How I earned more than 275,000 points and miles for travel from my existing credit cards in less than six months
Many travel hacking blogs will encourage you to open credit cards relatively frequently to earn points and miles for travel. That way, you can capitalize on the sign-up bonuses you receive from hitting the minimum spend in the first several months of having that credit card. And while I’ve certainly taken advantage of sign-up bonuses to build my stockpile of points, I’ve spent the last few months focused on maximizing the cards I already have instead of constantly looking for the next one to open.
In the first six months of 2024, I’ve earned more than 275,000 points and miles for travel. If you’ve read this blog before, you may know that I utilize a two-player strategy, where my husband and I have earned referral bonuses for sending each other sign-up links from our cards. But those 275,000 points do not include the points and miles from his credit card spending at all.
Whether you have a big purchase coming up or simply want to make sure you’re earning the maximum points and miles with any spend you do, here’s how I’ve made sure to maximize my spend in 2024.
Credit Card Spend
I’ve made no secret that I’m a Chase credit card loyalist. I recommend the Chase Sapphire Preferred as the best travel hacking starter card to anyone who asks and am a big fan of their transfer partners when I’m ready to redeem points. I do have an American Express Gold card as well. Here is how I maximize my every day spend:
- Chase Freedom Unlimited – my every day credit card that earns 1.5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on every purchase. It also earns 3x on dining and drugstore purchases. The go-to card when I’m not purchasing something in an elevated category.
- Chase Freedom and Freedom Flex – opportunity to capitalize on 5x on the quarterly categories, up to 7,500 Chase Ultimate Rewards points per card per quarter. I would never advocate for spending money you don’t need to, but I will spend the maximum if I know it’s something I will use in the future. This post outlines how I got the maximum amount of points from buying groceries in Q1. In Q2, I was even able to get 7x points on dining on my Freedom Flex.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred – I use this card for travel (2x) and dining (3x). It also comes with rental car insurance coverage, so I make sure to put rental cars on this card.
- American Express Gold card – when groceries are not an elevated category for the Freedom and Freedom Flex, I use this card for 4x on groceries. It also earns 4x on dining, but I use it infrequently because I value Chase Ultimate Rewards points more than Membership Rewards points and am often able to stack more points & miles with my Chase cards than with my American Express.
Referral Bonuses
As mentioned, I travel hack with my husband, so I have the benefit of referring him to cards and receiving a referral bonus. This allows us to earn even more points on top of the sign-up bonuses we get for reaching the minimum spend. While we are not opening cards as frequently these days, I have received some referral bonuses this year from my husband and some friends using my sign-up links for their new cards.
Targeted Offers
Credit card companies will may send targeted offers every so often to incentivize you to use a select credit card more. In Q1, I received an offer of 5 miles per dollar on gas, groceries, and dining from my United card on up to $1,000 of spend. At the time I was receiving 5x on groceries thanks to my Freedom and Freedom Flex, but I made sure to use that card for gas and dining to get that 5x. I don’t normally spend $1,000 in a quarter on gas and groceries, but when my team at work ordered lunch, I offered to put it on my card and get reimbursed. That way, I wasn’t spending extra money just for the extra miles.
Shopping Portals
Shopping portals are a low-effort way to earn more points and miles on your online purchases. I have both Rakuten and the United Airlines shopping portal installed on my browser. Since not all stores are on either Rakuten or an airline portal, I’m able to cover more retailers by having two installed. If a store offers both cash back on Rakuten and United miles, I compare the amount and usually go with the higher of the two. I’ve earned more than 3,600 Membership Rewards points through Rakuten and over 3,000 United miles this year.
United MileagePlus X App
As someone who frequently flies United, I love this app. It’s a super simple way to earn miles on top of the credit card points you’re earning at a variety of retailers. I’ve earned more than 13,000 miles this year just by using the app and keeping an eye out for elevated offers. I have definitely not spent close to $13,000 to get these miles. 13,000 miles can cover a one-way to a variety of U.S. locations from my home airport (O’Hare), and those miles are just from the app. When I add in the credit card points and, in some cases, the points from the shopping portals, that number jumps significantly.
Timeshare Presentation
In January, my husband and I flew to Scottsdale and stayed at a Westin for a timeshare presentation. In exchange for 90 minutes of our time to listen to their pitch, we received 50,000 Marriott points and a heavily discounted rate for our stay. We don’t do these often, but this was worth it for the amount of points we got for a future stay.
Linking Programs
There are a variety of programs where you purchases made through one company can earn you points and miles through others. Here are some of the most common:
- Starbucks x Delta Airlines
- Uber x Marriott
- Lyft x Hilton
- Lyft x Delta Airlines
- Lyft x Alaska Airlines
- Shell x American Airlines
- Avis x United Airlines
- Hertz x Marriott
While these aren’t the fastest way to earns thousands of points, they can add up over time.
Summary
Opening up new credit cards every few months isn’t the only way to accrue points and miles for travel. By utilizing your existing cards and the additional programs available to you, you can earn that next trip faster than you think!
Any questions? Drop them below!