Learn how to earn points and miles,
then spend them well.
Want to use miles to fly First Class around the world? Yes, it can be done! Sure, it sounds like one of those ‘too good to be true’ things, but it really works. We at Frequent Miler have been traveling in First Class for free (less taxes and fees) for years using the tricks explained in this blog. The catch (and yes, there’s always a catch) is that it takes knowledge and organization to pull it off. That’s where this blog can help!
Ironically, traveling is not the best way to earn miles & points (but it doesn’t hurt!). Credit card signup bonuses are the biggest and best opportunity for earning free points and miles. For many, it’s easy to earn hundreds of thousands of points each year through signup bonuses! Here’s how:
Apply
Spend
Get the Bonus
There's a reason that credit card companies are willing to give away points & miles. They make a lot of money from interest and fees. Interest and fee payments can quickly wipe out the benefits gained from signup bonuses. The only way to come out ahead is to pay your credit card bills in full, every month. If you can't do that, then I highly recommend against signing up for new credit cards.
Caution!
Earning Points and Miles
Earning Points and Miles with Credit Cards
Credit card welcome bonuses are the quickest and easiest way to earn crazy amounts of points & miles quickly. It used to be possible to apply for the same exact card over and over again in order to earn the same bonus every few months. Most card issuers have stopped allowing that, but for most of us that’s OK.
Our Best Credit Card Offers page shows over 8 million points & miles up for grabs across dozens of credit cards (some of which you can get again.)
Our guide to credit card application rules can help you learn more about which credit cards have which kinds of rules.
Many credit cards offer extra points for spend within certain categories. For example the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers 3X for travel & dining and the Amex Gold offers 4X for restaurants and 4X for US supermarkets (up to $25K per year spend, then 1X). We share the best category bonuses here.
It’s possible to increase credit card spend in ways that won’t deplete your bank account. Techniques vary from paying bills that can’t normally be paid by credit card to buying and selling. For details, see our Guide to increasing credit card spend.
Using Points and Miles
Making Good Use of your Points and Miles
Once you’ve earned points and miles, you want to use those points towards maximum value. There is a learning curve to knowing what counts as a good value and what doesn't so you may want to see how we value different points and miles currencies here.
Some points can be transferred to different airline and hotel programs. This is especially useful for booking flights, giving you lots of flexibility to book the deals that exist for your specific travel dates. American Express Membership Rewards points and Chase Ultimate Rewards points are both examples. You can learn more about the different transfer partners here.
Award pricing can be counterintuitive at times. For example, It can sometimes be cheaper to book a flight with an airline's partner miles than its own. There are award search tools that help with these nuances. Learn more about award search tools for flights here, and award search tools for hotels here.
Taking it to the Next Level
Airlines and hotels offer their top elite members perks that can be pretty valuable like free upgrades on flights or free breakfast at hotels. These perks are supposed to be reserved for top-paying customers, but you can learn about some status shortcut strategies here.
One reason we love miles and points is because they help us achieve exclusive, luxurious, or adventurous experiences most of us couldn't dream of otherwise. Learn how to find and book the world’s best first class award flights here.
Credit card and hotel points can both help you stay in some amazing luxury accommodations you’d never justify paying cash for. Learn more tips for luxury lodging using points here.
If you want to learn more, you're in luck! We talk about this stuff all day long and in many different formats. Visit this page to learn all the ways you can get more involved and learn more about miles and points.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re just getting started, these posts may answer some of your questions and help you dive a little deeper.
I was rejected for the IHG Premier card. I think it’s because of Chase’s 5/24 rule. I have 2 chase cards the United Mileage Plus and the Preferred card. I’m planning a long trip overseas and was hoping to get the IHG sign-on bonus to help cover my stay. I have also considered applying for their Business card since I’ve read they don’t count towards the 5/24 rule. I’m also interested in getting the House of Hyatt card from Chase. My trip starts in April next year. My credit ratings are all 740+, and I’ll be at 3/24 in March, so I was hoping to add the two hotel cards before then. Can you suggest any way I can get the two hotel cards before March?
If you were over 5/24, then yes, that’s why you were rejected. You have to be under 5/24 to be approved.
You have some confusion regarding business cards. All Chase cards are subject to the 5/24 rule — in other words, you need to be under 5/24 to be approved.
Most business cards (including all Chase business cards) do not add to your 5/24 count. So if you’re at 3/24 and you open an IHG Business card, you’re still at 3/24. If you open an IHG Premier (consumer) card, you’re at 4/24. Then, if you open an Ink Business Cash card, you’re still at 4/24. Then, if you open a World of Hyatt (consumer) card you’re at 5/24 and won’t get approved for more Chase cards until you’re under 5/24 again. The consumer cards add to your count, the business cards do not add to your count (so long as they aren’t reported on your personal credit report — very few issuers report business cards to consumer credit reports unless you fail to pay). But the 5/24 rule applies in terms of getting approved either way.
I’d probably try again when you’re under 5/24. If you fall to 4/24, you could try getting the IHG Business card and then you would still be eligible for the World of Hyatt consumer card after that since the IHG Business card won’t add to your count. But you’ll need to be at 4/24 or lower to get any of them. It makes sense to start with any business cards once you’re below 5/24 since those won’t add to your count.
Thanks Nick, I think I understood the 5/24 rule. I did read your page on “Credit Card Application Rules by each bank” before I posted my question. I guess I just posted it in a confusing way.
I think the crux of my question is more, “since I’m at 5/24 now and I want to build IHG points for my trip in April before then, preferably over the summer, would you say applying for the business card from IHG is a good solution? Or does Chase/IHG expect me to first have a consumer card?”
Thanks!
It doesn’t matter, but you said you just got denied for the consumer card because you’re over 5/24, right? You’re going to have to wait until you’re under 5/24 to be approved for whichever Chase card(s) you want. Once you’re under, it doesn’t matter whether it’s business or customer to Chase/IHG.
OK, so what you’re saying is not until I get to 4/24 will Chase allow me to add a new card. AND if, after I get to 4/24, I apply and am approved for a business card it won’t count against the 5/24 rule, so I could also apply for the WOH card at that time? But if i apply now I’ll be denied for any Chase card?
What is the best way to spend my 180,000 American Express rewards points?
That’s like asking “What’s the best way to spend a Saturday afternoon?” or “What’s the best way to spend a thousand dollars?” — it’s far too broad to give you a helpful answer. Here’s a post outlining many of the best uses: https://frequentmiler.com/amex-membership-rewards-sweet-spots/
Im going to apply for a JETBLUE status match to my DIAMOND status on Delta.will flights i book for next jan/feb/mar but bought tomorrow count toward my staus match total?
No. You have to fly during the challenge period for the flights to count.
So its ok for me to buy tickets now as long as I fly during the challenge period
Yes. Sorry misread your post.
Searching for a return flight to Seattle from Melbourne next November. Best so far for biz is 108k MEL-NAN-LAX or 120k MEL-DOH-SEA in Qatar Qsuites, the long way around. I know it’s still early but are either great options?
I have a really tricky one. Essentially, I have a one day window to complete the spend on phase 1 of a southwest performance business card SUB to get the miles to go toward 2025 year and to get my companion pass from there. Statement date is December one and even after a courtesy extension, I need to fulfill phase 1 of my sign up bonus spend “by” December 3. Question is where should I spend that money to be sure the charge goes through quickly. I have found a Walmart. Purchase is still pending after 24 hours during the middle of the week. So that doesn’t seem to work. Also, if anyone knows, can I spend the money on December 1 if that is the statement date? Is that put the charge into the next billing cycle?
PS December 1 is a Sunday so maybe the statement date pushes to Monday the second? Close close close!
Why wouldnt U wait till Sep 15th to sign up for the deal? My statement date is Dec 2nd and I have till 15th for the first 3k to spend and then till the end of the month for the second part of that same bonus – I assume U are trying to get 120k after spending 15k? I got a Premier one – same idea so.
Sapphire Reserve vs. Amex Delta Skymiles. I have both cards. I got the Skymiles card because I NEED Sky Club access. I met the $75,000 spend requirement so I now have unfettered Club access for 2025. Did I hear you say on the podcast that Sapphire Reserve would be more valuable for my ongoing travel spend?
p.s. for the first time in my life I met earned Sky Miles Diamond status, so I could have used that for Club access! Go figurekymilels
I love your channel!! I have a question. I’m currently doing the AA / Hyatt status challenge consisting of 10 nights for explorist and 20 nights for Globalist in 90 days . There is a current promotion in Florida giving you 2 nights and 1k points per night. I’ve reached out to Hyatt and sometimes they say yes and sometimes they say no… any thoughts? Have you heard if that’s possible? If you guys can help, I’d be so grateful.
I don’t think that would work, but I’m not 100% sure. One option is to ask in our Frequent Miler Insiders Facebook group if anyone has experience with this.
I’ll try to be brief. I have Chase Sapphire Reserve, Freedom Unlimited, and Amazon Prime visa.
We spend a lot on Amazon each year.
Previously used the Amazon card for 5x cash back.
However, would it make sense (points/financial-wise) to switch to the Freedom Unlimited for 1.5x points, as these become higher value when added to the CUR portal through Sapphire Reserve combo?
Just trying to compare the value between the cash back vs transferable points options.
Thank you for your help and I look forward to your next podcast!
No, earning 5% on the Amazon card would be better. If earning 1.5x on the Freedom Unlimited and you redeemed those points for 1.5cpp on the Chase travel portal due to having a Sapphire Reserve card, you’d effectively only be getting 2.25% of value (1.5x * 1.5cpp).
(Since I typically use team input for responses to questions like these, my responses may be delayed. Thanks for your patience!)
for the chase united explorer card, it says you can’t have received a bonus within past 24 months. does it count from the day you were last approved for the card or the day the miles hit your account (i.e., a month later if you hit the spending minimum in the first month)?
From when the miles are awarded.
if we have a new miles referral bonus for a cc, do you collect them and post them? I have a new 10K referral bonus for Qatar card
for either of the Qatar cards
I am curious about Capital One MLB tickets. I have been checking daily to see when the new tickets will come out but it’s a long process to check to see if the tickets have become available. Are there any sources where I can subscribe and be alerted when the tickets become available? Also, the last time they came out, I ordered a few sets of tickets in other cities, as I was hoping to travel to see some games in other parks. Each one of those orders outside of my own market were eventually canceled after being confirmed. Is there a problem with buying Capital One MLB tickets outside of your home market?
I heard Greg and Nick talking about Capital One on April 5th episode. I have a Capital one Venture card with $59 annual fee for 20 years now. I have a feature on my rewards called HOTEL DEALS and it has $900 hotel gift cards for 64,000 points. Are you familiar with that? I never hear anyone discussing it. I use it alot because it seems like a good deal to me. Do you agree and are you familiar with this reward?
Thanks, Diane
Hi Diane! Yes, that’s a good deal. I wrote about it years ago (see here: https://frequentmiler.com/the-best-hotel-credit-card-ever/), but it seems that only people with a very old Venture card account are grandfathered into that (Capital One wouldn’t be specific about when that feature existed when I pressed for details; I only know that some people like you and I have that redemption but most do not). It is indeed a good deal and I often redeem this way for Marriott cards.
I did register for this promo and stayed for 8 nights at the Iberostar Herceg Novi in Montenegro more than five weeks ago from April 20 until April 28. So far I have seen neither IHG Points nor has my stay shown up as an IHG qualified stay.
Has anyone heard from IHG after participating in this Promo?
Company got a Delta Amex Business Platinum Account, with cards for several employees.
How do the points work in this case? Are they pooled from all cards?
How does redemption work? Thanks
Can I use the Chase Ink Preferred Business (Visa) card for payment with Plastiq for my mortgage? Table you provided for Plastiq shows that “Visa” is one of the cards that you cannot pay for mortgage (only Mastercard and Discover). I’ve read in some blogs and TPG that the Ink Preferred business card is an example for paying mortgage with the use of Plastiq. I’m confuse. Could you explain this? Thank you.