So, you would like to travel to visit family for Christmas or perhaps you have your heart set on taking a vacation during the holidays. The only problem is that you’re tight on cash. With the following tips we at GET.com have put together for you, you can actually travel for free this Christmas just by making use of your air miles credit cards and air miles smartly.
1. Benefiting From Frequent Flyer Mile Promotions
One way to travel for free is to utilize frequent flyer mile promotions. Airlines do offer bonus points for specific purchases when they are made through frequent flier program partners from time to time. Depending on the program, there are also offers made that allow you to purchase and then transfer miles at discounted rates sometimes.
2. Take Advantage Of Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses
Credit card issuers are often so anxious to compete for your business that they will offer incredibly valuable sign up bonuses. 2016 is really the year of credit card sign-up bonuses, and in case you’re curious, here are the best credit card bonuses available today.
If you’re looking for an easy way to get started accruing free miles, this is often a good option. Some people are so accomplished at this method, they are known as credit card churners. This strategy basically involves completing numerous credit card applications regularly in order to rack up as many miles as possible.
After you receive the card, spend the minimum required amount to get your miles, cancel the card the next year, and repeat the cycle. With this strategy, it’s entirely possible to earn tens of thousands of frequent flyer miles annually.
To make this method work, you’ll need to know about the various sign-up bonuses, which often means staying on top of blogs, websites and forums.
Keep in mind that this method is only a good idea if you have excellent credit and you don’t plan to use the credit cards as a way to accumulate debt.
Many people are often concerned that this approach will damage their credit scores, but that’s actually not the case. You could boost your credit score if you make a point to pay your credit card bills in full and in a timely manner each month.
3. Put Your Credit Card Spending To Work
If you use your credit card as a method of payment rather than treating it as a credit-lending machine, make a point of putting your spending to work for you to travel for free this Christmas.
With this approach, every dollar you spend on your card gives you more miles. Try to use your credit card wherever it is accepted to make your everyday spending count towards earning air miles.
Bear in mind that this strategy is only a good idea if you never carry a balance on your credit card and instead pay off the balance in full each month, as interest payments will be far greater than the value of your earned miles.
4. Maximize Your Frequent Flyer Miles
Make sure you make the most of the frequent flyer miles you accumulate. For example, some airline promotions may provide better deals than others. Such offers are frequently restricted to certain card holders, so make sure you know which promotions are available for which types of cards you hold, and try to upgrade your cards whenever possible to yield the best results.
Here you can see how Pedro from GET.com used his million miles to redeem for free Business Class air tickets worth US$54,000.
