9 Best Ways to Earn Airline Miles and Hotel Points (2026)
Saving money on ways earn airline miles does not have to be complicated. We rounded up the essentials so you can spend less and skip the guesswork.
Key Takeaways
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- With the right strategies, you can maximize your travel rewards and earn points and miles for your dream vacation without spending a fortune...
With the right strategies, you can maximize your travel rewards and earn points and miles for your dream vacation without spending a fortune.
In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll reveal effective methods to accumulate points and miles, covering not only common tactics like credit card signup bonuses and optimizing spending but, also underutilized approaches such as referrals and cash-back shopping.
Table of Contents
Toggle#1. Credit Card Signup Bonuses
At the top of the list for earning points are credit card signup bonuses, which are also known as welcome offers. With the right card, you can potentially book two first-class international tickets just by earning the signup bonus.
To qualify for a signup bonus, you’ll typically need to meet a spending threshold on the card within a specified time frame. For instance, you might receive a bonus after spending $3,000 within the first three months of opening the account.
The spending requirement and time frame differ from card to card, so do your research.
As a personal rule of thumb, my wife and I always ensure that at least one of us is working towards a signup bonus. This approach leads us to apply for approximately four cards per year , one business and one personal card each during every 12-month period.
By adopting this strategy, we can enjoy two trips per year that cost us little to nothing, while still maintaining a solid credit profile.
When people ask me about my favorite card for beginners, in most cases, it’s the Chase Sapphire Preferred. While there may be more substantial signup bonuses available at times, or while you may have specific travel goals that could change which card is ideal in your particular case, it’s hard to go wrong with the Sapphire Preferred.
Get started with our simple-to-follow guide on the best credit cards for new travel hackers to find the right card for you.
#2. Optimizing Your Spending Through Bonus Categories
Maximizing points through bonus categories is another key tactic for earning points. Numerous credit cards offer bonus rewards for specific purchases, such as travel or dining. Using the right card for each purchase can help you accumulate points faster.
For example, if you spend $36,000 a year on credit cards and are able to earn on average 2 points per dollar spent, you’ll accumulate 72,000 reward points.
And this is without taking into account signup bonuses!
To learn more, check out our guides on booking airfare with points and booking hotels with points.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers 2X points on travel and dining, doubling the points earned compared to a standard 1X rewards rate. You can boost your points balance by strategically using cards with bonus categories.
Pro Tip: The Chase Trifecta is an effective bonus category strategy, combining the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited cards to maximize points earned across different spending categories.
To optimize your bonus category spending:
- Analyze your spending habits to identify where you spend the most money.
- Research cards that offer bonus rewards in relevant categories.
- Use the appropriate card for each purchase to maximize rewards.
- Track your spending and rewards to ensure you’re earning the bonus rewards as expected.
#3. Use Shopping Portals
Shopping portals are a simple yet powerful way to earn additional points and miles on your online purchases.
While the most popular shopping portals are known for giving cash-back on purchases, numerous credit card issuers, airlines and hotels have their own shopping portals that enable you to earn points and miles at popular online stores.
As a personal example, British Airways once offered a limited-time promotion where you could earn 12X points at Apple.com. By using the shopping portal to purchase a Macbook, I earned enough points for a one-way domestic business-class flight.
Rakuten is another excellent shopping portal option, especially if you use American Express Membership Rewards points. You can transfer your Rakuten cash-back earnings to American Express Membership Rewards at a rate of $0.01 per point.
#4. Maximize Points Earning While Booking Travel
Frequent travelers can optimize their rewards by taking advantage of various loyalty programs offered by airlines and hotels.
- Airlines: Choose a preferred airline and join their frequent flier program. By consistently flying with that airline, you can accumulate miles with every trip. Make sure to provide your frequent flier number when booking flights to ensure you earn the rewards.
- Hotels: Similarly, select a preferred hotel chain and sign up for their loyalty program. Each time you stay at one of their properties, you’ll earn points toward future bookings and qualify for other perks, like room upgrades.
For those who frequently travel for work, this strategy can lead to hundreds of thousands of points annually.
However, if you only book a few trips per year with rewards, the potential to accumulate points or earn excellent perks through this method is limited. Regardless, it’s essential to be strategic about booking travel to maximize your rewards earnings.
#5. Refer Friends and Family to Credit Cards
Referring friends and family to credit cards can be a rewarding way to earn additional points or miles, as numerous card issuers offer bonuses for successful referrals.
The major card issuers with referral programs are:
- American Express. American Express frequently allows its cardholders to refer friends or family to their card products. A significant advantage of the American Express referral program is that you can refer someone to any American Express card, even if you don’t have that specific card.
- Chase. Chase has a “Refer-a-Friend
Final Thoughts
The bottom line: a little research on ways earn airline miles goes a long way. Compare your options, watch for seasonal offers, and never pay full price when a better deal is one click away.
Originally published at thewaystowealth.com.
R.J. Weiss
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