Every time I speak about journeys I take, it might look like I’ve an infinite stash of factors. Spoiler alert: I do not. As an alternative, I be certain to make use of the best technique to earn as many factors and miles as I can yearly.
There is no secret or hack. I simply fastidiously use the best bank cards in my pockets and observe my golden guidelines to assist me preserve my premium journey life-style.
Whether or not it is redeeming factors for flights and resorts or having access to lounges, here’s what I do to assist make my travels extra snug.
Put the king of premium bank cards to good use for flights
Considered as one of many final journey bank cards, The Platinum Card® from American Categorical is synonymous with luxurious journey due to its perks (equivalent to lounge entry) and the attract it offers off from being a steel bank card.
Airfare
Among the many Amex Platinum’s listing of advantages, the cardboard’s skill to earn 5 factors per greenback spent on airfare bought instantly with the airline or via American Categorical Journey® (on as much as $500,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback after that) is what helps me probably the most when planning journeys. This incomes price for flights is the very best of any bank card, aside from reserving journey via an issuer’s respective journey web site, equivalent to Chase Journey℠ or Capital One Journey.
If my airfare prices $1,500 or extra, I’ll at all times cost it to the Amex Platinum. This fashion, I earn not less than 7,500 Membership Rewards factors per transaction and construct up my factors steadiness all year long.
I made a decision on $1,500 as a result of I attempt to earn 100,000 Amex factors per yr. As a household of three, when our airfare is not less than $1,500 per individual, I internet about 22,500 factors when utilizing my Amex Platinum. Touring not less than 4 occasions a yr, the numbers labored out to least 90,000 factors per yr simply from airfare.
Amex’s 5 factors per greenback helps me construct up my factors steadiness quick sufficient to make not less than one redemption annually. Just lately, that meant transferring 70,000 Amex factors to Air Canada Aeroplan to e book a nonstop one-way business-class ticket on Swiss from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) to Zurich Airport (ZRH). For reference, the money fare for a similar ticket at its lowest is $5,700, so my redemption equates to about 12.3 cents per level. That is far higher than 2 cents per level for Amex or 1.4 cents per level for Aeroplan, based on TPG’s Might 2025 valuations.
Associated: Is the Amex Platinum value it for a factors and miles beginner? I booked a visit to search out out
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Lounge entry
However the premium journey expertise with the Amex Platinum is not restricted to flying; it begins on the bottom with Amex’s International Lounge Assortment community, which incorporates its spectacular assortment of Centurion Lounges.
That includes 26 lounges worldwide, Amex’s Centurion Lounges provide every thing from elevated meals and beverage choices to showers and personal rooms. Some also have a kids’s playroom.
Journey days may be hectic, so I really like being able to loosen up in a lounge, take pleasure in free meals and drinks and let my child get some vitality out in a playroom. It is a great way to get that premium journey expertise, particularly whenever you’re not flying in a premium cabin.
What else to contemplate
Remember that this card just isn’t for everybody. To make holding it worthwhile, it’s good to maximize its perks or use it often for airfare purchases. In any other case, the $695 annual charge (see charges and costs) is difficult to disregard, even for those who use its array of coupon book-style credit.
Associated: How to decide on a bank card for airport lounge entry
Maximize my secondary card for journey and eating purchases
The subsequent card in my pockets that helps me sustain my premium journey life-style is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs). This card has been in my pockets for almost a decade, and it is all because of the broadly outlined bonus classes of journey and eating. Chase additionally has its personal set of Sapphire lounges, giving me entry to further lounges worldwide.
All different journey
Whereas the Amex Platinum is my main card for pricier airfare, at any time when I buy flights that price lower than $1,500, I at all times cost them to my Sapphire Reserve. This helps me accrue Chase Final Rewards at a price of three factors per greenback, every of which is value 2.05 cents, based on TPG’s Might 2025 valuations.
I cost all different journey purchases — equivalent to automotive leases, parking charges, airport transfers and taxis — to my Sapphire Reserve as effectively. In fact, these purchases are smaller quantities, however they positively add up.
Resorts and eating
I’ve held off on having a cobranded lodge bank card for years now, as lodge loyalty packages can endure drastic modifications to their award charts that always lead to will increase to the variety of factors wanted for a free evening. It is a safer guess for me to make use of my Sapphire Reserve for all lodge fees and earn 3 factors per greenback. That means, I can get extra worth in the long term through the use of these factors towards premium cabin tickets I switch to airline companions.
Chase additionally broadly defines eating purchases as these made at eating places, meals carts, espresso retailers and extra. So, moderately than fear about which purchases will qualify and if there’s an annual spending cap to maintain observe of — as is the case with the American Categorical® Gold Card, which earns 4 factors per greenback at eating places worldwide till hitting an annual buy cap of $50,000 (then 1 level per greenback for the remainder of the yr) and has some exclusions to what counts as a restaurant buy — I can use my Sapphire Reserve to earn 3 factors per greenback with out considering twice.
What I might do in a different way
If I need to actually maximize my points-earning functionality, I ought to open the Chase Freedom Limitless® (see charges and costs). The Sapphire Reserve is my on a regular basis card as effectively, however with the Freedom Limitless, I can earn bonus money again in different classes and, most significantly, 1.5% money again on all different nonbonus class purchases.
As a result of I’ve a Sapphire card, the Freedom Limitless can earn money again within the type of Chase Final Rewards factors that may be transferred to my Sapphire Reserve. I estimate this might present me with one other 20,000 to 30,000 factors annually.
Depend on a special card for gasoline and grocery purchases
Driving in California is a truth of life and may be fairly expensive. Fuel costs hover round $4.50 a gallon, so filling up two automobiles a number of occasions a month is pricey.
To earn rewards and reduce that sting, I take advantage of my Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see charges and costs). With it, I earn 3 Citi ThankYou Rewards factors per greenback spent on gasoline, and there’s no cap on what number of factors I can earn.
One other easy means I rack up rewards for journey is to place all my grocery purchases on the Citi Strata Premier, as these additionally earn 3 factors per greenback.
Go all in on 2-player mode
In my private expertise, having my partner who additionally has her personal set of journey bank cards is a sport changer. She earns her personal transferable factors with Chase and Amex, in addition to American Airways AAdvantage miles along with her Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Choose® World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and costs). This provides us further factors and miles to play with, and I may even mix her Chase factors with mine, as Chase permits factors sharing with members of your family.
Associated: Ought to my companion get their very own card or be added as a certified person?
Backside line
Premium journey redemptions for airline tickets or resorts are expensive, however because of some cautious strategizing round which playing cards to make use of for which purchases, I’ve collected half 1,000,000 factors and miles a yr with these particular playing cards, plus these held by my spouse, this fashion for almost a decade. With out these spending guidelines in place, I would not be capable of maintain my premium journey habits.
Everybody’s bills and journey targets are completely different, so it is essential you do what most closely fits your life-style and journey aspirations.
For me, paying over $1,000 for these three playing cards is smart, as I simply recoup the price by ensuring the vast majority of my factors and miles go towards premium cabin redemptions on airfare — one thing that might in any other case price me over $40,000 a yr.
Associated: One of the best premium bank cards: A side-by-side comparability
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum please click on right here.
