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Once we have been full-time RVing, we nonetheless cherished taking to the skies and heading on far-off adventures. That included flying to RV overseas in international locations like New Zealand and Italy. Now that we’ve obtained two youngsters in tow, we’re nonetheless part-time touring and taking our household everywhere in the world.
We may by no means have afforded a lot journey in our grownup lives if it wasn’t for “journey hacking.”
Journey Hacking
Journey hacking is the place you be a part of rewards packages to earn and redeem factors that prevent cash on holidays. This implies saving on airways, motels, rental vehicles, and so on.
We’re not speaking about cashing in factors to avoid wasting 10% if you e-book by way of a reward program (which is widespread and by no means price it), however the sort of factors that may enable your partner to fly wherever with you free of charge. Heath and I’ve completed this for nearly a decade!
My dad and mom have used Southwest’s reward program for years to fly free of charge, but it surely wasn’t till we met our good friend Chris Guillebeau—who visited each nation on the planet through journey hacking—that Heath and I obtained critical about utilizing these strategies ourselves.
I’m going to stipulate a couple of of the very best methods we’ve earned factors and share with you the cool methods we’ve redeemed them. This put up is fairly prolonged so click on on one of many hyperlinks beneath to skip forward to the components chances are you’ll be all in favour of:
Tips on how to Fly for Free
Tips on how to Fly for Free Internationally
Tips on how to Keep for Free
Tips on how to Rating Low cost Flights
Caveat: The quickest, best option to earn factors for journey hacking is thru bank cards. When you’re horrible at managing bank cards or have accrued bank card debt, this technique shouldn’t be for you.
Tips on how to Fly For Free (Domestically)
I’m an enormous Southwest Airways fan. They’re pleasant and useful, and so they by no means cost you for canceling your flight or altering your reservation. Plus, our luggage fly free, which might actually add up with different airways. Once we fly home, they’re our most well-liked airline.
Southwest has a rewards program referred to as Fast Rewards the place you possibly can redeem factors for flights. You earn factors in a couple of alternative ways: by flying Southwest, by buying on-line by way of their hyperlinks, or by renting vehicles or reserving motels with their companions. However the best and quickest means is thru their bank cards.
We use three Southwest Fast Rewards bank cards: the Plus and the Premier, supplied by way of Chase, in addition to a enterprise bank card.
Since we signed up for these playing cards throughout bonus durations, right here’s a snapshot of what we earned:
The Plus
- 50,000 bonus factors after spending a minimal of $1,000 in your first 3 months
- 3,000 factors on our anniversary yearly
- 2 factors per greenback spent on Southwest Airways and companions
- 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases
- $69 annual payment
The Premier
- 50,000 bonus factors after spending a minimal of $2,000 in your first 3 months
- 6,000 factors on our anniversary yearly
- 2 factors per greenback spent on Southwest Airways and companions
- 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases
- $99 annual payment
The most important factor with signing up for a journey reward bank card is that you just join throughout a bonus interval or use a referral hyperlink. You may earn round 25,000 factors if you join usually, however for those who look forward to a bonus interval or join by way of our referral, you possibly can earn as much as 80K bonus factors anytime. (Bonus factors differ primarily based on the kind of CC you select/present promotion.)
We signed up for the plus and the premier playing cards on the similar time, which can not make sense on paper. But it surely meant we earned 100,000 factors virtually immediately, setting us for much more rewards.
The Companion Go
Southwest provides one thing each different airline NEEDS. It’s what they name the companion move.
Right here’s the way it works:
If you earn 125,000 factors in a single calendar 12 months, you might be given “companion standing.”
This implies which you could fly one particular person with you wherever free of charge till the tip of the subsequent calendar 12 months. This is the reason you wish to apply for each bank cards above in the identical calendar 12 months. You’re virtually assured to hit companion standing! And for those who do that early within the 12 months, you possibly can have companion standing for nearly two full years!
When you hit the 125,000 mark, Southwest sends you an e-mail letting you realize that:
- You’re clearly superior and
- It’s good to designate who you wish to fly with you. You may change this particular person as much as 3 instances whereas your companion move is legitimate.
We’d pay for Heath’s flight in factors (we had a lot!) and mine was practically free. We now have to pay $5.60 per leg, which is the US authorities tax for home flights. (The associated fee could also be extra for those who take a world flight, for instance to Mexico, when there are extra charges and taxes concerned.)
To save cash on home flights, Southwest is the very best place to begin. I can’t suggest it sufficient.
There’s just one small con: They don’t fly in all places, like an American or United. They fly to most main airports and expanded to extra of Mexico and the Caribbean, however you’re undoubtedly taking a look at a trip on this hemisphere.
Tips on how to Fly For Free Internationally
We’ve been dreaming of RVing overseas since we hit all 50 states. This is the reason we signed up for Delta SkyMiles American Categorical card.
Skymiles is identical sort of program as Southwest’s Fast Rewards. You earn miles by flying Delta, reserving motels and leases by way of companions, buying by way of their portal, and making use of for his or her bank card.
Disclaimer: Once I say we earn miles, this doesn’t imply literal miles. Delta “factors” are referred to as “miles.” Once we flew from Anchorage to Austin, which is 4,000 literal miles, we earned roughly 1,000 Skymiles. When you’re flying 3,000 miles from LA to NYC, your flight doesn’t price 3,000 miles, extra like 30,000. Miles is only a fancy-sounding phrase for factors.
Listed here are the main points from once we signed up:
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- 60,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 within the first three months
- A $50 assertion credit score for those who make a Delta buy in your first three months
- 2 miles per greenback spent on Delta
- 1 mile per greenback on all the pieces else you spend
- Baggage fly free (saving you $50 a flight)
- Precedence boarding
- No annual payment for the primary 12 months, then $95
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Delta adjustments their bonus mile choices usually and from what I’ve seen, they provide as much as 70,000 miles max, normally throughout a bonus interval or by way of a referral hyperlink like ours. It’s fairly arduous to catch them on an excellent promotion, however completely price it.
The 60,000 miles we earned is the bottom price of a round-trip flight to Europe from America. Their regular bonus of 30,000 miles is a one-way flight to Europe. Both means, you’re taking a look at saving a whole lot or nicely over a thousand {dollars}.
Previously 12 months, we earned practically 200K factors, protecting round-trip flights to New Zealand and Italy. All now we have to pay is our authorities taxes, that are typically a few hundred {dollars} per particular person relying on the nation you fly to.
We’ve flown Delta a couple of instances domestically since becoming a member of Skymiles as nicely and actually take pleasure in it. Generally they’ve a cart of snacks on the gate ready for you, plus, we get to board early. To not point out simply having the cardboard means we by no means need to pay for our luggage. I’m a fan. In addition they have a companion move on the Platinum card, but it surely’s for one flight a 12 months, not each flight like Southwest. We’ve truly by no means used our Delta companion move now that I consider it…we have to take benefit!
The most important con with Delta is that it’s an American Categorical card, which many small companies don’t settle for. Once we journey overseas, we’ve seen that it’s actually finest to carry a Visa or Mastercard as a result of you need to use it in all places.
You may be taught extra about Delta’s SkyMiles program and their Amex card right here.
These are our two huge hacks to fly free of charge.
However there’s nonetheless one different hefty expense throughout journey: lodging.
Tips on how to Keep For Free
I like motels. There’s one thing about falling right into a lodge mattress that’s extremely stress-free.
Heath and I are members of just about each lodge reward program. That’s as a result of becoming a member of these lodge reward packages is free (becoming a member of most airline reward packages can also be free!). We now have accounts with Selection Lodges, IHG, Marriott, and Hilton.
However we’ve solely had the bank cards for IHG, Marriott, and Hilton.
I discover lodge teams significantly complicated since a bunch can have a dozen completely different manufacturers of motels beneath their umbrella. For instance, nobody is aware of what IHG means. It’s Intercontinental Resort Group. They cowl Vacation Inn, Kimpton, Crowne, Staybridge, Candlewood, and so forth.
Principally, irrespective of the place you’re going, there’s most likely an IHG lodge. Then there’s Hilton, which owns Doubletree, Embassy, Homewood, Hampton and extra. Marriott is at the very least fairly good at tagging on “by Marriott” on the finish of all of their motels, however IHG and Selection by no means make it clear which motels they personal.
(And people are certainly not the one lodge chains on the market, simply a few of the greater ones.)
We’re in all of the packages and have three lodge bank cards: IHG and Marriott, each supplied by Chase, and Hilton, by American Categorical. We’ve gotten a number of free lodge nights with every card. Marriott used to provide annual free nights however stopped a couple of years in the past. Hilton factors landed us three free last-minute nights in London in June, however that used up all our sign-up bonus factors. With IHG, I’ve most likely gotten 20 free nights. I’ve had it the longest, however on the whole their factors go longer than another lodge model.
Of the three, IHG is my favourite.
Right here’s what we obtained once we signed up for the IHG Rewards Membership Credit score Card:
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- 70,000 bonus factors if you spend $2,000 in your first three months
- 1 free anniversary night time annually
- Earn 5 factors per greenback spent on IHG motels
- Earn 2 factors per greenback spent at fuel stations, grocery shops, & eating places
- Automated platinum elite standing
- $0 payment for the primary 12 months, then $49
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These bonuses have modified so much since we signed up, particularly your elite standing and the annual payment. When you use our referral hyperlink, you possibly can rise up 140,000 bonus factors (and see their present promotion interval advantages as these change usually).
This 12 months (2022) IHG has completed a large overhaul of its advantages, so I’m questioning if the cardboard will nonetheless be price it sooner or later. However for those who get the 140,000 bonus factors at sign-up, that’s practically two weeks of free lodge nights, which is the very best bonus I’ve ever seen on a lodge card.
Proper now, the free anniversary night time annually is why I’ve had this card for nearly a decade. The annual bank card payment is means decrease than the price of a lodge night time! They’re phasing out that profit, although.
Lodges run wherever from 10K factors to 40K factors an evening (in my expertise), so for those who select proper, your factors can final some time. You will get simply eight free nights between the bonus factors and the free night time you’re given only for hitting the minimal spend on the cardboard. That’s your total week-long trip paid for.
Right here’s the hidden better part: By incomes 75,000 factors, which you’ll simply do after hitting the minimal spend, you earn elite standing. We hit the “Spite Elite standing” once we first signed up.
Spire Elite standing has gotten us upgrades at each lodge go to. Not simply “Right here’s a complimentary bottle of water” (which sure, they do offer you), however I’m speaking concerning the candy upgrades. Virtually each time we keep at an IHG lodge, we’ve been upgraded to suites and even had entry to government lounges with free snacks. We don’t e-book or pay for suites. We pay for the most cost effective room they’ve, however with our standing, they provide us an automated improve to their nicest room, plus different perks like free breakfast, free drinks from the bar, early check-in, late check-out, and so on.
Like once we obtained to Paris in June and so they gave us a card free of charge wine. It’s the primary time a lodge has ever given me a wine tasting to assist me select my pink:
Primarily, if you wish to stroll right into a lodge and really feel like a queen, this card is ideal for you.
Now, all motels and airways provides you with higher remedy for being a member of their reward program (you don’t even need to be a bank card holder), however IHG has given us the largest bang for our buck. Marriott permits you to skip the check-in line for those who’re a reward member and Starwood permits you to test in early. Each reward program has perks. However nobody has been pretty much as good to us as IHG, so I’ll brag on them essentially the most.
Conserving Observe of Reward Applications
Again in 2013, I began a be aware on my cellphone that appears like this:
Selection Resort
#
username:
Southwest
Alyssa #
username:
Heath #:
username:
Hilton Honors HH
And so forth and so forth. It’s a really lengthy be aware all these years later! It shops my Skymiles/Fast Rewards/Resort quantity and my username for every account so I can simply reference them. Any time I e-book a flight on Delta, like I actually did this morning, I can simply open the be aware and replica Heath’s Skymiles quantity and even Ellie’s quantity! Sure, even Ellie has her personal account. (Not her personal bank cards, to be clear, however her personal Skymiles account so she will be able to earn factors for each flight. When she turns 18, she will be able to go on a free epic journey of her personal.)
Our (Present) Favourite Credit score Card for Flight and Resort Factors
Having a variety of flight and lodge playing cards can negatively have an effect on your credit score (particularly for those who’re signing up for lots in a single calendar 12 months or for those who’re not paying off your bank cards each month like you need to).
Which is when it’s good to think about a card that will get you factors for each!
Our present fave is the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked card.
(You may even see from this put up that a variety of the CCs we use are Chase bank cards. I like their app the very best for managing banking, significantly once we’re overseas.)
On the time we signed up, the cardboard sign-up bonus gave you 100,000—actually the very best it had ever been. On the time of writing, it’s at 60,000, which continues to be good, however that promo was critically spectacular. Signing up for any card throughout a giant promo makes a giant distinction!
The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked will earn you factors which you could switch to a number of airways and lodge teams. Presently, you possibly can switch factors with no payment to:
Airline Journey Companions
- Aer Lingus, AerClub
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- British Airways Govt Membership
- Emirates Skywards®
- Flying Blue AIR FRANCE KLM
- Iberia Plus
- JetBlue TrueBlue
- Singapore Airways KrisFlyer
- Southwest Airways Fast Rewards®
- United MileagePlus®
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership
Resort Journey Companions
- IHG® Rewards Membership
- Marriott Bonvoy®
- World of Hyatt®
I lately transferred factors to our Southwest Airways Fast Rewards account after I was 10,000 factors shy of reserving flights for our household of 4 to go to Mexico. The method was very simple and it took round 5 minutes for me to refresh my Southwest account and see that the factors had been deposited.
I like the pliability of this card since it may possibly accomplice with so many firms. If I would like a lodge night time and I’m shy a couple of factors, I can simply cowl the distinction by transferring factors—making this a fantastic card to have together with my different journey playing cards.
Mistake Fares and Low cost Flight Offers
I like free flights, however there’s a time for shelling out for a flight.
We love the Faredrop app to search out ultra-cheap flights from the US to international locations everywhere in the world. Faredrop, created by our associates Kara and Nate, is an app that sends you flight offers on to your cellphone or e-mail. You may set your “house airport” AKA the place you wish to fly out of and which area of the world you’re most all in favour of touring to. Then you definitely’ll get updates instantly as their software program finds offers.
Some offers are mistake fares. Errors fares are unintentional value errors made by airways. Different offers could also be promotions airways are working, short-term gross sales, or simply surprising low costs. Offers normally solely final a few days (if that lengthy) so that you wish to hold watch in your notifications to see if there are offers on the locations you’re wanting to go to.
For our first worldwide journey with our daughter when she was 4 months previous, we discovered a Faredrop deal to Italy.
Flights to Venice have been beneath $500—usually $1,150!
We shortly booked two round-trip tickets to spend a month in Italy. Flights have been beneath $1,000 for us each, and we paid a nominal payment for an infant-in-arms ticket.
Every time we’re in search of flight offers however don’t have factors, Faredrop is our go-to useful resource for saving cash.
Heath and I are fairly frugal individuals who like to journey. When you’re fiscally accountable sufficient to repay your bank cards and never accrue debt, I can not suggest journey hacking sufficient. Heath and I hardly ever pay for flights or motels, and that could be a nice feeling.
As a result of we journey as usually as we do, all the annual charges on all of those bank cards are price it.
Do you make the most of journey advantages from bank cards? What’s your favourite? I’m at all times in search of one other whole lot!
Notice: We’re on no account related to the above firms or banks, we simply actually like flying free of charge and needed to share the love!