigger I think I have to be wise.Well at least I realized it after 36 yrs.lol!.Enough of this.Can you pls recommend the best cc to use to buy tickets to Philippines. I already have chase saphire and freedom card.But as of now I only have 40,000 points.We are planning to travel by June and I want to buy tickets maybe next next week. I hope you can help me.regards!
Hi Ariana,
Great blog! I’ve been using some of the groups you mentioned for some time, great way to get those travel points 🙂 there’s another group that I use that I didn’t see here, they are called U Earn Points, I feel like them and BFMR have the fastest payouts out of the several that I use.
So glad to hear it! I haven’t tried U Earn Points but I’ll look into it and update the Buying Group guide. Thank you for sharing!