Become a Credit Card Miles Genius and Fly Free

By capitalizing on credit card reward miles, it is possible to earn a free ticket(s) for either domestic or international flights, which is a much better option than having to buy one. Getting anything for free is usually pretty awesome, but when it comes to getting free flights, now that’s just wicked. It all started about six months before moving to Chiang Mai.

How to Use Airline Reward Credit Cards to Fly for Free

We did research on travel hacking, which is a clever method to rapidly earn and gain airline miles through credit card promotions. The trick is to apply for several promotional credit cards all at once, meet the minimum spending requirement to earn the rewards, and then book your travel once the miles have posted to your account. This is how we managed to fly to Thailand without spending any money on our flights, and we have actually racked up enough points to be able fly to the states and back to Thailand one more time.

Receipt of one of our flights to Thailand redeemed using only airline miles from our Capital One Venture card

How to Chose the Best Airline Rewards Credit Card

• The most bang for your buck. 40,000 and 50,000 airline miles are excellent, 20,000 to 30,000 are very good, but anything below that I wouldn’t bother with.
• The lowest minimum spending requirements. We recommend applying for a card with a minimum spending requirement of $2000 in three months and pass on the card that requires $5k spent in the first month. However, it really comes down to what you are financially comfortable with spending.
• Compatibility with other credit card mileage rewards. In other words, apply for rewards credit cards where the airline mileage can be combined with other airline offers. Sign up for two Southwest Cards at a time, or at the very least, airlines which are part of the same airline alliance.
• A direct discount when purchasing from the credit card’s associated airline. This is where you’ll need to read the fine print. Chris’s ticket from Seattle to Bangkok was equal to 48,520 miles through his Capital One Venture card. However, I used the Southwest Premier card for the same ticket and was charged 41,766 miles, which is a savings of roughly 15%.

Some Additional Bits of Advice

• Apply for all credit cards of interest in the same day, or better yet, in the same hour, to significantly increase being approved for all cards of interest. Since credit card companies can see if you have recently opened up another line of credit, they may deny any additional applications because they see you as a higher risk candidate.
• Apply for the credit cards at least three to four months before your travel date. This will give you enough time to meet the minimum spending requirement to earn the promotional airline miles as well as to allow for the miles to be credited to your account. Keep in mind that airline miles or points will be credited to your account at the end of the monthly statement, and not immediately after each purchase.
• Once you reach your minimum spending limit, stop using the card, but don’t actually cancel it as you can sometimes convince the issuing company to wave the annual fee (if applicable) the following year. Or, if you are aiming for a tiered status with the airline for more long-term benefits (such as the Southwest Companion Pass), charge up! – but be responsible.
• Good credit history is necessary for travel hacking. Before applying, ask yourself if there’s a reasonable chance in being approved for even one credit card in your near future, let alone two or three. There is no sense in having multiple denied applications on your credit history if you suspect from the beginning that you won’t get approved for anything.
• In general, opening up a credit card also opens up doors for identity theft and general financial troubles. Do this at your own risk!