Award Travel FAQ’S
Advertiser Disclosure: Melissa's Travel Addiction has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Melissa's Travel Addiction and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
If you have just heard about using points and miles for discounted travel for the first time, also known as award travel, you may have questions. Here are the answers to your most frequently asked questions about award travel!
Point Lobos State Reserve, Carmel, California
Let’s start with the basics: What is award travel?
Award Travel is the art of using points and miles earned from credit cards for nearly free travel. The idea is that you open up a credit card for a welcome bonus, meet the required spending to get the bonus, and then earn the bonus. You then repeat this process. You can earn tons of points by getting your travel partner involved, who is called player two. To earn even more miles, you can open up business cards, if you have a business or even a small side business. Then you use those points to redeem for flights and hotels. You will want to transfer these points to the transfer partners for maximum value, and NOT use the bank’s travel portal.
The best way to earn TONS of credit card points is by opening new cards. However, you can also be more strategic by using certain types of cards to earn double or triple (or more) the points for an expense. For instance, the Chase Freedom card has rotating categories each quarter where you can earn up to 5x the points on various expenses, like groceries and gas.
Here are the most frequently asked questions:
1) Will applying for tons of credit cards hurt my credit score?
This is the biggest misconception and I think Dave Ramsey owes us an apology! But in all seriousness, it’s not how many cards you have, it’s how you manage your credit cards. The more credit cards you have, the higher your credit limit. The higher your credit limit, the lower your credit utilization rate (how much credit you are using). If you have tons of cards and the balances are mostly zero, then that decreases your credit utilization rate, which increases your credit score.
Your score will drop a few points when you apply for a credit card. A few points are not something to worry about as it will bounce right back up the next month. Space out your credit applications to make sure your credit has time to recover from card applications. Also, make sure to pay your statement balance in full each month. If you are paying interest, then you are not earning free travel! Keep your monthly card spend at 1%-10% of the credit limit.
Business credit cards are preferable because they do not sit on your credit report.
Closing credit cards can drop your credit score by ten to twenty points, so rather than close the card, downgrade the card to a no-annual-fee card, or don’t close a card very often. If you are consistently closing cards, you may start to get denied for some credit cards in the future. More on this topic below.
If you are applying for a mortgage in the next 6-12 months, you may reconsider starting this process. Opening one or two cards may be ok, but speak to your lender first. However, if you have no plans to purchase a home soon, there’s no reason not to start!
Also, make sure that you have a healthy credit score to start with. Ideally, you want a 750+ credit score. If your score is lower, you may not get approved.
2) Why would I pay an annual fee?
Traveling on points isn’t free. It’s extremely discounted travel. It requires some time and some money. You may be able to start with a few no-annual-fee credit cards, but eventually, you will pay annual fees! Always do the math to see if the card value is more than the annual fee. Most of the time it is. Would you pay a fee of $95 for $1,000 worth of travel?
I always hear this excuse for not getting credit cards. Next thing you know, the same friend has just spent $2,000 on a vacation that could’ve cost them the amount of an annual fee. Again, do your research and make sure the card benefit outweighs the annual fee.
3) Is award travel too complicated for me?
This is a valid question! Yes, traveling on points can be complicated and very time-consuming, which is why you need to start small. Many travel reward credit cards have travel portals that make it simple to use your points. Will you get the best value by using these portals? Not always, but as your knowledge and confidence increase, you’ll soon become an Award Travel pro. Follow award travel IG accounts and join Facebook award travel groups.
Booking award travel can be very time-consuming and complicated. Something this lucrative is not going to come easy. Start simple and ask for help. Come on over to my Instagram account, where I talk about this most frequently, and send me a DM there so that I can help you get started.
Use websites like pointme.com, roametravel.com, expertflyer.com, and seatsaero.com to find award availability.
4) How many monthly expenses do I need to earn tons of points & miles?
Most people think they have to spend tons of money on a credit card to earn enough points to travel free. That’s the great thing about a welcome and sign-up bonus. Many bonuses average required spending of $3,000-$5,000 over 3 months. If those amounts are still too high, don’t worry because there are cards out there with lower spending requirements. You will need to be a little more creative with your card choices and spending.
This is a popular concern of those on a tight budget. Reach out and ask for a card recommendation with a lower minimum spend. There are other ways to earn miles faster, such as referring friends to a card or using a shopping portal. Make sure you are using the best card that will get you the most amount of miles for your expense category to maximize your expenses.
5) Should we earn credit card points if we don’t like traveling?
OK, so you don’t like to travel. First of all, what’s wrong with you (ha!) and secondly you will need to travel at some point. Is there anything worse than emergency travel? Maybe a family member passes or there’s a school or sporting event that you or a family member needs to attend. At some point, I think most people will travel and it’s good to be able to have your points in hand to pay for a last-minute trip, rather than get hit with a huge expense!
When I hear people say that they don’t travel, I usually notice they do travel eventually. They just think they don’t travel enough to want to start earning tons of credit card points. Earning points on one or two cards is perfect for that one trip a year. If you were to just get one or two cards a year, that could help your family to get free flights for that one trip.
If you are one of those people who don’t travel, there are cashback cards! You could be getting more cashback from your credit cards instead of using a debit card.
6) Do points expire?
No, most do not. You can collect the points and save them for when you need them. All miles programs vary regarding the expiration date but there are many programs where the miles and points never expire as long as you are active or use the credit card every once in a while. Other programs’ points and miles may last two to three years.
7) Are all the points from each card equal?
In short, point values are different per brand. So when starting, you may be confused when you see high bonus offers, but are not sure if the deal is good. You can always google how much these points are worth when doing your research, to find out which card will help you get to where you want to go.
Figure out what your travel goals are. Decide where you want to go and then combine that with the best card offers. This will help you choose a card. You can browse most hotel websites without an account and get an idea of how many points are needed for your desired stay. When searching, click the redeem points box on most hotel booking portals.
8) How do I stay organized with so many credit cards?
Several apps can help you stay organized. Let’s be honest, the farther you get into this hobby, the more free nights, annual fees, points, and benefits you will have and need to use. One of my favorite free points and miles apps is Travel Freely.
Travel freely keeps track of your 5/24 status, your credit card bonuses, and your annual fees. It’s a super great tool and it helps me stay organized.
The best part is that it does not require any sensitive data.
9) Are you taking advantage of the reward system?
This is a good one because a lot of people don’t realize that banks, hotels, and airlines want you to get credit cards. They are still profiting off of you even with the sign-up bonus. They are secretly hoping that you will not pay your balance and will be able to collect interest. Some of these travel cards have very high APRs, so make sure you are going to be paying your statement balance each month and don’t spend more than you normally would.
There is nothing wrong with this method. In fact, the hotels and airlines are usually trying to push the cards on you. The last time I flew American Airlines, they were passing out credit card applications on the flight. Some airlines have special card promos offered in-flight.
Follow the bank rules and you can reap the benefits of credit cards.
10) What card should I start with?
One of the easiest personal cards to start with is the Chase Sapphire Preferred. It has a great signup bonus and the points are easy to use. It’s also a Chase card. If you have a small business, start with the Chase Ink Cash first and then get the Chase Sapphire Preferred. We recommend that you start with Chase cards because of the 5/24 rule mentioned below.
We like to apply for cards with high sign-up bonuses and let that determine where we will travel. If we do have a specific business or first-class ticket in mind, then we will be a little more strategic with our card choices.
11) How do these award travel pros seem to have endless points?
The biggest way people are earning points is through sign-up bonuses. Most people have a player one (myself) and a player two (spouse/travel partner). They may also have a business. Business cards are key to continually earning points. When you can consistently get new cards and earn the welcome (signup) bonuses, then you will have tons of points. Or maybe your business has a good amount of monthly expenses that you can put on the card. That’s another great way to earn a lot of points.
I recently created a guide to earning millions of credit card points!
There are other strategies used to earn points. You can refer cards to friends and family and max out your annual referrals. You can also use shopping portals and dining rewards to earn extra points.
During card renewal, you can sometimes also get a retention offer. When you want to close an account, the bank may offer you additional points to keep it open. Before closing a card, talk to the bank and find out what your options are for keeping it open.
Another way to earn more points is by reopening a credit card. Some credit cards allow you to get the signup bonus twice if enough time has passed since you last earned that card’s bonus. Do your research and find out which cards may qualify for a second bonus.
12) I keep hearing the term 5/24. What is that?
The 5/24 rule, could be called the most strict rule and it is a Chase Bank rule.
The 5/24 means that you cannot be approved for most Chase cards if you've opened five or more personal credit cards (from any bank) within the past 24 months.
This is why we recommend you start your credit card applications with Chase cards. Most business cards do not count toward your 5/24 status.
And the Travel Freely app tracks this for you! Download it here.
13) What do you do with the cards after you earn the bonus?
You always want to keep the cards for at least one year, until the second annual fee hits, if there is one. You have 30 days from when the annual fee hits, to get it refunded (for most cards). Some cards are keepers like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, and other cards are not. If the card and annual fee do not offer any benefits, then after the year hits, you can do one of three things:
1) Contact the bank and ask for a retention offer. You can do this via chat with most banks. You can say something like, I am thinking of closing my card because I don’t use it very often or I do not want to pay the annual fee. You can also ask if they can waive the annual fee. At that point, they will let you know if there are any offers on your card. Sometimes it is just a credit to eliminate the annual fee or sometimes (mostly American Express) will offer you additional points for additional spending. Then you can make a decision.
2) Downgrade the card to no annual fee card. Ask if this is an option. If there is no annual fee, you do not need to close the card. However, make sure they don’t downgrade you to a card that you want to get the signup bonus on.
3) The last option is to close the card. If there is nothing they can do for you, then you will close it.
14) What travel cards are the best?
We like to collect flexible points. Flexible points are credit card points that can be transferred to a variety of partners. Cards that earn flexible points are Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Ink Cash, Unlimited, & Preferred, American Express Gold and Platinum Cards, Capital One Venture and Venture X, and Citi Premier. This is not an all-inclusive list.
We also like to collect hotel and airline-branded cards, when bonuses are elevated or if we have a specific vacation in mind. American Airlines miles are very valuable. We like to collect Marriott cards for Marriott stays and IHG cards, for IHG stays.
15) How often can I apply for a credit card?
When just starting, we recommend 90 days between applications. That rule is mostly for personal cards. If you are applying for business cards, or switching back and forth between partners, you can apply earlier than that. I usually keep at least 30 days between applications but if an offer is ending or I need a new card, I may apply sooner. Evaluate your situation as it may differ from mine. Please make sure to not get into debt or apply for too many credit cards.
You will also need to follow bank rules. If you are unsure, you can google each bank’s rules. However, if you are using the Travel Freely app, it will recommend the best cards for you that will ensure you are following the rules.
16) Why do you promote business cards?
Business cards are great cards because they do not sit on your personal credit. They also do not count against you for the 5/24 rule. Many of them you can get more than once between your SSN and your EIN or just by waiting 24 months. The points bonuses tend to be higher as well.
For earning Chase points, business cards are the best way to do that. If you are unable to get Chase business cards, then you are limited to just a couple of personal cards. Business cards are the KEY to earning tons of points.
However, many of you just skip over business cards, thinking I don’t have a business. when in fact you may qualify very easily. A simple side job such as selling old clothes, babysitting, or driving for Uber will qualify you. People have been known to get approved for these cards with just $100 of business income. The application is mostly based on gross income and credit history.
You will want to strongly consider getting a side job, to be able to apply for business cards for both you and a spouse/partner. The referral points for Chase cards are 40,000 points currently, so referring back and forth can bring in a lot of Chase points.
However, if you do get denied, you can get your application reconsidered.
17) What if my application goes into review?
When your application goes into review, most of the time, it is a good sign. Hopefully, in the next couple of days, you will see an approval, or the new card will show up on your dashboard.
If not, try to wait it out for a week or two. If it is your first or second application, you can call sooner. But if you have several Chase cards, you may want to wait it out and hope it gets approved without talking to anyone.
18) What if I get denied for a Chase business card?
Some people including myself, get denied often for Chase business cards. First, make sure that you are actually at 4/24 or under. If you have been added as an authorized user on someone else’s card, you will get denied because that will count against you.
Chase likes to give incorrect reasons for denial, so make sure you call to verify, and most of the time you have to tell them why you think you got denied. The reason is usually that you are an authorized user and over the card limit. You can ask to have your application reconsidered and have them look into that. Sometimes it takes calling a few times to get a representative who knows how to correct it.
The other reasons they might give are that you have opened too many cards, you have too much credit limit or not enough business history. If you know these reasons are not correct, you can call and ask more about them.
For myself, this reason usually means that Chase does not want to extend any more credit to my business. So I will ask to be reconsidered and mention that may be the reason. If so, they will allow you to move credit from one card to the new card.
Hope this helps!
19) Can I put personal expenses on a business card?
Most everyone I know puts their personal expenses on a business card. Please do this at your discretion.
20) How do I complete a business card application?
Check out this article for more information.
21) How do I learn more about award travel?
Many blogs focus on award travel:
Google is a great resource although sometimes blogs are not updated with current info. Always check the date!
In addition, many Facebook groups discuss award travel and can answer questions you have! Join mine here.
Also, come follow along on Instagram for more tips and tricks. Many great accounts are talking about how to earn and redeem credit card points.
Points and Miles Lingo
5/24- Explained above, but this is your Chase card status. You can only open five cards every 24 months to be approved for a Chase card
Player 1/Player 2-Player one is the person who manages the credit cards and rewards travel. Player two is the travel partner being used to get more points. =)
Minimum Spend- The amount you have to spend to earn a signup bonus/welcome bonus
Welcome Bonus/Sign-up Bonus- The points or miles you will earn for signing up for a credit card & meeting the minimum spend
Amex Pop-up Jail- When you cannot get a signup bonus from Amex because Amex flags you for getting a card and then not using it after you reach the minimum spend.
Blue Bank- Chase Bank is referred to as the Blue Bank (or Paw Patrol) since they do not allow you to talk about them on social media.
Annual Fee- The fee that is charged sometimes the first year, but always when you hit that first anniversary.
Travel Portals- Certain credit cards have a place where you can book any travel, sort of like a Travelocity or kayak, but called a travel portal.
Travel Partners- Credit card brands have various hotel and airline brands that you can transfer points to, called travel partners.
Hopefully, this summary will answer any questions you have regarding award travel. Let me know if you have any unanswered questions!
Advertiser Disclosure: Melissa's Travel Addiction has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Melissa's Travel Addiction and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
