Flying for free is possible if you follow the steps below. You will need to use credit card points and miles to fly anywhere you want for free. I will show you how to gain points quickly as well.
I often get asked how to fly anywhere you want for free and the answer is simple: use credit card miles and points.
If you are not familiar with the points and miles game, I will break it down for you.
The steps below are simple and easy, and if you follow them you can fly anywhere you want for free as well.
Apply for a credit card with a point bonus
Some people are fearful of opening new credit cards just for points, as they are afraid of carrying a balance or that they will get into debt.
Start small at first and open a credit card that offers no annual fee so you can start to learn how the point and mile system works.
My favorite cards are the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card.
Both have annual fees*, but if you already know the basics of how points and miles work, they are worth paying the fee. Not only do they have a large sign-up bonus, but they offer 2x and 3x on dining and we dine out a lot!
For more detailed information on which card will work for you head over to The Points Guy, he is the expert on the current credit card trends.
Make the minimum spend to get the signup bonus points
For any credit card to have a large sign-up bonus, you will have to meet a minimum amount to spend, in a certain amount of time, before they give you the bonus.
The amounts can range from $1,000 – $4,000, depending on the credit card and the bonus. The time frames are usually anywhere from 1 – 4 months to make the minimum.
As soon as I tell someone they will need to spend $3,000 to get 50,000 points in three months on a certain card, they say – “I can’t spend $3,000 in 3 months! I don’t even have $3,000 saved to pay that off!”.
Well, have no fear, there are plenty of ways to make the minimum so you can fly anywhere you want for free.
4 Ways to Make the Minimum Spend :
Treat your new credit card like a debit card.
You wouldn’t buy something if you didn’t have the money in the bank if you used a debit card, correct? Then treat this new shiny card as cash. Pay your card off weekly so you do not get inundated with debt for no reason.
Pay for EVERYTHING with your credit card.
From $2 at Dunkin Donuts to $50 at the grocery store, use the card. If the establishment doesn’t require a minimum, use it for a $1 water bottle if needed! Every dollar counts!
Use your credit card to pay your rent.
I use Plastiq to pay rent. You fill out a simple online application to pay your landlord, and they will cut a check and mail it directly to your landlord. You will pay a fee, anywhere from 1%-2% of your rent, but look at it as paying for the bonus points.
Let’s say your rent is $1,000 a month, you will pay a $30 processing fee. But that $30 will be paying for your bonus points essentially. Plus, you get another 30 points on your card!
Living at home and paying mom and dad?
You can still use Plastiq. Have them draw up a formal lease so it’s on the up and up, and boom, mom, and dad get paid, and you get closer to your minimum spend.
Outsource charges
Ask your friends and family for help. They may have a large bill they need to pay soon. You can put this charge on your card, and they can pay you back in cash. This is the fastest and easiest way to make the bonus spend.
Use your credit card to gain more points after you get the bonus
Each company offers something different in terms of its point structure after you receive the sign-up bonus. Some credit cards will offer 1x the points on dining and travel, whereas other cards will offer 3x the points on dining and travel.
Other credit cards will link to airline and hotel rewards and loyalty programs so you can transfer points from your credit card to your favorite airline or hotel chain. The Points Guy can help you decide which card is right for you.
Don’t be afraid to close cards
Closing cards will not hurt your credit score. What can hurt your score is if you try to open too many cards at once.
I suggest opening one card every 6 months, no more than two in one year. In your wallet, you should only have credit cards that will help you gain points, as other cards are useless in our minds. Who doesn’t like free stuff?
Poor credit? – There is no magic fix for this, you need to rebuild your credit before opening new cards. Head over to Nomadic Matt’s Post on how to pick the right card, as he details how you can rebuild your credit.
Not in the US? – The United States offers the most travel rewards credit cards. Australia and Canada are slowly joining the ranks, and maybe someday they will have as many as the US, so you can travel to places like Rome and Barcelona for free.
It’s time to book your flight and fly anywhere you want for free.
Some cards will offer you 1:1 cash rewards while others will offer you special rewards programs to book your flights on, so you can fly anywhere you want for free.
For example, with Chase Rewards cards, if you have 50,000 points, you will use their online booking tool to book a flight, and 50,000 points translates to about $1050.
If you are new to the points and miles game, then head over to Extra Pack of Peanuts for an in-depth discussion on frequent flyer miles and The Points Guy to see what 50,000 Chase points can get you.
After you use the bonus you will then decide which cards to keep and which to discard.
I like keeping the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card in my wallet for many reasons. One of them is that they give 3x the points on dining and those points can add up.
In the 3 months it took to get the bonus, I had already racked up 4,000 additional points in dining alone!
We have helped many people begin their journey to fly around the world more often, and we hope that you will be joining us as well.
*The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card has a $550 annual fee as of 2024, but you will receive a $300 annual travel credit (Uber, Lyft, metro cards, and highway tolls all count towards this travel credit), along with a credit for a Global Entry Pass worth $150.
If you have questions on how to use credit card points to fly for free just ask!
Additional Travel Tips:
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