Beating The System: Travel Points Pointers With
Description: Beating The System: Travel Points Pointers With Brian Kelly, The Points Guy Earning Redeeming Q A For more information go to http:thepointsguy.com The Agenda Mile vs. Point -Airlines -Hotels -Credit Cards The Basics: What Are Points?
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slide1. Beating The System: Travel Points Pointers With Brian Kelly, The Points Guy<br>
slide2. Earning
Redeeming
Q & A
For more information go to http://thepointsguy.com The Agenda<br>
slide3. Mile$ vs. Point$
-Airlines
-Hotels
-Credit Cards The Basics: What Are Points?<br>
slide4. Credit Card Gravy Train
-Sign-up bonuses up to 100,000 points
-Category spending bonuses
-Redemption bonuses Earning: Credit Cards<br>
slide5. Understanding your credit score
-Payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, types of credit
-2-5 point temporary hit per application
Strategy
-Start with good credit
-Pay off balances or interest rates negate points value
-Multiple cards: issuers, business and personal, family and friends
-Be cautious before applying for a mortgage! A Note On Your Credit<br>
slide6. Up to 100,000 points per card
-My haul last year: eight credit cards, over 650,000 points
Know your spend requirements
-Anywhere from first purchase to $10,000 in four months
Targeted offers: the only junk mail I like receiving! Earning: Sign-Up Bonuses<br>
slide7. Never settle for 1 point per dollar spent
Popular category bonuses: airfare, gas, groceries, dining, wireless service, business marketing, individual airline/hotel spend on co-branded cards
Spend threshold bonuses: points, elite status, elite miles, companion tickets Earning: Spending Bonuses<br>
slide8. Not all point credit cards were created equal! Credit Card Points 101 Transferable points
Fixed-value points
Airline miles & hotel points<br>
slide9. Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility!
Sharing points with family/friends
Transfer partners = options
Don’t forget about partners of partners
Don’t put all of your points in one basket Earning: Transferable Points<br>
slide10. Transfer partners: Delta, Aeroplan, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America, JetBlue, Aeromexico, El Al, Flying Blue, ANA, Singapore, Frontier, Hilton, Starwood, Best Western, Choice Hotels, Priority Club, etc. - Transfer bonuses
Transfer partners: United, British Airways, Korean Air, Southwest, Marriott, Hyatt, Priority Club, Amtrak. Earning: Transferable Points Programs<br>
slide11. Easiest to understand
Least valuable: generally 1 point = 1 cent
Examples: Capital One No Hassle Rewards
Best for:
-Families with non-flexible travel schedules
-Domestic flights
-Earning elite status
NOT for: International premium class travelers Earning: Fixed-Value Points<br>
slide12. Generally not transferable
Exchange flexibility for perks like: priority check in, free checked bags
Examples:
-Delta and Starwood American Express cards
-United MileagePlus Explorer card
-Hyatt Visa from Chase
-Citi American AAdvantage cards Earning: Airline and Hotel Credit Cards<br>
slide13. Chase: Sapphire Preferred
-Key benefits: 2x points on dining and travel, 50,000-point sign-up bonus, no foreign transaction fees
American Express: Premier Rewards Gold Card
-Key benefits: 3x airfare, 2x gas and groceries, 25,000-point sign-up bonus, 15,000-points bonus at $30,000 spend
Capital One: Venture Card
-2 points per dollar on everything, no foreign transaction fees, probably best fixed-value points card out there. Wait for 100,000 sign-up bonus
Starwood Preferred Guest American Express
-Best co-branded, 25,000-point sign-up bonus, multiple transfer partners, elite status with $30,000 spend Best Cards on the Market<br>
slide14. Flying
Shopping
Dining
Promotions and Bonuses Other Ways To Earn<br>
slide15. Still a great way to earn, generally 1 mile per mile flown
Class of service bonuses
Elite Bonuses: can help accrue miles over twice as quickly. Map out your travel for the year. Earning: Flying<br>
slide16. Never go directly to a retailer’s web site
Almost every airline and credit card points program has an online shopping portal.
-Example: Skysmilesshopping.com for Delta
Spend bonuses
EVReward.com: Great for checking bonus offers at specific retailers Earning: Shopping<br>
slide17. Airlines and hotels have affiliated Dining Networks: another way to diversify and “double dip”
Link every card you have to one
Earn 3x points as a regular member, 5x as a VIP
Great way to keep miles active Earning: Dining<br>
slide18. Social Media
-As simple as “liking” an airline or hotel property on Facebook
-Tweeting an airline or hotel
-Ex. I got 3000 SPG points for liking the Sheraton Madison on Facebook. I value that at $90.
Pay attention to blogs for promos
-Have a goal in mind, pay attention to your specific programs, and have fun—especially when you’re not spending money! Earning: Promotions and Giveaways<br>
slide19. Generally never
Exceptions:
-Promotions such as US Airways miles sales at 1.45 cents apiece
-To top up for a specific award
-Transfer promos Earning: When Does It Make Sense To Buy Miles?<br>
slide20. Your strategy is specific to YOU and your needs
Flexibility is the most important thing
Diversify: don’t put all your points and miles in one basket Earning Points Takeaway<br>
slide21. The usual frustrating scenario: you have the points but can’t use them for what you want.
Airlines have terrible technology for searching, especially partners and alliances Redeeming 101<br>
slide22. Saver Awards
-Lowest redemption levels
-Available to partner airlines
Standard/ Peak Awards
-Can only be booked in one’s own frequent flyer program
-Higher points requirements
-Sometimes only available to elite flyers Redeeming: Types of Airline Awards<br>
slide23. Star Alliance: United, US Airways, Air Canada, etc.
-United.com pulls up two columns: Saver and Standard
SkyTeam: Delta, Air France/KLM, Korean Air, etc.
-Delta.com is broken
-AirFrance.us: Sign up for Flying Blue
Oneworld: American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, etc.
-AA.com only shows you American and Alaska, adding Qantas and BA this spring
-Qantas.com pulls in most partner awards Redeeming: Finding Award Availability<br>
slide24. ExpertFlyer.com: Paid service for finding both award seat and upgrade availability on many airlines.
Call your airline: After you research, call in with exact flights, routes and dates. Be nice.
Keep track of your miles using AwardWallet.
Tip: Have a goal in mind. This makes the work worth it. Once you master searching for awards, you’ll get places you never thought possible. Redeeming: Other Tools<br>
slide25. Don’t forget about hotels!
Often more valuable than airline miles
Lots of places to save money like Europe
Choose your programs with your goals and needs in mind Redeeming: Hotel Points<br>
slide26. One of the strongest programs
Most valuable points, for me ~3 cents each
Fifth night free, automatic 20% savings
Cash & Points option
Great airline transfer partners and ratios: 20,000 SPG points 25,000 airline miles
Great associated credit card: SPG Amex Redeeming: Starwood Preferred Guest<br>
slide27. Maximum hotel free night redemption: 22,000 points
Lucrative promotions
Associated credit card: Chase Hyatt Visa
-One of best sign-up bonuses on the market
-2 free nights at any Hyatt
-$75 annual fee Redeeming: Hyatt Gold Passport<br>
slide28. Priority Club IHG:
-Point Breaks: rotating list of hotels requiring only 5,000 points for free nights
Marriott Rewards: Pointsavers
Hilton HHonors:
-Pointsretchers
-Points & Money
Always do the math: Sometimes it makes more sense to pay for a room than to use points Redeeming: Reduced Price Awards<br>
slide29. Hertz: Free rental days
National: Choice of cars
Avis: Airline bonuses
Enterprise: Just launched new points program Redeeming: Cars<br>
slide30. Put together the points strategy that works for you
-Research programs that will get you where you want to go
-Clarify your goals: coach/first class, international/domestic
Diversify your points
Share your experiences
-Forums like FlyerTalk and Milepoint
-I learn from my readers’ comments
Pay attention to the news and promos and visit ThePointsGuy.com The Takeaways<br>
slide2. Earning
Redeeming
Q & A
For more information go to http://thepointsguy.com The Agenda<br>
slide3. Mile$ vs. Point$
-Airlines
-Hotels
-Credit Cards The Basics: What Are Points?<br>
slide4. Credit Card Gravy Train
-Sign-up bonuses up to 100,000 points
-Category spending bonuses
-Redemption bonuses Earning: Credit Cards<br>
slide5. Understanding your credit score
-Payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit, types of credit
-2-5 point temporary hit per application
Strategy
-Start with good credit
-Pay off balances or interest rates negate points value
-Multiple cards: issuers, business and personal, family and friends
-Be cautious before applying for a mortgage! A Note On Your Credit<br>
slide6. Up to 100,000 points per card
-My haul last year: eight credit cards, over 650,000 points
Know your spend requirements
-Anywhere from first purchase to $10,000 in four months
Targeted offers: the only junk mail I like receiving! Earning: Sign-Up Bonuses<br>
slide7. Never settle for 1 point per dollar spent
Popular category bonuses: airfare, gas, groceries, dining, wireless service, business marketing, individual airline/hotel spend on co-branded cards
Spend threshold bonuses: points, elite status, elite miles, companion tickets Earning: Spending Bonuses<br>
slide8. Not all point credit cards were created equal! Credit Card Points 101 Transferable points
Fixed-value points
Airline miles & hotel points<br>
slide9. Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility!
Sharing points with family/friends
Transfer partners = options
Don’t forget about partners of partners
Don’t put all of your points in one basket Earning: Transferable Points<br>
slide10. Transfer partners: Delta, Aeroplan, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin America, JetBlue, Aeromexico, El Al, Flying Blue, ANA, Singapore, Frontier, Hilton, Starwood, Best Western, Choice Hotels, Priority Club, etc. - Transfer bonuses
Transfer partners: United, British Airways, Korean Air, Southwest, Marriott, Hyatt, Priority Club, Amtrak. Earning: Transferable Points Programs<br>
slide11. Easiest to understand
Least valuable: generally 1 point = 1 cent
Examples: Capital One No Hassle Rewards
Best for:
-Families with non-flexible travel schedules
-Domestic flights
-Earning elite status
NOT for: International premium class travelers Earning: Fixed-Value Points<br>
slide12. Generally not transferable
Exchange flexibility for perks like: priority check in, free checked bags
Examples:
-Delta and Starwood American Express cards
-United MileagePlus Explorer card
-Hyatt Visa from Chase
-Citi American AAdvantage cards Earning: Airline and Hotel Credit Cards<br>
slide13. Chase: Sapphire Preferred
-Key benefits: 2x points on dining and travel, 50,000-point sign-up bonus, no foreign transaction fees
American Express: Premier Rewards Gold Card
-Key benefits: 3x airfare, 2x gas and groceries, 25,000-point sign-up bonus, 15,000-points bonus at $30,000 spend
Capital One: Venture Card
-2 points per dollar on everything, no foreign transaction fees, probably best fixed-value points card out there. Wait for 100,000 sign-up bonus
Starwood Preferred Guest American Express
-Best co-branded, 25,000-point sign-up bonus, multiple transfer partners, elite status with $30,000 spend Best Cards on the Market<br>
slide14. Flying
Shopping
Dining
Promotions and Bonuses Other Ways To Earn<br>
slide15. Still a great way to earn, generally 1 mile per mile flown
Class of service bonuses
Elite Bonuses: can help accrue miles over twice as quickly. Map out your travel for the year. Earning: Flying<br>
slide16. Never go directly to a retailer’s web site
Almost every airline and credit card points program has an online shopping portal.
-Example: Skysmilesshopping.com for Delta
Spend bonuses
EVReward.com: Great for checking bonus offers at specific retailers Earning: Shopping<br>
slide17. Airlines and hotels have affiliated Dining Networks: another way to diversify and “double dip”
Link every card you have to one
Earn 3x points as a regular member, 5x as a VIP
Great way to keep miles active Earning: Dining<br>
slide18. Social Media
-As simple as “liking” an airline or hotel property on Facebook
-Tweeting an airline or hotel
-Ex. I got 3000 SPG points for liking the Sheraton Madison on Facebook. I value that at $90.
Pay attention to blogs for promos
-Have a goal in mind, pay attention to your specific programs, and have fun—especially when you’re not spending money! Earning: Promotions and Giveaways<br>
slide19. Generally never
Exceptions:
-Promotions such as US Airways miles sales at 1.45 cents apiece
-To top up for a specific award
-Transfer promos Earning: When Does It Make Sense To Buy Miles?<br>
slide20. Your strategy is specific to YOU and your needs
Flexibility is the most important thing
Diversify: don’t put all your points and miles in one basket Earning Points Takeaway<br>
slide21. The usual frustrating scenario: you have the points but can’t use them for what you want.
Airlines have terrible technology for searching, especially partners and alliances Redeeming 101<br>
slide22. Saver Awards
-Lowest redemption levels
-Available to partner airlines
Standard/ Peak Awards
-Can only be booked in one’s own frequent flyer program
-Higher points requirements
-Sometimes only available to elite flyers Redeeming: Types of Airline Awards<br>
slide23. Star Alliance: United, US Airways, Air Canada, etc.
-United.com pulls up two columns: Saver and Standard
SkyTeam: Delta, Air France/KLM, Korean Air, etc.
-Delta.com is broken
-AirFrance.us: Sign up for Flying Blue
Oneworld: American, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, etc.
-AA.com only shows you American and Alaska, adding Qantas and BA this spring
-Qantas.com pulls in most partner awards Redeeming: Finding Award Availability<br>
slide24. ExpertFlyer.com: Paid service for finding both award seat and upgrade availability on many airlines.
Call your airline: After you research, call in with exact flights, routes and dates. Be nice.
Keep track of your miles using AwardWallet.
Tip: Have a goal in mind. This makes the work worth it. Once you master searching for awards, you’ll get places you never thought possible. Redeeming: Other Tools<br>
slide25. Don’t forget about hotels!
Often more valuable than airline miles
Lots of places to save money like Europe
Choose your programs with your goals and needs in mind Redeeming: Hotel Points<br>
slide26. One of the strongest programs
Most valuable points, for me ~3 cents each
Fifth night free, automatic 20% savings
Cash & Points option
Great airline transfer partners and ratios: 20,000 SPG points 25,000 airline miles
Great associated credit card: SPG Amex Redeeming: Starwood Preferred Guest<br>
slide27. Maximum hotel free night redemption: 22,000 points
Lucrative promotions
Associated credit card: Chase Hyatt Visa
-One of best sign-up bonuses on the market
-2 free nights at any Hyatt
-$75 annual fee Redeeming: Hyatt Gold Passport<br>
slide28. Priority Club IHG:
-Point Breaks: rotating list of hotels requiring only 5,000 points for free nights
Marriott Rewards: Pointsavers
Hilton HHonors:
-Pointsretchers
-Points & Money
Always do the math: Sometimes it makes more sense to pay for a room than to use points Redeeming: Reduced Price Awards<br>
slide29. Hertz: Free rental days
National: Choice of cars
Avis: Airline bonuses
Enterprise: Just launched new points program Redeeming: Cars<br>
slide30. Put together the points strategy that works for you
-Research programs that will get you where you want to go
-Clarify your goals: coach/first class, international/domestic
Diversify your points
Share your experiences
-Forums like FlyerTalk and Milepoint
-I learn from my readers’ comments
Pay attention to the news and promos and visit ThePointsGuy.com The Takeaways<br>