Though most associate travel hacking with rewards credit cards, there are numerous ways travelers can earn free and discounted trips outside of racking up points and miles. For years, I didn’t have a travel rewards credit card and still managed to earn free flights and hotel stays.
More important than travel cards, being a savvy traveler is about learning to travel hack the system with travel resources and open secrets to save you a lot of money. Travel credit cards are fantastic travel hacking tools, don’t get me wrong. But I spent years traveling cheap or even free without them, and still do.
Here’s how to travel hack without credit cards:
What is travel hacking?
Travel hacking is utilizing points and miles and other money-saving strategies to help you travel at a fraction of the cost. This is usually done with the help of travel rewards credit cards but it doesn’t have to be. You can use stacking techniques, non-card points and miles earnings, and numerous other ways to save money on your travels.
Ways to travel hack without credit cards
Table of Contents
Learn to flight hack
Learning to flight hack is one of the best tools for a cheaper trip. Flight hacking is a pretty broad category, but it can include things like checking different travel dates (arriving one day earlier or leaving a day later), flying to a hub on a budget carrier, or signing up for flight deals through a service like Going or Thrifty Traveler.
Use code KENDYL10 for 10% off your first year of Thrifty Traveler!
With airfare being one of the most expensive aspects of any trip, but especially international travel, flight hacking is one of the easiest and best ways to save you money.
Be sure to check out more of my favorite flight hacks to save you money.
Sign-up for airfare and hotel rewards programs
Airlines and hotels offer customers access to points and miles without signing up for credit cards. Typically, airlines offer miles per dollar spent on airfare through their booking system and/or miles for distance traveled. Hotel rewards programs give members who book directly with them points for their nightly stays.
You can also save for staying a specific number of nights on points. Hilton, for example, rewards you with the 5th night free with points. Not all these hotel programs are created equal. Hyatt is one of the best, rewarding you with free night much faster than Hilton.
Ask for travel as a gift
For the past couple of years my husband and I have asked for different components to an upcoming trip for any gift-giving occasion with our families. For example, a couple of years ago I got an alert to a great flight deal to Amsterdam and called my mom to ask if they’d like to pay for the tickets for our one and only Christmas gift. And at our wedding we had a Honeyfund registry for specific experiences in Southeast Asia for our honeymoon. Experiences are just as valuable as physical gifts, if not more valuable to some people.
Earn miles with frequent flyer shopping
Some of the largest airlines in the United States offer frequent flyers the opportunity to gain miles through e-shopping platforms. Typically, users browse websites through their portal and earn bonus points for purchasing products through the portal. American Airlines advertises that their members earn 3,238 miles on average annually. With most major retailers included, you should always check to see if you can purchase your item through the portal.
Shopping Portals: JetBlue TrueBlue Shopping Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Shopping American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping Delta SkyMiles Shopping Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Shopping United MileagePlus Shopping Delta SkyMiles Shopping
Utilize Rocketmiles for hotel reservations
Rocketmiles lets users choose a loyalty program and earn bonus miles booking hotels through their platform. It’s a great tool if you’re looking to gain airline miles while booking a hotel without the hassle of transferring them at a much lower rate.
Book rental cars and earn airline miles
Car rental companies partner with airlines for users to receive miles for their rentals. Typically, members will need to sign-up for the car rental membership and add their frequent flyer number to their account. Renters receive bonus miles through the airline for their daily rental, typically a mile bonus per day.
Add your card to a dining rewards program
Some airlines and hotels allow users to link their debit or credit card to a dining rewards program. Anytime a member swipes their card to pay for a meal included on the list of participating restaurants, they earn points or miles with their linked program. You’d be surprised how many restaurants you already eat at are included on the dining club list. The only drawback is that your registered card(s) can only be linked to one dining program at a time, so choose the program that best suits your travel needs!
Delta SkyMiles Dining Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Dining United MileagePlus Dining American Airlines AAdvantage Dining Hilton Honors Dining Rewards JetBlue TrueBlue Dining Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Dining
Book during mile and point promotions
Airlines and hotels run regular promotions for extra miles or points for airfare and hotel stays throughout the year. The deals are generally distributed through their email distribution list and can be quite lucrative. Promotions can be for spending a certain amount of money, purchasing at the right time, or booking to the right destinations. Sometimes airlines and hotels offer bonuses just for joining a specific program.
It’s easy to travel hack without credit cards if you have the right resources. Leverage points, miles and deals to get you further for less!
Explore on. – K
Jade