Every time I talk about using points and miles to travel more and spend less, I get a lot of pushback. People tell me that points and miles are just like money, they’re not easy to get, they only work in the U.S., and basically, they’re nonsense. For instance, I’ve heard things like, "Not everyone has miles or bonus points. I’m a travel writer, and I’ve never joined a frequent flyer program. I don’t have miles or points to redeem, and there are also people who might not have saved up enough points to fly entirely free."
Some people think it’s unfair to suggest using points and miles. But I don’t see it that way. To me, points and miles are free money. I don’t give up anything to get them. I see them as a reward for being smart about my spending. I know some of you see points and miles as having a time-related opportunity cost. But I don’t see them that way. They’re just something I get when I spend money that I would have spent anyway.
Some people think points and miles are a scam. They think there’s a catch. When they hear "free flights and hotel rooms," they assume it’s too good to be true. But that’s not the case. Collecting points and miles isn’t about getting only one point per dollar spent. It’s easy to get 2-5x and sometimes even up to 10x points for every dollar you spend.
I don’t see collecting points and miles as having a "cost" because I don’t spend extra money to earn them. To me, something has a cost when I give up money to get it. But you earn points and miles for everyday purchases that you would have bought anyway.
Yes, when booking flights with points and miles, there are taxes and fees that you must pay, but those still cost less than the price of a full ticket. And hotels don’t charge these fees, so the cost of them using points is literally zero.
People often point to high credit card fees, which can sometimes be hundreds of dollars per year. But premium credit cards come with perks and points-earning rates that outweigh the fees. For example, with my $550 USD per year Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get $300 USD in travel statement credit, 3x points on travel and restaurants, 10x points on Lyft, Global Entry, TSA Precheck, or NEXUS, purchase protection, a priority pass membership for lounge access, trip insurance, and monthly statement credits for DoorDash, Instacart.
There are also other travel credit cards with much lower annual fees to get started with, including cards with no fees at all. Points and miles are all about finding the best card(s) that work for your travel style and goals.
When I ask most people why they don’t get into points and miles, they just shrug their shoulders and say, "I don’t know. Seems hard, I guess." But that’s not true. If you pay your bills off each month and are reasonable with your money, not collecting points and miles is saying no to free money.
When you don’t collect and use points and miles, the only person you’re hurting is yourself. You’re not hurting the banks or the airlines. They’re in on the game. In my view, points and miles are something to be embraced. They reduce the cost of travel. Even if it takes you a year to earn a free flight, why not take the flight? One free flight is better than no free flights. Anything that saves money and reduces the cost of travel is something every traveler should do. Saying no to points and miles is saying yes to spending more money on travel — and why would you ever want to do that?
