I started getting into the point and mile world as a freshman in college in 2014. I’ve long wanted to go on a solo adventure through Europe but can’t buy a round trip ticket over $1,000 during winter break And pay for other expenses inevitably incurred during the trip. So I turned to the internet for help.
Lo and behold, I found The Points Guy’s YouTube Channel, at the time, Brian Kelly, founder of TPG, was giving camera points, miles, and credit card advice. Needless to say, I was surprised by what I heard. Can I fly to Europe for under $100? round-trip? All I have to do is open a credit card and put my living expenses on it? Looks like I sold it.
As soon as I found this channel, I opened a United℠ Explorer . Card and put my rent payments and other expenses on the card. Once 60,000 miles were in my account, I quickly booked a two-week trip from Chicago to New York City, London, Paris, Prague and Berlin. Mileage covers most of these flights, and low-cost airlines handle the rest. i sleep in dormitorymet other travelers and had a great time.
At the end of the ride, there was one notable side effect: I was addicted to points and miles.
I’ve spent the past few weeks looking back at my points and miles journey and how I transitioned from a student who just started traveling to someone who travels regularly for work and travel. Over the years, I have changed my view of the value of travel rewards and how I choose to earn them.
Early days: Chase welcome bonuses, book savings
Ah, the early days. I look back fondly at them.
As a college freshman with a part-time job, I have little income. However, being authorized by my parents’ credit cards helped me get credit early, so I was approved for some cards. Specifically, I opened a United℠ Explorer . Card And Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card relatively early in my points and miles game. Then I switched to other cards during college, got some airline co-branded credit cards, and Points are transferable card.
I will apply for the card several times a year and pay my rent (pay 3% fee) to meet the welcome bonus. I will redeem points for trips during school breaks or during off-peak times when I have distance learning classes. I also load up my classes at the beginning of the week, so I can travel Thursday through Sunday to visit friends from high school, see new cities, and explore the world.
Related: Should I pay with a rewards credit card even if there is a fee?
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At the time, I didn’t have enough daily spending to focus my spending on the best categories. Instead, I always chase the next reward. I also focus on redeeming points and miles for economy class flights while staying in hostels or budget hotels. However, I have had some wonderful luxury experiences. Most of my travels are to Central and Eastern Europe, Asia and throughout the United States. This helps me extend my points earned and travel a lot.
To stretch the points even further, I would also book cheap long-haul flights. My first trip to Asia was with a $450 Air Canada ticket between Chicago and Hong Kong. That’s also the ticket that helped me earn United Premier Gold Elite Status for the first time, getting me officially hooked on the elite status hamster wheel.
Briefly? I want to earn as many points as possible while spending as little as possible — and I’m willing to sacrifice comfort to do so.
Related: 9 trips TPG staff booked with points and miles in 2023
Graduate: Focus on spending, in exchange for luxury
A month after graduating from college, I moved from Chicago to New York City.
This increased my expenses, but I had a steady income for the first time in my adult life. However, at the same time, it was my first “real” job with limited income and I lived in the most expensive city in the country. This made me think twice about maximizing every dollar I spent to fuel my desire to travel the world.
During this time, I started to pay more attention to the cards that I use to make everyday purchases. The American Express® Gold Card And Blue Business® Plus credit card from American Express became the two most used cards in my wallet and I started taking advantage shopping portal And airline meal program to earn the most points on my daily purchases.
When I travel, I start exchanging for business and first class tickets. I was lucky enough to have a completely remote job (even before the pandemic) at that point in my life, so I’m still on the go. Due to my max spend, I can fly great products like First class Lufthansa, Austrian Business Class And JAL business class. Not bad for 22.
However, oddly enough, I still don’t take hotels seriously at this point. Occasionally I’ll trade points for the cheapest Hilton or Hyatt property in town, but most of my stay is at budget hotels or motels. This was great at the time — it helped me meet more travelers and save points for more flights. It’s still an extra expense, though, and often means I have to sacrifice my comfort.
Related: Sweet Spot Sunday: How to fly round-trip to Europe in business class with 88,000 miles
Today: Value and Comfort
Today, I am in a more comfortable living situation, and I travel often for work.
That said, I’m still focused on saving money. I want to buy an apartment soon, get married soon, and eventually I want to retire (crazy, right?). However, the desire to travel often has been with me – I just want to do it comfortably without breaking the bank.
I still maximize my earnings and always do my best to earn more than 1 point per dollar on all purchases. Sometimes, however, I make exceptions to this rule.
I’ve gone back to the elite status hamster wheel, so I spend some of my annual spending on Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to earn Medallion Miles rewards that help me stay Delta Diamond Elite Status. This makes my regular commute more comfortable and can help get me out of trouble when unusual activities occur.
My acquisition strategy has changed dramatically. These days, I still travel abroad often, but not as much as in previous years. On those trips, I do my best to exchange for business and first class tickets. I also travel more domestically. So I use Delta SkyMiles and Avianca LifeMiles to book cheap tickets back to Chicago and visit friends around the country.
I am also interested in hotel points, namely IHG One Rewards And Hyatt’s World point. I’ve found that I can book reasonably priced stays in most major cities in these currencies, saving me thousands of dollars a year. I don’t stay at Park Hyatts every month (although I love them), but staying at Hyatt Place is far more comfortable than a bed in a dorm at this point in my life.
The key to all of this is to travel comfortably without breaking the bank. I love to travel often, but I wouldn’t be able to save money taking at least one weekend trip per month if it weren’t for points and miles.
I like to maximize every point and mile I earn, but I don’t mind using it Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal to save $250 on a flight. This would have disgusted me years ago – oh, how times have changed.
At the same time, I want to stay and fly comfortably. Elite status and premium credit cards make the travel experience more enjoyable on business and personal trips, and I’m willing to pay a little more to maintain them every year.
I’m also willing to shell out more points to book business class outright, even if it’s not the best deal. Sure, I could book a $20-a-night motel, but I’d pay 12,000 World of Hyatt points for a hotel room instead.
Related: Multiple benefits: Why Delta Reserve Amex is my favorite co-branded credit card
look forward
The takeaway here is that – like anything in life – priorities are ever-changing.
Initially, I aspired to earn as many points as possible and redeem most of them on economy class flights so that I could take as many trips as possible. I’ll be staying in a dorm, and that’s okay when I’m in my 20s.
However, nearing 30, I value comfort and save money for life goals. I still want to explore the world, but sometimes that means staying closer to home or burning extra miles for a better flight or a nicer hotel room in which I can comfortably work.
It will be interesting to see how everything starts here. Getting married and eventually having kids, one day, means I may have to take fewer personal trips. So I’ll have to make the ones I capture make more sense.
This could mean spending too many SkyMiles on a ticket to Mexico during spring break, or maybe I’ll join my family’s Southwest tour group and use a Companion card fly around the country.
Only time will tell, but I’m excited about the future. There is much more to discover.
