Travel Hacking with Credit Cards
Traveling for free (or almost free) is achievable with strategic credit card use. Here’s how to leverage credit cards for significant travel savings:
1. Reap the Bonus:
- Many travel cards offer a large sign-up bonus in points or miles after meeting a spending requirement within a few months. This initial boost can fund a free flight or hotel stay.
- Important: Apply strategically! Space out applications to avoid harming your credit score. Aim for one new card per year.
2. Utilize Travel Credits and Perks:
- Certain travel cards provide annual statement credits towards travel expenses (flights, hotels).
- Hotel cards may offer free nights upon reaching spending thresholds or account anniversaries.
- Some airline cards come with perks like free companion tickets, checked bags, or travel expense credits.
3. Earn Rewards on Everyday Purchases:
- Travel reward cards give points/miles for every purchase, often with bonus rates for travel-related spending.
- By maximizing your everyday spending on these cards, you can accumulate rewards for free travel.
4. Redeem Rewards for Travel:
- You typically get the most value by redeeming points/miles for travel purchases like flights and hotels.
- Redeem points through the card issuer’s travel portal, transfer them to airline/hotel loyalty programs, or get reimbursed for past travel purchases.
- Redeem rewards frequently to avoid potential devaluation over time.
5. Consider Booking Through Issuer Portals:
- Many card issuers offer online travel portals for booking flights, hotels, and car rentals.
- These portals may grant bonus rewards for using them, and sometimes offer a higher redemption value for your points/miles.
Here are some top credit cards to consider for free travel:
Here are more detailed features of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
- Member FDIC
- Overall: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Airline: JetBlue Plus Card
- Hotel: Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®
- Free Hotel Nights: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (IHG), Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Hilton)
- Free Airline Flights: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card (Southwest), Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® (American Airlines)
Remember: While credit cards can significantly reduce travel costs, they might not cover everything. However, with the right strategy, you can unlock amazing travel experiences at a fraction of the price!
Compare the top Excellent Credit Card Offers - CreditSoup Balance Transfer Cards
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Also, I get commissions for purchases or applications made through links in this post. View our full Advertiser Disclosure Here