Free Travel Part 3 - Maximizing Travel Rewards

[Edit: I've moved! If you're interested in up-to-date info on free travel, check out Free Travel in Your Twenties]

Most newbies (my former self included) immediately assume you need to travel a lot in order to gain enough reward points for free travel. I was shocked to realize just how small the contribution of miles earned through travel was compared to all the other ways to pad your accounts! Still, when you are traveling, there are a few tips to keep in mind in order to maximize the opportunities.

I take the approach that every mile counts. That means collecting miles for every program, regardless of how rarely you think you'll fly that airline or stay at that hotel brand. Thankfully, almost every program is free to join! The hard part then is keeping them all straight - that's where AwardWallet (AW) comes in [disclaimer - I get points towards an upgraded account if you use this link!]. For those of you that use Mint, it's similar except that instead of tracking your financial accounts, it tracks your reward programs. The free version tracks your points and updates; the upgraded account simply states 'more detailed reporting on some of your award programs'. I've only had the free version thus far, and it has suited me just fine.

Sidenote: AwardWallet does not have (or at least does not advertise having) the same type of security measures as Mint. Because of this, there are a few programs that prevent AW from working with their accounts. For this reason, I choose not to track my credit card rewards through AW in an effort to better protect my more sensitive accounts.

Next, go out and join all the major reward programs. I recommend at the very least to do a Google search for enrollment bonuses for each one before signing up (ex. 'MileagePlus enrollment bonus' or ' HHonors promo code') - you never know when you could score an extra 500 points for something you were already going to do! Better yet, check out the blogs mentioned in my last post for any posts in the last month or so that cover current enrollment bonuses. Know too that the list below is only a starting point... Any time you encounter a chance to earn easy points for a program not listed below, sign up, redeem them, and track them with AW. Oh, and I'd recommend a dedicated email account for all those registrations!

Major Airlines:
AAdvantage (American Airlines - not supported on AW)
Alaska Airlines
Delta Airlines
Frontier Airlines
Rapid Rewards (Southwest Airlines - not supported on AW)
Sun Country Airlines
Virgin America

Major Hotels:
HHonors (Hilton, DoubleTree, Hampton, Embassy Suites, Waldorf Astoria...)
PriorityClub (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza...)
Starwood Preferred Guest (Westin, W Hotels, Sheraton...)
Best Western
Wyndham Rewards (Ramada, Days Inn, Motel 8, Microtel, Travel Lodge...)

Rental Car Companies:
Avis
Hertz


Once you have your accounts set up, there are three main ways to maximize points earned. The first is to register for promotions. These are most common with hotel stays, but occasionally airlines and rental companies will offer them as well. They typically are announced on a quarterly basis, and will be along the lines of 'register by X date to receive Y bonus points for every stay/flight/rental in the next Z days'. These programs are great!! Simply enter your account number, click register, and forget about it. If you meet the requirements, the points are automatically added to your account; if not, no harm done. I recommend registering for every bonus you can - you might not be planning any travel, but you never know what could happen... For example, PriorityClub just released a list of hotels that can be booked for just 5000 points -  and because I registered for all the bonuses I could find, I now have the option to check into a hotel for a weekend and earn back just as many points as I spend!

The second option is to take advantage of partnerships. Almost every airline, hotel chain, or rental car company in existence partners with other travel companies. Some airlines will offer larger bonuses if you partner flying on their planes with staying at their partner's hotels or renting another partner's cars. Other companies let you earn points that go directly towards partner programs. For example, I have my Thrifty Car Rental purchases set up to reward me in US Airways miles rather than in Thrifty points. This allows for having a program or two to focus on that will fill up faster than the others. If they don't offer earning directly towards your favorite program, it is possible to transfer points between certain programs (sometimes even for a percentage bonus!) or to set up an account on points.com to do trades or exchanges. Just know that with the second option there are typically fees involved, and tracking decent exchange rates between programs is enough to make your head spin! I'll have a (slightly) more detailed overview of transferring points in a later post...

The last way to maximize points while traveling is through obtaining elite status. Each airline and hotel offers a different set of levels that are reached at different thresholds, each offering unique benefits. Most offer bonus miles or points, anywhere from 15% extra points to 200% (double points). Other perks can include free room upgrades, late checkout, or free checked bags - the higher level you obtain, the better the rewards. Some credit cards (particularly those with higher annual fees) come with elite status for as long as you keep the account open. Otherwise elite can be difficult to obtain - you need to accrue a not-insignificant amount of points, flight segments, rentals, or hotel stays in one reward program within a given calendar year. Be sure to read the Terms and Conditions - bonus points almost never count towards elite status, and your new ranking can last either twelve months from achieving status or through the end of the next calendar year. I typically travel a few days per month and have some flexibility on my arrangements, yet so far status upgrades seem for me a fairly unrealistic goal.

Until you start bringing in enough points for frequent free or highly discounted trips, chances are you're not going to be making significant changes to your travel patterns. Yet hopefully with the help of these few tips, you can make the most of whatever travel you are doing currently!

I've decided to add another post in the series - my next one will be a sort of like an addendum to my credit card post, this time covering spending in general. Stay tuned!