Travel Hacking 101: 70+ Tips & Tools To Help American & Canadian Travel Hackers Save Money
Who doesn’t want to travel this amazing world for less as you save money on flights, accommodation and take advantage of the offers available to you? This post will look to help you do just that while acting as a travel hacking 101 resources guide. An encyclopedia of links connecting you to all the different areas of travel hacking to help you save money on travel.
Food, culture, people, beaches, history and lifelong memories.
Travel is such an amazing tool for personal growth, relaxation and enjoyment. However, it can be expensive as flights, accommodation, food, entertainment and so on, quickly add up. The cost (and freedom) is often the most limiting factor from allowing us to explore more often.
That doesn’t need to be the case though.
Below is a collection of travel hacking resources for both Americans and Canadians to help you save money on your vacations and adventures. While the rewards programs, credit cards, hotels and airlines differ between the US and Canada, hopefully this still helps drive everyone down the path of discounted travel.
The main categories discussed below fall into:
- What Is Travel Hacking?
- Basic Rules To Travel Hacking With Credit Cards
- Rewards Programs
- Award Wallet
- Travel Rewards Credits Cards
- Points Cards
- Hotel Cards
- Airline Cards
- Discounted Airfare & Hotel Aggregators
- Special Canadian Shoutout
- Budget Accommodations
- Partner Crossover Programs & Additional Point Providers
- Travel Hacking Websites, Blogs & Forums
- Travel Hacking Podcasts
Travel Hacking 101: What Is Travel Hacking?
Before we get into credit cards and the different travel hacking resources, let’s first put a rough framework to a definition of what travel hacking is.
Travel hacking is the practice of accruing points from credit cards and other rewards programs to travel for much cheaper (or free). This could also include taking advantage of discounts, special offers and other tricks of the trade to save money on travel.
It might be $100 or it could be $10,000 in value.
The whole idea is you’re cutting down the costs of travel by “hacking” or “gaming” the system. Here is a 60 second guide to travel hacking from Forbes to help understand the concept.
Basic Rules To Travel Hacking With Credit Cards
Before we get into any specific cards, let’s solidify this point. Travel hacking requires credit cards so we need to stick to some basic rules. Don’t let the chase for rewards work against you and get you into any financial trouble.
Therefore the basic rules 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 each new credit card can drop your credit score a few points. If you’re planning a major purchase, like a house, in the near future it’s best not to open a handful of new cards beforehand. You want that mortgage lending interest rates as low as possible, a higher credit score will help that.
If you haven’t recently, go check your credit score and credit report.
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.
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 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).
Comparing Credit Card Benefits & Features For Travel Hacking
So when we’re ready to start looking at credit cards, what are we generally looking for when comparing between all of the different travel rewards cards? At any time there are dozens or hundreds of cards available to you.
Each differs slightly and the rewards cards themselves shift offers, bonuses, benefits, etc. often.
From a travel hacking perspective, the main factors being evaluated are:
- Signup Reward
- Intro Signup Bonus Points
- Bonus Spending Categories
- Annual Fee Waived
- Travel Insurance Coverage
- VIP/Priority Lounge Access
- Warranty Extensions & Purchase Protections
- Other Benefits
Travel Hacking 101: Travel Rewards Programs
The first task should be signing up to begin earning points through the various rewards programs memberships. These are the rewards programs for providers like Chase, Delta, Air Canada, Starwood Hotels, Avis and so forth.
You can try to track these points balances individually through provider’s website. Or you can use a site like Award Wallet.
Award Wallet lets you create one account and link the necessary rewards memberships with all you need for your travel hacking “wallet”. Basically anything you can earn member reward points for, Award Wallet has it listed (some Canadian companies unfortunately aren’t listed).
What can do find with Award Wallet?
- Credit Card Rewards Programs
- Airline Rewards Programs
- Hotel Rewards Programs
- Auto Rental Rewards Programs
- Restaurants Rewards Programs
Track your points, get notified about potential expiration dates on points, check travel reservations and much more. So register for the various rewards programs you may potentially use in your travel hacking lifetime. Then head over to Award Wallet and sync all those accounts.
If you aren’t sure what rewards programs you might need (hotels, airlines, etc.), set-up your Award Wallet first and use their list of providers for each category to source the links you need to register for the different companies.
The Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards For Travel Hacking
The first type of credit cards we will be noting in the travel hacking resources guide are the general travel rewards credit cards. These are most often tied to a specific financial institution and the points earned can be used for various aspects of travel.
Luckily for us there are amazing aggregator websites, blogs and communities dedicated to showcasing the latest and greatest rewards cards.
American Travel Rewards Points Credit Cards
ValuePenguin
Value Penguin lays out all the different travel rewards cards in an intuitive, easy to understand chart. They total up a “2-year rewards value” figure for each card to generate a quantitative comparison metric for you to use.
TripHackr
TripHackr is an amazing resource for all things travel hacking. The TripHackr team regularly updates their ‘Best Travel Rewards Cards’ section to give their readers timely recommendations.
The Points Guy
The Points Guy is another 5-star website for anything regarding travel. They churn out like a half dozen articles a day and also have a rewards cards recommendations section that is updated frequently.
Note: these offers, bonuses and rewards are always changing from the different credit card providers, so be sure to check their website for the most up to date details.
Highly Recommended American Travel Rewards Credit 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
Canadian Travel Rewards Points Credit Cards
Ratehub
Ratehub is essentially the Canadian version of ValuePenguin. An easy to navigate chart as well as individual reviews for the most popular cards. They often have referral bonuses as an added value, I got a $100 Amazon gift card when I signed up for my most recent rewards card through them.
GreedyRates
GreedyRates is a comparable platform to Ratehub but it’s still beneficial to check multiple sites for other reviews, potential bonus offers, etc.
Rate Supermarket
Rate Supermarket is again in the same realm as Ratehub and GreedyRates, just another option to review cards and make sure you’re getting all the information needed to make your decision.
Highly Recommended Canadian Travel Rewards Credit Card
- 30,000 bonus points in the first 12 months (2,500 monthly when you spend over $500 that month)
- 5x points on food and drinks, including groceries, restaurants, coffee shops, bars and food delivery
- 2x points on travel and transit, including airfare, hotels, taxi, Uber and gas
- 1x points on any other purchases
- $10 monthly fee (totals to $120 annual)
- Free supplementary cards
- Extensive travel insurance and purchase protection
REGISTER FOR THE AMEX COBALT TODAY
The Best Hotel Rewards Credit Cards For Travel Hacking
Other option you’ll want to set your eyes on might be a hotel rewards credit card.
Hotel rewards cards are pretty flexible in terms of transferring points between their partner providers and have relationships with specific airlines to assist with our all-around travel hacking efforts.
Your travel hacking system should try to build in 1-2 hotel chains as your consistent mainstays whenever possible. The compounding benefit of earning points through your standard member rewards program and now a hotel rewards credit card from the same chain will get those points rolling in on the double.
Your points can unlock free accommodation, luxurious upgrades, exclusive member advantages and so much more.
American Hotel Rewards Cards
The links below will drive right to the comparison charts that highlight the benefits, reviews and value of the different hotel rewards credit cards.
After going through a ton of these travel hacking resources, I found one consistent inclusion for a hotel rewards card in the States – the Chase Marriott.
Note: these offers, bonuses and rewards are always changing from the different credit card providers, so be sure to check their website for the most up to date details.
Highly Recommended American Hotel Rewards Credit Card
Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card
- 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in first 3 months
- Enjoy 1 Free Night Stay at a Category 1-5 hotel every year
- Earn 6 points per $1 spent at participating Marriott Rewards & SPG hotels
- 2x point on all other purchases
- $95 annual fee
- No foreign transaction fees
- Extensive travel insurance and purchase protection
Canadian Hotel Rewards Cards
Unfortunately the offerings in Canada aren’t as extensive as the American hotel rewards cards. However, here is one specific card that get positive reviews and offers great value – the SPG AMEX.
Check out this full review on the SPG Amex Canada card.
Highly Recommended Canadian Hotel Rewards Card
Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Credit Card
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after you charge $1,500 in purchases to your card in your first three months
- 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
SIGN UP FOR THE SPG AMEX TODAY
The Best Airline Rewards Credit Cards For Travel Hacking
Most of the major airlines offer a credit card with a partnered financial institution. Similar to our hotel rewards credit card, doubling this up with your already existing airline rewards program card puts your points accrual on the fast-track.
Based on where you live, the most beneficial card for you could depend on whether that airline flies frequently from your closest airport.
American Airline Rewards Card
These links will drive you right to the comparison chart for different airline rewards cards to once again highlight the benefits and overall value for each option.
The pound for pound champ seems to consistently be Southwest as the holy grail of airfare travel hacking is securing that Southwest Companion Pass. Here is a post by The Points Guy on How To Earn The Southwest Companion Pass This Year.
Note: these offers, bonuses and rewards are always changing from the different credit card providers, so be sure to check their website for the most up to date details.
Highly Recommended American Airline Rewards Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Earn 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
- 6,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary
- 2 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases and Rapid Rewards® Hotel and Car Rental Partner purchases
- 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- No blackout dates or seat restrictions
- No foreign exchange fees
- Bags fly free and no change fees
Canadian Airline Rewards Cards
Highly Recommended Canadian Airline Rewards Card
BMO AIR MILES World Elite Mastercard
- 2,000 Air Miles after your first purchase
- 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
MORE DETAILS ON BMO WORLD ELITE
Discount Airfare & Hotel Aggregators For Travel Hacking
There are some amazing flight and hotel aggregating services on the Internet to help us sniff out the most optimal flight and accommodation deals for our travel hacking efforts.
Here are some of the more popular discount airfare and hotel listing platforms.
There are a dozen more services just like the above out there. Whenever searching for flights and hotels, check multiple websites and make note of the prices. They will vary from site to site and that extra effort of a few minutes searching might save you $100+++ easily.
Special Canadian Discount Airfare Shoutout
Y Deals runs a different website, newsletter and Facebook group for each (most) of the major cities and airports across Canada.
It’s an amazing resource! You will get an email or notification when any of those amazing deals and anomalies come to the marketplace.
Budget Accommodation To Save You Money On Travel
If you’re looking to maximize your budget, you can go the route of budget accommodation. If cost and inventory permits, I generally try to go the Airbnb route for my own travel accommodation needs.
Digital nomads and travel hackers alike leverage resources like the below to stretch their dollars out.
While the travel rewards points you’ve accrued won’t be applicable to these budget accommodation options, it’s often more effective to use those points elsewhere in your travel hacking journey if you can score a deal.
If you are new to Airbnb, you can use my link to get $45 in free travel credit for your first trip! No strings attached, $45 off your accommodation costs to enjoy your summer fun.
Partner Crossover Programs & Additional Point Providers
To help create mutually beneficial relationships and cross-brand loyalty, some airline and hotel providers offer crossover benefits to their members. It’s just another one of the many travel hacking resources to be aware of in order to maximize your overall travel value.
Starwood Preferred Guest & Delta SkyMiles
SPG & Delta have teamed up to provide their members with crossover points earning opportunities. Fly with Delta, earn SPG points. Stay with SPG, earn Delta points.
Plus you’d still be earning your standard points from the provider you’re booking with. Plus the points from whatever credit card you are using to purchase the service.
Marriott Rewards & United Mileage Plus
In the same vein as SPG & Delta above, Marriott & United have joined up to give members the opportunity to drive higher rewards points.
Additional Points Providers
Some online flight and hotel aggregator services tie their booking systems to various rewards programs providers to entice users. If you register an account with them and use their platform to make a reservation, you’ll earn additional bonus points.
Travel Hacking Websites, Blogs & Forums
The power of the Internet and online communities have made accessing travel hacking resources easier than ever before. Some sites specialize in credit card rewards systems and others have mastered the art of digital nomadism.
Either way the net result for us is a ton of information on travelling more for less.
Choose FI Travel Hacking Blog Series
The first thing I would recommend reading for any beginning travel hacker or someone looking for a specific system, would be this 3-part blog series.
- Travel Rewards | Part 1 :Travel The World for Free An Introduction
- Part 2 : The Chase Gauntlet | Card Opening Strategy
- Part 3 : Sweet Redemption
Travel Hacking Websites & Blogs
There are a TON of great blog posts, articles and resource guides on each of the properties noted below. From the beginner travel hacker to expert churner, all of these websites have classic cornerstone posts, resource guides and stories to help you travel more for less.
- Travel Is Free
- The Points Guy
- Nomadic Matt
- Frugal Travel Guy
- Never Ending Voyage
- Million Mile Secrets
- TripHackr
- Flyer Talk
- Point Chaser
- View From The Wing
- Travel Hacking Cartel (**paid membership)
Travel Hacking Discussion Forms
Canadian Travel Hacking Websites & Blogs
Additional Travel Hacking Articles & Resources
- Jason Steele: Credit Card & Travel Journalist
- Zero To Travel: 13 Ways Travel Hackers Can Meet Their Minimum Spend Requirements
- Seat Guru: Find Seat Maps For Your Flight
- Rockstar Finance: Travel Hacking Blog Directory
Travel Hacking Podcasts To Help Save You Money
There have been some great interviews and discussions regarding travel hacking. The tips, resources and first-hand knowledge you gain from sitting in on these interviews or discussions are so valuable.
Travel Hacking Podcast Episodes
I’d recommend the 4 episodes below as stalwarts for initial travel hacking resource listening.
- ChooseFI Podcast – Travel Rewards How To Travel The World For Free (The Easy Way)
- ChooseFI Podcast – Travel Rewards What Comes After The Chase
- The Mad Fientist Financial Independence Podcast – Travel Miles 101
- Zero To Travel – Free Travel Hacking Guide
Travel, Budget Travel & Travel Hacking Podcasts
I included the podcasts below in my Top 75 Podcasts To Help Improve Your Life, Finances, Business, Health & More post. Each has an extensive library discussing all things travel.
Conclusion – Travel Hacking 101: 70+ Resources To Help Travel Hackers Save Money
This is only scratching the surface of all the travel hacking resources available to us. The amount of content and information available on every aspect of travel to all corners of the globe is overwhelming.
I am just glad I live in a time where the possibilities to travel more for less and explore this beautiful world are accessible.
What travel hacking resources have I missed?
What travel hacking practices, tips or tools have delivered the biggest value for you?
Please let me know in the comments below
The only thing left to do is start planning your next travel hacking adventure.
Here are some other posts to help you take control of your money and life:
- American Express Cobalt Review – Travel Rewards Credit Card In Canada
- SPG Amex Canada Review – Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card
- Credit Card Benefits And Perks – Understanding The Value Out Of Your Card
- Understanding Your Credit Score And How To Check It For Free
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Wow this is super comprehensive, great job!
I just rechecked my credit score (I think I checked it right after I applied for the Scotiabank Amex and it was kind of depressing because it was in the 700’s, now it’s back up to a respectable number!).
I also got the $100 Amazon gift card from Rate Hub, it was great!
I really liked that you referenced my old blog posts from Youngandthrifty you have good taste 😉
Thanks! I enjoy your blog – glad to see you pop on RSFF this week! Your post on YaT was great. I didn’t realize that was your former blog until I checked out the “Start Here” page.
That was a nice little incentive with the Scotia Gold huh!? – $100 free Amazon bucks on top of an already strong value with the card as is. I’m ready for another 2 (maybe 3) new cards now so just holding out another week to see if any new offers/incentives pop up before going ahead.