As we often say, it is important to start earning and then booking for peak travel times EARLY! That means if you are wanting Spring and Summer travel, you should start earning those points NOW! We are heading into holiday time and which means we will all be busier than ever. Once the holidays are over, everyone wants to start booking trips, right? We are so ready to get out of the cold and to somewhere warm, but the problem is – everyone else is too!

 

Earning for Peak Travel Times

The holidays are the perfect time to earn for travel later. Obviously, we all spend a lot of money over the holidays! Let’s get rewarded for it by opening up a new credit card and putting all our holiday spending on it to meet our minimum spend faster! I would look at one of the cards with a higher-than-usual signup bonus for this. I did this and hope that you did too!

 

 

Heading towards the end of the year brings something else not so wonderful – taxes! Consider opening up a card to pay your taxes with (if you will owe them). I am self-employed, so I always pay taxes with a credit card to make lemonade out of lemons (that free trip being my lemonade). It is a great time to think about getting one of those cards that have a higher minimum spend, like the Chase Ink Business Cash. I pay my estimated taxes quarterly and always open a new card so that I can get more points/miles.

It is so important to think ahead when you are in the points and miles game. We hear from many readers who want to plan travel but don’t have enough points/miles to do so. Don’t wait until the last minute – a healthy stockpile of points is priceless!

 

Booking for Peak Travel

Here are the facts. If you want to travel during peak times like the holidays, summer vacations, and Spring break, it will probably cost more in points/miles. Plan accordingly. The best thing you can do if you want to book for peak travel dates is to book early.  Ideally, you should book peak travel dates 9 months out. And, again, expect to pay more.

Flexibility is key in this game. It is much easier and cheaper for someone to travel outside of peak dates. We are still playing a catch-up game in the travel world post-pandemic, and prices are higher if you can’t be flexible. If you are planning family travel, consider lessening your costs vs. completely free travel.

 

 

Bottom Line

It’s simple. Don’t procrastinate when earning and booking for peak travel times. Everyone is after those peak times, and the airlines and hotels know it. Plan ahead to earn your points now and book as early as possible for better success!