How to Travel for Free Using Credit Card Points | 2024 Guide

Short Answer: There are options to travel for free, from a weekend getaway to dream overseas destinations. 

Traveling for free is the dream of many. You see travel influencers claiming you can travel for free, but it often seems complicated or too good to be true. With the right strategy, you could do it, too.

How? Credit cards offer points or rewards for regular expenses, like groceries, gas, or eating out. But the biggest bonus comes when you sign up for a credit card. Card issuers offer substantial sign-up bonuses to new card members when they meet a minimum spend, usually $3,000 to $5,000 in three months. 

However, there are both potential pitfalls and complications. This beginner's guide below will give you specific ideas for free trips and teach you how to use credit card points for travel. 

The 6 Best Ways to Use Points and Miles for Travel

Points are one of the best ways to book otherwise out-of-reach opportunities like business-class flights, all-inclusive resorts, or long-term low-cost stays. Here is an overview of five strategies to consider.

1. Book Resorts and Hotels

Luxury or all-inclusive resorts can offer excellent bang for your points. For example, a night at a high-end resort in the Maldives can cost over $1,000. However, with rewards points from Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott or cards with transferable points, you can book nights in the Maldives for anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 points a night. 

But if you don't book an all-inclusive resort or package, you'll pay a lot for food, especially in remote locations. That's why all-inclusive resorts present some of the greatest value. For example, you could book an all-inclusive resort in Mexico or the Caribbean and use points to book accommodations for as little as 12,000 points in off-peak season. 

You could earn enough miles for several stays with the Chase Sapphire Preferred 75,000 sign-up bonus after you spend $4,000 or the World of Hyatt Credit Card 35,000 sign-up bonus after spending $3,000. You can earn an additional 30,000 points on the Hyatt card with a 2X points bonus on purchases during the first six months after opening the card, up to $15,000. Hyatt offers a significant value for all-inclusive hotels, where you'll have meals included. Check out the best hotel credit cards here. 

2. Book Upgraded Flights

If you've always dreamed of flying in first or business class, points can make that possible. You can also take a dream trip to Europe or even further, like Australia or New Zealand. 

Most experts assume a basis of one cent per point when redeeming points. Getting better than that is considered a good reward. International business and first-class tickets offer some of the highest value for your points and miles.

Here are a few examples:

• Business to Europe: A round-trip business-class ticket to Europe typically costs between 80,000 and 210,000 points, while a cash fare for the same route could cost $5,000 to $10,000 or more.
• Economy to Europe: An economy-class European ticket typically costs 30,000 and 60,000 miles round-trip. If you pay in cash, you can find fares as low as $400 to $600 during off-peak season.
• Business to Asia or Australasia: You can find business class flights for as little as 160,00 miles round-trip. 
• Round the world: Better yet? Book a round-the-world ticket with stopovers in a few key destinations. Depending on the route and timing, this could cost as little as 150,000 miles for business class or 80,000 miles for economy, with three to four destinations. 

While premium cabins offer more value, you can always opt for an economy ticket if you're on a restricted budget and don't want to wait to earn more miles. But if you get a few cards with transferable points, you could accumulate 150,000-plus. 

The ranges above present everything from optimal to subpar redemption options, so it's important to do your research. If you can be flexible with your travel dates, you could get a ticket between New York and Paris, for example, for 80,000 miles round-trip in business class. Starting your trip off on a comfortable note with a flatbed seat that lets you comfortably sleep on the flight can be a worthwhile splurge - especially if you're paying with points. 

3. Book A Staycation

There's no reason you must use your points to travel to the other side of the world. You can use hotels to visit a nearby city, nature area, or other attraction that's driving distance from home. Hilton points, for example, let you book hotels for as little as 20,000 a night during off-peak times. 

The Hilton Honors American Express gives you 70,000 bonus points when you spend $2,000 in the first three months of card opening. You can earn 5X points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, plus 3X Points for all other eligible purchases. With that, you could get two to three nights away within a few months of the card opening. 

Of course, if you dream of going further, those points will work at Hilton properties worldwide. For example, several Hawaii Hilton properties start at 50,000 points per night. If you save enough points through purchases, you could book a multi-night Hawaii resident vacation at a Hilton property. 

Think you can't earn that much? Remember that you and your partner can each apply separately and earn the welcome bonus separately. Better yet, many credit cards give you a referral bonus. In that case, partner #1 signs up first, refers partner #2, and you both get the referral and sign-up bonuses. 

4. Maximize Peak Redemptions

While your points will go further during off-peak times, points can still be valuable if you need to book at peak times like summer, spring break, or holidays. While award pricing increases during peak travel season, the math can still add up favorably, but it's essential to check rates.  

For example, you could book a $750 peak travel domestic ticket for between 10,000 and 40,000 miles, still a great value. Likewise, if you're a card member, you can sometimes access exclusive deals that give you better rewards. United, for example, offers rewards flights exclusively for card members. If no annual fee credit cards come with extra perks, keeping them open for years is often worth it. 

5. Use Airline Perks

Airlines often offer free stopovers at their hub airports. For example, if you use points to book an Alaska airline flight through Seattle with a few days stopover, Alaska will price it as a single ticket. You could book a flight from Detroit to Seattle and then Seattle to San Diego for 15,000 miles. 

Another great perk is a free companion ticket. Southwest airline's companion ticket is the most famous. It allows you to choose one person to fly with you, free of airline charges, unlimited times whenever you purchase a flight or redeem points for a flight. Yes, you could fly every month and bring someone for free. 

To qualify, you'll need to earn 135,000 qualifying points. The good news? You can earn 85,000 miles with the Southwest Airlines credit card sign-up bonus. Alaska Airlines also offers a free companion fare every year to cardholders.

Most airline credit cards also offer a free checked bag, saving you around $50 per trip. Other perks include priority boarding, annual lounge passes (United), or discounts on in-flight purchases. Check out the current best airline rewards credit cards here. 

6. All the Extras!

Signing for credit cards comes with significant extra bonuses: free hotel room upgrades, free breakfast, free airport lounge access, and free checked bags. While these little perks alone don't justify a credit card's annual fee, if you're using the points to book free flights or hotels, the extra savings and comfort can add to the fun of travel. 

Travel for Free Template

Can you actually travel for free? Yes, it takes some planning, but travel for free with credit card points is possible for the average family. Here's an example of how to use credit card travel points:

Suppose you want a weeklong all-inclusive vacation in Mexico. You sign up for a Southwest credit card and earn the sign-up bonus to book the flights. A few months later, you sign up for a Hilton credit card to book some hotel nights. You refer your spouse or partner to both of these cards, and they later earn both a referral and sign-up bonuses.

But what if you need more nights or points to book? Then, you can sign up for a points-transferring travel card like the Capital One Venture X credit card or the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and later transfer the points to an airline or hotel or use them to book through their booking portals. 

You could need six months to a year for this whole process. Remember that applying for too many credit cards quickly can hurt your credit score, so it's best to space out applications by several months. 

Want to go somewhere else? Apply the same template, but change to an airline card that serves your destination. Want to go skiing in the Rockies? Choose a card from Frontier or Alaska. A trip to Hawaii? Hawaiian Airlines has a good sign-up bonus. A trip to Europe? Choose a major airline card with international partners, like United or American. 

With time, you can add extra hotel cards or switch to the one serving your destination. And if you need a rental car, many of the best travel credit cards offer booking portals with rental car options for extra points. 

Final Tips on Credit Card Points to Travel

Luxury class flights or hotels offer the greatest value, but the power of points and miles is that you can use them to fit your lifestyle. For the best deals, consider traveling during off-peak seasons and being flexible with your travel dates. But that doesn't mean all is lost if you travel at peak times. You could still find great deals during peak seasons to save more! 

Remember to pay off cards in full monthly and don't spend extra just to earn points. With some planning and consistency, you could travel more this year, all while reaching other savings goals. Ready to get started? Find the best credit card offers right now, including the best Mastercard, Visa, and Citi cards. You could even get a credit card with no credit!

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