Have you ever wondered how people who travel often tend to fly first class or stay in five-star hotels? With all that traveling, how do they find the extra money to vacation luxuriously?
I’m going to let you in on a secret: it’s probably free or reduced. If you know what to look for, like earning miles and points for every day activities, you can travel luxuriously on a budget too.
Earn Miles and Points for Everyday Activities, Like Taking Surveys
Websites like e-Rewards enlist people for market research and in return for their time, offer e-Rewards currency which you can redeem for airline miles or hotel stays. Some of the airlines e-Rewards partners with are Jet Blue, American, Virgin, Delta, and United. Some of the hotels e-Rewards partners with are Hilton, La Quinta, and IHG InterContinental Hotels Group.
Miles For Thoughts offers surveys specifically for Spirit Airlines, one of America’s international budget airlines. If you know Spirit, you know that your miles expire every year unless you have their Spirit Mastercard, but taking these surveys will also keep your account active.
e-Miles lets you earn frequent flyer miles or hotel points by reacting to marketing messages that match your interests. Some of the airlines you can earn miles with include American, United, and Frontier. Hotels include Hilton and IHG.
My Points lets you take surveys, earn points, and redeem those points for United frequent flyer miles or cash via paypal. Or you can redeem your points for gift certificates for travel necessities while you’re on the road!
Get Cash Back When Booking Travel
Alternatively, you can earn cash by booking your trips. Ebates gives new members a $10 welcome bonus and offers 10% cash back on airport parking, 5% cash back on AirportRentalCars, 4% on Accor hotels, 3.5% cash back on Choice hotels, 2% cash back on booking.com, and 1% cash back on Virgin flights, to name a few.
Use Credit Card Points
Instead of paying cash for gas and groceries, consider getting a credit card that gives you airline miles, hotel points, or reimburses your for any travel expense. Co-branded hotel or airline credit cards usually give pretty big sign-up bonuses and let you earn miles with every purchase. I have the American Express BlueSky card which gives you $100 travel credit for every $7500 you spend with no annual fee. Basically, get a good rewards credit card, pay for EVERYTHING on it, get points, and travel for cheap or free! Share on X Just remember to pay it on time every month.
Earn Miles By Online Shopping
Shopping online is just easier than going to the store, searching for what you want, finding it not in stock, and driving in traffic. A few clicks of a button and your order gets delivered to your door. It’s the millennial way! So if you already shop online, you should be shopping on online portals to earn miles for every dollar you spend.
Air Canada: Aeroplan EStore
American Airlines: AAdvantage Eshopping
British Airways: Gate 365
Delta: SkyMiles Shopping
Southwest: Rapid Rewards Shopping
United: MileagePlus Shopping
Earn Miles and Points for Everyday Activities Like Dining at Restaurants
Did you know airlines partner with thousands of restaurants to offer you miles to eat? Just sync a credit card up to airline websites and when you use that credit card at their partner restaurants, you earn miles. Why not, right?!
American Airlines: AAdvantage Dining Program
Delta: SkyMiles Dining
JetBlue: True Blue Dining
Southwest: Rapid Rewards Dining
Spirit: Free Spirit Dining
United: MileagePlus Dining
Virgin America: Mogl
Do you have any other secrets to traveling luxuriously on a budget? Let me know in the comments below!
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