What type of traveler are you? Knowing the answer to this question can help you create a plan for traveling with points and miles that coincides with your travel goals. You want to travel on points and miles and you plan to open credit cards. You can’t wait to get bonus points.  But do you have any plans for how you want to use those points?  Where do you want to go?  What type of traveler do you want to be and how will that dictate what kind of points you go after?

There are lots of different types of travelers and each will have its own goals. These goals will influence the types of cards you are applying for. Let’s dive into the different types of points and miles travelers!

 

Planner

This type of traveler is like Alex.  She is a planner not only with credit card points but with life in general. This type of points/miles user generally plans a couple of trips a year and then plans what credit cards she will open based on those trips.  She keeps the 5/24 rule in the back of her mind. When limited-time welcome offers come around, she will consider how she will use those points before applying for the card. At the same time, she is likely to apply for increased offers on co-branded airline cards in most cases because she loves having a stockpile of airline points.

She recently had her husband get the personal and business Southwest® credit cards so he could get the Southwest® Companion Pass. They will use the points from the welcome offer for his ticket, and she can travel for free with the Companion Pass. 

If you are a planner, your goals for free travel should involve deciding where you want to go and then deciding what cards you need to get to make it happen.  

 

 

Type A Traveler

Yep, that’s me!!  My goal for free travel is to get all the points I can and then decide where I want to go.  I make anything a possibility because I have so many points.  I have 4+ million points on various cards, including transferable cards, co-branded cards (airline and hotel), and fixed currency cards.  Read more about all of that here.

This travel plan works better for someone probably older with a little more disposable income. I value paying more for annual fees because I have the time to travel and can use their benefits more.  I was over 5/24 real quick when I started, so I didn’t get card_name for years.

If you are like me, you may ignore the 5/24 rule at first.  Just keep applying for credit cards for yourself and your spouse.  It is one way to acquire points/miles and has worked for me. Sure, I have a few points I’m not sure what I’ll do with yet, but having so many options when planning a trip is nice! If I were to start over again, I would have concentrated on those Chase credit cards.

Because of my points and miles, I travel internationally in business class in lie-flat seats most of the time. My large stash of points allows me to say yes to last-minute travel plans and stay in luxury hotels.

 

 

Earn-and-Burn Traveler

Jess is definitely our earn-and-burn traveler. She applies for multiple credit cards yearly and promptly books a trip once she has collected the welcome offers. We always laugh that she has the fewest Hyatt points because she is constantly booking a Hyatt stay once she has some Chase Ultimate Rewards® to transfer to Hyatt!

Of course, it takes a lot of points/miles to travel with her blended family of six, and she travels almost as much as I do. This year, she has really earned and burned as she traveled the world to follow Taylor Swift. In many ways, this is a great travel plan, as you don’t get caught with devalued points and miles. If that worries you, follow Jess’s plan!

 

 

Domestic Traveler

Your goal for free travel might be to travel domestically.  You never want to pay again to visit family or take the family on a trip in the United States.  My sister has followed my good example and signed up for several credit cards like Southwest, United, and American and has used them to fly free for years to visit her daughter or me.  She has occasionally used her miles to travel to Mexico but primarily used her points for domestic travel.

If your goal for free travel is like hers, you will probably concentrate on the airline co-branded credit cards. Another good choice is credit cards like Chase, American Express, and Citibank, which offer flexible miles that you can transfer into airline miles.

 

Road Tripper

Some people just hate to fly.  I have a friend who will avoid a plane trip at all costs.  She loves to go places with her family but prefers to drive.  If that is the type of traveler you are, then your goal may be getting hotel stays for free. Concentrating on all the great co-branded credit cards like Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, and IHG can get you a lot of free nights.

From there, you can decide if you want to use your points on a few luxury hotels or many nights at a low-medium-range hotel. With so many options, your goals for free travel are totally up to you. You need to plan to get the most value for yourself.

One may think that using 50,000 points for a night in a $1,000/night hotel is the best use of points.  Another person may think getting 10 nights at a cheaper hotel is the only way to use points.  Either way, the road tripper can get great value from points and miles.

 

 

Luxury Traveler

Points and miles make traveling in luxury possible.  While I would never spend $7,000 for a lay-flat business seat to Dubai, I will spend 70,000 points for one.  Especially when all I have to do to earn the points is sign up for a couple of credit cards and meet the minimum spend.  I literally paid $36 in taxes and fees for luxury.  Oh yes, I will do that over and over again. A luxury traveler is the type of traveler that describes me now.

I love to stay in hotels where I am upgraded to a suite.  I love a complimentary breakfast in a hotel’s club lounge.  Hotel status has given me both.  I have found that I love the good life.  Luxurious travel is what I’m all about at this stage in my life.  Could I travel like this on my own dime?  Maybe once, but not often.  Points/miles and setting my goal for free travel towards luxury travel is something you can do, too, if that is what you want.

The luxury traveler wants some good airline credit cards. They also want transferable credit cards like the card_name and card_name.  These are cards they can transfer into airline miles if they want those lay-flat seats.  Certain cards like the  card_name,  The Platinum Card® from American Express and American Express Hilton Honors Aspire also give you hotel status. The chance of a room upgrade and complimentary breakfast increases with hotel status.

 

 

More Bang for Your Buck (or points)

Your goal for free travel may be to stretch your points as much as possible.  Economy class travel is acceptable for you and a hotel is only where you hang your hat.  You are off having experiences and are hardly at the hotel anyway.  You want to use as few points for as long as possible.  This was me in my 20’s and 30’s. My points would have lasted a long time. Is that your type of traveler?

If this is you, you have A LOT of free travel ahead of you. Start accumulating those welcome offers. Follow the 5/24 rule, and apply for the best card with the highest welcome offer at that time. You can enjoy free travel for years to come!

 

Bottom Line

Each of us has a different lifestyle or might be at a different time in our lives. Free travel is available for all, though! Think about the type of traveler you are.  This will help govern your choices about what credit card to apply for next.  It will help you decide how to use those welcome offers you’ve acquired.  You aim to travel as a points and miles user in the best way possible. For YOU!

Take a moment to decide what type of travel goals you have.  Make a list of credit cards you want to apply for that will help you reach those goals!  Anything is possible and you can make it happen!

Related Links

• You Do You With Points and Miles
• Are You Getting Your Best Points/Miles Redemption?
• Credit Card Points and Miles Strategy