How To Plan Your First Rewards Trip with Points and Miles

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Using credit card rewards to travel can feel like a mystery when you’re first starting out. If you’ve ever wondered how people manage to fly for free or stay in luxury hotels without spending a fortune, this guide is for you.

Planning your first rewards trip doesn’t have to be complicated. By choosing the right credit card, earning points strategically, and understanding how to redeem them efficiently, you can make your next vacation much more affordable.

Our Family’s Journey with Credit Card Rewards

As a family of six, travel has always been a priority for us, but it also comes with a hefty price tag. After we adopted our two girls, we realized that trips would only get more expensive as they got older. That’s when I started looking for ways to stretch our travel budget.

I stumbled across travel bloggers who swore by using credit card rewards to cover flights and hotels. I was skeptical at first, and I know my wife thought I was a little crazy for even considering it. But after extensive research into welcome bonuses, redemption strategies, and the best credit cards for travel, we decided to give it a shot.

Our first rewards trip took us to Orlando, Florida, where we covered flights, hotels, and theme park tickets using three different credit cards. Looking back, our strategy was a bit aggressive for beginners, and I wouldn’t necessarily recommend starting with multiple cards. But it proved to us that rewards travel could work, and we’ve been using it ever since.

Important Things to Know Before You Start

Before diving into planning, here are two key things to keep in mind:

Good Credit is usually required: Most travel rewards credit cards require a good to excellent credit score. Check your credit before applying to ensure you’ll qualify.

Pay your balance in full: The last thing you want is to go into debt for travel. If you can’t pay off your credit card in full every month, rewards travel may not be the right fit for you right now.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s walk through the steps to planning your first rewards trip.

Step 1: Choose the Right Credit Card

Your first rewards credit card should align with your travel goals. There are two main approaches to choosing a card:

Based on travel preferences: If you have a preferred airline or hotel chain, look for co-branded credit cards that earn points with that company.

Based on flexibility: If you’re not loyal to one brand, consider a flexible rewards card that lets you redeem points for multiple airlines, hotels, or travel purchases.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Card:

Spending habits: Choose a card that rewards you for your everyday purchases, like groceries, dining, or gas.

Welcome bonus: Many cards offer a large sign-up bonus after meeting a minimum spending requirement. This is the fastest way to build up a points balance.

Annual fee: Some cards come with annual fees in exchange for premium benefits like lounge access and travel credits.

Travel benefits: Free checked bags, airport lounge access, or no foreign transaction fees can add significant value to a card.

Step 2: Research Your Destination and Calculate Rewards Needs

Once you have your credit card, it’s time to start researching. If you have a destination in mind, look up how many points or miles you’ll need to book flights and accommodations.

How to Research Award Availability

Use Google Flights: This is a great tool for finding flight routes and cash prices. It doesn’t display points and miles redemptions, but it helps give you a baseline.

Check Airline and Hotel Websites: Many loyalty programs have search tools to see how many points are required for specific dates and destinations.

Explore Award Availability Tools: Apps like Seats.aero, Point.me, and Roame can help you locate the best redemption options.

Tips for Earning Enough Rewards

• Calculate how many points you need and determine how long it will take to earn them based on your card’s earning rates.
• Take advantage of bonus categories where your card earns extra points.
• Consider timing your card application around a big purchase to help meet the welcome bonus spending requirement.

Step 3: Earn Your Card’s Welcome Bonus

Welcome bonuses are the fastest way to accumulate points. To earn the bonus, you typically need to spend a certain amount within the first few months of opening your card.

Strategies for Meeting the Minimum Spending Requirement

• Use your card for everyday purchases like groceries, bills, and gas.
• Time your application around planned expenses, like home repairs or holiday shopping.
• If you’re close to meeting the requirement, consider prepaying bills or buying gift cards for future expenses.

Step 4: Book Your Flights and Accommodations

Once you’ve earned enough points and miles, it’s time to redeem them.

Booking Flights with Points

• Flights are often the most expensive part of a trip, making them a great use of points.
• Look for flexible date options to find the best redemption rates.
• Compare the value of booking through your credit card’s travel portal versus transferring points to airline partners.

Booking Hotels with Points

• Many hotel rewards programs offer free nights after a certain number of stays or when booking with points.
• Flexible rewards cards often allow you to erase travel purchases using points.
• If you prefer Airbnb, some credit card rewards programs let you use points toward those bookings.

Best Practices for Rewards Travel

Pay Your Balance in Full

Carrying a balance on a credit card will cost you in interest charges, which can outweigh the value of your rewards. Always pay your balance in full every month.

Be Flexible with Travel Dates and Destinations

Award prices fluctuate based on demand. If you can adjust your travel dates by a day or two, you may find better availability and lower points requirements.

Decide How You Want to Use Your Points Before Earning Them

Instead of randomly collecting points, have a plan for how you’ll use them. Knowing your destination or preferred airline ahead of time will help you choose the right card and earn the most valuable points for your trip.

Look for Cards Without Foreign Transaction Fees

If you plan to travel internationally, choose a card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. These small fees can add up quickly and eat into your savings.

Use Transfer Partners to Maximize Value

Many credit card points can be transferred to airline and hotel partners, often at a 1:1 ratio. This can provide better redemption rates compared to booking through the credit card’s travel portal.

Take the First Step Toward Smarter Travel

Planning your first rewards trip doesn’t have to be complicated. Break it down into simple steps:

1. Choose the right credit card.
2. Research your destination and how many points you need.
3. Earn your welcome bonus and maximize spending categories.
4. Book flights and hotels strategically.

The more you plan ahead and learn about rewards programs, the more you can stretch your points and travel for less. If you’re just getting started, take it slow, start with one card, and build from there.

Award Availability Tools For Flights 

Point.me 

Point.me is a powerful tool for comparing award flight availability across multiple frequent flyer programs. Its easy-to-navigate interface helps you find the best redemption options for your points.  

Roame 

Roame is a tool that simplifies award flight searches by helping you find the best points and miles redemptions based on your preferences. It offers detailed searches across different airlines and loyalty programs.  

Seats.aero 

Seats.aero offers fast searches for award flight availability, allowing you to view results across multiple airlines instantly. It’s a useful tool for travelers looking to snag last-minute award seats. 

PointsYeah 

PointsYeah is an award travel search engine that helps you find available seats using points and miles across different airlines and alliances. It also offers insights on the best redemptions for your travel dates.  

Points Path 

Points Path simplifies the process of finding the best award travel options based on your point balances and destination preferences. You can enter your desired travel dates and see a range of redemption possibilities.  

ExpertFlyer 

ExpertFlyer is a premium service offering advanced tools for tracking flight availability, seat upgrades, and award seats. It’s ideal for frequent travelers who want to set up alerts for specific routes.  

SeatSpy 

SeatSpy is designed to help you monitor and track award seat availability across several airlines, including major international carriers. It also allows you to set up alerts for specific flights and dates. 

Award Availability Tools For Hotels 

Max My Point 

Max My Point helps you find award availability for major hotel chains. It provides real-time data to help you book your stay using points. It simplifies the search process by showing which hotels offer point redemptions for your chosen dates. 

Stay With Points 

Stay With Points offers a comprehensive search across hotel loyalty programs, helping you find the best value for your points. It’s a great tool for determining how far your points can stretch for different stays. Note: Premium features are available for paid accounts. 

Awayz 

Awayz helps travelers quickly find hotel award availability, even during peak travel times. It’s an easy-to-use tool for securing hotel stays with your points. Note: Free users can access limited searches, with full access through a paid subscription. 

Rooms.aero 

Rooms.aero allows you to search for award-night availability across multiple hotel programs in one place. It’s a useful tool for comparing redemption options for different hotel brands and finding the best value. 

Note: Some of these tools cost money or offer free access, but reserve their most useful features for paid accounts. If you’re serious about finding the best awards for flights or hotels, investing in a premium version may be worth it to access features like alerts or advanced search filters.