Come every October, I start looking into booking a flight from LAX back East. The prices hit me like a cold shower, and like an 80-year-old man who gives out Werther’s caramels, I’d complain, “When did travel get so expensive?”
Then I’d check my “Travel” savings account to see if I saved enough cash money to purchase the flight.
Sometimes I did. Sometimes I didn’t.
And each time, I thought, “there’s got to be a better way. I shouldn’t have to shell out $600 every time I want to get on an airplane.”
Or… I’m sure you’ve gotten that email from your college friend back East.
They’re getting married. Or they’re throwing the Bachelor/ette party of the decade, and you’d trade your damaged liver for an airplane ticket.
But when it’s time to book that flight — goddamn, that’s a lot of green for an (admittedly) awesome weekend and shitty Monday morning.
What if I told you there was a way travel for FREE? Or, at the very least, at a very reduced price?
I know… this sounds super scammy, doesn’t it?
Like the kind of scammy when you stumble on a malware website selling iPad minis after “accidentally” clicking on topless photos of Lizzie Caplan while searching for that awesome interview with MASTERS OF SEX showrunner, Michelle Ashford (which is right here, by the way).
Keep Reading If You Want to Save Money on Airfare
I’d think it was a scam too — except for two things:
- I don’t have anything to sell.
- I can’t share the whole process yet, because I haven’t figured it out for myself yet.
Jeez, that’s refreshing, isn’t it? Just admitting not having all the answers? Should try that more often.
Listen — this isn’t a definitive guide to getting free airfare. I haven’t done all the work, like I did on my Best Guide for Moving to Los Angeles (where I did all the work for you.)
This post is about how to start getting your airfare for free. This is my detailed, super-methodical journey that you can follow along and study and decide for yourself if you’d like to earn free airfare.
First thing: sending monster respect to Travis at Extra Bag of Peanuts for providing all the information I needed to get started for myself. If you’re looking for a fantastic case study on what’s possible with travel rewards, click here.
Wait, If It’s Too Good To Be True…
This is why I write about the process in detail, so you understand everything involved. Because my head immediately goes to:
If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.
Right?
Well, maybe.
But maybe not.
So why not test it out? What’s the worst that could happen?
For real, I actually sat and thought: “What’s the worst that could come from this?” This is what I came up with:
- It doesn’t work. Fine. Nothing lost, nothing gained.
- Credit card companies hate me / blackball me. Boo-hoo. You mean I’d stop getting their mailers and spam? In that case, I should have tried this YEARS ago.
- I waste my time. Probably the biggest sacrifice. That’s why this is a test. The downside, I lose some time that I can’t ever get back. But the upside? Let’s say 5 years from now, I’ve got enough miles tucked away, I have the OPTION to travel for free, should I desire. To me, this potential upswing far outweighs the negative.
- My credit score suffers. This is a possibility when you “churn and burn” (as signing up for credit cards for the bonus, then canceling the card, is affectionately known as). This has to do with lowering your credit utilization ratio (amount you owe versus total available credit). Yes, churn and burn can lower your credit score… but there are plenty of things you can do to improve that score . Like consistently paying off all credit card debt each month. And if I see my credit score dip below a level I’m comfortable with? I can just stop, and let my credit rebuild.
Essentially, if you pay off ALL your credit card debt each month, there is no damage that is irreparable.
Don’t Try This At Home If…!
Only attempt to use credit cards to earn free miles IF you have no consumer debt. That means on a month-t0-month basis you’re carrying over a balance of $0.
If you have a problem paying off your credit, then this isn’t for you. Stay out of this game unless you have the foundation of no consumer debt, a solid credit score, and a basic understanding of how credit works.
When you’re done paying off your consumer debt — then come back. Get into this sandbox. And get your travel on!
How To Use Credit Cards To Travel For Free
Here’s the overarching process that I’ll explore as I tackle the challenges and report back to you:
- Find and sign up for a new credit card that offers a Free Miles Bonus
- Make sure I’m able to spend the specified amount in the allotted time frame
- Call the credit card company and confirm the bonus still applies
- Increase my revolving credit if possible
- Spend the money in the allotted time frame
- Earn those Free Miles!
- Confirm the Free Miles are in fact, allocated to your account by the credit card company
- Cancel the card during the first-year fee-waived period
- Incorporate regular credit score checks
- Go back to 1. Rinse, recycle, repeat!
Next week, I’ll write up my processes to complete 1 and 2. If you have any questions or comments about flying for free using credit card awards, please shoot me an email, or leave a comment. Thanks!
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Photo Credit: epSos.de
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