How to Travel for (Almost) Free with Points and Miles: A Beginner’s Guide
Welcome to Fare Game Travel, where our goal is winning the travel game, one fare at a time! If you’ve ever seen someone brag about flying business class for $5.60 or staying at a luxury hotel for free, you’re not alone in wondering: How the heck did they pull that off?
Spoiler: It’s not magic. It’s points and miles.
In this guide, we’re going to show you exactly how you can get started—even if you’ve never touched a travel rewards card or heard of a “transfer partner” in your life. The best part? With a bit of planning and strategy, you can book flights and hotels for pennies on the dollar, opening the door to travel experiences you never thought possible.
What Are Points and Miles?
Points and miles are rewards currencies earned through travel, credit card spend, and promotions. You can earn them in multiple ways, but most commonly:
Frequent flyer miles through airlines (like Delta SkyMiles or United MileagePlus)
Hotel points through chains (like Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors)
Credit card points from banks (like Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, or Capital One Miles)
These rewards can be used to book flights, hotels, rental cars, upgrades, and more.
The Core Concept: “Earn and Burn”
To travel for (almost) free, you need to:
Earn points/miles cheaply (often through welcome bonuses on credit cards)
Redeem them for high-value travel (like international flights, luxury hotels, or peak-season trips)
If you do it right, a single credit card bonus can be worth $1,000 or more in free travel.
Step-by-Step: How to Travel Using Points and Miles
Step 1: Define Your Travel Goals
Instead of chasing points randomly, decide where you want to go, and how you want to travel.
Examples:
“I want to fly to Italy in business class.”
“I want to take my family to Disney World for free.”
“I just want free domestic flights home for the holidays.”
This helps you figure out which programs and credit cards will get you there fastest. No matter what your travel goals are, it is always beneficial to start with cards that earn transferable rewards to allow for more flexibility and protect against program devaluations.
Step 2: Pick the Right Rewards Credit Card
Most beginners earn their first big stash of points through a credit card welcome bonuses. These bonuses often give you 50,000–100,000 points after spending a certain amount in the first 3 months.
Here are our top transferable rewards card picks for beginners:
⚠️ Important: Always pay off your balance in full—this game is about free travel, not debt.
Step 3: Earn Points Through Spending and Bonuses
Once you have a card, maximize point-earning by:
Meeting the minimum spend to earn your welcome bonus
Using the card for daily purchases (groceries, gas, dining, travel)
Leveraging category bonuses (some cards earn 2–4x in specific categories)
Referring friends for additional bonuses
Using shopping portals or dining programs tied to your rewards program
Step 4: Learn the Game of Redemption
Now for the fun part—spending your points!
There are generally 3 ways to redeem points:
1. Transfer Points to Travel Partners
This is where you get maximum value. Chase, Amex, Citi, and Capital One let you transfer points to airlines and hotels.
Example:
60,000 Chase points → 60,000 Air Canada Aeroplan miles → One Way Business Class Flight to Europe
85,000 Amex points → 85,000 Virgin Atlantic → One Way First Class Flight to Japan
10,000 Capital One points → 10,000 Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles → One way Domestic economy flight on United within the entire US
Rule of thumb: Transfers = best value, but require more planning and research.
2. Book Travel Through a Portal
You can use your bank's travel portal (like Chase Travel or Amex Travel) to book flights, hotels, and cars directly.
Example: 60,000 Chase points = $750 worth of travel with Sapphire Preferred (1.25¢ per point)
Typically this is not the best value option, but can sometimes make sense if there is something that cannot be booked via transfer to a partner, or transferring does not offer increased value.
3. Redeem for Cash Back or Gift Cards
This is simple, but NEVER a good value—usually just 1 cent per point or less. As a general rule of thumb, it is NEVER a good value or good use of points to redeem for gift cards or cash back.
Step 5: Avoid Common Pitfalls
Don’t hoard points: They can lose value over time due to devaluations. This goes back to the core concept of “earn and burn”
Never carry a balance: The interest will wipe out any travel savings. This is the number one rule when opening cards for sign up bonuses.
Always have a plan to meet bonus requirements: Factor in the timeframe and amount of spend required to meet a sign up bonus to make sure it fits into your budget and spend. Have a plan to meet the requirements, many times this can include prepaying bills like utilities, insurance, etc. if you do not already have the organic spend to hit the bonus.
Know your transfer partners: Each bank has different partners; learn the best sweet spots. While not all transfers make sense or offer the best value, it is the number one way to get outsized value from your points and miles.
Check award availability: Just because you have the miles doesn’t mean the seats are available—book early (or late) and be flexible! NEVER transfer points from a credit card program without first verifying availability as transfers are one way only and you do not want to leave points stranded in a program you cannot use.
Real-Life Examples: A $1,100 Flight or a $2,485 Hotel Stay
Let’s say you sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred and earn 75,000 points after hitting the spending requirement.
Option 1: Transfer 70,000 points to United → Book a roundtrip economy flight to Europe worth $1,100
You pay: 70,000 points + Minimal taxes/fees on the award flight
Total out of pocket: Under $100 for a trip worth $1,000+
Option 2: Transfer 58,000 points to Hyatt to book a 2 night weekend stay in December at Thompson Central Park New York
You pay: 58,000 points
Total out of pocket: $0 for a hotel with a current cash price of $2,485 for 2 nights
These are 2 very basic examples, but the possibilities for transfers are wide ranging and can offer incredible value
Final Tips for Beginners
Start with one card that earns flexible points (like Chase, Amex, or Capital One)
Keep a goal in mind when collecting
Learn your bank’s transfer partners and sweet spots
Check blogs and tools like Fare Game Travel and Seats.aero
Conclusion
Traveling for (almost) free with points and miles is not a myth—it’s a real strategy that anyone can learn. Whether your goal is to fly first class to Tokyo or just take a free weekend trip, it starts with earning smart and redeeming wisely.
At Fare Game Travel, our goal is winning the travel game, one fare at a time —and with the right tools, you too can be on your way to saving thousands of dollars on travel.
Ready to Get Started?
Stay tuned for upcoming posts where we’ll break down:
The best cards for beginners
How to find award flights
Hotel loyalty hacks
How to book business class seats with points
Have points and don’t want to put in the time to plan your next trip? Use Fare Game Travel’s Travel Booking Service to help plan your next trip!