I Teach People Tips to Travel for Free. Here's How They Earn 50% More in Points and Miles

I got my first credit card over three decades ago, as a college student. Since then, I’ve used credit cards to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel rewards. I began writing about cards and how to use them to fund travel in 2008, eventually turning it into my own business. 

Since then, I’ve figured out how to use credit card rewards for nearly all of my travel needs. Because all of my airfare and hotel rooms are free, I tend to travel a lot for both business and pleasure. We’re talking an average of two domestic trips a month, and at least one yearly overseas trip. 

Here’s how I cracked the code on free travel.

My formula for helping people earn free travel

When I schedule award travel consults, I ask my clients to send me a list of their household’s personal and small business credit cards, along with their balances of points and miles with airlines, hotels and credit card issuers. 

I also ask what they do for a living, what they spend money on and where they like to travel. 

I use all this information to formulate a custom credit card and award travel strategy. I then teach my clients how to earn the most points and miles from their credit cards and how to redeem their rewards efficiently. 

My tips to earn more rewards

Having completed several hundred of these consultations, I’ve found three ways that often help clients earn free travel rewards faster:

Use multiple credit cards to earn better rewards

Most of my clients have some interest in travel rewards and already have a popular card that earns travel rewards. They typically choose cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® because of their benefits and bonus points. 

What most fail to realize is that they shouldn’t be using this card for all of their spending, as they will likely earn just one point per dollar on purchases that don’t qualify for a bonus. 

Instead, they should have at least one card that they use for what I like to call “non-bonus” purchases. These are charges that don’t qualify for a bonus on any travel rewards card, including insurance payments, home improvement purchases, school tuition and medical bills. The ideal card for these purchases earns more than one point or mile per dollar spent. 

For someone with a Sapphire Reserve, for instance, I’d typically recommend a Chase Freedom Unlimited®. It offers 1.5 points per dollar spent on all purchases, giving them 50% more points than they would have earned otherwise. 

Transfer points to save more on travel

Many of my award travel consulting clients have already earned — and spent — hundreds of thousands of points but their miles are often redeemed inefficiently. 

For example, many believe that the best or only way to redeem their credit card rewards for travel is through the card issuer’s travel service. Yet doing so usually offers just one cent in value per point redeemed. 

Credit card rewards programs like Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou points, Capital One Miles and Wells Fargo Rewards each have airline and hotel transfer partners that can offer much better value than booking directly through the card issuer’s travel agency.

Most don’t realize that they can spend far fewer points by transferring their rewards to airline or hotel partners, which offers them more value per point. 

The value of airline transfer partners is even greater when you consider that you can redeem their miles for flights operated by their partners. 

For example, United is a transfer partner of the Chase Ultimate Rewards program and a member of the Star Alliance. That means you can transfer your Chase points to United and redeem those miles for flights on their numerous airline partners, such as Lufthansa, Air Canada, ANA and Air India. 

Caution: In addition to taxes, watch out for fuel surcharges when redeeming rewards for flights. Some airlines charge massive surcharges that can negate the value you’re receiving.

Take advantage of new account bonuses

Credit card issuers often offer new applicants a generous bonus when they open an account and meet the card’s minimum spending requirements. 

Yet many of my clients continue to use the same credit cards that they’ve had for years, believing that these offers are simply too good to be true. I tell them that I apply for a few new cards every year and earn several large bonuses while maintaining excellent credit. 

You should only apply for multiple credit cards so long as you’re able to manage them responsibly. Also, budget for any welcome bonuses you’re trying to earn. Overspending for the sake of a bonus would do more harm than good if you’re unable to pay off the amount required to earn it. 

Also, applying for a new credit card can temporarily lower your score, so keep that in mind if you need a higher score to qualify for a loan or mortgage.

Sometimes, cash is king

It’s not always the best strategy to use your points. If you have more travel needs than you have points, you should consider paying cash rather than redeeming your points for low-value options. Save your rewards for times when they go furthest, but don’t hoard them for years either.