Every time I discuss journeys I take, it might appear to be I’ve a limiteless stash of factors. Spoiler alert: I do not. As a substitute, I make sure that to make use of the fitting technique to earn as many factors and miles as I can yearly.
There is no secret or hack. I simply fastidiously use the fitting bank cards in my pockets and comply with my golden guidelines to assist me keep my premium journey life-style.
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 comfy.
Put the king of premium bank cards to good use for flights
Seen as one of many final journey bank cards, The Platinum Card® from American Express is synonymous with luxurious journey due to its perks (corresponding to lounge entry) and the attract it provides off from being a steel bank card.
Airfare
Among the many Amex Platinum’s record 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 12 months, then 1 level per greenback after that) is what helps me probably the most when planning journeys.
This incomes fee for flights is the very best of any bank card, aside from reserving journey via an issuer’s respective journey website, corresponding 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 a minimum of 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 12 months. As a household of three, when our airfare is a minimum of $1,500 per individual, I internet about 22,500 factors when utilizing my Amex Platinum. Touring a minimum of 4 instances a 12 months, the numbers labored out to a minimum of 90,000 factors per 12 months simply from airfare.
Amex’s 5 factors per greenback helps me construct up my factors steadiness quick sufficient to make a minimum of one redemption annually.
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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 line 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 supply every part from elevated meals and beverage choices to showers and personal rooms. Some actually have a kids’s playroom.
Journey days may be hectic, so I like with the ability to chill out in a lounge, get pleasure from free meals and drinks and let my child burn some power 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
Needless to say this card is just not for everybody. To make holding it worthwhile, you want to maximize its perks or use it usually for airfare purchases. In any other case, the $695 annual payment (see rates and fees) is tough to disregard, even should 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 life-style is the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees).
This card has been in my pockets for practically 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 conserving 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 price 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 line with TPG’s July 2025 valuations.
After October 26, when the Sapphire Reserve’s adjustments go dwell for me, I am going to begin to earn 4 factors per greenback on airfare. Although I am going to cease incomes 3 factors per greenback on different journey purchases, I am going to 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
Lodges and eating
I’ve held off on having a cobranded hotel credit card for years now, as lodge loyalty applications can endure drastic adjustments to their award charts that usually lead to will increase to the variety of factors wanted for a free night time.
It is a safer guess for me to make use of my Sapphire Reserve for all lodge prices as a result of I am going to quickly earn 4 factors per greenback, barely greater than the earlier incomes fee, because of the cardboard’s latest adjustments.
Chase additionally broadly defines eating purchases as these made at eating places, meals carts, espresso retailers and extra.
So, quite than fear about which purchases will qualify and if there’s an annual spending cap to maintain monitor 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 12 months) 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 may do otherwise
If I wish to maximize my points-earning functionality, I ought to open the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
With it, I am going to 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 increase 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 companion airways that overlap with Amex and Chase.
Depend on a unique card for fuel 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 instances a month is dear.
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 fuel, and there’s no cap on what number of factors I can earn.
One other easy approach 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 am going to be capable of 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 sport 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 provides 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 knowledge 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 offered 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 one million factors and miles a 12 months with these particular playing cards, plus these held by my spouse, this manner for practically 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 objectives are totally different, so it is necessary you do what most closely fits your life-style and journey aspirations.
For me, paying over $1,200 for these three playing cards is smart, as I simply recoup the associated fee by ensuring nearly all of my factors and miles go towards premium cabin redemptions on airfare — one thing that will in any other case price me over $40,000 a 12 months.
Associated: The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum please click on here.
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