What would I tell myself if I could start over in the world of award travel? Gosh, so many things! Award travel can be very, very rewarding if you have the right tools in place. But if you don’t realize early on that financial discipline and award travel go hand in hand – you can easily make multiple mistakes that can take you further away from your goal of minimizing travel costs.
Start here. There are no ifs, ands, or buts – no exceptions. If you are not in the habit and mindset of paying all expenses and bills, on time, each and every month, please do not get into award travel. The goal is to reduce, and minimize travel costs – not to incur a lifestyle that you cannot afford.
Strategy. This is explained in the blog post above – but to retirate, do not get a credit card without a strategy in place, or a tentative redemption in mind. You don’t need to have everything figured out, but you do need to have a general idea of how you can use points earned from that new credit card you have your eye on, with an increased sign up bonus. Don’t get “shiny new card syndrome.”
Organization. How will you keep track of multiple cards? When are annual fees due on each card? I personally use the TravelFreely app – I add both mine and my husband’s cards the very day one of us gets approved for a new card. This app is free to use, and shows all of our cards, when annual fees are due, our 5/24 status, and we can even mark when we hit a signup bonus on a card. Along with that, I personally add card statement closing dates/bill due dates to our shared Google calendar. It’s something additional I do on our end to keep track of multiple bills, with multiple due dates. You may already have something you do or use to keep track of all of your bills, expenses, and/or budget – if so, great!
Travel Budget. Always have and keep a travel budget. That can change over time, as your family grows, and/or your travel lifestyle and preferences change. Award travel is NOT free travel. There are always other costs associated with travel, even after your flights and hotel stay are covered in points/miles. Here are some examples:
- Taxes/fees on airline tickets & hotel stays
- Car rental (and gas)
- Food/Dining
- Shopping
- Public transportation
- Activities/excursions/experiences
These are just some, and you may not incur these and more each trip. But travel isn’t about just getting to a place for minimal costs – you actually want to experience it, however that looks for you and loved ones traveling with you.
Plan Ahead. I understand not every schedule may be conducive to finding the best award deals. And that’s ok. Generally speaking, plan in advance – as much as your schedule will allow. Read the fine print when booking award travel – you can always cancel, and get your points/miles, as well as your taxes/fees paid, back (most probably up to a certain point prior to original travel date) – if life happens, and you can’t take the trip as you had planned. The more award tickets you need, the further out you need to plan. And yes, the best award deals are found early on – search early and search often!
These are just some things I would go back and tell my younger self. For those that are just starting out, you are lucky to have so many resources at your disposal to learn the art of using points and miles! Travel doesn’t have to be expensive, nor something you save up for for years. It can be feasible, in your budget – and you can travel more, for less – by working smart 😉
Picture: Arenal Volcano, La Fortuna, Costa Rica – March 2022
