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Start Here: Beginner’s guide to miles and points

One of the most frequent questions I get asked on my Instagram account is “What is traveling with miles and points?” The simple answer is Points Travel is when you earn points from a credit card sign up bonus that you can use to fly or stay in a hotel for (almost) free.

For example: Let’s say I want to fly to Europe on points. An economy award ticket books from 15k-30k points each way. I apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. I will earn 60,000 bonus points after I spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Once I complete this, I will earn enough 60,000 miles to book a two roundtrip flights to Europe. Sounds pretty simple right?

You can earn enough points to travel for almost free just by strategically applying for credit cards with lucrative sign on bonuses. Instead of earning 1 point per dollar on regular spend, when you get a new card, you are earning anywhere from 30K-120k points just by making the purchases you typically make every month on your new card.

Before you Start Checklist

Before you apply for your first credit card there are a few rules and guidelines that you need to know. Keep in mind that traveling with points means you will be applying for more than one credit card over a certain period of time. So this prep work before you begin is essential to staying organized.

  • It’s important to know what your credit score is before you begin.

    You can check your credit score for free at Credit Karma and Credit Sesame. If you currently have a credit card, log in to your account. Many cards offer free credit score checks just by holding the card.

    A credit score higher than 730 means that you will probably get approved for most cards. Don’t fret, I know people that started their miles and points journey with a credit score in the low 700’s. Many people are afraid that their credit score will go down if they start applying for a lot of cards. Although your score will drop a few points with each application, as long as you are paying off your balances every month, you may be surprised to see your credit score go up!

  • I recommend that you create loyalty accounts with airlines and hotels at the beginning. Creating a loyalty account is free and each person traveling needs their own account.

    You will be asked for your loyalty account number each time you apply for a hotel or airline credit card and each time you book a flight or hotel stay. Also, make sure that the name on your hotel or airline account matches your name exactly how it is on your flexible points account or you many not be able to transfer points.

  • When you first start earning points, you’re going to apply for a new credit card every 3-4 months depending on your trip goal and budget. There are many ways to keep track of the new credit cards you’re getting. It’s very important to know the date you applied for a card, date you received the bonus, annual fees, number of points you have and when those points expire.

    In the beginning, I kept an excel spreadsheet. Later on, as I accrued more cards, I started using tools like Travel Freely that keep track of all my award accounts, expiring points and 5 /24 status. They have a free and a subscription service.

    You also need to keep track of all the airline and hotel reward account numbers and passwords. Trust me on this one. If you start keeping track of this early, you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches later.

  • This is so important when you’re first starting out and building your “stash” of points. If the goal is Europe or Asia, then the Southwest card won’t be one of the first cards you get.