How to Travel the World for (Almost) Free Using Miles and Points

Do you need to discover ways to journey the world utilizing miles and factors?

At present, I’m sharing an thrilling interview with Megan, an skilled in travel credit card rewards who has mastered the artwork of utilizing miles and factors to see the world for much less. Megan has traveled to unbelievable locations just like the Maldives, Europe, and even taken a Mediterranean cruise—saving tens of 1000’s of {dollars} alongside the way in which.

Megan’s ardour for journey began in her twenties, and he or she shortly discovered how miles and factors may make her dream journeys a actuality, even on a finances. Now, as a part of Daily Drop (based by the very talked-about journey YouTubers Kara and Nate), a web site devoted to serving to others maximize their rewards, Megan teaches miles and factors methods via lessons and a podcast.

In at the moment’s interview, questions answered embody:

• How did Megan lower your expenses on journeys just like the Maldives and Europe?
• What are the most effective bank cards for newcomers trying to earn factors?
• How can somebody maximize factors with out overspending or stepping into debt?
• What errors ought to newcomers keep away from when beginning with journey rewards?
• What are some standard locations you may simply go to utilizing miles and factors?

Whether or not you’re simply beginning out or trying to take your journey rewards to the following degree, Megan’s ideas and experiences will encourage you to start out planning your subsequent journey at the moment!

If you wish to discover ways to e book your subsequent journey for nearly free, the Every day Drop e-newsletter is a superb useful resource. It’s a free e-newsletter that teaches you find out how to earn and redeem miles and factors, discover low-cost flights, and journey smarter—all in just some minutes a day. Click here to join over 1 million readers and start saving on your travels today!

How one can Journey the World for (Virtually) Free Utilizing Miles and Factors

If you happen to’re prepared to start out touring with miles and factors, selecting the correct bank card is step one. The appropriate card will help you earn factors sooner and lower your expenses in your journeys. Click here to take a look at the Best Travel Rewards Cards to find the best cards for earning travel rewards.

1. Inform me your story. Who’re you, and what makes you an skilled with regards to journey miles and factors?

Hello! I’m Megan and I turned obsessive about journey in 2015 after I lastly took my first worldwide journey in my twenties. I knew I wanted to make extra journey occur however my contemporary out of faculty finances wasn’t so certain. 

That’s after I got here internationally of miles and factors. I began, the place many individuals start testing miles and factors, via reserving just a few journeys utilizing the bank card journey portal. However after I met a pair in an airport lounge who had been additionally touring the world utilizing miles and factors I began to discover ways to make my factors go even additional utilizing switch factors and since then I’ve saved tens of 1000’s of {dollars} in journey. 

It’s allowed me to see areas of the world that I as soon as solely had on my Pinterest boards and studying alongside different vacationers has been my favourite method to study and grow to be an skilled in touring utilizing factors. 

Since immersing myself on this planet of journey rewards I landed a job at Every day Drop, a media firm all about maximizing miles and factors. Now I get to show folks the methods that proceed to assist me to journey the world via our group areas permitting different folks to grasp the good thing about studying collectively. I additionally educate all of our miles and factors 101 lessons, and co-host our podcast alongside our Head Author, Mike. 

The miles and factors world is all the time altering so I immerse myself in it every day and proceed to study as I’m going. Principally via Every day Drop as a result of our writing staff makes it so easy to study however I lean on our group areas quite a bit too! 

2. What are the most effective journeys you’ve taken on account of miles and factors? How a lot cash did you spend?

I went to the Maldives in 2017 and spent lower than $300 on the whole journey, together with flights, resorts, meals, excursions… the whole lot! 

This yr I did a two-month journey to Europe my flights there and again price about $200 in taxes and costs. For this journey, I blended level stays at resorts with just a few housesits and for the whole 2 months, I spent lower than $1,000 on lodging. 

In 2023 I took a Mediterranean cruise with Virgin Voyages for $0.00. Because it was a cruise, all meals was included and I took benefit of that. We went to Athens, Greece, Cut up, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Kotor, Montenegro, and Crete, Greece. To be truthful we did must e book a flight to get to the cruise. We had been already within the UK so we grabbed an inexpensive EasyJet flight over to Greece which price about $300 roundtrip. Total for a seven-night cruise and visiting three new nations $300 just isn’t dangerous in any respect! 

3. Are you able to share your first expertise utilizing miles or factors to e book a visit? How did it really feel?

My first expertise utilizing miles and factors to e book a visit was to The Maldives, I began out setting a excessive bar for factors journeys to come back. I booked via the journey portal that the majority journey bank cards give you, nevertheless, after studying all that I learn about miles and factors now I do know that this typically isn’t the most effective worth or use of your factors. 

On the time it was extremely value it to me as a 20-something who had solely ever been to Mexico and Central America. 

I undoubtedly thought The Maldives was someplace I might have the ability to go on a honeymoon or for retirement, so whereas it wasn’t the most effective use of my factors, I’ll by no means remorse that journey. it’s nonetheless one among my all-time favourite miles and factors recollections. 

4. How would you outline “incomes miles and factors” for somebody utterly new to the idea?

I might outline incomes miles and factors as utilizing your on a regular basis spend to earn rewards that you should utilize for journey.

5. What are among the greatest varieties of bank cards for newcomers trying to earn factors?

I believe the most effective sort of bank cards for newcomers to take a look at are playing cards which are going to permit you to earn versatile journey factors. 

For instance, you probably have a Delta bank card, this looks as if the proper path to go as a result of it’s journey centered. Nonetheless, that is what known as a “co-branded card” (it’s a financial institution + journey firm partnership) and your factors are then locked into solely getting used with Delta. 

Versus you probably have an American Express® Gold Card, now you should utilize your factors with Delta however you possibly can additionally use them with Virgin Atlantic, Air France, KLM, Air Canada, Hilton, and several other different journey companions. 

So that you need to search for playing cards that earn versatile journey factors, subsequently you’re not restricted to utilizing these factors in just one approach. 

At Every day Drop, we preserve our Top Cards Page updated with the most effective gives. You’ll undoubtedly discover co-branded playing cards on there when there’s an superior provide as a result of there’s house for these in your pockets as you develop your miles and factors abilities! This web page will help you filter out what gives are too good to overlook on the time you’re on the lookout for a brand new card. 

6. What ought to somebody take into consideration earlier than signing up for his or her first rewards bank card?

Effectively, the very very first thing somebody ought to take into consideration is; can I be accountable with my bank cards? Incomes factors whereas racking up debt is extraordinarily counterproductive. You possibly can solely maximize journey rewards on playing cards in case you’re paying off your card steadiness in full.

If that appears like one thing you may handle, then I believe the three most necessary questions somebody can ask can be: 

1. What airways do I fly typically?
2. What airways does my dwelling airport serve?
3. Is there a visit that I take into consideration that makes it make sense to earn a particular sort of factors?

We’ve got a free useful resource referred to as the Transfer Partner Cheat Sheet that reveals you immediately what sort of factors you need to be incomes primarily based on the airways and resorts you need to earn with.

7. How do sign-up gives work, and the way can newcomers make the most of them?

Signal-up gives are one of many best methods to shortly earn an enormous lump sum of factors that will not in any other case be accessible by on a regular basis spending.

Mainly, in case you’re new to the world of bank card factors, a sign-up provide is an incentive the banks provide so that you can be a part of them.

Typically these gives are elevated, providing you with much more factors.

It’s typically connected to a minimal spend in a sure timeframe. Oftentimes it is sufficient to cowl your complete journey or to land you a enterprise class seat if that’s one thing you could have been dreaming about!

8. Are there any frequent errors newcomers make when making an attempt to earn miles and factors?

I all the time like to think about starting “errors” extra as classes with regards to miles and factors. Typically, even while you make a “mistake” with miles and factors there’s a journey on the finish of it. 

That being stated, listed below are some issues to look out for: 

1. Not studying find out how to use Switch Companions.
   Switch Companions are basically particular journey companions that permit you to switch factors from financial institution to airline or financial institution to lodge. These factors typically offer you extra worth than in case you e book in a portal.

   Whenever you e book in a portal your factors are mounted at usually one thing like 1 cent per level. Whereas in case you switch out you may land offers which are 2 cent per level all the way in which as much as 17 cents per level and past. So now all of a sudden your factors go even additional.

   For instance, in case you had been a $500 flight in a portal and the worth in that portal was 1 cent per level then you definitely would want 50,000 factors for that flight. Nonetheless, if that very same flight is offered immediately with the airline for 20,000 factors, you’re now getting 2.5 cents per level and you’ve got 30,000 extra factors to make use of at a later date than in case you had gone via the portal.

2. Not taking step one.
   There can actually be quite a bit to study on this planet of miles and factors however one of the best ways to study it’s taking it one step at a time and beginning with incomes.

   Lots of people can get caught up with what’s the most effective card, or am I doing this the precise approach? The reality is there are such a lot of “proper methods” to do that you simply have to seek out the technique that works for you and never be afraid to start incomes. All of it begins with incomes.

9. How can folks maximize their factors with out overspending or stepping into debt?

This one’s straightforward as a result of it’s the primary rule within the miles and factors world you’re solely placing in your playing cards what you’re already spending.

You all the time need to match a sign-up provide with both your on daily basis spend or a big buy you could have developing. 

For instance, if a sign-up provide will get you 90,000 factors (simply to present you an concept of how far 90,000 factors can go, I booked 2 enterprise class seats to Europe for 89,000 factors) after spending $4,000 in 90 days the query turns into – Do you already spend about $1,333 every month ($4,000/3)? Or do you could have a big invoice developing that you simply’re already paying?
Typically folks will have a look at issues like whether or not they will pay sure payments in bulk, like paying their full yr of insurance coverage upfront.

With regards to a big expense an ideal instance of this and a approach that individuals earn tons of factors is in case you’re planning a marriage or one other occasion. As somebody who simply did this and earned a whole bunch of 1000’s of factors, I can let you know it’s completely value it.

Let’s say you’re occurring a bunch journey. You possibly can be the one to place the lodging in your card and everybody sends you cash. 

There are such a lot of methods to get artistic with hitting your minimal spend with out stepping into bother! 

10. How necessary is it to repay your bank card steadiness in full when incomes rewards?

It’s crucial rule. Typically I really feel like I sound like a damaged file with the quantity of occasions I say this one nevertheless it actually is so counterproductive in case you’re incomes factors and never paying off your steadiness.

11. What are some misconceptions about incomes miles and factors that you simply’d prefer to clear up?

It is a enjoyable query I might say my high three are:

1. Bank cards are dangerous – There’s completely a approach to do that responsibly as I’ve talked about earlier than. There’s additionally a method to have a number of bank cards whereas nonetheless sustaining an ideal credit score rating.
2. It’s a must to journey on a regular basis with a purpose to get the advantages – You possibly can actually maximize on journey it doesn’t matter what your journey model is! Since you’re maximizing in your on a regular basis spend, you don’t must journey in any respect with a purpose to earn tons of factors!
3. That miles and factors equal free journey — The reality is there are occasions it’s free however you’re nonetheless going to come back up in opposition to some unavoidable charges, particularly airline taxes and costs. However typically even when it’s not free you’re saving 80%… 90%… or extra on a visit.
4. You may get into all the airport lounges – An enormous perk that usually will get talked about within the bank card reward house is accessing airport lounges. Oftentimes premium journey playing cards embody lounge entry. What this doesn’t imply is which you can enter each lounge in each airport. It’s necessary to arrange your expectations accurately for this perk. 

12. What are some standard locations folks can simply journey to utilizing factors and miles? Are you able to give some examples of journeys folks can take and what number of factors it might price them?

Wow, we might be right here without end with this one! Our Every day Drop Group has wins shared inside nearly each single day. Our head author Mike travels full-time nearly solely utilizing miles and factors. So, truthfully, your prospects are limitless however only for the sake of giving just a few examples listed below are a few of my favorites that I’ve seen in our group.

• Chicago, USA to Edinburgh, Scotland enterprise class for 69,000 factors
• Seattle, USA to Dubai, UAE enterprise class for 95,000 factors
• New York, USA to Madrid enterprise class for 34,000 factors
• Chicago, USA to Amsterdam, Netherlands enterprise class for 56,000 factors
• Tokyo, Japan to Los Angeles, USA enterprise class for 50,000 factors
• Toronto, Canada to Florence, Italy enterprise class for 50,000 factors
• Michigan, USA to Hawaii, USA for 20,000 factors

13. What ideas do you could have for somebody who needs to dive deeper into this world of rewards and journey with factors?

Outdoors of taking it sluggish and one step at a time, earn factors first. I do suppose Every day Drop has among the greatest instruments on the market within the miles and level house! Everybody on our staff implements what we educate and we attempt to preserve all of it so simple as attainable so that you can study. Listed below are 3 methods we will help:

1. Undoubtedly join the Daily Drop newsletter, 5x per week we preserve you updated on the world of miles and factors together with educating you find out how to earn and redeem alongside the way in which! (Oh and it’s free!)
2. Discover some journey buddies you may study alongside! It’s all the time enjoyable to share offers and ideas with one another!

Check out Daily Drop Pro for free here, this offers you entry to money flight offers and likewise will provide you with 5 searches on the free plan so you may experiment with discovering journeys utilizing factors that give you the results you want!

Do you utilize rewards bank cards to journey the world for (nearly) free utilizing miles and factors? What different questions do you could have?

Advisable studying:

Disclosure in regards to the feedback part beneath: The responses beneath usually are not offered or commissioned by the financial institution advertiser. Responses haven’t been reviewed, authorised, or in any other case endorsed by the financial institution advertiser. It’s not the financial institution advertiser’s accountability to make sure all posts and/or questions are answered.