Almost Free Traveling

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Booking airfare with credit card sign-up bonuses is easy; here’s five different ways to do it (read how we use points and miles to book entire trips).

1. AIRLINE BRANDED CREDIT CARDS

If you know which airline you want to fly, the most straightforward way to earn miles towards airfare is through airline credit cards, and there are plenty to choose from (here’s a list of five airlines offering multiple cards each). When considering what cards to open, pay attention to which airline hubs are near you, and also check airline partnerships (we fly Alaska, and recently opened Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® because the points interact with Alaska fares).

2. ERASEABLE CHARGE CARDS

These flexible cards give sign-up bonuses you can use for statement credits towards travel expenses–including airfare–which means you can book ticket(s) on any airline! Cards good for booking and erasing airfare are Capital One Venture & Venture X, Disney branded credit cards, and Bank of America Premium Rewards.

3. BOOKING THROUGH PORTALS

Credit cards sometimes have their own travel portal, through which you can book airfare with points earned by spending on the card; for example, cards earning Chase Ultimate Rewards and the Capital One Venture X have their own portals, while Citi Premier has Connextions, it’s own travel agent (through whom we’ve purchase Disneyland tickets with Citi ThankYou points).

4. TRANSFERRING POINTS TO AIRLINES

While using a portal could be the best option, sometimes the most lucrative way to book airfare is to earn points on one card and then transfer those points to your airline of choice. Marriott points, Chase Ultimate Rewards earned through a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Capital One points and Citi ThankYou Points are a few that can be transferred to various airlines, including Turkish Air, which people love to do in order to book cheap Hawaii flights.

5. CARDS WITH TRAVEL CREDITS

Last but not least, the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers an annual $300 travel credit: every year when your card renews, your first travel expense(s) will automatically be erased, up to $300. Book an airline ticket right after your card membership renews, and you’ll save up to $300 on that ticket. I don’t recommend opening a Chase Sapphire Reserve right now, as the Capital One Venture X is a far better card!!

TAKEAWAYS

Whether you’re opening a card for a specific airline, transferring points or simply taking advantage of your card’s travel credit, there’s lots of ways to book free airfare using credit card points!

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