Ever wondered how people fly for free? I do it every year using travel rewards, and you can too! Imagine jetting off on your dream vacation without paying a dime for your flight. Sounds too good to be true? Not if you know how to use travel rewards and points! With the right strategy, you can fly for free, score hotel stays, and enjoy VIP travel perks—all just by earning points on things you’re already spending money on.
What Are Travel Rewards & Points?
Imagine having a magical stash of free travel money just for doing things you already do—like buying groceries, paying bills, and grabbing your morning coffee. Many credit cards, airlines, and hotel chains offer loyalty programs that let you rack up points or miles, which you can turn into free flights, luxury upgrades, and even hotel stays.
How to Earn Travel Points Fast
1. Get a Travel Rewards Credit Card
This is hands down the fastest way to earn points! Some of the best options include:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred – Perfect for beginners and super flexible.
- Capital One Venture Rewards – Easy to use and no-nonsense.
- American Express Platinum – Ideal for frequent travelers who love perks.
2. Sign Up for a Travel Credit Card with a Huge Bonus
Many travel credit cards offer sign-up bonuses that can cover a free round-trip flight just for meeting a minimum spending requirement.
Top Travel Credit Cards with Big Bonuses:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred – Earn 60,000 points (worth ~$750 in travel) after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.
- Capital One Venture Rewards – Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in 3 months—enough for multiple domestic flights!
Pro Tip: Don’t sign up for multiple cards at once—start with one solid travel card and use it for everyday expenses to meet the spending requirement easily.
3. Put Everyday Purchases on Your Card
You don’t need to spend extra money to earn points—just use your travel card instead of cash or debit for everyday purchases:
- Groceries
- Gas
- Bills & Subscriptions
- Dining out
- Online Shopping
Groceries, gas, streaming subscriptions – charge it all to your rewards card and watch those points stack up! Just make sure to pay it off in full each month to avoid interest charges.
4. Use Airline & Hotel Shopping Portals
Most airlines have shopping and dining rewards portals where you can earn extra miles just by shopping at your favorite stores.
- Shop through airline portals (United, Delta, American Airlines) – Earn bonus miles for every dollar spent at stores like Target, Best Buy, and Apple.
- Join dining rewards programs – Link your card and earn miles whenever you eat at partner restaurants.
Pro Tip: Before you shop online, check if your airline's shopping portal offers bonus points—you could be earning miles on things you were going to buy anyway!
5. Take Advantage of Bonus Categories & Promotions
Want to supercharge your travel rewards? Try these hacks:
“Two-Player Mode” Travel Hacking – If you have a partner or spouse, both of you can sign up for the same travel card to double your points and share rewards.
Transfer Points to Airline Partners – Instead of booking through your credit card portal, transfer your points to airline partners for better redemption rates. (Example: Chase Ultimate Rewards ? United Airlines for a free international flight!)
Book Flights Using Stopovers for More Free Travel – Some airlines allow free stopovers, meaning you can visit an extra city for free before reaching your final destination. (Icelandair and Singapore Airlines are great for this!)
How to Turn Your Points into Free Flights
1. Book Through Your Credit Card's Travel Portal
Many credit cards have their own travel portals where you can book flights directly using your points.
2. Fly Off-Peak to Save Points
Flights cost fewer points when you avoid peak travel seasons. Midweek flights and shoulder seasons are golden!
3. Use Points + Cash If Needed
Short on points? No problem! Some programs let you combine points and cash to cover the cost of your flight.
How Many Points Do You Need for a Free Flight?
Wondering how many points you need to fly for free? Here’s a quick cheat sheet to help you out:
Destination | estimated miles needed | example airlines |
|---|---|---|
Domestic (USA) | 12,000-25,000 miles | Delta, Southwest, United |
Europe from the USA | 30,000 - 60,000 miles | American Airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways |
Asia from the USA | 40,000-80,000 miles | Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines, ANA |
Short-haul flights (1-2 hours) | 4,500-12,500 miles | JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, Frontier |
Many sign-up bonuses alone can cover a round-trip domestic flight! It depends on where you’re going and which airline you’re using, but here’s a rough guide:
-
Domestic Flight (USA) – 12,000 – 25,000 miles
Europe from the USA – 30,000 – 60,000 miles
Asia from the USA – 40,000 – 80,000 miles
Short-haul flights (1-2 hours) – 4,500 – 12,500 miles
Many sign-up bonuses alone can cover a round-trip domestic flight!
Pro Tips to Make the Most of Your Free Flights
Be flexible with your travel dates and destinations – This gives you access to the best deals!-
Stack rewards – Use a combination of airline miles, hotel points, and credit card perks for the ultimate savings.
Watch out for fees – Some airlines sneak in hefty fees when redeeming points. Do a little research to avoid unnecessary charges.
Ready to Take Off for Free?
Mastering travel rewards might take a little strategy, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be booking flights for next to nothing in no time! Whether you’re dreaming of a tropical beach escape or a European adventure, your next trip could be FREE!