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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:

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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:

1. Figure out what you want to do with your points
2. Determine how many points you need
3. 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