I love this hobby, not only for what it affords me but also for the fact that it has allowed my friends and family to travel the world at prices they can afford. Just last week a friend and his wife booked round-trip first class tickets from Boston on American Airlines and Cathay Pacific to Thailand and the out of pocket cost was under $200. Another set of friends are headed to Europe in the Spring for two weeks and other than the cashed-in miles, they ponied up about $500 for business-class for two from Atlanta.
If I could do a brain dump, sharing all of my experience on accumulating points and miles and then redeeming them, it’d be the greatest thing since sliced bread — but we know that simply isn’t possible. I’m a big proponent of the proverb “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
For my parents, I’ll feed them every day they ask, but for my friends and family they need to be taught. I can’t help with every question or booking they want to complete, however by teaching them how to do everything on their own I relearn many of the concepts myself further understanding subtle nuances.
Step 1 – Define Goals
The single most important task to complete when looking to book a trip is to have a concrete goal. A goal allows you to identify the best points and miles to pick-up in your quest to travel at a pace that you can afford.
Step 2 – Accumulate Points and Miles
With a goal defined you can figure out which points and miles are optimal for redemption. If there is one part of the process that I will always hand-hold it is this one. Here’s my logic:
If you were a financial planner and had a good friend that just graduated college would you offer to help them put together a financial plan or send them on their way to do it on their own? Points and miles are an investment in your ability to travel — treat them just as you would your other financial assets.
This always takes a few phone calls and face to face discussions, but then did you think you’d be proficient in anything after an hour or two?
Step 3 – Decide How to Book
Are you going to book the travel yourself or leverage a service to help? If you’re looking for a hand, check out the folks at Award Expert — they’ll charge you a nominal fee if they find an itinerary that matches your requirements, but you won’t pay a penny if they can’t find something that works with your miles. The key to success with Award Expert is to provide as much detail you can, affording them the maximum in flexibility to help you achieve your goal.
If you’re going to book on your own, you need to make sure you’re using the right tools to find award seats — many of which are exactly the same as the folks at Award Expert will use.
Step 4 – Be Flexible
If you have flexibility on when you travel, the airline you’ll fly with and even your specific destination then you will most likely receive amazing value from your points and miles. Flexibility is the biggest variable that can contribute to you taking that dream trip for less miles than you’d ever imagined.
Step 5 – Ask Questions
The best part of this hobby is the community it has created. I’ve never been part of such a giving group of people across the world. Feel free to always email us or check out FlyerTalk where you’ll have access to information on topics that may seem obscure today but in due time could be a part of everyday conversation.
You’ll get out of this hobby what you put in. If you’re passionate about travel and want to stretch your dollar and miles start with the basics and get involved in the community — check out the event we do every October in Chicago if you want to meet 500 other crazies that love this hobby just as much as we do.
[Image via Getty]
All Articles | Follow on Google+
Delta® Reserve for Business
- Annual Fee: $450 fee
- Foreign Fees: No
- Card Type: Travel
Add to Favorites
- Earn 40,000 bonus miles and 10,000 MQMs after you spend $3,000 in purchases with your new Card in the first 3 months.†
- Earn 15,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and 15,000 bonus miles after you reach $30,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in the calendar year.
- Earn 2 Miles per dollar spent on eligible purchases made directly with Delta. Earn 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
- Settle into your seat sooner with Priority Boarding and enjoy 20% savings on eligible in-flight purchases in the form of a statement credit.
- Pay no foreign transaction fees when you spend overseas.‡
- Complimentary Delta Sky Club® Access.‡
- Terms and limitations apply
- See Rates & Fees
Delta® Reserve for Business
- Annual Fee: $450 fee
- Foreign Fees: No
- Card Type: Travel
| FTG Review | Reward Breakdown | Points Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
Breakdown
Earn (pt.)
Spend
3 months
0
$3,000
Per dollar on eligible purchases with Delta Purchases
2.00
$1
All Purchases
1.00
$1
|
||
|
Already have this card? Maximize your rewards.
|
||
