Have you heard the term travel hacking? Maybe you’ve heard tales of travelers who have booked intercontinental flights for just a few dollars. The answer is YES, you can score cheap flights all over the world just by signing up for certain credit cards. It is absolutely one of the best travel tips there is! Travel hacking is a main reason the Bros keep costs down while traveling around the world. Read on for a guide on how to hack your way to cheap flights.
Getting Started
How to hack your way to cheap flights you ask? It’s pretty simple.
- Sign up for a credit card.
- Spend a certain amount within a given time frame.
- In exchange, you will receive a large signup bonus of airline miles/reward points.
The time frame is often within the first 3 months of signing up, but many credit cards are extending the time frame to 6 months due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation.
The key to winning these cheap flights is to make sure you can hit the spending threshold without extending yourself beyond your normal expenses. You shouldn’t be just buying TV’s, new clothes and takeout food all the time just because you need to spend $3,000 in 3 months on your new credit card to earn your miles.
You only win by picking the card that is right for you. Take a look at your normal spending habits when choosing a credit card. If you normally spend $1,000 every 3 months, then sign up for a card that fits your range and is realistic for you. Remember, those flights aren’t so cheap if you spent $2,000 in stuff you don’t need to get them.
Apply for a Credit Card
Click here for the top 7 travel credit cards. Pick the one which is right for you. Things to consider are:
- Airline – Do you have an airline you prefer? Or one you can’t stand?
- Annual fee – Some have no annual fee at all, others waive the fee for the 1st year. And other cards range from $95-$500+
- Signup bonus – Often range from 30,000-60,000+ points/miles. Compare your options and look at the value of the points/miles.
- Earning rates – Look at the ongoing rewards for using your card. Look for things like 3x points for spending on dining and travel, etc.
- Other rewards – Options range from lounge access, free checked bags, priority boarding, discounted purchases with the airline, double miles when booking airline purchases, online shopping portals and the list goes on.
- Remember, don’t get overwhelmed with the choices. When earning large sums of miles/points, you can’t make a wrong decision!
Use Your Credit Card for ALL Spending
You should now be using your credit card for ALL your spending. Sometimes you’ll still need to pay cash, but whenever possible, use the card. Think of it like this: Every time you are making a purchase you have the option of using the credit card or cash. If you choose the credit card you are rewarded by earning miles/points towards future travel. If you choose cash, you get no reward whatsoever. Choose the card. That’s how you hack your way to cheap flights! Also, it only works if you pay your credit card in full each month, on time. Thus, no interest fees or late payment penalties.
Book Your Flight
The values of points/miles varies from airline to airline. Usually the signup bonus is enough to at least get you a super cheap round trip domestic flight, or a one way international flight to certain destinations. It really all depends as airlines are constantly adjusting their programs, and this will be the case with the ongoing Coronavirus situation as well. The best way to get an idea is to go on an airline website and see how much in miles flights are going for.
Here are a few examples of flights we have booked using miles and how much they cost.
One Way Flights
- Newark, NJ ► Rome, Italy
- (30,000 United Airlines miles + $5.60 taxes & fees)
- Hanoi, Vietnam ► Bali, Indonesia
- (22,500 miles + $37.20 taxes & fees)
- Panama City, Panama ► NYC
- (15,000 American Airlines miles + $75.46 taxes & fees)
Rinse and Repeat
Once you’ve earned a large sign up bonus, do it again! Keep stacking those points and miles. You now know how to hack your way to cheap flights. You can always cancel a card to avoid paying another annual fee. Just be sure that all your miles have transferred to your account first. There are even certain cards that you can re-use! If you pay your bill in full each month, don’t worry about your credit score. Our credit scores have actually gone up.
Some rules to consider:
- For Chase cards, if you have opened 5 or more new credit cards in the past 24 months (from any issuing bank), you will not be approved for a new credit card from Chase. Small business credit cards do not count towards your 5 cards. Also, as long as you haven’t had the credit card for 2 years, you can sign up again for the same exact card!
- For American Express cards, you cannot use the same exact card twice, but you can use different AMEX level cards. For example, after using the AMEX Gold Skymiles Credit Card, you can take advantage of the sign up bonus for the AMEX Platninum Skymiles Credit Card.
- Citibank does not allow you to use the same exact card twice.
Ready to Start?
For some examples of credit cards you should be considering, check out our post on The Top 7 Travel Credit Cards.
READY TO START TRAVELING THE WORLD?
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