Getting Started w/ Miles & Points

Earning miles and points is not limited to frequent travelers. In fact, the millions of points I have earned over the years have not come from flying on a plane or staying in hotels. In the past few years, I’ve taken six international trips and a dozen mainland trips booked solely on points. Here are some ways to get started.

 

Set Travel Goals

There are two schools of thought when it comes to earning miles and points: focus on a travel goal and earn enough points to achieve that goal, or earn from various programs that offer the best promotions or bonuses to diversify your points. I subscribe to both as I think it’s important to focus on your specific goal while diversifying your points in case goals change later on. For example, my Round The World trip was booked primarily on Delta, but they couldn’t book one leg of the trip due to blackout dates on a partner airline, thus having United miles helped resolve that issue.

Some things to think about when setting your travel goals include:

  • Where do I want to visit?

  • What airlines will get me to my destination?

  • How many miles are required? Am I able to book miles from my frequent flyer program on a partner airline?

  • Where do I want to stay? How many points are required at the various hotel chains?

  • How many points are required to cover transportation? Will I be renting a car or using buses, taxis or trains?

  • Are there activities available that I can book on points?

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Doing the research to answer these questions may take some time, but hopefully my trip reports and future travel tips will offer some help to set and achieve your travel goals.

 

Sign Up For Miles & Points Programs

Delta and Hawaiian have been my go-to airlines for years. Only recently have I signed up for more programs depending on my travel goals. Here’s a list of some of the programs you can sign up for to help you achieve your travel goals.

 

Earning Miles & Points

As I mentioned before, I earn a lot of points using a variety of programs. Here are my top 5 ways I earn points.

  • Credit Card Sign-up Bonuses

    • This is by far the best way to earn a large number of points quickly. HOWEVER, I do not recommend anyone doing this without first understanding a few things:

      • Know your personal credit score and review your credit report. Generally, applying for reward credit cards require a high credit score. This number varies per person, but a good score is usually above 700.

      • Be familiar with financial aspects that affect your credit score, such as your credit utilization ratio, hard credit inquiries, length of credit history, payment history, types of accounts, etc.

      • ALWAYS pay your credit card in full each month, as carrying a balance and paying fees will negate the value of points you earn.

      • Be super organized. Know all important dates and deadlines for payments, annual fees or sign-up bonuses.

      • If you’re applying for a large loan, such as a mortgage, applying for many credit cards within a year or two of the application or carrying credit card debt may affect your mortgage approval.

  • Credit Card Everyday Spending

    • I put almost all my expenses on credit cards and many of my cards earn bonus category points, like 2x on dining, 3x on travel, or 5x at office supply stores. I make a conscious effort to use the right cards at the right stores, so I put a label on my cards to remind me which ones have bonus categories.

  • Online Shopping Portals

    • Before shopping online, go to a portal first and click on the link to your store. It’s an additional step, but the extra points are worth it. There are also promotions throughout the year like “Back to School” or “Holiday” bonus campaigns.

  • Dining Rewards Network

    • Earn miles for eating at restaurants listed in the program. Not bad for just eating out.

  • Partner Programs

    • Each program has partners such as car rental agencies, survey/opinion companies, flower or wine vendors, and others. I consider participating depending on the cost and how much time and effort it’ll take.

    • A few programs I want to highlight individually include:

 

Redeeming Miles & Points

Once you’ve earned the points, you can now redeem them to achieve your travel goals. Some people like to maximize value by redeeming for First Class cabins or luxury hotels. I believe that people should redeem their points for whatever makes them happy, whether it’s for aspirational travel in luxurious locations or economical travel in modest accommodations.

 

The Final Word…

Earning and redeeming miles and points takes time and effort, but I firmly believe the rewards are worth it. I recently achieved my travel goal of traveling around the world, and I still have more travels to come. Anyone can do it, as evidenced by my family who traveled around the world with me.

I’ll go in to more details about earning and redeeming points. In the meantime, this is a good place to start.