Photo courtesy American Airlines
By Marilyn Jones
One of the best ways to earn free or reduced-price travel is by saving points. Hotels, airlines, credit cards, internet advertisement websites and other businesses offer memberships entitling you to earn points. But there are tricks to growing those points.
- Stay loyal to one or two airlines and hotel brands if they are the best choice when making reservations
- Look for free programs where points don’t expire
- Look for participating merchants where you can add points to your travel accounts
- Featured here are six rewards or points programs that I use and can recommend.
Best Western Rewards:
- Points never expire
- Members are often offered exclusive member rates
- Worldwide free night redemption
- Matches the status of other hotel loyalty programs
- Instant rewards
- Partners with select car rental agencies, airlines and merchants
- One point per dollar spent. Special promotions will double and triple points as well as offer bonus points
- Redeemable for free night’s stay, gift cards and merchandise start at 2,500 points
- Best Western credit card available for additional point opportunities
- Sign up at www.bestwestern.com/en
American Airlines AAdvantage
Frequent Flyer Miles:
- Earn miles when you fly on American Airlines, oneworld affiliated airlines and other participating airlines, as well as more than 1,000 other partners including car rentals, hotel stays and dining
- Oneworld includes British Airways, Finnair and Japan Airlines as well as other non-oneworld airlines including Jet Airways, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airline
- Use miles for flights, upgrades, vacations, car rentals and hotel stays
- Flights begin at 7,500 points each way
- Sign up at www.aa.com
Venture Miles Rewards Credit Card:
- Unlimited Rewards
- Earn two miles for every dollar spent on purchases
- Use Venture card to make travel purchases including any airline, any hotel and rental cars. Once a travel purchase is made with Venture, miles are redeemed as a statement credit toward the cost
- Rewards don’t expire for the life of the account
- No transaction fee when making purchases outside of the United States
- The downside – $0 intro for the first year, $95 a year fee after the first year
- For more information and to apply: https://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/venture
e-Miles.com:
- Earn airline and hotel points
- Email notifications are sent with new offers
- Watch ads, sign up to free services, make a purchase or complete a survey to earn points
- Earning offers include charities, sweepstakes and other website visits
- Miles don’t expire
- Miles can be redeemed for United Airlines and Delta Airlines miles, Hilton Honors and other hotel points, and Starbucks and other gift cards
- Travel deals offered through the website
- Apply at www.emiles.com/app/earn
MyPoints.com:
- Points never expire
- Go through the website to make online purchases including retail stores, travel websites like Expedia, car rental companies and specific hotels, and purchase gift cards for a specific number of points per dollar
- Go through the website to search the internet and earn points
- Download grocery coupons for points
- Complete surveys and watch videos for points
- Exchange points for gift cards including gas stations, restaurants, airlines, hotels and retail stores
- Rewards start at 480 points
- Get started at www.mypoints.com
Expedia
- Points never expire
- Points can be redeemed for all services and reservations on Expedia including flights, hotels and car rentals
- When using Expedia+, you may still be able to earn your airline frequent flyer points and credit card reward points as well as Expedia+ points on bookings
- You can use Citi ThankYou and American Express Membership Rewards on Expedia by linking accounts to redeem points on hotels and flights plus earn Expedia+ points
- No blackout dates
- Book travel for yourself or anyone else with your Expedia+ points
- Book family and friends though Expedia+ account to earn points. Each individual still earns their airlines’ frequent flyer miles
- Service is free
- Sign up at www.expedia.com
