How to Travel Like the Travel Blogger // A Guide to Credit Card Rewards

*** DISCLAIMER: This post about travel credit cards does contain referral links. However, for every referral link here we also have a NON-referral link too.

We want you to know that these are our honest recommendations and this blog has no affiliation with any card or company listed (other than we have these cards ourselves and love them)***

It doesn’t take too long scrolling through Instagram and other social media channels to come across the all-too-common “travel bloggers” seemingly living outsized lifestyles, flying international first-class, checking into 5-star hotels, and seemingly doing it for free.

Turns out, the reality is way less interesting.

They have figured out that credit card sign up bonuses can offer good value to travelers who maximize them.

In fact, credit card issuers spend millions and millions of dollars on advertising campaigns touting their rewards programs. I mean, Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Garner have been literally begging you to get into the credit cards rewards game for years!

(Let’s just hope there are no monkey-fighting snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane).

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HOW WE USE POINTS

As some of you may know, I live in Minnesota and Michelle lives in Austin. As such, I travel to Austin relatively frequently and, to date, I have not spent a dollar on airfare (well, to be fair, you have to pay $5.60 each way in taxes and fees, so I guess I’ve spent a few dollars, but you get my point.)

Basically, without these credit card points Michelle and I would be taking massive hits on our bank accounts to see each other. We want to avoid that as much as possible. So, here’s how we did!

THE BASICS – BECAUSE NONE OF US GOT TAUGHT THIS IN SCHOOL

When and why should one sign up for their first credit card?

As soon as possible!!! It’s important to build up a credit score as soon as you can because that’s how you’ll end up getting loans to buy the big things like a HOME and CARS in the future. You can start slow with a basic card that has no annual fee, and that alone is good enough to build your score.

Again, I emphasize that you should always treat a credit card like a debit card. Only spend what you have. If your financial situation requires you to spend more than you have, please look into your interest rates to ensure you are not paying crazy fees for your debt.

Interest payments and annual fees are brutal, how do I avoid that?

Pay off that card EVERY MONTH. Again, only spend what you have. Otherwise, you’re the reason these guys are making a profit.

Your goal should be to eliminate all interest payments by paying your card off every month and maximize your return on annual fees.

A lot of people would say you should never pay an annual fee. I disagree. I think you should pay annual fees when they make sense, i.e. when you’re getting more value from them than you’re paying.

Is this going to hurt my credit score that I already built?

That’s a good and important question and I’m happy to say that, despite opening close to a dozen cards over the past two years, my credit score has actually increased.

I am not a financial advisor, so I’d encourage you to do your own research first on what are some things that will hurt your credit score.

Quick Example On How This Works?

Example: One RT ticket between Minneapolis and Austin is usually 25k miles (around $250) so we booked up 2 RT flights with these miles. Saved $500, and the cost of the card was $95 (free the first year) so it ended up saving us money.

Or, if you prefer, you can redeem them directly for $625 worth of airfare.

Or, if you prefer, you can just cash them out and get $500. As you can see, transferrable points currencies are really the way to go if you’re looking for flexibility.

I can’t stress enough that if you think you would be unable to make full payments every month, stop reading now. This is not for you. I say it 500 times because it is so important.

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SO WHERE SHOULD I START? HOW DO I GET THE MOST VALUE?

First, I think it’s important to understand the types of credit card currencies out there. There are two basic currencies: “miles” and transferrable points currencies (the latter is usually better).

Two types exist: Direct rewards cards for specific companies and Transferrable rewards that allow you to use your points on LOTS of things.

The Two Types of Cards

1. Transferrable Rewards Cards

These are rewards programs managed by the credit card issuers themselves. This is where I consider the best value to be, especially for those who are new to credit card rewards. These programs are fantastic because they give you FLEXIBILITY.

Such as Chase Ultimate Rewards…
My personal favorite (and Michelle’s) because of how flexible it is and how you get the most bang for your buck in terms of travel. Also, they offer cards for beginners and for card-pros.

or American Express
AmEx Membership Rewards is another big one, and this is your best bet if you are already intro’d into the Chase world

2. Direct Rewards Cards
These are essentially rewards points that are tied to one specific company. This limits your flexibility because you’re limited to redeeming your points with one hotel / airline / national coffee-shop chain. However, if you are flying one airline WAY more than others, this is a solid option. Examples of miles currency are:

It’s important to note that a mile in one currency does not equal a mile in another currency. For example, Hilton Honors points are worth about 0.5 cents where as World of Hyatt points can be worth well over 2 cents each.

Best Direct Rewards Cards

These are essentially rewards points that are tied to one specific company. This limits your flexibility because you’re limited to redeeming your points with one hotel / airline / national coffee-shop chain. However, if you are flying one airline WAY more than others, this is a solid option. Examples of miles currency are:

American Airlines – AAdvantage
Delta Air Lines – SkyMiles
Hilton – Hilton Honors
Hyatt – World of Hyatt
IHG (InterContenental, Kimpton, Holiday Inn, etc) – IHG Rewards Club
Marriott – Marriott Bonvoy (tell me that’s not the most cringeworthy name in the industry)

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OKAY GOT IT…BUT WHAT CARD SHOULD I START WITH? WHATS THE BEST ONE?

First, a note about referrals.

I believe strongly that readers should be skeptical of credit card referral links/affiliate links. A lot of the points and miles bloggers out there are essentially in-bed with the credit card issuers.

Some of the shadier bloggers out there will steer readers toward sub-optimal sign-up bonuses just because they receive a higher commission.

As such, for those cards for which we have a referral link, we’ll provide both a referral link (if you use it, we will be rewarded if you are approved) and a non-referral link (for which we receive nothing).

It’s totally up to you which one you choose to use. The sign-up bonuses are the same for both.

With that said, this blog has no relationship with any bank or card issuer.

OUR #1 RECOMMENDATION

The Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve.

This is the best bang-for-your-buck in travel. Here you can read about the different benefits the Preferred or Reserve get you. But without a doubt, these are the way to go.

Chase Sapphire Preferred
The way to go if you’re new to the credit card world and want to dip your toe in. This was Michelle’s first card. You get the miles, the major points, and a lower annual fee of $95 a year (free the first year, so you can always cancel before the 1 year mark).

Includes: 50k miles, 2x points on travel & dining, $0 foreign transaction fees

Chase Sapphire Reserve
(Not a Referral Link) The way to go if you travel a lot (or plan to) and know you’ll make the most of it. The card has a $500 annual fee (I know, sounds like a LOT), but its worth it with the 100k miles.

Includes 50k miles, $300 in travel credit (aka if you book a flight you get that money back), airport lounge access, $0 foreign transaction fees, 3x points on travel/dining, and a million other things.

Here is a non-referral link option for the Preferred too!

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CHASE INK PREFERRED – THE OTHER #1 RECOMMENDATION

The 80,000 point sign-up bonus is in my opinion, the most valuable publicly available sign-up bonus available on the market. Also, no annual fee. Major.

I highly recommend this Chase Ink Preferred Card.

However, it is a business card, so you must have a business to qualify. The good news is, many people qualify for this card than realize it.

If you’ve ever earned money outside of a job, you likely can qualify. Michelle has it for the blog, for which she just puts all her business expenses, like Lightroom and Coffee Shops on it. She drinks a LOT of coffee.

Otherwise, dog sitting, selling stuff on eBay, driving for Uber, etc works. If that fits you, this card will immediately jump to my number one card recommendation, given its excellent signup bonus.

Read more about the topic here!
Also here is a non-referral link!

IF YOU ALREADY HAVE THOSE…

If you already HAVE the above cards, then we absolutely would recommend these as your next steps!

The AmEx Membership Rewards

American Express Membership Rewards is another excellent transferrable points currency– just like Chase Ultimate Rewards. One of the great things about AmEx is that they’ve got about a half-dozen different cards to choose from, so it’s easy to rack up a ton of membership rewards.

Michelle has the Amex Platinum card, which comes with a mighty high $550 per year annual fee (yikes). BUT, most people will be able to get outsized value from this card for the following reasons:

1. 60,000 point sign up bonus
2. $200 per year Uber credit (you can use it for Uber Eats, too)
3. $200 per year in airline fee credits (for things like checked bags, upgrades, etc.)
4. Fantastic lounge access (including Centurion lounges which are amazing, Delta SkyClubs when flying Delta, and a Priority Pass membership)
5. Elite Marriott and Hilton status
6. Fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry

Here’s a non-referral link too!

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Delta American Express Cards

Normally, I’d say that Delta SkyMiles are a relatively low-value currency, but there’s currently an excellent, limited-time bonus on the Delta Amex Platinum card (75,000 miles).

Redemption values are variable, but I would say you should be able to get three round-trip domestic flights out of this or a round-trip flight pretty much anywhere in the world (assuming there’s saver-level availability).

The Delta Platinum card has a $195 annual fee but a cool benefit is that, after the first year, you get a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for domestic travel on Delta. I have this card and it’s been super useful. But again, if it were the normal sign-up bonus (35,000 SkyMiles) I’d give it a pass.

Here is a non-referral link too!

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Barclays Arrival Plus Card

This card is great because of its simplicity. The sign-up bonus is currently 70,000 miles and you can easily redeem them for $700 worth of travel. The card earns 2x miles (basically 2% back on travel) on all purchases on an ongoing basis, so this is a good basic keeper card.

The $89 annual fee is waived the first year (aka you can cancel it within the year).

(link above is not a referral link)

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I PROMISE YOU, THIS IS WORTH IT

Whether you want to use this for your domestic trips around the country, survive a long-distance relationship without murdering your bank account, or travel around the world affordably, this is the way to go.

Domestic travel is great and all, but the extra value in points and miles comes from international first- and business-class airfare. These are the types of award redemptions that the Miles bloggers talk about—it’s spawned an entire industry of YouTubers, Instagrammers, and bloggers.

Michelle and I are flying from Houston to Cape Town on Qatar Airway’s QSuites product—considered by most to be the world’s best business class product. We’re sipping Champaign and resting easy knowing that neither of us is broke now because of it.

Our ticket was bought entirely with American Airlines AAdvantage miles (75,000 miles per person one way + taxes and fees). If you happened to pay cash for this ticket, it would be $8,827.

Note from Michelle: I am literally editing this post from the comfort of my plane chair that turns into a bed. I never want to fly economy again. Also, I could literally never afford this otherwise it was wipe out my savings account.

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THE QUESTION MICHELLE ALWAYS ASKS ME: DID THIS HOBBY END UP COSTING ME MORE THAN IT BENEFITS ME?

Over the last couple of years, I’ve signed up for a new rewards card about once every three months. Since the beginning of 2017 – through sign-up bonuses, organic spending, and business travel – I’ve racked up more than 350,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards, 375,000 AAdvantage Miles, and 450,000 Delta SkyMiles (Delta happens to be the airline I fly most often for work), and 400,000 Marriott Rewards points.

Conservatively, I’d value these points and miles at more than $15,000 in travel. It’s not a secret, it’s not a miracle, and it’s not simple—it just takes a lot of careful planning and disciplined management of accounts.

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FOR MORE GREAT RESOURCES

There are plenty of other recommendations I can make, and I’d be more than happy to answer questions you have about your individual travel goals.

Finally, I should point you to a couple of EXCELLENT sources that I am grateful to exist. I trust these sources to provide unbiased advice and guidance. If you’re interested, I’d suggest these sources for further reading.

First: Doctorofcredit.com DoC’s site is filled with great daily deals and tracking of the best credit cards currently available.

Second: the Reddit “Churning” community. It can be a little difficult to navigate, so I’d suggest reading as much as you can before you try to jump into the discussion.

Finally: I suggest One Mile at a Time for fawning over the first-class travel experiences of its author. I don’t necessarily trust the site for credit card advice, but I love the travel content. He was the inspiration behind Michelle and I booked ourselves into Qatar Business Class Suite product.

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Hey friends!
Thanks for reading through Denver’s post about Credit Cards and how to maximize them for travel. We hope you guys found use out of the post and learned something new!

HOWEVER. I (Michelle now) want to clarify something. Credit cards and points are something that can further our inequality gap. They’re something that people in the lower class do not typically get knowledge or access to, and our goal was merely to help educate others because we were fortunate enough to be taught this as a young age.

We know not everyone can just “get” these credit cards, systematic oppression makes it difficult, and taking two weeks off to travel is not something everyone can do.

But we want to make sure this game that credit card companies play is a game that everyone can learn the rules to. That was merely our goal, and we truly mean no harm in this post.

Much love to you all, and PLEASE comment below questions so I can send Denver over to answer!

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