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Travel Hacking 101 – Beginners Guide To Travel More For Less – Starts With A Credit Card

I caught a travel bug after being inspired by a show called Backpackers that aired on OLN here in Canada. It was a show documenting 3 Australian guys adventures as they traveled around Europe.

So I did a little research online during my computer science class in university that January (many years ago). Over the next week or two I read about Eurail, hostels, and cheap flights with Ryanair…I decided I was going to Europe. Unfortunately I had to wait until May to depart. Fast forward that semester, I was off to Europe to backpack for 3 months.

I visited 14 different countries and had the most memorable adventures a 19-20 year old could ever endure.

The food, the drinks, the culture, the history, the people.

Everyday was a new experience and I learned more about myself, the world and my view on life in that 3-month window than all my previous 20 years of existence. In the immediate years after my Eurotrip I was able to enjoy some other adventures to different parts of the world.

But I wasn’t doing it the right way. The optimal way. The smart, savvy and efficient way.

Not the travel hacking 101 way.

I was just searching lightly to compare prices, pulling out the ol’ credit card (with no benefits or rewards) and paying along the way.

“Flew To Ireland For Free On Points” – Why Am I Not Doing That? My Introduction To Travel Hacking

A few years ago I overheard one of my coworkers explaining his most recent trip to Ireland and mentioned getting the flight “for free on points”. If this guy was getting free flights on points, why the heck am I not doing that?

Hearing my coworker boasting sent me straight to Google.

Curious and skeptical.

Aha! Dozens of sites with charts, reviews, pros/cons lists and tips on all different tiers of travel rewards credit cards and how to make the most out of them. I had been using a credit card so wrong for so long.

And spent so much money on it with no benefit.

Before I got my first travel rewards card and dipped my toes into travel hacking 101 I did a ton of research, reading and listening. I found out about The Points Guy, Nomadic Matt & Extra Pack Of Peanuts.

So much knowledge and experience out there on travel hacking.

As I’ve learned there is much more to travel hacking than just credit cards. We can explore that in future posts, but with travel hacking 101 we will stick to the cards.

Basic Rules To Travel Hacking 101 With Credit Cards

As I mentioned, I was guilty of wearing financial blinders in the past. I carried the worst debt…credit card debt. And it took me a lot of hustle and time to get out of that. Travel hacking 101 requires credit cards so we need to stick to some basic rules.

Don’t let the chase for rewards work against you or get you into any financial trouble.

The basic rules of credit cards and travel hacking are:

A vow to not carry a balance – the benefits of earning rewards and points is washed away if you’re paying interest on outstanding balances.
A system to pay off your balances with automation – reminders to pay before due dates, instant payments on due dates, etc. – don’t let human error cost you.
Have a good credit score, like 700+ – opening new credit cards can drop your credit score a few points, so if you’re planning a major purchase, like a house or car, in the next 2 years it’s best not to open a few new cards beforehand. You want those major purchase lending interest rates as low as possible.

If you haven’t recently, go check your credit score and credit report.

Credit Score For Free – Americans

Credit Sesame gives Americans free access to their credit score and reports. Safe, secure, easy to use and full of other value and benefits. Sign up today for this amazing free service.

No catch or hard pulls on your credit just a great tool to stay on top of your financial health and monitor your credit as you progress through your financial journey. Plus Credit Sesame members get free identity theft protection (up to $50,000 insured).

Credit Score For Free – Canadians

Borrowell gives you free access to your credit score and credit reports – there’s no catch or hard pull on your credit. It’s a great tool to stay on top of your credit score, which in turn will affect your overall financial health and credit opportunities available to you as you move forward.

Borrowell is simple, secure and free. It takes 2 minutes to register your account and from there, you’ll be able to monitor and track any monthly changes in your credit score and report.

What Can My Travel Hacking Achieve?

Good question, I was curious about the same thing after I had initially heard my coworker mention his free Ireland flights.

Was it just flights? Can I get all-inclusive deals? How about just hotels? …anything else?

The answer for most cards is really all of the above.

You accrue your points or bonuses and then have the option to cash them in for whatever your provider might offer. So the onus is on you to determine what you want, what might be in your future in terms of trips or just tackle it ad-hoc if you’re free spirited when you’re ready to travel.

Do you have a trip in mind that is 6 months away? Or maybe a dream vacation a year from now you want to save for? Or will you play it loose and just be flexible to spring on an amazing deal?

It’s totally up to you.

What are your goals for travel hacking 101?

Find The Right Rewards Card For You

There are dozens of travel rewards cards available from different financial institutions and partners.

The general benefits and features you will come across in your research will fall under pretty consistent categories.

Signup Reward (ex. $100 Amazon gift card)
Intro Signup Bonus (ex. Spend $3,000 in the first 3 months and get 30,000 bonus points)
Bonus Spending Categories (ex. Earn 4x rewards on Groceries, Gas & Entertainment purchases)
Annual Fee Waived (ex. 1st year $99 fee waived)
Travel Insurance Coverage (ex. Travel emergency medical, rental car collision, etc.)
VIP/Priority Lounge Access (ex. 2 free passes to VIP Airport Lounges Worldwide and deep discounts on future passes)
Warranty Extensions (ex. Your new camera has 1 year manufacturer’s warranty, if you bought it with your credit card that warranty is extended to 2 years and covered by the credit card company)
Other: 24/7 concierge, currency exchange benefits, 1:1 transfers to other r travel point providers (Aeroplan), etc.

Some cards are tied to specific airlines or hotel providers, so if you already have points programs with those airlines or hotels and frequent them often, you can double up by aligning your new travel rewards credit cards in that system.

Others are more broad and can be used through the card suppliers travel platform or partner providers.

Luckily for you and I there are great aggregation services that compile and compare all the different cards. Dissecting the minutia of the different rewards, rates, additional benefits, etc.

American Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Nerd Wallet (Best Of 2018)
US News Survey (Best Of 2018)

Note: these offers change frequently, please check the websites above to find the most up-to-date offers.

Consensus Top Card: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in first 3 months ($625 travel value)
2x points on travel and dining
1x point on all other purchases
$0 annual fee 1st year ($95 after that)
25% more travel value when redeeming through Chase Ultimate Rewards platform
1:1 points transfer to their Partner Airlines & Hotels
Extensive travel insurance & purchase coverage

Best Airline Card: Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite MasterCard

60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in first 3 months
Double AAdvantage miles on eligible American Airlines purchases
Earn 10% of your redeemed AAdvantage miles back
$0 annual fee 1st year ($95 after that)
First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines flights
Preferred boarding on American Airlines flights
Worldwide travel insurance

Best Hotel Card: Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card

80,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in first 3 months
Plus, 7,500 bonus points when you add the first authorized user
Enjoy 1 Free Night Stay at a Category 1-5 hotel every year
Earn 5 points per $1 spent at participating Marriott Rewards & SPG hotels
2x points on airline tickets purchased directly with airlines, car rental agencies & restaurants
1x point on all other purchases
$85 annual fee

Canadian Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Rate Hub (Ongoing Updates)

Note: these offers change frequently, please check the website above to find the most up-to-date offers.

Consensus Top Card: Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

15,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in first 3 months ($250 value)
4x points at eligible gas stations, grocery stores, on dining and entertainment
1x on all other purchases
$99 annual fee 1st year ($99 after)
Complimentary Concierge Services 24/7
Extensive travel insurance & purchase coverage

Best Airline Card: BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard

1,000 Air Miles after activating account
2,000 Air Miles after spending $3,000 in first 3 months
Earn 1 reward mile for every $10 in credit card purchases, everywhere you spend*
15% Flight Discount on all AIR MILES flights in North America with no blackout periods
$0 annual fee 1st year ($125 after that)
Earn 2x miles when you use AIR MILES Mastercard and show your AIR MILES Card
Exclusive VIP access to airport lounges worldwide (2 annual complimentary passes at $150 value)
BMO Concierge Service
Extensive travel insurance & purchase coverage

Best Hotel Card: The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card American Express

New Starwood Preferred Guest®* Credit Card from American Express Cardmembers, earn 50,000 bonus points after you charge $1,500 in purchases to your Card in your first three months of Cardmembership.*
Earn 5 points for every dollar in eligible Card purchases at participating SPG®* and Marriott Rewards®* properties.*
Earn 2 points for every $1 in all other Card purchases.*
Receive an Annual Free Night Award at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide every anniversary*
No annual fee on Supplementary Cards.
Redeem points for free nights with no blackout dates at over 6,500 of the world’s most desired hotels.*
Automatic Silver Elite status membership

Accumulating Points – The Lifeblood of Travel Hacking 101

Okay, we’ve made our vows to the basic rules.

We’ve done some research and determined what our travel goals are. And we’ve selected, applied for and received our new travel rewards card.

It’s time to start accumulating points and working towards your travel goals. Remember we don’t want to be like the old me and accumulate credit card debt. That man was a fool and we’re now travel hackers taking advantage of the rewards system to adventure, experience and enjoy whatever that travel goal is.

So we have to stick to rule #1 and live within our means to not get into debt or carry a balance past due dates.

It can be enticing to chase those point totals, seeing them rise every time you log-in…it’s like a game. But this isn’t a game, it’s our finances. All we’re doing is shifting the way we used to make all our standard, daily purchases to another card.

Reaching The Minimum Spending Requirement For The Bonus Points

Your new travel rewards card will have included an introductory signup bonus if you meet the minimum spend threshold of likely $1,000 – $3,000 in the first 3 months.

You spend $1,000 – $3,000 on the card in that timeframe = you get XX,XXX points as a bonus (plus the points you gained naturally on those purchases).

You need to meet this minimum spend.

It’s the 101 of travel hacking 101. These bonus points are the essential step to fast forward your rewards points and you can’t miss out. Your regular purchases will be great and help you reach your travel hacking goal through a gradual growth. But the signup bonus points are the freebie, the hack of travel hacking. The springboard to making your card work for you.

One word of caution, the signup bonus window generally starts on the day of your application, not the day you receive the card. So your 3 month window might lose a week or two depending when you actually get the card in hand. Make sure you’re aware of that so you don’t fall short of your minimum spend.

Setting Up Automatic/Subscription Services

The easiest administrative task to do to ensure we’re maximizing our new travel hacking 101 rewards card is to update the information on all your automatic payment and subscription services from your old card to your new card.

This is the easiest step to ensure you’re meeting that minimum spend. Basically anything and everything you used to pay for with your old credit card is updated to the new.

Netflix
Cell Phone
Cable & Internet
Magazines
Music & Other Digital Services
Hydro & Utilities
Auto Insurance

Note: I keep one subscription service paying through my old MasterCard to keep that longstanding account active and in-use. It can be beneficial to your credit score to have a credit account with a lengthy history open.

Other Spending To Meet That Minimum Threshold

Remember, we need to pay off our balance every month so we have to stay within our means.

Below are a few more travel hacking 101 tips to make sure you’re hitting your minimum spend.

Pay for group dinners with your card and have the other dinner attendees give you cash or e-transfer you money (I prefer e-transfer…I am less likely to wastefully spend cash in my account, but that might just be me)
Buy gift cards for places you frequent for regular purchases (Amazon, PayPal, grocery stores, etc.)
- Note: I get 4x rewards points when I shop at grocery stores so I buy gift cards there for my own usage (Amazon) or as gifts when needed for friends/family/coworkers
Use your credit card for business expenses if your organization allows it and get reimbursed
Pay your taxes on your credit card (if you have the cash to pay that off right away)

Remember we AREN’T buying things we don’t need just to chase points. We’re performing travel hacking 101 by staying within our means.

Okay, we’ve got our card, reached our minimum spend and are collecting some solid points towards our travel hacking goal.

Sign Up For Frequent Flyer & Hotel Reward Programs

Another sure-fire tactic of travel hacking 101 is ensuring that you’re also registered with the airlines and hotels that you frequent or will be booking at for your upcoming travel.

If you’re going to cash in your rewards points for a Delta flight, make sure you set-up your SkyMiles account (it’s free).

The same can be said for any flight or hotel provider. Take advantage and accumulate those rewards points along your travel hacking journeys.

If possible try to be a repeat customer of the same airline and hotel. It might not always be feasible based on your dates, locations, prices, etc. But overtime these rewards will add up and be part of your overall travel hacking 101 strategy.

Award Wallet is the best source for all your credit card, hotel rewards and frequent flyer programs.

Join Awards Wallet For Free
Register For Your Various Reward Programs (Credit Card, Hotel & Airline)
Track Your Rewards
Stay Connected

Award Wallet warns you of any expiring points and ensures you have all your reward programs in one easy to access spot.

Booking Your Travel

Finally! The travel part of travel hacking 101 is on the horizon.

This process is pretty easy to navigate and you will be very satisfied seeing those rewards points coming to fruition. Log into your credit card online and visit the rewards platform. They should have a pretty robust online system or if you prefer the ol’ fashion 1-on-1 support, give them a call.

Check out the ChooseFI Podcast – Travel Rewards, they do a great job explaining how to maximize the booking process.

Full vacation packages, flights, hotels, cars, cruises, and more. You can even just cash in on electronics, gift cards and other products…but I got a travel rewards card for travel. However, it’s all up to you! You earned it. You had your original travel hacking 101 goal but maybe it’s changed since you originally got your credit card. There might be a can’t beat travel deal to a location that might not have originally been on your radar.

You should also give Google a quick search when you’re ready to book, “Chase Rewards Secret Booking Tips”, “Maximize Your [Name] Rewards Booking”, etc. There are tips, tricks and resources for every card under the sun and they just might help you get a little extra value out of your rewards.

Churn, Earn & Burn – Travel Hacking 201

If you feel confident in your ability to manage the balance(s) of multiple cards and optimize the points earning process, you can move up from travel hacking 101 to 201.

If you’re able to create a schedule and track your spending to ensure you’re hitting those signup bonuses, you can essentially “churn, burn and earn”.

Get a new card, hit the signup and initial bonuses and then move onto another card (or be using another at the same time).

Those signup bonuses and initial spending rewards are the springboard on our travel rewards cards. The ongoing day-to-day spending will help accrue points but it’s those bulk points that really put us ahead.

You can build a system that lets all facets of your travel goals work together:

Get your general all around travel rewards card (ex. Chase Sapphire or Scotiabank Gold Amex)
Next add an airline specific card
Then round it out with a hotel card

Remember, each credit card application will drop our credit score slightly. In time, if you’re paying balances off in full, your score will likely go above it’s original starting point. Your credit utilization, aka the amount of debt you’re carrying in comparison to all of the credit you have available, will be stronger. You will have much more credit spending at your fingertips, but you won’t be using it or carrying any debt = better credit utilization.

Another thing to note is there will be windows of 18 or 24 months, sometimes even lifetime, when you aren’t eligible for the signup bonus from the same company/provider that you already received one from.

In Closing…

This is just an introduction to travel hacking. Simply the basics to the topic and concepts that so many people are taking advantage of.

If you want to dig deeper and keep learning, I encourage you to head over to my post The Ultimate Travel Hacking Resource Guide – Featuring 70+ Tips & Tools For Americans & Canadians.

What travel rewards card(s) for are you using? Let me know below. Is it working as well as you hoped?

What travel hacking 101 tips or tricks do you take advantage of? Comment below and let’s hear about your adventures or plans for future travels.

Bon voyage!

Here are some other posts to help you take control of your money and life:

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