Advice for getting free reward flights
By Lauren Quinn
If you´re like most travelers, your single biggest travel expense is transportation. And while bus and train fares add up, the main culprit widening this budget column is airfare.
But savvy travelers have learned to make the most of credit card reward programs to minimize the budgetary blow of air travel. Sometimes a painstaking process, participating in rewards programs translates to free flights which translates to bigger travel funds. Here´s how I made the most of a credit card rewards program to fly almost free from San Francisco to Paris:
Picking a travel rewards program
The first step to a free flight is selecting the right rewards program. The two main types are those facilitated through a specific airline, and those facilitated by a credit card company. The main difference is commitment. A credit card company, such as American Express, allows you to amass points redeemable on any airline, usually without black-out dates. With American Express, you redeem miles by purchasing a flight with your credit card and sending in a request for point redemption; you then receive either mailed check or account credit for the amount of the flight (usually minus the cost of taxes). With this type of program, you can use your reward points to fly anywhere, on any airline; rewards, however, are limited.
A more popular form of rewards program is through a specific airline. I decided to go with American Airlines; once a member of their frequent flier program, I was inundated with credit card offers. I
signed up for an AA Advantage Citicard credit card, and received an immediate bonus of 25,000 points for signing up. Then, I received 1 point for every $1 spent.
Maximizing Travel Rewards
The easiest way to amass credit card points quickly is to charge everything, every time you can. Of course, this is only beneficial if, like me, you pay off your balance in full every month; otherwise,
you´re hit with financing fees that don´t go towards your point accumulation.
American Airlines, as most airlines and credit card companies, has partnerships with other businesses, and you´re often able to gather extra points by making the best of these partnerships. Dining and lodging programs offer extra miles, when paid with your credit card–usually 20-50% more. The restaurants and hotels that participate in these programs, however, tend to be corporate and out of the range for budget travelers like myself.
My AA Advantage travel reward credit card offered other point-heavy programs. I opened a second card, an AA Advantage American Express card; through that card, I received 1.2 points for every $1 spent, as well as a companion ticket for any destination in the US (I took my boyfriend to New York City!). Citicards also encourages you to open a Citibank checking account, which would bolster your points by 20,000.
In addition to using my AA Advantage credit card, I flew on partner airlines, members of the One World Alliance, whenever possible. Partner Mexicana, for instance, offered lower fares to Mexico City
than American Airlines; I flew with them, and received the same 1-point-for-1-mile ratio as with American Airlines.
The maximum points you can receive via your AA Advantage credit card is 100,000 per calender year, a number most of us don´t remotely approach.
Don´t Get Burned!
Make sure to read the fine print in any rewards program. As fuel costs soar, most airlines have slimmed down their rewards programs. American Airlines, for instance, has cracked down on point expiration. Additionally, they have changed the reward structure from round-trip flights to one-way; for instance, you now book two one-way flights instead of one round-trip flight, which usually requires more points.
Redeeming your rewards ticket
When it comes time to redeem your points, it´s best to plan ahead and hold out for a long-distance flight, as they tend to be the most expensive.
American Airlines doesn´t maintain black-out dates, but does charge more points for high-season travel. I checked my points often, and figured out when I wanted to redeem my miles based upon season and destination. Booking ahead behooves you–the further in advance you book your rewards flight, the less points will be required.
It took me a little over a year to amass enough points for a rewards flight to Paris; this includes points earned through my credit cards, and through flights. I was responsible only for $73, the cost of
taxes.
It´s been 2 years, and I again have enough points for a long-distance flight– Europe, South America, Asia. I now have the luxurious dilemma of selecting a destination!
Meet the Author:
Lauren Quinn is a freelance writer based in Oakland, California. She has traveled independently to over 20 countries across 4 continents. You can catch up with her current adventures through Morocco at http://lonelygirltravels.com
