Are you looking for ways to save money on travel? With a few simple tips and tricks, you can reap the rewards of savvy travel points hacks. With a little extra knowledge and effort, you can unlock the power of your dream trips and get the most out of your vacation dollars.
Sign up for multiple loyalty programs
One of the most efficient travel points hacks is to take advantage of loyalty programs. Look for organizations such as frequent flyer clubs, hotel loyalty programs, online booking services and car rental companies whose reward systems allow you to earn points, maximizing your travel budget.
With these programs, you can redeem rewards such as flight discounts, free nights at hotels, complimentary breakfast and more. Staying loyal to one or two hotel brands, or one or two airlines will help you to maximize your loyalty points.
When it’s not possible to fly with your preferred airline or stay at your preferred hotel, all is not lost. Sign up for the new loyalty program as you may be able to transfer points between programs.
Research partnerships and transfer points
To get the most out of your travel points, it’s important to research partnerships. This is an excellent, yet underused, travel reward hack. Being able to transfer points can potentially increase the value of your rewards. For example, many airlines have partnerships with other airlines or hotel chains, as well as credit card companies.
Before you spend your points, do your research so you can maximize the value of your rewards in terms of flights and accommodations. Additionally, transferable points from credit card companies are a great way to upgrade tickets quickly and receive extra miles for shorter flights.
Strategically choose your credit cards
Credit cards are the best way to maximize your travel rewards. When signing up for a card, consider if there is an annual fee, and what type of rewards the credit card company offers. Many credit cards offer bonus miles during your sign-up period that can maximize your rewards potential.
This is one of my favourite travel rewards hacks. Using it, I was able to fly to Montreal, Quebec to visit my sister for free. I pay for almost all of my expenses on credit cards, meaning I earn points for everything I do. If you want to know which credit cards I use, check out this Reel I made explaining each one and why I use it.
Additionally, be sure to look out for sign-up bonuses when signing up for a new card to get the most out of earning points. These aren’t the points you get for signing up but the ones you will receive if you spend the minimum amount in the first few months you have the card.
This is one of the travel rewards hacks that require you to read the fine print. You may need to spend $5K on your new credit card in the first six months to receive even more bonus points. Read the fine print so you know, and don’t miss out on any points.
Use a browser extension to earn points
Depending on which loyalty programs you belong to, they might have a browser extension that earns you loyalty points when shopping online. Most of the major airlines have one. Simply Google your preferred airline and browser extension to see if yours does.
If it doesn’t, that’s okay. You can still earn points or cash back to use towards your travels. A popular browser extension called Honey can help you maximize your benefits by automatically applying coupon codes to different purchases for additional points.
With the extension, simply visit a website, and Honey will search for available coupon codes and make sure that the code that gives you the most value is applied automatically.
Another popular browser extension is Rakuten, which is similar to Honey and finds you points and deals for the website you are shopping on.
This simple action will maximize your points quickly as long as you remember to use it every time you shop. If you are going to be shopping online, you might as well earn loyalty points as well.
Look out for seasonal bonuses and special promotions
Many companies often roll out bonus points and double points offers to travellers at specific times of the year. This is a major way to increase the number of points you have in your account and save on future trips.
By subscribing to newsletters and reward programs, you can stay informed about special promotions and be in the know when it comes time to plan your next trip. I know, I know, you likely already get too many emails, but these promotional ones are worth your time.
FREE guide for more travel rewards hacks
For even more travel rewards hacks, 15 to be exact, download my FREE GUIDE! Yup, that’s right, it’s 100% free. No catch whatsoever. I won’t even try and upsell you because I have nothing to sell 😉
Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and share your thoughts!
