You want to visit grandma for the holidays

American Airlines miles Amex Membership Rewards points British Airways Avios points Capital One miles Chase Ultimate Rewards points Citi ThankYou points Delta miles Marriott points Southwest points United Airlines miles American Airlines miles Amex Membership Rewards points British Airways Avios points Capital One miles Chase Ultimate Rewards points Citi ThankYou points Delta miles Marriott points Southwest points United Airlines miles

You like traveling off the beaten path

American Airlines miles Amex Membership Rewards points Bank of America Premium Rewards British Airways Avios points Capital One miles Chase Ultimate Rewards points Citi ThankYou points Delta miles United Airlines miles U.S. Bank Altitude/FlexPerks Rewards American Airlines miles Amex Membership Rewards points Bank of America Premium Rewards British Airways Avios points Capital One miles Chase Ultimate Rewards points Citi ThankYou points Delta miles United Airlines miles U.S. Bank Altitude/FlexPerks Rewards

Your main goal is domestic travel

American Airlines miles Amex Membership Rewards points British Airways Avios points Capital One miles Chase Ultimate Rewards points Citi ThankYou points Delta miles JetBlue points Southwest points United Airlines miles American Airlines miles Amex Membership Rewards points British Airways Avios points Capital One miles Chase Ultimate Rewards points Citi ThankYou points Delta miles JetBlue points Southwest points United Airlines miles

You want to travel in luxury

Air Canada Aeroplan points American Airlines miles Amex Membership Rewards points Avianca miles Capital One miles Chase Ultimate Rewards points Citi ThankYou points Hyatt points Marriott Bonvoy points Virgin Atlantic Points Air Canada Aeroplan points American Airlines miles Amex Membership Rewards points Avianca miles Capital One miles Chase Ultimate Rewards points Citi ThankYou points Hyatt points Marriott Bonvoy points Virgin Atlantic Points

You prefer road trips

Amex Membership Rewards points Capital One miles Chase Ultimate Rewards points Choice Privileges points Citi ThankYou points Hilton Honors points Hyatt points IHG Rewards points Marriott Bonvoy points Wyndham Rewards points Amex Membership Rewards points Capital One miles Chase Ultimate Rewards points Choice Privileges points Citi ThankYou points Hilton Honors points Hyatt points IHG Rewards points Marriott Bonvoy points Wyndham Rewards points

You travel with a large family

Amex Membership Rewards points British Airways Avios points Capital One miles Chase Ultimate Rewards points Choice Privileges points Citi ThankYou points Hilton Honors points JetBlue points Marriott Bonvoy points Southwest points Amex Membership Rewards points British Airways Avios points Capital One miles Chase Ultimate Rewards points Choice Privileges points Citi ThankYou points Hilton Honors points JetBlue points Marriott Bonvoy points Southwest points

Amex Membership Rewards points

The Platinum Card® from American Express — 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership The Business Platinum Card® from American Express — 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first three months of card membership American Express® Gold Card — 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $4,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership American Express® Business Gold Card — 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card — 15,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening The Platinum Card® from American Express — 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership The Business Platinum Card® from American Express — 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card within the first three months of card membership American Express® Gold Card — 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $4,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership American Express® Business Gold Card — 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of card membership

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card — 20,000 miles after spending $500 on purchases within three months from account opening Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card† — $300 cash bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening Capital One Spark Miles for Business† — 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening Note: Some Capital One cash-back cards, such as the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card†, don't technically earn Capital One miles. But if you also hold a Capital One miles-earning card, you can convert your cash back into Capital One miles at a rate of 1 cent per mile.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Chase Sapphire Reserve® — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card — 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Chase Freedom Flex℠ —$200 cash bonus (received as 20,000 bonus points) after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (excluding Target and Walmart) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year Ink Business Cash® Credit Card — $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Note: No-annual-fee Chase Ultimate Rewards points-earning cards such as the Chase Freedom Flex℠ do not allow you to transfer your points to airline and hotel partners unless you also hold an annual fee-incurring Ultimate Rewards card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

Citi Premier® Card — 60,000 bonus ThankYou® points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per dollar on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2024 Citi Custom Cash℠ Card — $200 cash back, fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening Citi® Double Cash Card — N/A Citi Rewards+® Card — 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,500 in the first three months of account opening Citi Rewards+ Student Card — N/A Note: Unless you hold the Citi Premier® Card or the Citi Prestige® Card (not available to new applicants), you will not be able to transfer your rewards to the full list of Citi ThankYou travel partners .

Air Canada Aeroplan points

Aeroplan® Credit Card — 75,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus 25,000 points after you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening The Platinum Card® from American Express — 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening Bilt Mastercard® — N/A Note: You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Capital One miles, and Bilt Rewards to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio. You can also transfer Marriott points at a 3:1 ratio. And you'll receive 25% bonus miles when transferring 60,000-point increments. In other words, 60,000 Marriott points will net you 25,000 Aeroplan miles.

Alaska Airlines miles

Alaska Airlines Visa® Credit Card — one ticket for just the taxes and fees when you buy one ticket and 40,000 bonus miles when you make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening Alaska Airlines Business Credit Card — 50,000 bonus miles, $100 statement credit, and Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card — 75,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of account opening plus 50,000 bonus points after you stay 6 eligible paid nights at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® through 1/31/24 Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card — 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card — three bonus Free Night Awards (each worth up to 50,000 points) after using your new card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership Note: You can transfer Marriott points to Alaska Airlines at a 3:1 ratio. You'll also receive 25% bonus miles when transferring 60,000-point increments. In other words, 60,000 Marriott points will net you 25,000 Alaska Airlines miles.

British Airways Avios points

British Airways Visa Signature® Card — 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening Iberia Visa Signature® Card — 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening Aer Lingus Visa Signature® Card — 75,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening American Express® Gold Card — 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $4,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership Note: You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Capital One miles, Iberia Avios, Aer Lingus Avios, and Qatar Airways Avios at a 1:1 ratio. You can also transfer Marriott points at a 3:1 ratio. And you'll receive 25% bonus miles when transferring 60,000-point increments. In other words, 60,000 Marriott points will net you 25,000 British Airways Avios points.

Delta Air Lines miles

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card — 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months from account opening Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card — 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months from account opening Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card — 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three months of card membership Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card — 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three months of card membership Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card — 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 in purchases on your new card in the first six months from account opening Note: You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to Delta at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott points at a 3:1 ratio.

JetBlue Plus Card — 60,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases and paying the annual fee in full within the first 90 days from account opening JetBlue Business Card — 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in your first 90 days as a cardmember and 25,000 bonus points after spending a total of $10,000 in the first year Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Citi Premier® Card — 60,000 bonus ThankYou® points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per dollar on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2024 Note: You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Citi ThankYou points at a 1:1 ratio and Amex Membership Rewards points at a 5:4 ratio.

Singapore Airlines miles

The Platinum Card® from American Express — 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership Chase Sapphire Reserve® — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Citi Premier® Card — 60,000 bonus ThankYou® points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per dollar on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2024 Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening Note: You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Citi ThankYou points, and Capital One miles to Singapore Airlines at a 1:1 ratio. You can also transfer Marriott points at a 3:1 ratio. And you'll receive 25% bonus miles when transferring 60,000-point increments. In other words, 60,000 Marriott points will net you 25,000 Singapore Airlines miles.

Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card — 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card — 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card — 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card — 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card — 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Note: You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio. You can also transfer Marriott points at a 3:1 ratio. And you'll receive 25% bonus miles when transferring 60,000-point increments. In other words, 60,000 Marriott points will net you 25,000 Southwest points.

The Platinum Card® from American Express — 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership American Express® Gold Card — 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $4,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Citi Premier® Card — 60,000 bonus ThankYou® points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per dollar on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2024 Bilt Mastercard® — N/A Note: You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points, Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Citi ThankYou points, and Capital One miles to Virgin Atlantic at a 1:1 ratio. You can also transfer Marriott points at a 3:1 ratio. And you'll receive 25% bonus miles when transferring 60,000-point increments. In other words, 60,000 Marriott points will net you 25,000 Virgin Points.

Choice Privileges points

Choice Privileges Visa Signature Card — 32,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening Citi Premier® Card — 60,000 bonus ThankYou® points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per dollar on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2024 American Express® Gold Card — 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $4,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership Note: You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points and Capital One miles to Choice Privileges at a 1:1 ratio. You can transfer Citi ThankYou points for a ratio as favorable as 1:2, depending on which card you have.

Hilton Honors American Express Card — 80,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card — 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card — 150,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months of account opening The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card — 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the card within the first three months of card membership The Platinum Card® from American Express — 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership Note: You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio. You can transfer Virgin Points at a 2:3 ratio.

World of Hyatt points

The World Of Hyatt Credit Card — 30,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, and up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning with 2 points per dollar, up to $15,000, on purchases that normally earn 1 point in the first six months of account opening World of Hyatt Business Credit Card — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card — 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Bilt Mastercard® — N/A Note: You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Bilt Rewards to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.

IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card — 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and up to $50 in IHG® statement credits on purchases at IHG® Hotels and Resorts during the first 12 months from account opening. IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card — 140,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening and earn up to $100 in IHG® statement credits on purchases at IHG® Hotels and Resorts during the first 12 months from account opening IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card — 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening Bilt Mastercard® — N/A Note: You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Bilt Rewards, and Virgin Points to IHG at a 1:1 ratio.

Wyndham Rewards points

Wyndham Rewards® Earner Card — 45,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening Wyndham Rewards® Earner Plus Card — 75,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days of account opening Wyndham Rewards® Earner Business Card — 50,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 90 days, and 25,000 bonus points after spending $10,000 within the first 12 months Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening Citi Premier® Card — 60,000 bonus ThankYou® points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening, plus earn a total of 10 ThankYou® Points per dollar on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2024 Note: You can transfer Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou points to Wyndham at a 1:1 ratio.

Amex Membership Rewards points

Aer Lingus AerClub Aeromexico Club Premier (1:1.6) Air Canada Aeroplan Air France/KLM Flying Blue ANA Mileage Club Avianca LifeMiles British Airways Executive Club Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Choice Privileges Delta SkyMiles Emirates Skywards Etihad Airways Guest Program Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles Hilton Honors (1:2) Iberia Plus JetBlue True Blue (1:0.8) Marriott Bonvoy Qantas Frequent Flyer Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Virgin Points

American Airlines AAdvantage Aer Lingus AerClub Air Canada Aeroplan British Airways Executive Club Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Emirates Skywards Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles Iberia Plus IHG Rewards Club Air France-KLM Flying Blue Turkish Miles & Smiles Virgin Atlantic Flying Club United Airlines World of Hyatt

Chase Ultimate Rewards points

Aer Lingus AerClub Air Canada Aeroplan Air France-KLM Flying Blue British Airways Executive Club Emirates Skywards Iberia Plus JetBlue TrueBlue Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards United MileagePlus Virgin Atlantic Flying Club IHG Rewards Club Marriott Bonvoy World of Hyatt

Aeromexico Club Premier Air Canada Aeroplan Air France-KLM Flying Blue ALL - Accor Live Limitless (2:1 ratio) Avianca LifeMiles British Airways Executive Club Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Choice Privileges Emirates Skywards Etihad Guest EVA Infinity MileageLands (2:1.5 ratio) Finnair Plus Qantas Frequent Flyer Singapore KrisFlyer TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Virgin Red Wyndham Rewards

Aeromexico Club Premier Air France-KLM Flying Blue Avianca LifeMiles Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Choice Privileges Emirates Skywards Etihad Guest Eva Air Infinity MileageLands JetBlue TrueBlue Qantas Frequent Flyer Qatar Airways Privilege Club Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Wyndham Rewards

AEGEAN Miles+Bonus (3:1) Aer Lingus AerClub (3:1) Aeromexico ClubPremier (3:1) Air Canada Aeroplan (3:1) Air France-KLM Flying Blue (3:1) Air New Zealand Airpoints (200:1) Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan (3:1) American Airlines AAdvantage (3:1) ANA Mileage Club (3:1) Asiana Airlines Asiana Club (3:1) Avianca LifeMiles (3:1) British Airways Executive Club (3:1) Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (3:1) Copa Airlines ConnectMiles (3:1) Delta SkyMiles (3:1) Emirates Skywards (3:1) Etihad Guest (3:1) FRONTIER Miles (3:1) Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club (3:1) Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles (3:1) Iberia Plus (3:1) InterMiles (3:1) Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank (3:1) Korean Air SKYPASS (3:1) LATAM Airlines LATAM Pass (3:1) Multiplus Fidelidade LATAM Pass (3:1) Qantas Frequent Flyer (3:1) Qatar Airways Privilege Club (3:1) Saudia Alfursan (3:1) Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer (3:1) Southwest Rapid Rewards (3:1) TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go (3:1) Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus (3:1) Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles (3:1) United MileagePlus (3:1.1) Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (3:1) Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer (3:1) Vueling Club (3:1)

Buy-one-get-one flights for up to two years

You'll need: Southwest points The Southwest Companion Pass is considered by many of us to be the single best for most travelers. Put simply, it allows you to bring along a travel buddy every single time you fly Southwest — for up to two years. You'll only be on the hook for the taxes and fees of your companion, which are a mere $5.60 one-way for domestic flights. Even if you were to fly on Southwest multiple times per day every single day of the year, your companion could come with you for virtually free. This is a great money-saving tool for families who often travel together. To get the Companion Pass, you must earn 135,000 Southwest points in a calendar year. That's unbelievably easy, as long as you're willing to open a couple of credit cards. See, Southwest credit card bonuses count toward this requirement. By earning the bonuses from one personal and one small business Southwest credit card, you'll often immediately qualify for the pass (depending on each card's current bonus). There are some other quirks to the Companion Pass that you should know about, so be sure to read our guide to the Southwest Companion Pass for more details.

Lie-flat Qsuite (the best business class seats in the world!) to the Maldives for 140,000 miles round-trip

You'll need: American Airlines miles You can use American Airlines miles for flights on Qatar Airways, widely agreed to be one of the highest-quality airlines. Many of its planes offer incredible business class seats called Qsuite — if you and a travel companion book seats right next to each other, your section can be turned into a double bed. Qatar Airways flies its Qsuite to lots of fun destinations, such as Cape Town, Bangkok, Singapore, and Paris. One of the best uses of American Airlines miles is to book flights between the US and the Maldives for 140,000 miles round-trip. These flights can easily cost $5,000 — and potentially much more, depending on your originating city.

Flights to Hawaii for 15,000 miles round-trip

You'll need: Turkish Airlines miles If you've got Turkish Airlines miles, you can book domestic US flights on partner United Airlines for just 7,500 miles one-way in coach — and 12,500 miles in business class. Incredibly, this also includes flights to Hawaii. These are highly contested seats, meaning you'll likely have trouble finding dates that work for you. But if you can pull it off, it's a steal. You'll have the best chance of success if you search from United's hub airports, such as Newark (EWR), Washington Dulles (IAD), Chicago (ORD), San Francisco (SFO), etc.

Round-the-world flight in lie-flat business class seats for 105,000 miles

You'll need: ANA miles ANA is a major airline in Japan and a luxurious one. It allows you to book round-the-world award flights — a single award with up to eight stopovers. In other words, you visit up to eight destinations during your trip. ANA prices its awards based on the distance you fly. Depending on how direct you build your round-the-world trip, you could fly for as little as 105,000 miles in business class. There are some rules to know, such as: You can make up to three stopovers in Europe and four in Japan. You can't backtrack. You're required to cross both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Considering you can earn more than 105,000 points with a single credit card welcome bonus, this deal makes compassing the world in style relatively easy.

Domestic flights for 6,000 miles one-way

You'll need: American Airlines miles US carriers, namely American Airlines and Delta, occasionally publish super cheap domestic fares between random cities. Available dates are often limited, but the prices are white hot — as low as 6,000 miles one-way for transcontinental flights. More commonly, you'll see one-way flights for 12,500 miles each way. But if you've got a bit of flexibility in your travel plans, you can save more than 50% on these special prices. As an example, above is a flight between Cincinnati and San Jose, California, for 6,000 American Airlines miles. That's over 2,000 miles of flying!

Lie-flat first class to Japan for 110,000 miles round-trip

You'll need: Virgin Points Inside an ANA premium cabin are some of the biggest and most luxurious seats in the sky. The food is restaurant-quality and even serves Japanese whiskey that costs nearly $1,000 per bottle. Virgin Atlantic is partnered with ANA and offers a confusingly good deal on business- and first-class flights between the US and Japan: First Class — 120,000 Virgin Points from the East Coast, 110,000 Virgin Points from the West Coast Business class — 95,000 Virgin Points from the East Coast, 90,000 Virgin Points from the West Coast You will pay fuel surcharges with this ticket, though these fees are normally very reasonable — perhaps a couple of hundred dollars. But when gas prices are high, you may find yourself paying a prohibitive $700 round-trip. Still not a bad deal for a seat that otherwise costs more than $20,000. Note that ANA only flies first class to Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. If you don't live nearby, it could still be worth flying to one of these cities just for the experience.

Flights to Ireland for 26,000 points round-trip

You'll need: Aer Lingus Avios Aer Lingus is the official airline of Ireland, and serves lots of US cities. There are a handful of strategic routes that can get you to Ireland for as little as 13,000 Aer Lingus Avios points one-way in coach: Boston to Dublin/Shannon Chicago to Dublin Minneapolis to Dublin New York (JFK) to Dublin/Shannon Philadelphia to Dublin Washington, DC (IAD) to Dublin Only during off-peak dates can you book a flight for 13,000 points. You can view the <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com/?amazonTrackingID=biauto-60184-20&h=9f8579593bea2766f11c5023d99ddd0daa8a76a97de10e4a2cf9472dd7edff9e&postID=638e6bd29305546e646453d0&postSlug=personal-finance%2Fhow-to-book-free-travel-cheap-deals-credit-card-rewards&site=bi&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aerlingus.com%2Fmedia%2Fpdfs%2FAC_calendar_2023.pdf&platform=browser&sc=false&disabled=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored" data-analytics-product-module="body_link">Aer Lingus award calendar here (all dates in green are peak pricing), but just know that well over half the year is off-peak. Aer Lingus will pass along moderate fuel surcharges — but it's still a good deal.

Lie-flat business class seats to Europe for 68,000 points round-trip

You'll need: Iberia Avios Iberia is the flag carrier of Spain. This trick is a bit niche, as it only works if you fly to Spain — but it's a great way to inexpensively reach Europe in style. Once you're across the Atlantic, you can fly to whichever country you actually want to visit for very cheap (sometimes $20 or less). For just 17,000 Iberia Avios in coach or 34,000 Iberia Avios in business class, you can book the following routes one-way: Boston to Madrid or Barcelona New York (JFK) to Madrid or Barcelona Chicago to Madrid Similar to using Aer Lingus Avios, prices are only this low for off-peak dates ( which you can view here ). Again, over half of the year is off-peak, so you shouldn't have a terrible time finding availability.

You'll need: Hyatt points Calala Island is about 3.5 miles east of Nicaragua. The island's resort has just four rooms, with a maximum occupancy of eight total guests. In other words, this is about as close as you can get to booking a private island with hotel points. You'll pay 40,000 Hyatt points per night — with a minimum three-night stay. You'll get an all-inclusive experience, and you can request whatever you want to eat. The chef and the multiple staff are entirely at your disposal. These rooms routinely cost $3,000 per night, heightening Calala Island's bucket-list allure.

Annual free night at (almost) any Hilton property worldwide

You'll need: An annual fee-incurring Hilton credit card One of the greatest deals in credit card rewards is the free night certificate that comes with select American Express Hilton credit cards . It is valid at nearly every Hilton hotel on the planet (<a href="https://affiliate.insider.com/?amazonTrackingID=biauto-60184-20&h=b351bb591077feb7abd4e767d566cb0ebcc94852d0674b6985d38ebebdc15c39&postID=638e6bd29305546e646453d0&postSlug=personal-finance%2Fhow-to-book-free-travel-cheap-deals-credit-card-rewards&site=bi&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hilton.com%2Fen%2Fp%2Fpromotions%2Ffree-night-reward-property-exclusions%2F&platform=browser&sc=false&disabled=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored" data-analytics-product-module="body_link">with a few exceptions ), making it worth up to 150,000 points. To earn this free night certificate, you must have one of the following cards: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card — Receive an annual free night certificate after opening the card and after each account anniversary. Also, earn a second free night certificate when you spend $60,000 on your card within a calendar year. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card — Earn one free night certificate after you spend $15,000 on your card during a calendar year. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card — Earn one free night certificate after you spend $15,000 during a calendar year with your card. Earn a second free night award when you spend $60,000 with your card during a calendar year. Depending on where you use your certificate, you could get thousands of dollars in value. For example, you can stay at hotels like the <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com/?amazonTrackingID=biauto-60184-20&h=3d24656af32cc0e6f4e73397f624f521082e47a52c3e79a597b811f0d0089540&postID=638e6bd29305546e646453d0&postSlug=personal-finance%2Fhow-to-book-free-travel-cheap-deals-credit-card-rewards&site=bi&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hilton.com%2Fen%2Fhotels%2Fmleonwa-waldorf-astoria-maldives-ithaafushi%2F&platform=browser&sc=false&disabled=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored nofollow sponsored" data-analytics-product-module="body_link">Waldorf Astoria Maldives (pictured above), which regularly costs over $2,000 per night.

You'll need: Hyatt points Bali has two personalities: Beach and jungle. The Viceroy Bali is located in Ubud — surrounded by jungle, rice terraces, monkeys, etc. This resort is a Hyatt Category 7 hotel. That means you'll pay between 25,000 and 35,000 points per night, regardless of the cash price of the hotel. Prices often cost over $750 per night, but even the base room comes with a heated plunge pool, marble floors, and a terrace with excellent jungle views.

Alila Ventana Big Sur

You'll need: Hyatt points Alila Ventana Big Sur is a gem along the Central Coast of California. It's a luxury all-inclusive resort surrounded by towering redwoods, shimmering ocean, and serpentine hiking paths. This resort is a Category 8 Hyatt hotel, meaning it costs between 35,000 and 45,000 points per night for double occupancy. The hotel otherwise routinely costs over $2,000 per night. The only thing not included is alcohol and some ancillary activities such as falconry and ax throwing. Booking a stay at this resort is just about the closest you'll get to truly free travel.

Annual Marriott 85,000-point certificate

You'll need: The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (or the Ritz-Carlton Credit Card) The best Marriott hotels in the world cost between 80,000 and 120,000 points per night, depending on the season. These resorts can cost over $1,500 per night, meaning you can get huge value from your Marriott points if you choose a super aspirational resort. That's why the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is so enticing to keep year after year. The card comes with an annual 85,000-point free night award after each account anniversary. This nearly guarantees you a free night at a five-star property every year. You have the ability to add 15,000 Marriott points to the certificate, as well, if the night you want to stay costs more than 85,000 points. You can stay at resorts like Mystique, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Santorini (pictured above), or the famed Al Maha a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Dubai , which is nearly impossible to find for under $1,000.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (worth $1,275, on average, based on Insider's estimate of points value)

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card comes with 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. This is worth at a minimum $750 in travel when you use the card directly with airlines hotels, etc. and redeem your miles by "erasing" your travel purchases at a rate of 1 cent each. But they can be worth much more by transferring them to travel partners. For example, you could transfer those points to Turkish Airlines for five round-trip coach tickets to Hawaii from a United Airlines hub. That could potentially save you over $3,000, depending on your origin airport. Or, you could transfer 60,000 miles to Virgin Red and book a one-way first-class seat between the East Coast and Japan. That ticket will otherwise cost over $14,000! You can read our Capital One Venture X review to see other fun features that make the card worthwhile, such as an annual $300 travel credit, some of the best airport lounge access around, and more. Note: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card comes with this exact same bonus.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (worth $665, on average, based on Insider's estimate of points value)

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card comes with 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership. This bonus is more than enough to stay at any Marriott property on the planet. You can stretch it into 25 nights (or more!) at low-level Marriott hotels, or you can use it to stay a night or two at a luxury property like the Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Island , which costs thousands of dollars per night. You'll even book directly into an overwater villa. Read our Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card review to see why this card is worth keeping year after year. You'll get things like an 85,000-point free night award each anniversary year, automatic Platinum elite status (which comes with free breakfast and suite upgrades when available), up to $300 annually in restaurant credits , and lots more.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (worth $750, on average, based on Insider's estimate of points value)

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card comes with 150,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months of account opening. This is enough for a stay at any Hilton property — even the ones that cost thousands of dollars per night, like the <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com/?amazonTrackingID=biauto-60184-20&h=e3ef4a3741aa4726da4d6f4430511a2e0d220b41323939a26159c72bd9adbff4&postID=638e6bd29305546e646453d0&postSlug=personal-finance%2Fhow-to-book-free-travel-cheap-deals-credit-card-rewards&site=bi&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hilton.com%2Fen%2Fhotels%2Fslcdmwa-waldorf-astoria-park-city%2F&platform=browser&sc=false&disabled=false" data-analytics-product-module="body_link">Waldorf Astoria Park City during peak ski season. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is one of the all-around best rewards credit cards thanks to its ongoing benefits such up to $500 in various annual travel credits credit, top-tier Hilton Diamond elite status, airport lounge access, a free night certificate worth up to 150,000 points, and more. Read our Amex Hilton Aspire review to see the full power this card can bring to your travels.

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card ( worth $1,350, on average, based on Insider's estimate of points value)

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card comes with $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's an incredible bonus for a no annual fee credit card , and the highest we've ever seen for this card. Even better, if you also hold a Chase Ultimate Rewards card that charges an annual fee (such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can combine your rewards and transfer them to airline and hotel partners. That's enough points for three nights at a five-star Hyatt hotel such as the Keemala in Phuket, Thailand . Or, you could use it to book a round-trip flight to Europe on United Airlines. This is a small business card, which means you'll at least need a side gig to qualify. That could mean freelance writing, selling things on Etsy, or delivering for DoorDash. Note: The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card earns this exact same bonus.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (worth $1,800, on average, based on Insider's estimate of points value)

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. After meeting minimum spending requirements, you'll have nearly enough points to do things like fly round-trip on United Airlines in lie-flat business class to Europe or stay three nights on Calala Island (featured above as a sweet spot), which costs thousands of dollars per night. Or, you could simply cash out your points for more than $1,000. This is quite possibly the best bonus available at the moment. However, its spending requirement isn't for the faint of heart. And because this is a small-business card , you'll need a business venture to qualify. But even things like driving for Uber, pet sitting via Rover, or tutoring are considered a small business.

Beginners Guide to How to Book Free Travel With Credit Card Rewards

Our experts answer readers' credit card questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess credit cards). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

The general consensus is that credit card rewards are convoluted and hard to use.

That's not true. Credit card rewards are nearly effortless to use. It's easy to get free hotel stays, rental cars, and airfare. The only convoluted part is finding ways to squeeze every last drop of value from them.

In this guide, we'll give you a crash course on how to quickly earn rewards from the best credit cards and book free travel. We'll also share the knowledge you need to find amazing deals for yourself. We'll even cover some jaw-dropping sweet spots which, while not always the easiest to book, exhibit the power of credit card points and miles. You'll be booking $20,000 flights before you know it.

Insider's Featured Rewards Credit Cards

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Apply now

On Chase's website

Apply now

On Capital One's website

Rates & Fees

Apply now

On Wells Fargo's website

Rates & Fees

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Nearly free travel is possible

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

4.4/5

Annual Fee

$95

Intro offer

60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Rewards

Earn 5x points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Earn 3x points on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout, and dining out. Earn 3x points on select streaming services. Earn 3x points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs). Earn 2x points on other travel. Earn 1x point per dollar on everything else.

Apply now

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

4.4/5

Annual Fee

$95

Intro offer

60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Rewards

View Full Details

Apply now

On Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Rewards

Annual Fee

$95

Intro offer

60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Recommended Credit

Good to Excellent

Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

21.49% - 28.49% Variable

Intro Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

N/A

Editor's Rating

4.4/5

My first award flight was to the Philippines in 2014. I paid 40,000 United Airlines miles and $5.60 in taxes and fees. That's right — I paid more for gas to drive to the airport than I paid for my flight.

After my trip, all I wanted to talk about was how I flew to Asia for $5.60. I had proved to myself a new travel strategy that could take me anywhere I wanted to go for practically free. I told friends and family how I did it — how easy it was to earn the rewards just by achieving a single credit card welcome bonus.

I could not keep anyone's interest for long. The prospect of free travel is one of those things that most people totally ignore because it sounds fishy.

To all my friends and family that are suspicious of free travel, thank you. If everyone in the world expertly utilized credit card rewards to travel for free, there wouldn't be such amazing travel opportunities out there. The fact that 99% of travelers are apprehensive to jump into the world of free travel benefits those of us who have learned the tricks of the trade.

I estimate that I get about $30,000 in free travel per year — and that's just from taking three or four trips annually. I've used them for lie-flat business class seats and five-star hotels in places like Barbados, Dubai, Ireland, Maui, the Maldives, Peru, South Africa, St. Lucia, Switzerland, and many more.

I also frequently use points for roadside hotels when road-tripping and for quick flights to visit family. You can do it, too.

Identify your travel goals

Before you begin collecting credit card rewards, you should first identify your travel goals. Not all credit card rewards can accomplish the same thing, after all. For example:

If you want free airfare, you should collect airline miles
If you want free hotel stays, you should collect hotel points
If you want free food, you should collect cash back
If you have mixed goals, you should collect flexible or transferable points (we'll get into these in a minute)

Here are some common travel goals with which you might identify, along with the top 10 rewards currencies that will help you achieve those goals. If more than one of the below goals describes you, determine which currencies overlap the most and collect those.

Of course, there are many hundreds of specific travel styles for which a different mix of rewards would be better suited.

How to earn credit card points

The fastest way to accumulate rewards is by earning credit card welcome bonuses. Most rewards credit cards come with a chunk of either points, miles, or cash that will deposit into your account after you meet minimum spending requirements.

For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

There are dozens and dozens (and dozens) of credit card sign-up bonuses out there — quite literally millions of points and miles to be earned — if you're willing to open credit cards and earn their bonuses.

Many rewards credit cards also provide bonus points when spending in certain categories. You'll earn points for your everyday purchases exponentially faster if you take the time to find a handful of credit cards that offer bonus categories for your spending habits.

Opening multiple credit cards is not a bad thing

You've probably been conditioned to believe that opening multiple credit cards is bad for your financial health. It's not — at least, there's nothing intrinsically irresponsible about it. As long as you don't spend beyond your means and pay off your card in full every month, credit cards are a valuable financial (and travel) tool.

If you use your credit responsibly, your credit score will actually increase after opening credit cards. You can read our guide on how to get an excellent credit score if you're really concerned.

Many of us that are deeply entrenched in the world of credit card rewards (myself included) have well over 20 active credit cards. That sounds totally wild to most people — but they've earned me millions of rewards totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel.

For example:

I have seven hotel credit cards because they come with things like annual free night certificates, anniversary points bonuses, automatic elite status, and more (one of which saved me $8,000 on a hotel stay in the Maldives)
I have three of The Platinum Card® from American Express, which gives me literally $3,000+ in value each year
I have credit cards that I specifically use to book airfare and rental cars because they come with travel insurance that has saved me many thousands of dollars over the years
I have credit cards that come with varying airport lounge access
I have multiple American Express cards which come with different Amex Offers** that I'm able to use to save hundreds of dollars each year on my everyday spending

As long as you're getting more back than you're paying in annual fees, the cards are worth keeping (provided you can afford those annual fees!).

Don't collect credit card rewards if you can't keep your spending down

If you don't have the best track record with credit, or if you simply don't think you're responsible enough to open lots of credit cards, don't do it. Rewards credit cards come with outlandish interest rates. In other words, unless you're able to pay your credit card in full each month, you'll pay out the nose in fees. And accruing debt on a rewards credit card isn't easy to overcome.

It's also a good rule of thumb to keep from jumping into credit card rewards until you have a credit score of at least 700. This will give you the best chance of being approved for pretty much any card you want.

Earning flexible points

There are four real powerhouse points currencies in the flexible rewards space. These are the most popular points among travelers for two reasons:

They are extremely easy to earn. Each flexible points currency can be earned on at least five different credit cards (and some can be earned on 10+ cards).
They can each be transferred to more than a dozen different valuable airline and hotel partners. This is helpful if you've got multiple travel goals that you want to achieve, and you don't want to collect a single airline or hotel currency. For example, if you want to stay at both Hilton and Marriott for free, you could collect Amex Membership Rewards points, which transfer to both programs.

Here we'll look at the top five credit cards to earn each points currency, along with their current bonuses (if they offer one).

Earning airline miles

Below are the most popular airline loyalty programs — and the top five credit cards to open and use to quickly rack up your mileage balance.

Earning hotel points

Below are the most popular airline loyalty programs — and the top five credit cards to open and use to quickly rack up your mileage balance.

Recommended credit card strategies for beginners

The best practice for anyone new to credit card rewards is to invest in flexible points. Again, these points can be used for all kinds of things — from airfare to hotel stays to rental cars to cash back.

Let's take a look at some strategic credit card pairings to turn yourself into a points-earning behemoth. These cards will help you to earn the maximum amount of rewards on all spending.

The Amex Trifecta

1. Use The Platinum Card® from American Express for travel

The card earns:

5 points per dollar on airfare purchased directly through the airline or through Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 per calendar year)
5 points per dollar on hotels booked through Amex Travel
1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases

2. Use the American Express® Gold Card for dining and groceries

The card earns:

4 points per dollar at restaurants
4 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in spending per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
3 points per dollar on flights booked directly through the airline or Amex Travel
1 point per dollar on everything else

3. Use The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express for everything else

The card earns a flat 2 points per dollar on the first $50,000 in purchases each year (then 1 point per dollar). You'll have to operate a small business to qualify for this card, but even things like DoorDash delivery or freelance writing can qualify for this.

The Chase Trifecta

1. Use the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for travel and dining

The card earns:

10 points per dollar on Lyft rides through March 2025 and on Chase Dining purchases through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
10 points per dollar on hotel stays and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
5 points per dollar on air travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3 points per dollar on other travel (after earning the $300 travel credit) and on dining
1 point per dollar on everything else

2. Use the Chase Freedom Flex℠ for various everyday purchases

The card earns:

5% cash back (5 points per dollar) on travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards
5% cash back (5 points per dollar) on up to $1,500 in purchases each quarter (then 1x) in rotating bonus categories when you activate. This can include things like Amazon, gas stations, supermarkets, and more.
3% cash back (3 points per dollar) on dining and drugstore purchases
1% cash back (1 point per dollar) on everything else

3. Use the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card for everything else

The card earns a flat 1.5% cash back (1.5 points per dollar) on all purchases. You'll need to be a small business owner to qualify for this card — but if you do things like sell on Etsy, walk dogs for money, tutor, or drive for Uber, you can qualify for this card.

The Citi Trifecta

1. Use the Citi Premier® Card for groceries, gas stations, dining, and travel

The card earns:

3x points on air travel, gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets, and hotels
1 point per dollar on everything else

2. Use the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card for your most common monthly expense

The card earns 5% back (5 points per dollar) on up to $500 spent per billing cycle (then 1 point per dollar) for your top spending category. Eligible categories include:

Restaurants
Gas stations
Grocery stores
Select travel
Select transit
Select streaming services
Drugstores
Home improvement stores
Fitness clubs
Live entertainment

You'll earn 1% back (1 point per dollar) on all other purchases.

3. Use the Citi® Double Cash Card for everything else

The card earns 1 point per dollar when you make a purchase, and 1 point per dollar when you pay your credit card — effectively giving you 2 points per dollar on all purchases.

The Capital One Duo

1. Use the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card for travel and non-bonused spending

The card earns:

10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel
5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel
2 miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases

2. Use the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card† for rideshare, entertainment, and everyday spending

The card earns:

10% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases through November 14, 2024
8% cash back on Vivid Seats purchases through January 31, 2023, and on Capital One Entertainment purchases
5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
4% cash back on dining, entertainment, and popular streaming services
3% cash back at grocery stores
1% cash back on all other purchases

Again, this cash back can be converted into Capital One miles if you also have a Capital One miles-earning card like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

The Cashback Trifecta

1. Use the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express for groceries and online retailers

The card earns:

3% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 spent per year (then 1% back)
3% cash back at U.S. gas stations on up to $6,000 spent on purchases per year (then 1% back)
3% cash back on U.S. online retail purchases on up to $6,000 spent per year (then 1% back)
1% cash back on all other eligible purchases

2. Use the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card for food, streaming, and travel

The card earns:

10% cash back with Uber and Uber Eats through November 14, 2024
8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
3% cash back on dining, at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), for eligible streaming services, and on entertainment
1% cash back on all other purchases

3. Use the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card for everything else

The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card earns a flat 2% cash rewards on purchases. You can use this card to funnel all your non-bonused spending through — think expenses like utilities, oil changes, etc.

How to redeem travel rewards

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

4.85/5

Annual Fee

$395

Intro offer

75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Rewards

Earn unlimited 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2 miles on all other purchases.

Apply now

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

4.85/5

Annual Fee

$395

Intro offer

75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Rewards

View Full Details

Apply now

On Capital One's website

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Rewards

Annual Fee

$395

Intro offer

75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Recommended Credit

Excellent

Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

21.99% - 28.99% Variable

Intro Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

N/A

Editor's Rating

4.85/5

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Elevate your stay at luxury hotels and resorts from the Premier Collection with a $100 experience credit, daily breakfast for 2 and complimentary WiFi on every booking, plus other premium benefits like room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout when available. Be sure to check out the full terms and conditions for Premier Collection (https://capitalonetravel.com/premier-collection/) and Capital One Travel (https://travel.capitalone.com/terms-of-service/)

So, you've earned a stash of points, miles, and/or cash back. Now, what are you going to do with them?

The world of miles and points can be a bit complex. Let's look at a quick explainer of how to use each type of reward. Once you understand how they work, you'll understand how to find good deals.

Airline miles

Let's get a misconception out of the way first: Each airline mile you collect does not give you the ability to travel on a plane for 5,280 feet. In other words, just because you've collected 24,901 miles doesn't mean you can circumnavigate the Earth. Perhaps it's less confusing to just think of them as airline rewards.

Airlines have different ways of pricing award flights:

Some price award seats according to the distance you fly (British Airways does this)
Some price them according to the country you're flying from and the country you're flying to (Air Canada Aeroplan does this)
Some price them according to the cash rate of the ticket you want to book (Southwest does this)
Some price them according to a secret algorithm that makes seemingly no sense to the naked eye (American Airlines does this)

Because of this, you'll be able to predict the price you'll pay with some airlines better than others.

Most airlines have a large network of airline partners. This is important because you can usually use your miles to book flights on partner airlines, as well. For example, if you collect American Airlines miles, you can use them to book (nearly) free flights on American Airlines — as well as the following partners:

Air Tahiti Nui
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
British Airways
Cape Air
Cathay Pacific
Fiji Airways
Finnair
GOL Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
Iberia
Japan Airlines
JetBlue
Malaysia Airlines
Qantas Airways
Qatar Airways
Royal Air Maroc
Royal Jordanian Airlines
Silver Airways
SriLankan Airlines

In other words, you can get just about anywhere in the world with American Airlines miles.

Hotel points

Hotel points work similarly to airline miles:

Some hotels charge a points price that fluctuates according to the cash price of the room (Hilton does this)
Some hotel programs place each property into a "category" with a fixed price, regardless of the cash price of the room (Hyatt does this)

For example, Hyatt charges between 17,000 and 23,000 points per night for a "Category 5" Hyatt hotel. the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach is a Category 5 hotel. That means even if the hotel costs $1,000 per night, you'll never pay more than 23,000 points for a standard room.

Flexible rewards

Flexible rewards, as the name intimates, can be used in a variety of ways. Let's take a look at the three most popular redemption options.

Redeem for cash: Depending on the type of points you have, you can redeem them for cash at varying rates:

Amex Membership Rewards points — 0.6 cents per point
Capital One miles — 0.5 cents per point
Chase Ultimate Rewards points — 1 cent per point
Citi ThankYou points — 0.5 cents per point (1 cent if you've got select cards)

In nearly every single scenario, cash back is not a good redemption option with these points. If you're interested in cash back, you should be using cash-back credit cards instead of travel credit cards.

"Buy" travel through a portal: All flexible rewards can be used to reserve things like airfare, hotel stays, rental cars, and more through a proprietary bank portal at a fixed rate, though the rate can depend on the credit card you have.

Amex Membership Rewards points — 0.7 to 1 cent per point through the Amex Travel Portal
Bilt Rewards — 1.25 cents each through the Bilt Travel Portal
Capital One miles — 1 cent per point through Capital One Travel
Chase Ultimate Rewards points — Between 1 cent and 1.5 cents per point (depending on which card you have) through the Chase Travel Portal
Citi ThankYou points — 1 cent per point through the Citi Travel Portal

Transfer to valuable travel partners: Converting your points into airline miles and hotel points gives them the most potential. Each flexible points currency offers its own unique transfer partners. Here's a quick rundown of each program with its transfer partners. All transfer ratios are 1:1 unless otherwise specified.

When to use rewards vs. cash

Just because you can book a free flight or hotel stay with credit card rewards doesn't mean you should. Believe it or not, "free" isn't always a good deal. Sometimes it's wiser to pay with cash.

Most points and miles currencies don't have a firm value. Depending on the way you redeem them, you can get wildly different return rates for your rewards. Do you know how to tell when you should use rewards and when you should use cash?

It's a simple question to answer, and just takes a few seconds of low-level algebra.

The magic formula

Whenever you're looking to reserve free travel with credit card rewards, you should know exactly how much value you're getting for your points. There's an easy way to figure this out:

(cash price of travel - taxes and fees of award price) / number of points = value per point

Screenshot of the cash price vs award price for a United Airlines flight between Chicago and Venice in Oct/Nov 2023

For example, a round-trip coach flight between Chicago and Venice costs $958 in late October 2023. The award price for this trip is 60,000 United Airlines miles and $65.

Using the above formula, we will:

Subtract the $65 in taxes you'll pay with your award flight from the cash price of the ticket ($958 - $65 = $893).
Divide this new figure by the number of miles you'll pay ($893 / 60,000 = $0.014).

As you can see, booking this award ticket will give you a value of 1.4 cents per United Airlines mile.

How much are points and miles worth to you?

Because the value you can receive from credit card rewards varies, so much, you'll have to decide for yourself what a "good" value is for your points and miles. Insider has its own points and miles valuations, which have been created by experts who use credit card rewards constantly. You can use that as a guide.

For example, Insider estimates that Hyatt points are worth an average of 1.5 cents each — but I am personally reluctant to use Hyatt points unless I'm getting at least 2 cents in value. Here are some ways I've used Hyatt points recently, along with the value per Hyatt point I received:

Thompson Nashville —4.4 cents per point
Alila Ventana Big Sur — 6.66 cents per point
Lahaina Shores Beach Resort, Maui —1.7 cents per point
Andaz Maui — 4 cents per point
Hana-Maui Resort — 2 cents per point
Park Hyatt Beaver Creek — 4.56 cents per point

All this to say, I'd (usually) rather pay cash for my Hyatt hotel if I'll get less than 2 cents per point and save my rewards for better value later.

Best use of points for value

The Platinum Card® from American Express

4.4/5

Annual Fee

$695

Intro offer

80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership

Rewards

Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 per calendar year) and on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Earn 1X Points on other purchases.

Apply now

The Platinum Card® from American Express

4.4/5

Annual Fee

$695

Intro offer

80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership

Rewards

View Full Details

Apply now

On American Express's website

The Platinum Card® from American Express

Rewards

Annual Fee

$695

Intro offer

80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership

Recommended Credit

Good to Excellent

Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

See Pay Over Time APR

Intro Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

N/A

Editor's Rating

4.4/5

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card®, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
$200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card®. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. Plus Up Benefits are excluded.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
$200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only.
$300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back in statement credits per calendar year on an Equinox membership, or an Equinox club membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Visit https://platinum.equinox.com/ to enroll.
$189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR Plus at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®. Learn more.
$100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. An Equinox+ subscription is required to purchase a SoulCycle at-home bike and access SoulCycle content. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction. Shipping available in the contiguous U.S. only. Enrollment Required.
Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
$695 annual fee.
Terms Apply.

You should always use your credit card rewards in a way that makes sense for your travel habits. You'll be the most stress-free and content if you worry less about getting "maximum value" for your rewards and simply use them in a way that makes you happy.

That said, let's take a look at some of the best ways to use your points for huge value. We won't go too deep into the details, but you can send us a note if you've got a question and we'll respond when we have a spare moment.

Air travel sweet spots

David Slotnick/Business Insider

ANA

American Airlines

ANA

Shutterstock/Ocskay Bence

Iberia

Hotel sweet spots

Screenshot of Calala Island from the air

Screenshot of an overwater villa at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives

Screenshot of Alila Ventana Big Sur property

Screenshot of Mystique, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Santorini

Welcome bonus sweet spots

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

4.85/5

Annual Fee

$395

Intro offer

75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Rewards

Apply now

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

4.85/5

Annual Fee

$395

Intro offer

75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Rewards

View Full Details

Apply now

On Capital One's website

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Rewards

Annual Fee

$395

Intro offer

75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening

Recommended Credit

Excellent

Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

21.99% - 28.99% Variable

Intro Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

N/A

Editor's Rating

4.85/5

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
Receive up to $300 back annually as statement credits for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of options
Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
Receive up to a $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
Elevate your stay at luxury hotels and resorts from the Premier Collection with a $100 experience credit, daily breakfast for 2 and complimentary WiFi on every booking, plus other premium benefits like room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout when available. Be sure to check out the full terms and conditions for Premier Collection (https://capitalonetravel.com/premier-collection/) and Capital One Travel (https://travel.capitalone.com/terms-of-service/)

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

4.3/5

Annual Fee

$650

Intro offer

95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership

Rewards

Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 3 points at Worldwide Restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. Earn 2 points on all other eligible purchases.

Apply now

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

4.3/5

Annual Fee

$650

Intro offer

95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership

Rewards

View Full Details

Apply now

On American Express's website

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Rewards

Annual Fee

$650

Intro offer

95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership

Recommended Credit

Good to Excellent

Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

20.99% - 29.99% Variable

Editor's Rating

4.3/5

Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
$300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card at restaurants worldwide.
With Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® program. 3 points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
Marriott Brilliant Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you will be eligible to select an Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
$100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy® member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
Enroll in Priority PassTM Select, which offers unlimited access to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
You can be reimbursed for your costs to repair or replace your damaged or Stolen cell phone for a maximum of $800 per claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
$650 Annual Fee.
Terms Apply.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

4.8/5

Annual Fee

$450

Intro offer

150,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months of account opening

Rewards

Earn 14x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 7x Points on select travel including flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies. Earn 7x Points on dining at restaurants worldwide, and for takeout and delivery in the U.S. Earn 3X Points on all other purchases.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

4.8/5

Annual Fee

$450

Intro offer

150,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months of account opening

Rewards

View Full Details

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Rewards

Annual Fee

$450

Intro offer

150,000 points after spending at least $4,000 in the first three months of account opening

Recommended Credit

Good to Excellent

Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

15.74% to 24.74% variable APR on purchases

Editor's Rating

4.8/5

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

4.55/5

Annual Fee

Intro offer

$750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Rewards

Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year. Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Apply now

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

4.55/5

Annual Fee

Intro offer

$750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Rewards

View Full Details

Apply now

On Chase's website

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Rewards

Annual Fee

Intro offer

$750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Recommended Credit

Good to Excellent

Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

18.49% - 24.49% Variable

Intro Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months

Editor's Rating

4.55/5

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

4.5/5

Annual Fee

$95

Intro offer

100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Rewards

Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

Apply now

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

4.5/5

Annual Fee

$95

Intro offer

100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Rewards

Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

View Full Details

Apply now

On Chase's website

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Rewards

Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

Annual Fee

$95

Intro offer

100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

Recommended Credit

Good to Excellent

Regular Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

21.24% - 26.24% Variable

Editor's Rating

4.5/5

What you should know about traveling with credit card rewards

In truth, free travel is too good to be true. But it's true anyway.

Credit card rewards will continue to be a powerful tool for free travel for one simple reason — very few people are going to take the time to read this guide in full. If you dedicate a bit of time to learning the ins and outs of traveling on points, there's practically nowhere in the world that you can't go for pennies on the dollar.

Joseph Hostetler, CEPF

Credit cards reporter

Joseph Hostetler was a credit cards reporter for Insider who also covered helpful miles and points tricks. He is also a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF). Joseph has more than six years of experience writing professionally about credit cards, previously authoring and editing for The Points Guy and Million Mile Secrets.

A beginners guide to booking cheap or free travel deals with credit card rewards

Nearly free travel is possible

Identify your travel goals

How to earn credit card points

Opening multiple credit cards is not a bad thing

Don't collect credit card rewards if you can't keep your spending down

Earning flexible points

Earning airline miles

Earning hotel points

Recommended credit card strategies for beginners

The Amex Trifecta

The Chase Trifecta

The Citi Trifecta

The Capital One Duo

The Cashback Trifecta

How to redeem travel rewards

Airline miles

Hotel points

Flexible rewards

When to use rewards vs. cash

The magic formula

How much are points and miles worth to you?

Best use of points for value

Air travel sweet spots

David Slotnick/Business Insider

ANA

American Airlines

ANA

Shutterstock/Ocskay Bence

Iberia

Hotel sweet spots

Welcome bonus sweet spots

What you should know about traveling with credit card rewards

Watch: Sneaky ways credit card companies get you to spend more money