✈️ When and how to find cheap flights, every time

Good morning ☀️ from Booked It On Points: A curated collection to keep you traveling for less money and more know how 👊🏽

Let’s dive in.

Here’s what’s on today—

✈︎ Flight Deal

International business class UNDER 50k 🤯 

📉 For those who don’t have a grasp on how many points are often necessary to fly business class overseas→ it’s often between 60k-100k. This is a steal of a deal if you want to enjoy some luxury flying.

For 50k in points and $225 in taxes/fees, you will have access to exclusive lounges, a lie flat seat, a delicious full course meal, complete with a (tray) tablecloth and more. Best part? Almost ALL major credit card companies transfer to AirFrance. This means points earned on your Chase, Cap One, Citi and Amex cards can be transferred for this deal. Check out the welcome offers from this card and this card!

✈︎ Points + Miles

How to NOT run out of cards and keep earning points + miles to travel (nearly) free year after year

By far, one of the most popular questions I get asked is “Will I run out of credit cards to open?” It’s no secret that the BEST way to earn points + miles is by opening credit cards with enticing welcome offers. You may wonder if you’ll run out, and what are some other options for earning points year after year.

Here are 5 things to know to keep those points a flowin’ :

1) There are new cards coming out all the time. For example the Capital One Venture X this card only came out in Nov 2021. That is relatively recent and it is a top card that both my husband and I hold. In fact, we not only used the points from this card for airfare for our recent trip to Croatia, we used it’s free lounge access for our whole family to enjoy while in transit.

2) You can get most cards again. Each bank/card has different rules. For example: most Chase cards you can get again after 24 months.

*Exceptions: Sapphire Preferred and Reserve→ these cards you can get again after 48 months. Amex→ once/lifetime rule, although they do offer targeted offers for some. *Always check in with your specify card/bank of interest to know exactly when you can get a card again.

3) Get more points by using referral links→ This is a way to keep your card alive with point kick backs. Referral links do max out usually at 3-5 referrals/card/year, but that can give you up to 100,000 points per card. So pass these links out to friends, co workers and family.

4) Use Rakuten if you are an American Express cardholder→ Rakuten is not your average shopping portal. Sure you can get cash back for each purchase but it’s minimal and likely not worth it. BUT, if you link any of your Amex cards to your account you can earn Amex Membership Awards with each purchase. So go ahead and instal the Rakuten extension on your browser and it will automatically earn you points whenever you’re making your purchases. Shop online and don’t forget to think of this trick during your holiday shopping!

5) Know your bonus categories→ It’s not a major way I earn points, but it’s something to maximize on if you can. This means using the right card for the right shopping. For example- I know that if I’m grocery shopping I should use this card rather than another card bc that card earns 4x on groceries rather than 1-2x using any other card. Restaurants, groceries and gas are 3 frequently purchased items that I most often maximize my points. Check out this (free) app to help you decide which card to use.

✈︎ The Informed Traveler

How and when to secure the cheapest flights for your next adventure

There are a lot of opinions out there on when is the best time to book your airlines tickets. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but according to the experts, there is no set day or magical time to book airfare to make it cheapest. The myth that Tuesday is the cheapest day to book is just that, a myth.

In fact, data over the last 10 years from the travel app Hopper using 80 trillion flight prices, tells us that rather than relying on days or times to book, there are best timelines to book domestic, international and holiday airfares.

Domestic→ Start monitoring prices 3-4 months in advance and book 1-2 months.

International→ Start monitoring prices 6-7 months in advance and book 3-5 months

Holidays→

• Thanksgiving/Christmas: Monitor in August, book by mid October *according to data from Google Flights

• Summer break: monitor at least 3-4 months in advance and book 1-2 months

While there is no day that is best to book flights, making a departure date for mid week travel typically is cheaper than travel on the weekends. Additionally, jump on those early AM flights- not only will it ensure you don’t have delays, but will oftentimes be the cheapest flight of the day.

Pro tip→ Use “flight tracker” on Google Maps or Hopper to track flights of interest. It will send you an immediate notice when there has been a price change.

*As an important rule of thumb, these rules don’t apply when booking with points. When booking with points, it’s always best to book as soon as availability is released (about 12 months in advance) or very last minute.

✈︎ Travel News

Hurricane season→ A guide for safe and protected travels plans

The weather is changing and unfortunately it is likely to be the new norm. Air traffic is seeing an increase in moderate-severe turbulence and there are more flights being delayed/grounded due to severe storms. With hurricane season started, it’s important to stay vigilant. Also, don’t forget to ensure your trip is protected with travel insurance, either a third party or using a travel credit card.

✈︎ Trivia

Thanks for being here and have a great Tuesday!

Allie