June 23, 2023 | View Online | Sign Up
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I’ve finally booked all my travel for the rest of 2023.
After Bosnia, I’ll be hitting Paris, the Loire Valley, Manchester, Rome, Rotterdam, and Tbilisi, before rounding out the year on a beach in Thailand. 2024 is also in the planning stages, with Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Kenya, and a bunch of others already in the works.
Excited doesn’t cut it.
Many of those expenses have gone onto one card, which I will dive into below and on our Instagram. Read on, and reap the benefits.
Let’s get to the points.
In this week’s cheat sheet:
My favorite travel card (and it should be yours, too)
It’s your last chance to use these perks
Travel Hacking for Dummies: Change your credit card mindset
Cheers,
Steven
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| CARD OF THE WEEK
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We had a big argument after she saw this.Â
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My Favorite Travel Card (And Why It Should Be Yours, Too)
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I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is the most valuable card for travelers right now.
Not because it’s loaded with perks (it’s not). Not because it has a huge intro bonus (although it does). But because this card earns so much where other cards don’t.
Plus, it's running a limited time elevated bonus, so you'll want to act fast to maximize its
value.
Let’s start from the top.
The huge intro bonus
Its limited time 60,000-point intro bonus is massive. You only have to spend $3,000 in the first six months, and it’s worth more than $1,400 in travel. That’s like being handed 46% of your money back. That’s wild. I used it to book a roundtrip flight from the UK to the US and had enough left over to fly myself to Bucharest from London in Business class. But remember, it's going to drop back to 40,000 points soon.
The earning potential is unmatched for travelers
This is where the card truly comes into its own and why it’ll have a place in my wallet for years to come. Its earning rates look like this:
3x points per dollar on all travel
3x points per dollar on all transit
3x points per dollar on restaurants worldwide
The brilliance of these rates comes from the broad definition of travel and transit. Flights, hotels, and cruises are obvious travel expenses. But it also counts Airbnb, ferries, tours, subway rides, taxis, parking, tolls, and car rentals. It’s important to remember that purchases made on any airline website, travel aggregator, or hotel site are fair game. You’re not just tied to the card’s portal.
I put almost all of my travel expenses on this card and have a few extra tricks to maximize my Airbnb spending too. If you travel a lot, it’s earning on autopilot.
To hit those earning rates elsewhere, you’d need to go for a more premium card, costing you around $550 a year.
A low fee, with a few perks
The card only costs $150 a year, placing it just above some mid-tier cards, but its useful perks annul that fee. It comes loaded with a $100 Lounge Buddy credit, enough to use for two to three lounge visits a year, and a $189 Clear Plus credit.
You’ll also earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit expenditures up to $200 in the first six months of having the card. If math isn’t your thing, that puts you $50 up straight away.
I love this card. I had my partner open the card. And it won’t be leaving my wallet anytime soon.
Intrigued? Of course, you are. Learn more here.
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| TRAVEL HACKING NEWS
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It's Your Last Chance to Use These Perks
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If you own this card, ensure you’re on top of your perks, as some are set to run out soon.
With a hefty $695 annual fee, making the most of the perks available is essential. The card doesn’t have the best earning rates but is packed with add-ons that can cancel out its cost.
The two perks I’m referring to this time are the Saks $100 credit for the personal card and an up to $400 Dell credit for the Business card. Both of these offers are split in two; for Saks, you get one $50 credit from January 1st until June 30th; for Dell, you’ll have $200 for each half of the year.
It’s a strange one to get value from. I never shop at Saks, but I purposely wait until I need something like socks, a hat, or jeans and check the sale page to see what’s available. That way, I’m ensuring it’s earning me value. If you’re super sneaky, you could buy something, return it for store credit, and combine it with the second $50 for a more expensive product.Â
If you own the Business version, the Dell credit is pretty impressive. If you need a tech upgrade, now is the time. If you don’t use it, you lose it.
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| DID YOU KNOW
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Your Testosterone is Decreasing but Wellcore Can Help
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This scientifically-backed hormone optimization program can improve strength, fat loss, bone density, sex drive, blood pressure, and mood.
Right now, Wellcore is treating our readers like VIPs. Use code FLIGHTVIP to get a Wellcore At-Home Assessment Kit for just $49 ($150 off!) today.
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| TRAVEL HACKING FOR DUMMIES
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Switch Your Credit Card Mindset
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This week’s advice is less about travel hacking and more about the mindset.
Credit cards have a bad reputation. They’re associated with debt, a lack of fiscal responsibility, and retail over-consumption. The reality is people are the problem. Many of us aren’t taught early on to form good habits and spend responsibly.
In the right hands, credit cards are a fantastic tool. They represent incomparable value and offer far more protection than a debit card.
I use them for literally every purchase (where possible) because it makes no sense not to. Why in the world would I use a debit card or cash when I can get money back every single time? By using a debit card, you’re leaving money on the table, whether that’s in the form of actual cashback or travel miles. Unless you stumble across an excellent cash deal, don’t use it.
The card I mentioned above gets you $1400 of travel for $3,000 of spending in six months. Where else could you find that value?
Practice good habits. Don’t spend above your means. Pay off your credit cards every month. Get money back. But use your credit card for everything.Â
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| WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING
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