Travel points and rewards and miles are absolutely the best way to to make travel affordable and luxury a reality. If you’re not using travel points and mileage programs, there’s a good chance that one of these thoughts is stopping you. Here are 6 common reasons people avoid earning point from things they are already doing and 6 reasons to reconsider!
I don’t travel enough to get reward points
Whew, that’s an easy one. I have been actively collecting points for about 7 years, have several hundred thousand in combined travel points, and MAYBE 7% is from actual travel. There are a lot of other ways to get travel points, many that you’re already doing. Everyday purchases, paying bills, online shopping, surveys, dining out, signing up for new utilities or streaming, virtually anything you can think of travel reward programs are now connected with. Unless you’re a business traveler, it’s the everyday life purchases that will earn you points to travel. And they WILL.
I don’t have a travel-branded credit card
Most of the ways that earn you points don’t actually need a travel-branded card. Many need a credit card, but not all. Travel-branded cards give you the extra boost of earning points (usually at least a point per dollar) on EVERY purchase. There are some cards that are not travel-branded that then let you convert their points to any travel brand of your choice. But, again, a travel-branded card is not necessary. For many of these online shopping, dining out, utilities, etc., you can use any credit or debit card you have. There are even some options where no purchase is necessary.
I won’t earn miles enough to make a difference
Yes, you can. It may take awhile, but it is possible. As mentioned there are all sorts of ways that these can start to add up. Before I took the credit card plunge I completed surveys. I shopped online and simply went to the airline’s “mall” which linked me to stores where I wanted to buy my normal things. I bought my Starbucks drinks on a phone app. I used my regular credit card to pay at restaurants in my community for points. I even paid a utility and got points. Things you do every day add up. Which leads us to the real issue that is normally behind this one….
I don’t have enough time to do these things
I can respect that. Our time in this life is limited and you are the only one that really knows best what will fulfill you most. I personally find that many of these (particularly anything involving plastic) don’t take much time. But I’m also highly motivated (obsessed). With most of these, once you link a payment method to a program, much as you would if you do auto bill pay, then every time you use that app or dining purchase, it automatically tracks and routes your points to you.
Even if you’re not earning a lot of miles, being a part of mileage programs and having a card has other perks. You won’t even be considered for an upgrade unless you’re a member in name. Being a member can also include prioritized lines in luggage and boarding, yearly club passes, baggage fees waived, and even dues paid for the pre-TSA checks.
I don’t use just one airline/hotel/search engine enough to earn
No worries! Remember, you won’t need to make all your points traveling. Another cool thing, many programs are friends and points you earn on one can be shared with another. A few even give you better rates for reimbursement than their other friends. And if you don’t want to put your allegiance with one airline or hotel, just use Expedia or Travelocity or Hotels.com or any search engine and FOR ALL THAT IS WORTHWHILE JUST SIGN UP for their points! The possibilities left out there make me cringe!
I don’t want my info and habits “out there” online.
Too late. If you can read this, if you found me, if you’re not living completely off the grid, then you’re already out there. Security breaches are real of course, and it’s up to you how much of your information you want out there. There are a range of options for more or less exposure. Travel companies are very tight with the security of their mileage programs. (Just try to change your last name without all of the paperwork, eek!) If you are hesitant to have payment information linked to any travel brand or their affiliates, surveys are your way to go.
It’s time to get yourself some mileage or loyalty programs. Or maybe you need to go and try to remember the passwords to the ones you already have. Pick one. Pick an airline. Pick a hotel chain. Pick a search engine. Get rail points. Do all of them. It really doesn’t matter. Remember this isn’t the one you are always going to travel on because there are much more lucrative ways to earn points. It simply needs to be the one you want to fly or use or stay at when it finally comes to cashing in rewards. Again, you decide what you will do with these points, but they can be best used to make those bucket list trips happen!
May the road rise to meet you, travelers, and may your journey be one of ease.
(First in series: Maximizing Travel Using Points. Pin the whole series to save your tips!)
