Travel hacking. Have you heard of it?
It’s the practice of using various strategies and tricks to maximize travel benefits, while greatly minimizing costs.
It often involves taking advantage of loyalty programs, credit card rewards, and other perks to make travel more affordable or even free.
** Before we go any further, I MUST add this important statement: **
My very favorite travel hacking strategy involves credit cards, so it’s crucial to have a good credit score. My biggest tips are to always pay your bills on time, avoid carrying a balance, and manage your credit responsibly.
If you’re not in a spot to do this, you should reconsider the credit card method. My husband and I have worked hard to maintain our exceptional 815-840 credit scores, and we pay our credit card balances off in full each month.
Okay … below is the #1 travel hacking trick that we swear by:
Travel hacking through credit card sign-up rewards:
Most travel hackers – including us – leverage credit card sign up bonuses to earn huge points that can be redeemed for travel. Some popular credit cards offer lucrative sign-up bonuses, spending bonuses, and other perks that can be extremely valuable for travelers.
This is the main method we use to travel hack! We have gone on numerous free family and couple vacations using this method since we started travel hacking in 2020.
To give you the idea … in March 2024 we took a family trip through Italy where all 3 international flights were covered by points (plus taxes) as well as the 10-day accommodations (Cinque Terre, Florence, and Rome). We were only responsible for food, drinks, etc.
Our hotel room can be seen in this Cinque Terre photo near the water. We were so excited to get our daughter to Europe for the first time – for practically free!
In June 2025 we traveled as a family to Spain and Portugal all on points (plus taxes and fees). I scored flights for less than 20,000 points/person each way and the hotels were covered on points too.
Below are my 5 travel credit card recommendations with great travel perks and sign-up bonuses.
We responsibly use all of these cards for travel hacking (some are referral links). Keep scrolling for all the details on how we use the cards below.
PERSONAL CARDS:
1. Capital One Venture
(Bank: Capital One Financial Corp.)
2. Chase Sapphire Preferred
(Bank: Chase)
3. Southwest Rapid Rewards
(Bank: Chase)
4. ATMOS Awards (was Alaska Mileage plan)
(Bank: Bank of America)
5. AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite
(Bank: Barclays)
BUSINESS CARDS:
6. Chase Ink Business Preferred
I use this for my LLC side business expenses, taxes, etc.
(Bank: Chase)
7. Southwest Preferred Business Card
My newest card: I use this for my LLC side business expenses, taxes, etc.
(Bank: Chase)
I’ll update this blog post with new cards recommendations as we experience them.
1. Capital One Venture – The details:
Our Capital One Venture cards are our newest travel credit card of the bunch, and within a month of signing up, we already had 186,000 combined points – I’ll explain how.
When my husband, Ted and I decide to sign up for a new travel card, we do it with intension.
I signed up first, then once I got my card, I used my referral code to refer Ted to the same card. I earned 20,000 extra points for referring him once he hit his spend minimum.
In order to earn both 75,000 point sign-up bonuses (150,000 points), we had to hit a spend minimum of $4,000 ($8,000) in 3 months.
Well, our 27 year old HVAC unit had been on the fritz for a couple years, and I just knew we’d need to replace it this summer – thankfully we had been saving up cash for it. Low and behold, our HVAC went out when we received this card.
We went with an amazing vendor who took credit cards as payment (with no additional fees). The price of the unit installation was just over $8,000, so I put $4,000 of it on my Cap One card, and the other $4,000 on his Cap One card hitting both minimums at once. Whoohoo!
I turned right around and paid off both cards with the cash we had thankfully saved.
We don’t usually have multiple minimums to hit at the same time, but we did during this period since we knew we had such a big expense ahead of us.
The next billing cycle we earned our 186,000 points and had a two cards with a $0 balance – Boom!
With some of our cards we hit the spend minimum, claim our rewards, and don’t use the card much after that.
But the Capital One card earns 2 miles per every dollar spent, so the points add up very quickly. We decided to continue using this card as my main payment method.
To maximize point earnings, I used to run everything possible through this card. The only things we can’t use it for are our mortgage, car and home insurance, and a couple utilities. Other than that we use a credit card.
When you’re ready to book your travel with points, you book directly through Capital One’s travel portal. You can book directly from there, and even transfer points 1:1 to other travel partners. It’s so easy to use!
Below is a photo from our September 2023 trip to Bellagio, Italy. This is the view from our hotel – paid for by points.
Update (May 2025): We used these Capital One points to book free flights (plus taxes) for my family of three to Barcelona, Spain and from Porto, Portugal (100,000 points total used for flights). And we used the rest of the points to book our hotel stays at 4 star hotels in Barcelona, Spain, Duoro Valley, Portugal, and Porto, Portugal.
The entire trip was paid for by Capital One points transferred to Air France (Flying Blue) at a 25% discount, and hotels booked directly through the Cap One portal – I got great deals booking almost one year in advance.
I booked our March 2024 Italy family as well as our spain/portugal trip trip on these points. Even after redeeming those points, we still have more than 100,000 points to left to use for flights or hotels on future trips.
Quick info on this card:
- Earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
- Up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Enjoy 2 free visits per year to Capital One Lounges or 100+ partner lounge locations
- $95 annual fee
2. Chase Sapphire Preferred – The details:
This card was our first legit travel hacking credit card (outside of a basic Southwest Rapid Rewards card from a decade before).
At the advice of a good friend (thanks, Laura!), Ted and I both signed up for Chase Sapphire Preferred cards in 2020, and we’re so glad we did!
I signed up first, then once I got my card, I used my referral code to refer Ted to the same card. I earned 20,000 extra points for referring him once he hit his spend minimum.
We focused on running all expenses through both cards to hit the $4,000 minimum spend each. A few months later we both earned 60,000-75,000 points each. We paid it off right away like true responsible credit card owners. 🙂
As mentioned above, when we get a new card we run everything possible through it (even state and federal taxes with a small processing fee). The only things we can’t use it for are our mortgage, insurance, and some utilities, so hitting the minimum spend is much easier and quicker than it might seem
When the world opened back up for travel in 2021, we took an amazing family trip to Sedona, AZ. Our Chase points paid for 3 flights, a nice hotel for a week, and our convertible rental car.
It was the best feeling ever, and after that first travel hacking trip I was hooked – I decided to keep going.
This Chase card is great and is another fast point earner, so my husband has continued to use it as his main payment method. I like that we’re using different cards and earning points on both simultaneously.
TIP: After you have your Chase card for 48 months you can call customer service and request to downgrade to the Chase Freedom card.
Then once you get the card, wait 30 days, then you can reapply for the Chase Sapphire deal all over again.
Ted and I just recently did this and collected between 60,000 and 75,000 more points each. We will use those points for 1-2 more International family trips.
When you’re ready to book your travel you book directly through Chase’s travel portal (I like it better than Capital One’s portal, personally). You can book directly from there, and even transfer points 1:1 to other travel partners. Chase has better travel partners too, in my opinion.
Tip: Last month I called Chase customer service and merged my business Chase points with my personal Chase points as well as Ted’s personal Chase points. Booking travel is so much easier when all points are combined.
Overview:
- 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel.
- 3x points on dining and online groceries (excluding some retailers).
- 2x points on other travel purchases.
- 1x point on all other purchases.
- Earn 60,000 (sometimes 75,000) bonus points after $4,000 minimum spend
- Earn $50 statement credit each anniversary for hotel stays
- Earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- A 10% anniversary points bonus.
- Annual Fee: $95
- Chase Ultimate Rewards Points: Earn points that can be redeemed for travel through Chase Travel, transferred to airline and hotel partners, or used for cash back.
- Annual Points Bonus: Receive a bonus on your spending each account anniversary.
- Travel Insurance & Protections: Both cards include trip delay and cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, and primary auto rental collision damage waiver.
3. Southwest Rapid Rewards – The details:
My husband started off on just the basic Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card many years ago, and I was his authorized user, We definitely weren’t using that card properly. I now have it figured out!
In 2023 I signed up for my own SW card (I could do this because I was only an authorized user on the older card) and used it to pay our federal income taxes, which hit our minimum spend in one purchase. I decided that it was worth the small credit card processing fee to hit the minimum at once.
We paid the card off before the billing cycle ended, and we had a heaping of points and my first ever Companion Pass for a little over one year.
Since I did this, I learned how to get the companion pass for almost 2 years. Keep reading to learn how I did that.
If you already have a SW card, but want to get in on a new sign-up bonus offer and possibly a 2 year Companion Pass, follow these steps (like I did in 2025):
1: Wait 24 months
- Determine your eligibility. You must wait at least 24 months from the date you received your last sign-up bonus on a Southwest personal card. The 24-month clock resets each time you earn a bonus, so you cannot earn a bonus on a second personal card during this time.
- Check the date. You can review your past statements to confirm the month you received your last bonus points.
2: Cancel your current card
- Cancel your card by phone. The easiest way to cancel is to call the customer service number on the back of your card and request to close the account. You cannot hold two Southwest personal cards at the same time, so this step is necessary.
- Do not “product change.” A product change to a different Southwest card will not make you eligible for a new sign-up bonus.
- Wait for the cancellation to process. Many cardholders report waiting anywhere from a few days to a full billing cycle for the canceled card to be fully removed from their credit report and Chase’s system. Waiting about a week is often sufficient, but waiting longer provides more certainty.
3: Re-apply for a new Southwest card
- Research the best offer. Southwest offers three personal credit cards: Rapid Rewards Plus, Premier, and Priority. Research the current sign-up bonus and benefits for each card to find the one that best suits your needs.
- Check Chase’s 5/24 rule. Before applying, ensure you have opened fewer than five new credit cards from any issuer in the last 24 months. If you exceed this limit, your application for a new Chase card will likely be denied.
- Apply for the card. After your cancellation is complete, you can submit an application online for the new Southwest card.
Business cards have different rules. The 24-month rule and the restriction on holding multiple cards at once only apply to personal Southwest credit cards. This allows some people to apply for a business card to earn a second sign-up bonus in the same year, which is what I did.
Canceling may impact your credit score. Closing a credit card can lower your average credit age and increase your credit utilization ratio, which can cause a temporary dip in your credit score.
Your existing points are safe. Your Rapid Rewards points are tied to your Southwest account, not your credit card. You will not lose any points you have already earned by canceling your card.
Shorter Companion Pass window option
Sometimes there are deals for newly-approved cardholders of any of the 3 Southwest personal credit cards earn the Southwest Companion Pass for all flights taken through February 28 of the following year. You also get 30,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. This is the deal I did in 2023.
Reminder: You can apply for a new Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus card to get the sign-on bonus again once it’s been at least 24 months since you last received a bonus on a Southwest personal card. This rule applies to all Southwest personal cards.
I must also say the free points went a looong way for us as well. As a family, we took 10 domestic family flights last summer on points alone.
We recently gone to Seattle, Portland OR, Vancouver BC, Boston, Cape Cod, and Nantucket, NYC, Palm Springs, New Hampshire, New Orleans, Chicago, and more on our Southwest points. The companion pass is the best!
Overview for most Southwest Rapid Rewards cards:
- A yearly boost of 10,000 Companion Pass-qualifying points.
- The first checked bag is free for the cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation.
- Bonus points on each card anniversary.
- Preferred boarding in Group 5 or better for the cardholder and up to eight companions.
- A 25% statement credit on in-flight purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees on some cards.
- Travel and purchase protections on most cards.
Southwest offers several consumer credit cards, each with different annual fees and benefits:
- Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card: Has a $99 annual fee, offers 3,000 anniversary points, 2x points at gas stations and grocery stores (on the first $5,000 annually), a 10% anniversary flight discount, and allows standard seat selection within 48 hours of departure starting in 2026.
- Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card: Has a $149 annual fee, provides 6,000 anniversary points, 2x points at grocery stores and restaurants (on the first $8,000 annually), a 15% anniversary flight discount, allows earning Tier Qualifying Points (TQPs), and permits standard or preferred seat selection within 48 hours of departure starting in 2026.
- Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card: Has a $229 annual fee, includes 7,500 anniversary points, 2x points at gas stations and restaurants, a $75 annual travel credit, allows earning TQPs, and offers standard or preferred seat selection at booking with potential upgrades to extra-legroom seats starting in 2026.
4. ATMOS Awards (was Alaska Airlines Signature) – The details:
We signed up for this travel card because we were invited to stay with our aunt and uncle in Kona, Hawaii a couple years ago.
We knew we had to buy the first round of braces for our daughter, which easily hit the $3,000 spend minimum. Big purchases like this sting much less when you get to celebrate with a free or affordable trip. 🙂
We quickly earned a free yearly companion pass and had enough points to fly one of us to Hawaii. So in combination with the companion pass, we only had to purchase one flight with our own money. Not bad!
Each year on our card anniversary we get one free companion pass, and have earned enough points from our flight to Hawaii that we will have two free flights the next time we fly Alaska Airlines.
We don’t fly Alaska regularly, but we take at least one trip through them each year, so this card has been very worth it for us. The companion pass is the best perk!
Our Hawaii trip was absolutely amazing – so thankful this card made it happen!
You can also book some partner flights through Alaska Airlines/ATMOS (American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Qatar Airways, along with other airlines like Fiji Airways, Condor, and Japan Airlines).
Overview:
- Get a free Companion Pass once a year on your card anniversary
- Earn 60,000 bonus miles with $3,000 minimum spend
- Priority boarding
- 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, local transit, ride share, cable, and select streaming services purchases.
- $75 annual fee
5. AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite – The details
(Update October 2025: I have recently closed this card to save on the annual fee – I got good use out of it when I had it for 3 years, but it wasn’t worth it for me to keep any longer)
I signed up for the AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite card a few years ago because there is no minimum spend to hit in order to earn the free 60,000 American Airlines points. You read that right!
All I did was bought one pack of gum with it and then paid the $99 annual fee (within the first 90 days). And now we have enough points for one free roundtrip flight to Europe.
Ted also recently signed up for this card without an annual fee (a deal he got during a recent flight) so we have stockpiled our AA points for a future trip. I’m always planning ahead – it’s my hobby, ha!
Overview:
- Earn 60,000 (sometimes 50,000) AAdvantage bonus miles after making just one purchase (no minimum) and paying the $99 annual fee, both within the first 90 days.
- First checked bag free
- Enjoy preferred boarding
- $99 annual fee
Business Cards
6. Chase Ink Business Preferred
This is my most used and favorite business card, and I use it for my LLC side business expenses, taxes, etc. I paid our yearly taxes with this card last April and immediately earned 100,000 points – BOOM.
The Chase Ink Business Preferred is a popular business credit card known for its flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards points, valuable bonus categories, and strong travel protections for a modest annual fee. It is a strong option for business owners with significant spending on travel, advertising, and internet services.
Overview:
- Welcome offer: Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 in the first three months, valued at $1,125 towards travel through Chase Travel℠.
- Bonus categories: Get 3X points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases annually in categories like travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone services, and advertising on social media and search engines.
- Standard earnings: Earn 1X point per $1 on all other purchases.
- Chase Travel℠ portal: Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through this portal.
- Point transfers: Transfer points 1:1 to various airline and hotel partners.
- Other options: Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, and more.
- Combine points: Pool points with other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards.
- Annual fee: The card has a $95 annual fee.
- No foreign transaction fees: Ideal for international business travel.
- Travel protection: Includes primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, and more.
- Purchase protection: Covers new purchases for 120 days.
- Extended warranty protection: Adds an extra year to eligible warranties.
- Cell phone protection: Up to $1,000 per claim with a $100 deductible when paying your bill with the card.
Tip: Last month I called Chase customer service and merged my business points with my personal Chase points as well as Ted’s personal Chase points. Booking travel is so much easier when all points are combined.
7. Southwest Preferred Business Card
This is my newest business card, which I used to pay for our daughter’s second round of braces in October 2024 (we had the cash saved for them, but always use a credit card first to get those sign-up bonuses, then pay it right off).
I don’t use it much, but the points I earned from that sign-up bonus plus the points earned from my personal SW card qualified me for a Companion Pass for nearly two years. I was sooo proud of myself for making this work! Reminder: To qualify for Companion Pass you need to hit 135,000 points.
Overview:
- Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Credit: Get a statement credit of up to $120 every four years to cover the cost of Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus.
- Welcome Offer: A significant bonus offer of points is typically available after meeting a minimum spending requirement.
- Companion Pass Boost: You’ll earn 10,000 Companion Pass® qualifying points each year, which is a significant boost toward earning the annual Southwest Companion Pass.
- Free Checked Bag: The first checked bag is free for the cardholder and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.
- Boarding Privileges: Cardmembers and guests board in Group 5, receiving earlier access to overhead bins.
- In-Flight Benefits: Receive 25% back on in-flight purchases and up to 365 Wi-Fi credits annually, valued at $8 per flight.
- Annual Anniversary Points: Earn 9,000 bonus points every year after your cardmember anniversary.
The Chase 5/24 rule – A helpful travel hacking tip!
The Chase 5/24 rule is a policy that applies to Chase credit card applications. If you’ve opened five or more new credit card accounts with any bank in the past 24 months, you will not likely be approved for a new Chase card.
This is important to know when you plan your Chase card applications. One huge thing I’ve learned is that if you make your partner your authorized user on your card, that counts as a new open account for them too.
Once I learned this I stopped adding Ted as my authorized user (and vice versa). that way we both have the ability to apply more Chase cards more quickly.
I do almost always add our daughter as our authorized credit card user. She doesn’t ever use the cards, but having some cards in her name is helping her to establish her credit on the back of our excellent credit.
You might be wondering, will using these travel hacking credit cards negatively affect my credit?
I sometimes hear people say “I want to play the points and miles game, but I’m afraid multiple credit cards will hurt my credit score.”
I promise you this is NOT TRUE.
If you’re responsible and only charge what you can pay off in full each month – never paying any credit card interest – you’ll be perfectly fine.
My credit score goes down a few points when I open a new card, but once I make my first in-full payment to the card, my score jumps up a handful points, which puts me ahead of where I started. I’ve experienced this with each and every card I’ve opened.
Again, you must pay it off each billing cycle and never carry an interest bearing balance. It takes a lot of discipline.
When I was in my twenties I racked up a bit of credit card debt and had to work extra hard to pay it all off. Ever since then I promised myself I’d be smart with future credit cards.
Other travel hacking methods that we use
1. Error fares and glitches
Sometimes airlines or booking systems make mistakes that result in significantly lower than usual fares. There are sites that keep an eye out for such errors or glitches to score incredible deals.
My favorite paid website I’ve been loving is Point.me. I’ve found so many amazing recent award flight redemptions using Point.me. Use my referral link to get your first month for only $5.
Many people recommend seats.aero as well.
One of the other fare deal sites that we use is Next Vacay, which is only $25 a year.
You tell them the name of your closest airports, and their system regularly scans thousands of databases for the cheapest flight deals.
When the system finds a deal, their team verifies it, and you receive an email instantly. You book directly with the airline — no middleman/agent is involved. It’s so easy! I’ve had so many great deals in my inbox from them!
Some other fare deal sites that we’ve used are Dollar Flight Club, Going, FareDrop, Jack’s Flight Club, JGOOT, Google flights, and Kayak Explore.
Most of these sites have both a free and paid version. The paid version on most of these is usually very affordable and worth it.
2. Flexible travel dates and routes
Being flexible with travel dates and routes can help you find the best deals. This usually involves adjusting travel plans to take advantage of lower fares or better award availability.
I use this tip in combination with our credit card sign up points to really maximize the value.
We’re flying to Italy in March on a Sunday versus a Friday or Saturday, which gave us soooo much more bang for our point buck.
And using the “explore” feature on Google and Kayak shows random deals on flights anywhere in the world if your dates and destinations are flexible.
3. Frequent flyer miles and points
Stockpiling frequent flyer miles and points through airline and hotel loyalty programs is a more obvious method of travel hacking. These can be earned through flights and hotel stays. It’s especially nice to earn them through work/company travel.
I just went on a work trip where I booked my own flight and hotel and then they were reimbursed by my company. I earned both flight and hotel points on that trip on the company dime – yesss!
4. Travel hacking communities
There are many online communities and sites where travel hackers share tips, deals, and experiences. They provide a platform for enthusiasts to learn from each other and stay updated on the latest opportunities.
I really like these accounts: Aunt Kara, The Points Guy, JGOOT, and Let’s Travel Hack.
Travel hacking has been a GAME CHANGER for us, and I highly recommend it. I hope I inspired you to look into it for yourself!
I want to reiterate that while travel hacking can provide significant savings, it requires careful management of credit, adherence to terms and conditions of loyalty programs, and responsible financial behavior.
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