“Frequent flyer programs take too long to earn free flights”

When I talk to friends about signing up for airline rewards programs and credit cards, the #1 concern I hear is “it takes too long to get enough points for free flights. It’s not worth it.” The funny part is that I completely agree – if it were up to me I’d get enough points every day and I could fly free whenever I want! I’d be on a plane to Buenos Aires right now. You can come too if you want.

Are you ready to earn quicker free flights? Read on.

Luckily there are people out there who will do all of the hard work for us and tell us exactly how to maximize our travel out of the goodness of their hearts. That’s what I’ve done with the Millennial’s Guide to World Travel. How to get travel for half the points? The best ways to rack up rewards points? It’s all in there.

The good news is that I’m not the only one with experiences and ideas, so here are a couple more to help you out!

MapHappy.org did some research and put together a nice little post that shows why they think British Airways is the best rewards program for domestic (US) flights. Confused? Skeptical? Isn’t Britain umm… not domestic? Yes, you haven’t yet forgotten elementary school geography yet – it’s across the pond.

The key is that you don’t actually book a British Airways flight, you book a flight on American or Alaska Airlines through your British Airways account. The reason? Most US carriers use a fixed-rate system that sits on a high horse and says “you need 25,000 miles to book a flight.” What if I only need to go one state over? 25,000 miles. What if it’s just an hour flight to Vegas because I need to feel pure oxygen in casinos at 4am? 25,000 miles.

On the other hand, British Airways uses a distance-based system that says “Oh, a short flight? Of course that costs less!” Shorter flight, fewer points. It makes a lot of sense – you wouldn’t pay the same amount to fly a quarter of the way, so you shouldn’t pay the same points. Those British always have been smart ones. Check out MapHappy’s chart with points required for round-trip flights:

While we’re on the topic, let’s give a deserved shout-out to Southwest Airlines as well. They may not use distance-based points, but they still use variable points that let you find a great deal. I regularly see round-trip flights to California for $270 or 13,500 points (the cash equivalent of $135, a 50% savings).

So while people might be right that it takes too long to get enough points for free flights, it’s actually a lot less than you expect if you use the right programs. For a more in-depth analysis of how to go about finding the best deals on flights, dig into the free guide!

“I want to go, but I don’t fly that often. How do I get points?”

Yep, the most straightforward way to get airline points is to fly on their airline. If you don’t have the privilege of flying for work, worry not because you’re not left out in the dark!

I’ve written before about using credit cards for airline miles. Check that post out. While I wish it took fewer points for a flight, we might as well get started and make some progress. It was either Confucius or my old landlord Dave that said:

A year from now you’ll be happy you started today.

“But Max, which card is best for ME?”

I’ll tell you my own personal recommendations for the absolute best cards that work for everyone, but not everybody geeks out on this stuff like I do. Plus as humans, we all like pretty pictures. Well check out this delicious little gem from LicenseDirect (click it to see the full version):

 

If you hate pretty pictures, here’s the summary:

• If you don’t want to keep track of bonus categories, use the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard
• If you travel often, you’ll enjoy the Amex Platinum’s lounge access and perks
• If you want to get the absolute most valuable points, use both the Chase Freedom and the Chase Sapphire Preferred cards
• If you fly frequently on one airline, you’ll like the perks and points from an airline branded card

Now instead of trudging through, learning all of this information yourself and worrying if you’re making the right choice, you have everything you need!

Like I said, I have suggestions for what I think are the absolute best travel rewards cards. If that appeals to you, check out my suggestions here.

Isn’t it nice when the experts do the work for you? If you agree, just enter your email below and I’ll keep you in the know!