Everyone is familiar with airline frequent flyer miles and hotel points on a general level. I spent years slowly building up points with my credit cards and the infrequent flights I took and I’m sure you’ve done the same. Then, in 2014, I realized that there was a much better way to earn a significant amount of points without too much work.
I now believe that almost anyone can earn enough points for a an international trip each year. I’ve been able to travel to more places, check off a number of my ‘bucket list’ destinations, all while traveling in a more luxurious way – all while paying a fraction of.what these trips should cost.
You can do all of this without earning any miles and points from actual travel. I don’t travel for work nor do I spend a lot of money on hotels to rack up points.
To give an example of the possibilities, let me contrast my Honeymoon I took in 2013 with how I would pay for the trip today using the same strategies I’m going to show you.
Here’s what I paid for my 2013 honeymoon
As you can see, I paid $4,350 for my honeymoon. In my opinion it was a great value and I had an amazing time – I highly recommend Couples Negril for an all-inclusive vacation. Just thinking about it brings back great memories.
But looking back, I now realize that I could have saved a significant amount of money which would have been a huge help during a time when I was also spending a lot of money on a wedding.
Using the strategies that I’m going to share with you my trip could have been significantly reduced our out of pocket cost while improving our comfort. We would have flown in business and first class instead of economy class while only paying the $245 in taxes and fees for the flight. We also would have gotten all seven nights at the Hyatt Zilara Jamaica for free!
Getting free nights at all-inclusives that usually cost $500+/night (Hyatt Zilara Jamaica) can be a great value!
When you factor in all of the costs associated we would have paid less than $500 for a a 7-night honeymoon in Jamaica instead of the $4.5k we actually spent – plus we would have flown in the comfort of business and first class. This would have saved us $4,000 that we could have put toward our wedding (or the house we bought a couple of months later).
Whether you use these strategies to take extremely cheap vacations, take more vacations, or upgrade your vacations to first class flights and 5-star hotels, the possibilities are nearly endless.
At this point you’re probably wondering how this is possible. Why would airlines and hotels give away flights and free nights if you’re not traveling a lot?
The truth is that airlines and hotels have turned their loyalty programs into business divisions of their own and they’re extremely profitable. As part of their strategy they partner with banks to sell them huge sums of points. The banks then offer these miles and points as incentives to get you to sign-up and use their checking accounts and credit cards.
Hopefully at this points you’re excited about the possibilities. I’ve been enjoying traveling the world but I also thoroughly enjoy helping others to do the same. I mean, I can only spend so much time planning my own trips, right?
I’m going to walk you through the process of earning the miles and points that you need to take your first trip, whether that’s taking a weekend getaway to Montana or traveling in first class for a week-long vacation in the Maldives. If you have any questions along the way please make sure to ask in the comments – I’d love to help you achieve your travel dreams!
