3 Steps to Take Before you Earn Travel Loyalty Points

If you aren’t in the position to earn and redeem points and miles just yet, but still want to learn more, this post is for you!

These steps are all about preparation and have zero impact to your personal finance approach and habits!

As they say, practice makes perfect folks! So why not UNDERSTAND, RESEARCH, and PLAN as if you were going to do the final two steps of EARN and REDEEM?!

UNDERSTAND:

Read the blogs, subscribe to the emails, join the groups. Learn the different benefits and methods of earning and using points for travel. Great resources:

• Miles To Memories

• The Frequent Miler

• Million Mile Secrets

• Doctor of Credit

RESEARCH:

Educate yourself on what airlines and accommodations are the best fit for your travel preferences! Check out your local airport to see what routes head to your favorite destinations! Visit the various major airline, hotels, and Airbnb websites to see what options you have to choose from.

To get an overview of airline options for direct routes, I’m loving:

• Flightsfrom.com

For hotels options, I tend to pick a destination and then browse websites like:

• Orbitz.com

• Expedia.com

I then go back to the hotel and airline websites to learn how many points and miles those options require for free nights and flights!

Just select points as your currency before you search the rooms and flights on their respective websites!

The final task in RESEARCH is determining HOW you will EARN those points. You can literally google a phrase like “What is the best way to earn Delta SkyMiles?” and there will be more results than you care to read!

PLAN:

Now that you know what you need for your future trip, why not plan it out?

Create a timeline - List out your earning methods and estimate the length of time it will take to accumulate those points through those methods.

Will you need 6, 12 or 18 months to reach your travel hacking goal?

Did you allow time for not just earning, but booking the travel as well?

The more you know, the savvier you will be when your time comes to earn and redeem!