Credit Card Travel Hacks: How to Earn Free Flights and Hotel Nights

Last year, I flew business class from New York to Tokyo, stayed five nights at a Hyatt in Kyoto, and booked a domestic flight within Japan -- all without spending a dollar on any of it. The retail value of those bookings was over $8,000. My actual cost was $0 in travel expenses and about $450 in annual card fees, which were offset by statement credits and other perks.

This is not a loophole or a scam. Credit card issuers spend billions on sign-up bonuses and rewards because they profit from the interest charged to cardholders who carry balances. If you pay your balance in full every month -- and this is a non-negotiable prerequisite for everything in this guide -- the rewards flow entirely in your direction.

Here is how the system works, from the fundamentals to advanced strategies.

The Fundamentals: How Travel Rewards Work

Points, Miles, and Cash Back

Credit card rewards come in three flavors:

• Transferable points (Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Points): The most valuable type. These points can be transferred to airline and hotel loyalty programs at a 1:1 ratio, often yielding 1.5-5 cents per point in value
• Airline and hotel co-branded miles/points (Delta SkyMiles card, Marriott Bonvoy card, etc.): Earned directly in a specific loyalty program. Less flexible but can offer high-value niche benefits
• Cash back: The simplest form. 2% cash back on everything is straightforward but typically delivers less total value than transferable points used strategically

The Sign-Up Bonus: Your Biggest Lever

Sign-up bonuses (SUBs) are the foundation of travel hacking. A single bonus can be worth $500-$1,500 in travel, earned by meeting a minimum spend requirement within a set timeframe (usually 3 months).

Example: The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. Those 60,000 points are worth:

• $600 as cash back (1 cent per point)
• $750 through Chase's travel portal (1.25 cents per point)
• $900-$2,400 when transferred to airline partners for premium cabin flights (1.5-4 cents per point)

The same $4,000 you would have spent anyway on groceries, bills, and normal purchases just earned you a free round-trip flight to Europe -- or a business class one-way to Asia.

The Best Travel Credit Cards for 2026

Tier 1: The Essential First Cards

These are the cards most beginners should start with:

Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95 annual fee)

• Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in 3 months
• Earning: 3x on dining and streaming, 2x on travel, 1x on everything else
• Transfer partners: United, Southwest, Hyatt, British Airways, Air France/KLM, and more
• Why it matters: The Hyatt transfer is considered the single best value in travel rewards. 25,000 points regularly books $400-$600/night hotels

Capital One Venture X ($395 annual fee, effectively $95 after credits)

• Sign-up bonus: 75,000 miles after $4,000 spend in 3 months
• Earning: 10x on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 2x on everything else
• Transfer partners: Air Canada, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, Avianca LifeMiles, Wyndham, and more
• Why it matters: The $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 anniversary bonus effectively reduce the annual fee to $95 while delivering a massive sign-up bonus

Amex Gold Card ($325 annual fee, effectively $85 after credits)

• Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points after $6,000 spend in 6 months
• Earning: 4x on restaurants and US supermarkets, 3x on flights booked directly with airlines, 1x on everything else
• Transfer partners: Delta, JetBlue, Air Canada, British Airways, ANA, Singapore Airlines, Hilton, Marriott, and more
• Why it matters: The 4x on dining and groceries makes this the best everyday earning card. The $240 in annual dining credits ($10/month at select restaurants and Uber Eats) and $120 Uber Cash offset most of the fee

Tier 2: The Power Moves

Once you have one or two Tier 1 cards, these add significant value:

Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 annual fee, effectively $250 after credits)

• Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in 3 months
• Key benefit: Points are worth 1.5 cents each through Chase's travel portal (vs. 1.25 cents with the Preferred)
• Perks: $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit
• Why it matters: The lounge access alone saves money on airport food and drinks, and 1.5 cents per point in the portal is a guaranteed floor on your points' value

Amex Platinum ($695 annual fee, effectively $200-$300 after credits depending on usage)

• Sign-up bonus: 80,000-150,000 points (varies by offer, check CardMatch for targeted offers)
• Perks: $200 airline fee credit, $200 hotel credit, $200 Uber credit, $240 digital entertainment credit, Centurion and Priority Pass lounge access, hotel elite status
• Why it matters: If you travel frequently, the lounge access, elite status, and credits more than justify the fee. The sign-up bonus alone is worth $1,200-$2,250 when transferred to partners

Ink Business Preferred ($95 annual fee)

• Sign-up bonus: 100,000 points after $8,000 spend in 3 months
• Key detail: The points pool with your personal Chase Sapphire points
• Why it matters: 100,000 Chase points is the largest sign-up bonus in the Chase ecosystem. If you have any side income (freelancing, selling online, tutoring), you qualify for a business card

Transfer Partners: Where the Real Value Lives

Transferable points become dramatically more valuable when you transfer them to airline and hotel loyalty programs instead of using them as cash back. Here are the highest-value transfers:

Airline Sweet Spots

Chase Ultimate Rewards:

• Hyatt (hotels): 1:1 transfer. 25,000 points = Category 1-4 hotels (many worth $300-$600/night). This is the single best-value transfer in the game
• United Airlines: 1:1 transfer. 30,000 points = round-trip economy to Mexico/Caribbean. 80,000 = round-trip economy to Europe
• British Airways Avios: 1:1 transfer. Avios are distance-based, making short-haul flights incredibly cheap. 7,500 Avios = one-way domestic flights under 1,150 miles
• Southwest Airlines: 1:1 transfer. Useful for the Companion Pass strategy (more on this below)

Amex Membership Rewards:

• ANA (All Nippon Airways): 1:1 transfer. ANA's award chart is among the most generous for premium cabins. 88,000 points = round-trip business class US to Japan
• Singapore Airlines: 1:1 transfer. Their Suites and Business Class are the best in the sky
• Air France/KLM Flying Blue: 1:1 transfer. Regular "promo awards" offer 25-50% discounts on award flights
• Avianca LifeMiles: 1:1 transfer. Often the cheapest way to book Star Alliance business class flights

Capital One Miles:

• Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles: 1:1 transfer. 45,000 miles = round-trip economy to Europe on Star Alliance. 63,000 = business class one-way to Europe
• Avianca LifeMiles: 1:1 transfer. Great for Star Alliance bookings
• Air Canada Aeroplan: 1:1 transfer. Aeroplan does not charge fuel surcharges on most partners

The Hyatt Strategy (Detailed)

The Chase-to-Hyatt transfer deserves its own section because it is the most consistently valuable play in travel hacking:

• Category 1-4 properties (5,000-15,000 points/night): Include properties in Bali, Thailand, Mexico, Turkey, and Eastern Europe that regularly cost $200-$500/night in cash
• Category 5-6 properties (20,000-25,000 points/night): Include top-tier properties in expensive cities like Paris Vendome, Amsterdam, and Kyoto
• Peak vs. off-peak: Hyatt uses dynamic pricing but caps it. Off-peak redemptions save 20-30% on points

Example: The Park Hyatt Kyoto -- one of the most celebrated hotels in Japan -- costs $800-$1,200/night in cash, or 30,000 Hyatt points per night. Those 30,000 points came from a single credit card sign-up bonus. This is a value of 2.7-4 cents per point, vs. the 1 cent you would get as cash back.

Advanced Strategies

The Southwest Companion Pass

The Southwest Companion Pass lets a designated companion fly with you for free (just taxes of $5.60 per flight) on every Southwest flight for up to two years. Here is how to earn it:

1. Apply for two Southwest personal credit cards (or one personal + one business)
2. Earn 135,000 Rapid Rewards points from sign-up bonuses and spending
3. Time your applications so you hit the threshold in January or February -- the pass is valid through the end of the following calendar year, giving you nearly two full years of free companion flights
4. Result: Every domestic flight you book includes a free ticket for your partner

For couples who fly domestically 4-6 times per year, this is worth $2,000-$4,000.

Credit Card Churning (Intermediate)

"Churning" is the practice of opening cards primarily for sign-up bonuses, then closing or downgrading them before the next annual fee hits. Some rules:

• Chase 5/24 rule: Chase will deny most applications if you have opened 5+ credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months. Always get Chase cards first
• Amex once-per-lifetime: Amex generally limits you to one sign-up bonus per card product per lifetime (though targeted offers sometimes bypass this)
• Capital One restrictions: Capital One limits you to two of their cards at a time
• Timing: Space applications 3+ months apart to avoid triggering fraud alerts

Manufactured Spending (Advanced)

Manufactured spending (MS) means creating credit card transactions that can be converted back to cash, effectively "buying" points at no net cost. Common methods include:

• Gift card purchases at bonus category merchants: Buy Visa gift cards at grocery stores (earning 4x on Amex Gold), then use those gift cards for normal spending or convert to money orders
• Tax payments: Pay estimated taxes by credit card (1.87% fee via PayUSAtax), earn points on the spend, and receive the overpayment back as a tax refund

Important caution: Manufactured spending carries risks including account shutdowns if banks detect the pattern. Start small and research current methods on communities like Reddit's r/churning.

Credit Score Considerations

Travel hacking affects your credit score. Here is what to know:

Short-Term Impact (Negative)

• Hard inquiries: Each application creates a hard inquiry, reducing your score by 5-10 points. The impact fades within 3-6 months
• New account average age: Opening new accounts lowers your average account age, which temporarily reduces your score
• Expected dip: 10-30 points after a new application, recovering within 3-6 months

Long-Term Impact (Positive)

• Increased total credit limit: More cards mean more available credit, which improves your utilization ratio (a major factor in credit scores)
• Payment history: Consistently paying on time on multiple accounts strengthens the most important factor in your score (35% of FICO)
• Credit mix: Having multiple types of credit accounts is viewed favorably

When to Avoid Travel Hacking

Do not open new credit cards if you:

• Are planning to apply for a mortgage in the next 6-12 months
• Carry credit card balances and pay interest
• Have a credit score below 700 (focus on building credit first)
• Struggle with impulse spending (more credit lines = more temptation)

Building Your First Travel Hacking Plan

The Beginner's 12-Month Playbook

Month 1: Apply for Chase Sapphire Preferred. Meet $4,000 minimum spend over 3 months using normal spending (groceries, bills, dining). Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points.

Month 4: Apply for Amex Gold. Meet $6,000 minimum spend over 6 months. Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points. Meanwhile, research where you want to go and check award availability.

Month 8: Apply for one more card based on your travel goals:

• Going to a Hyatt property? You already have Chase points. Consider the World of Hyatt card for 60,000 bonus points + automatic elite status
• Want the Southwest Companion Pass? Apply for two Southwest cards and time the bonuses for early the following year
• Want business class to Asia? Consider the Capital One Venture X for 75,000 points to transfer to ANA or Turkish Airlines

Month 12: Book your trip using accumulated points. By now you have 120,000-195,000 points across programs, worth $1,800-$6,000+ in travel depending on how you redeem them.

Stacking Example: A Free Week in Japan

Here is a specific example of how the math works:

Component	Points Used	Cash Value
Round-trip business class via ANA (transferred from Amex)	88,000 Amex MR	$4,500
5 nights at Hyatt Regency Kyoto (transferred from Chase)	75,000 Chase UR	$1,750
Domestic flight within Japan via United (transferred from Chase)	11,000 Chase UR	$200
Total	88,000 MR + 86,000 UR	$6,450

Those points came from two sign-up bonuses (Amex Gold + Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve) plus a few months of everyday spending. Total annual fees paid: $420. Net savings: over $6,000.

Ethical Considerations and Best Practices

Travel hacking works because credit card companies profit from cardholders who pay interest. You are using a system as intended for rewards-earning customers. That said, keep these principles in mind:

• Never spend more than you would otherwise: The minimum spend should come from redirecting existing spending, not creating new spending
• Always pay the full balance: Carrying a balance and paying 20%+ interest negates any rewards earned
• Track your annual fees: Set calendar reminders 30 days before each annual fee hits. Decide whether to keep, downgrade, or cancel
• Keep your oldest card open: Your longest-held account helps your credit score. If it has an annual fee, ask to downgrade it to a no-fee version
• Be honest on applications: Business cards require a business, but any legitimate side income (selling on eBay, freelancing, consulting) counts

Getting Started Today

The single most impactful action you can take right now is to apply for one travel rewards card and redirect your existing spending to it. The difference between earning nothing on purchases you are already making and earning 60,000+ points that fund a free flight is just one application.

Once you book that first "free" flight, the psychology shifts permanently. You stop seeing credit card rewards as a vague perk and start seeing them as a travel funding engine. From there, the strategies compound: each trip gets more ambitious, each redemption gets more creative, and the gap between what you pay and what you experience widens into something that genuinely changes how you travel.

Use TripGenie to plan the trip you will book with your points. The app helps you see what is possible at your destination and budget, so you can work backward to determine how many points you need and which transfer partners will get you there.