I’m a big believer in the power of collecting points and miles. It’s a game changer for my travels, saving me a ton of money over time. How? By signing up for travel credit cards, you can rack up points and miles that you can then use for free flights, hotel stays, and more, without spending an extra dime. It’s like getting more bang for your buck.
Over time, I’ve enjoyed numerous free upgrades, flights, hotel stays, and other perks, all without spending extra. This points and miles game has opened up the world to me, and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s made a huge difference in my travels.
And it’s not just a US thing. Points and miles are available worldwide, including Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.
I’ve been in the points and miles game for years, and I’ve seen many beginners make mistakes that affect their ability to travel for free or cheap. Here are the most common mistakes I see, so you can avoid them and make your travel dollar stretch further:
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Not Starting at All: Many people don’t collect points and miles because they think it’s too complicated, it’s only for frequent travelers or big spenders, or it’s a scam. But avoiding the points and miles game is a big mistake. It’s like saying no to free money. If you pay off your credit card each month, you’re missing out if you’re not earning points and miles.
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Not Having a Goal: Before you sign up for your first card, decide what you want to achieve. Think about the trip you want to take, where you want to stay, and how you want to get there. Then choose the travel credit cards that will help you reach your goal. Without a goal, you won’t know which card is best for you.
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Not Getting Cards with an Annual Fee: Many people are put off by high credit card fees. But cards with annual fees usually offer more value, better bonus categories, and other perks. For me, even the cards with the highest annual fees are worth it, as I’ve saved more on travel than I’ve spent on fees.
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Not Meeting Signup Bonuses: The best travel cards offer a big introductory offer or sign-up bonus. This is when you earn many points at once by spending a certain amount of money within a certain time period after opening your account. These bonuses are super important, as they boost your account and get you closer to a free flight or hotel stay.
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Not Paying Off Your Credit Cards Monthly: This is a key rule of credit card use. Don’t carry a balance on these cards, as the high interest rates will cancel out any potential benefit you’d get from them.
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Thinking That Points Have Intrinsic Value: It’s important to understand that one point will go further in some programs than others. The value of a point is not fixed. It is not the same across programs.
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Not Maximizing Bonus Categories: It’s never about getting only one mile or point per dollar spent. It’s easy to get 2-5x (or more!) for every dollar you spend. This helps you earn points much more quickly.
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Not Taking Advantage of Card Benefits and Perks: Collecting points and miles is not just about just getting points and miles. It’s also about what else comes with the card that can make your life and travels easier.
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Not Getting Transferable Points: Transferable points are those that you can transfer to different programs. These are at the heart of every good points and miles strategy.
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Hoarding Your Points: Many people, once they amass some points, are afraid to use them at all. But points burning a hole in your virtual pocket aren’t going to help you. Points are meant to be used.
It’s never been easier to earn free flights, hotel stays, and other travel perks. And while there are some common mistakes to avoid and the learning curve can seem steep, once you get started, it all comes into focus quickly, and you’ll be wondering why you didn’t start sooner. As long as you make concrete goals, pay off your bill each month, and focus your spending on the right card(s), you’ll be able to enjoy time-saving perks and free travel in no time — and all just by spending the money you would have spent anyway!
