Every time I speak about journeys I take, it could appear to be I’ve a limiteless stash of factors. Spoiler alert: I do not. As a substitute, I be certain to make use of the appropriate technique to earn as many factors and miles as I can yearly.
There isn’t any secret or hack. I simply fastidiously use the appropriate bank cards in my pockets and observe my golden guidelines to assist me keep my premium journey way of life.
Whether or not it is redeeming factors for flights and inns or getting 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 Express is synonymous with luxurious journey due to its perks (equivalent to lounge entry) and the attract it offers off from being a metallic bank card.
Airfare
Among the many Amex Platinum’s record of advantages, the cardboard’s means to earn 5 factors per greenback spent on airfare bought straight with the airline or via American Specific Journey® (on as much as $500,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback after that) is what helps me essentially the most when planning journeys.
This incomes fee for flights is the best of any bank card, aside from reserving journey via an issuer’s respective journey website, equivalent to Chase Travel℠ or Capital One Travel.
If my airfare prices $1,500 or extra, I’ll at all times cost it to the Amex Platinum. This fashion, I earn at the least 7,500 Membership Rewards factors per transaction and construct up my factors stability 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 at the least $1,500 per individual, I internet about 22,500 factors when utilizing my Amex Platinum. Touring at the least 4 occasions a yr, the numbers labored out to at the least 90,000 factors per yr simply from airfare.
Amex’s 5 factors per greenback helps me construct up my factors stability quick sufficient to make at the least one redemption annually.
Each day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day e-newsletter
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists
Not too long ago, that meant transferring 100,000 Amex factors to Air Canada Aeroplan to ebook a nonstop one-way Polaris business-class ticket on United Airways from Sydney Airport (SYD) to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX).
For reference, the money fare for a similar ticket averages $5,100, so my redemption equates to about 5.1 cents per level. That is far larger than 2 cents per level for Amex or 1.4 cents per level for Aeroplan, in keeping with TPG’s July 2025 valuations.
Associated: Is the Amex Platinum worth it for a points and miles newbie? I booked a trip to find out
Lounge entry
However the premium journey expertise with the Amex Platinum is not restricted to flying; it begins on the bottom with Amex’s Global Lounge Collection community, which incorporates its spectacular assortment of Centurion Lounges.
That includes 26 lounges worldwide, Amex’s Centurion Lounges provide all the things from elevated meals and beverage choices to showers and personal rooms. Some also have a youngsters’s playroom.
Journey days could be hectic, so I really like with the ability to calm down in a lounge, take pleasure in free meals and drinks and let my child burn some vitality in a playroom. It is a great way to get that premium journey expertise, particularly once you’re not flying in a premium cabin.
What else to think about
Understand that this card just isn’t for everybody. To make holding it worthwhile, you want to maximize its perks or use it frequently for airfare purchases. In any other case, the $695 annual price (see rates and fees) is difficult to disregard, even in the event you use its array of coupon book-style credit.
Associated: How to choose a credit card for airport lounge access
Maximize my secondary card for journey and eating purchases
The following card in my pockets that helps me sustain my premium journey way of life is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees).
This card has been in my pockets for almost a decade, and it is all because of the broadly defined bonus categories of journey and eating. Though all different journey incomes charges have modified as a result of card’s recent refresh, I am nonetheless retaining the cardboard.
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 value lower than $1,500, I at all times cost them to my Sapphire Reserve.
This helps me accrue Chase Ultimate Rewards at a fee of three factors per greenback, every of which is value 2.05 cents, in keeping with TPG’s July 2025 valuations.
After October 26, when the Sapphire Reserve’s modifications go reside for me, I will begin to earn 4 factors per greenback on airfare. Though I will cease incomes 3 factors per greenback on different journey purchases, I will nonetheless cost them to my Sapphire Reserve to earn Final Rewards factors.
Associated: Here’s why I’m keeping the Amex Platinum after the Sapphire Reserve’s changes
Resorts and eating
I’ve held off on having a cobranded hotel credit card for years now, as resort loyalty applications can bear drastic modifications to their award charts that usually end in will increase to the variety of factors wanted for a free evening.
It is a safer wager for me to make use of my Sapphire Reserve for all resort fees as a result of I will quickly earn 4 factors per greenback, barely greater than the earlier incomes fee, because of the cardboard’s current modifications.
Chase additionally broadly defines eating purchases as these made at eating places, meals carts, espresso outlets and extra.
So, fairly 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 Express® 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 pondering twice.
What I may do in another way
If I need to maximize my points-earning functionality, I ought to open the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
With it, I will earn 2 miles per greenback on all my different purchases. That is particularly helpful now that different journey purchases on the Sapphire Reserve solely earn 1 level per greenback. By doing this, I broaden the variety of my transferable factors.
I estimate this might present me with one other 20,000 to 30,000 Capital One Miles annually, which I may switch to associate airways that overlap with Amex and Chase.
Depend on a special card for gasoline and grocery purchases
Driving in California is a reality of life and could be fairly expensive. Gasoline costs hover round $4.50 a gallon, so filling up two vehicles 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 rates and fees). 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 manner 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.
And now, Citi simply introduced American Airlines as a transfer partner, so I will have the ability to stretch my ThankYou factors even additional.
Go all in on 2-player mode
In my private expertise, having my partner who additionally has her personal set of travel credit cards is a recreation changer.
She earns her personal transferable factors with Chase and Amex, in addition to American Airlines AAdvantage miles along with her Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®.
This offers us further factors and miles to play with, and I may even mix her Chase factors with mine, as Chase permits points sharing with members of your family.
The data for the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Choose has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
Associated: Should my partner get their own card or be added as an authorized user?
Backside line
Premium journey redemptions for airline tickets or inns 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 manner for almost a decade.
With out these spending guidelines in place, I would not have the ability to preserve my premium journey habits.
Everybody’s bills and journey targets are completely different, so it is necessary you do what most closely fits your way of life and journey aspirations.
For me, paying over $1,200 for these three playing cards is sensible, as I simply recoup the associated fee 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 value me over $40,000 a yr.
Associated: The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum please click on here.
Trending Merchandise
