The secret sauce to traveling often and on a dime is to participate in rewards programs. To capitalize on these points based systems you must book all flights, hotels, and car rentals through the same few companies.
I’m going to dive into which ones I accumulate points with and why I chose them….
Airlines
- Jetblue has SO many non-stop flights in/out of Boston to all of my favorite destinations including the entire East Coast, California, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Jetblue also flies in/out of Worcester and Providence…sometimes those airports have cheaper options to Florida. Oh and all JB planes now have FREE WIFI. I have a JB credit card so I accumulate points off my flights as well as my everyday purchases (stay tuned for another post outlining the perks of that credit card).
- American Airlines will get you literally everywhere, and if they don’t then a partner of theirs does. I flew AA to Buenos Aires and their partner carrier, British Airways, to get to/from London many times for work so my points have added up quickly.
- Southwest is my back-up because I’ve gotten extremely good deals on flights to Chicago, Nashville, and Vegas.
I gain points every time I book flights through any of these airlines. I’m typically able to get to every destination via Jetblue and/or AA but I keep Southwest as a third option just in case. I use google flights to compare prices and then I go directly to the carrier website to book direct. Fun fact- Southwest Airlines flights will not appear on any travel booking site so I always make sure I check their website separately.
I’ve gotten 19 free flights since December 2014 to/from these destinations:
St. Thomas, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Nashville, Tampa, LA, Vegas, Atlanta & West Palm Beach
Accommodations
- Hilton is the first option I look at. They’re usually located right across the street from the local Marriott, with a similarly high standard of service, at a fraction of the price.
- Marriott is literally everywhere and I’m convinced that I’ll see them take over the entire hotel industry in my lifetime but they are usually more expensive. My trick for staying at a Marriott for cheap is to stay at one that is being renovated. The Marriott standard is so high that you will get a great rate, hardly lose any amenities, and still accumulate points. You can even cancel your daily maid service for more points!
Between these two hotel chains, Airbnb, and staying with friends it generally takes a long time for me to accumulate hotel rewards points. Most of the time I’m also splitting the cost of the hotel room with others so I transfer my hotel points into Amazon credit (Hilton) and Trueblue points (Marriott).
Car Rentals
- Alamo is all over the US and typically has competitive pricing. I haven’t done too much renting of cars as it’s only been 2 years since I have been able to rent without high fees so more to come on this.
The key to rewards programs is booking as much of your travel as possible with the same few companies in order for the points to add up. Here are a few other helpful tips…
Be that friend who books the travel for everyone so your accounts gain the points.
Make sure your business trips are linked to your rewards programs.
Get a travel credit card to make your points add up faster.
Wicked Packed Life 