My bank card setup permits me to simply go to family and friends dwelling internationally. I have been capable of discover locations I assumed I would solely see in my goals, just like the beautiful partitions of the Sistine Chapel and the historic grounds round Buckingham Palace.
With out the rewards I’ve earned from journey bank cards, none of this could be potential for me, as a younger girl in my 20s.
I reside inside a comparatively modest finances. My splurges sometimes focus on eating experiences and live performance tickets greater than anything. I largely fly economic system, keep in all tiers of resorts and usually desire touring with a companion. I pay lower than $1,000 in annual charges for the 5 rewards playing cards I maintain, however obtain outsize worth from every one.
Here is how my journey bank cards hold me on the go as a budget-conscious individual.
Go all in on transferable factors and miles
Should you take only a single piece of recommendation from me, let it’s this: Get into transferable factors and miles and learn to use them.
I exploit Chase Final Rewards factors, American Specific Membership Rewards factors and Capital One miles to get just about in all places. These currencies are tremendous versatile, which makes it straightforward for me to switch them to any journey accomplice I would like.
The Chase, Amex and Capital One ecosystems give me entry to 31 mixed distinctive airline and lodge loyalty applications, so I am not often left with out an choice. As a result of I worth variety in my card technique, I’ve one card in every program. All of my playing cards earn bonus factors or miles in my frequent spending classes, so I am all the time incomes greater than 1 level per greenback.
Chase Final Rewards
My first journey rewards card is the one I like to recommend to anybody able to find out about transferable factors and miles. The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and charges) earns my favourite forex, Chase Final Rewards factors, which TPG’s July 2025 valuations place at 2.05 cents apiece.
For a $95 annual price, this card is tough to beat.
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I exploit my Sapphire Most well-liked on a regular basis. I swipe it at eating places to earn 3 factors per greenback spent on eating; have it linked to Spotify, Hulu and YouTube TV to earn 3 factors per greenback spent on choose streaming providers; and hold it in my Apple Pockets to earn 2 factors per greenback spent on journey purchases like subway tickets and parking garages.
I additionally wish to e-book non-Hilton resorts with my Sapphire Most well-liked, particularly since I’ve saved cash utilizing the cardboard’s journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage.
Chase factors switch to 14 loyalty applications, highlighted by Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Singapore KrisFlyer, United MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership and World of Hyatt.
Nevertheless, as a result of I’ve different playing cards that earn factors that I can switch to most of those currencies, I nearly completely switch my Chase factors to Hyatt. Apart from Chase, Hyatt solely permits transfers from one different loyalty program: Bilt Rewards.
I desire to stretch my factors and use them continuously, so I am most frequently redeeming Chase factors for stays at Class 1-3 Hyatt resorts. I am extra about discovering a spot to sleep as soon as I arrive at my vacation spot, so a lot of my redemptions are brief and candy to go away factors within the financial institution for the longer term.
My most up-to-date redemptions embrace a 17,500-point redemption for a two-night keep at a Hyatt Place close to Atlanta to attend my sister’s commencement and a 9,500-point redemption for a one-night keep at a Hyatt Place close to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to have a good time my accomplice’s birthday.
I like a spontaneous journey, and these modest redemptions hold me going with room for extra.
American Specific Membership Rewards
As an enormous foodie and beginner house chef, the American Specific® Gold Card is the simplest card for me to rack up factors. At a $325 annual price (see charges and charges), the Amex Gold is among the costlier playing cards in my pockets, however it’s straightforward for me to justify since I discover a lot utility in its bonus classes.
That is as a result of the Amex Gold earns 4 factors per greenback spent on eating at eating places worldwide (on the primary $50,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback spent thereafter). This card additionally earns 4 factors per greenback spent at U.S. supermarkets (as much as $25,000 in purchases per calendar yr, then 1 level per greenback spent thereafter).
These are my prime two classes with the cardboard, although I additionally take pleasure in incomes 3 factors per greenback spent on flights booked straight with the airline after I e-book flights with money.
American Specific Membership Rewards factors are valued at 2 cents per level (per TPG’s July 2025 valuations) and switch to 21 loyalty applications. This unlocks a lot of choices after I’m looking for award availability by instruments like level.me (which has partnered with American Specific) or Seats.aero.
I transferred 34,000 Membership Rewards factors to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership to e-book economic system seats for myself and my accomplice to get to Europe this Might. I spent 12,000 factors on two one-way economic system tickets from New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) on Virgin Atlantic. Then, 22,000 factors bought us economic system tickets from Milan Linate Airport (LIN) in Italy to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) on ITA Airways, connecting to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL) on Air France.
Capital One miles
Making use of for the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card was my first foray into extra premium card choices because the card expenses the best annual price in my pockets ($395) and comes with probably the most travel-related perks.
In terms of my technique for incomes and redeeming factors and miles, the Enterprise X is my catchall card, guaranteeing I all the time earn no less than 2 miles per greenback spent on each expense I pay. This card is my favourite to make use of after I go thrifting, store at superstores corresponding to Walmart or Costco and go to the hair salon.
TPG’s July 2025 valuations place Capital One miles at 1.85 cents per mile, and so they switch to greater than 15 companions. This yr, I’ve transferred Capital One miles to Air France-KLM Flying Blue to e-book two Delta Air Strains economic system tickets for a home flight to get me and my accomplice to a marriage in Michigan.
I like retaining my stability of Capital One miles at an honest stage so I can use them at any time when the necessity arises, like for weddings.
Associated: switch Capital One miles to airline and lodge companions
Earn factors for hire
Should you’re a renter, there’s actually no motive to cross up the no-annual-fee Bilt Mastercard® (see charges and charges) to earn factors on hire (as much as 100,000 Bilt Factors in a calendar yr) with no transaction price (see charges and charges).
To earn factors, you need to make no less than 5 transactions in your card every assertion interval (see rewards and advantages).
This was the second rewards card I utilized for, and it suits completely into my technique regardless of having related incomes classes to my Sapphire Most well-liked.
That is as a result of I leverage Bilt’s month-to-month “Lease Day” to earn double Bilt factors on the primary of each month (excluding hire, as much as 1,000 bonus factors), so these 3 factors per greenback I would sometimes earn on eating multiply to six factors if I resolve to dine out initially of the month. I additionally wish to pay my utility payments on the primary with Bilt. This fashion, they’re straightforward to recollect, and I earn 2 Bilt factors per greenback spent within the meantime.
TPG’s July 2025 valuations place Bilt Rewards factors a 2.2 cents per level in worth.
The factor I like most about my Bilt factors is that they switch at a 1:1 ratio to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan, which is arguably my favourite airline loyalty program that (coincidentally) is not a accomplice of some other transferable bank card forex.
I reside within the southeastern U.S., so it may very well be shocking that I am such a significant fan of Alaska Airways’ loyalty program. As a result of I reside 90 minutes from Charlotte Douglas Worldwide Airport (CLT), I discover myself flying with American Airways usually. Alaska Airways’ Oneworld partnership with American Airways means you may usually snag high-value award flights on American whenever you e-book with Alaska miles.
From Charlotte, I’ve flown round-trip to Louisville, Kentucky, for 9,000 Alaska miles on American. I continuously discover Alaska offers on American flights that will price almost triple if I had been to make use of American Airways AAdvantage miles.
By means of Bilt, I earn free flights in lower than a yr simply by paying hire, an expense I can not keep away from. I see my Bilt factors completely as Alaska miles. So long as Bilt continues to accomplice with Alaska, I am going to stay a fan of this program.
Associated: Must you pay your hire with Bilt? We crunch the numbers
Remember in regards to the perks
My bank card technique is inexpensive than some with regards to annual charges. Nonetheless, I wish to get probably the most worth for my cash, so I’m cautious to maximise these advantages at any time when I can.
Lounge entry
Past that, I take pleasure in Precedence Cross entry to hundreds of lounges worldwide. My favourite simply occurs to be an Escape Lounge at my small native airport, Greenville-Spartanburg Worldwide Airport (GSP) in Greenville, South Carolina. The meals and drinks that my journey companions and I’ve loved in that lounge take a large chunk out of the $395 annual price.
Journey portal credit
Whereas I desire reserving straight with resorts and airways 90% of the time, I am going to bounce into issuers’ journey portals when I’ve credit. The Enterprise X and Sapphire Most well-liked assist me save on bookings every year, because of annual credit.
For one, my Enterprise X offers an annual $300 journey credit score, reducing my efficient annual price to $95 every year. This yr, I used it to take $300 off three nights on the Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World, so we ended up paying simply $314 for your complete keep. That helped take lots of the sting away from the lots of of {dollars} I spent to see The Killers play a live performance on that journey.
The Sapphire Most well-liked’s $50 Chase Journey℠ lodge credit score is one other easy credit score that I used to decrease the price of a essential keep. Earlier than we ended our European trip, we stayed at a Finest Western close to LIN in Italy that provided free shuttle service for our early morning flight. The credit score lowered our keep to $162, which I discovered to be an excellent deal for an evening in Might.
Associated: use the $50 lodge credit score on the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked
Take a dip into elite standing
As soon as I used to be glad with all of the transferable factors and miles I used to be bringing in, I made a decision my setup wanted a cobranded contact. I am nonetheless not notably loyal to a lodge model, however I appreciated the midlevel perks of the Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass® Card, with a $0 introductory annual price, then $150 (see charges and charges) that I can justify.
As somebody who had by no means loved elite standing earlier than, the 2 perks I obtained from this card made me a believer.
Hilton elite standing
The Hilton Surpass comes with automated Hilton Gold standing. Although Gold is a mid-tier standing stage, it significantly packs a punch because of its every day food-and-beverage credit score within the U.S. or free continental breakfast perk. (That is usually a full sizzling breakfast, as I discovered from my stays on the Cosmopolita Resort Rome, Tapestry Assortment by Hilton and the Cover by Hilton London Metropolis.)
My accomplice and I’ve additionally obtained complimentary room upgrades and late checkout perks with standing. Plus, incomes 80% extra factors on paid stays helps us proceed to construct up our stash for future redemptions.
As somebody who was beforehand skeptical of simply how a lot I may get from elite standing, take into account me a fan of Hilton Gold.
Nationwide Automotive Rental elite standing
The Hilton Surpass additionally gives complimentary Nationwide Automotive Rental Emerald Membership Govt standing after you enroll within the Emerald Membership program. Once more, I hadn’t thought of what automotive rental standing may truly supply me till I attempted it out.
It is true — skipping the rental counter, selecting any automotive from the Emerald Aisle and including a second driver totally free are all price it.
After a protracted journey day, the very last thing you need is on your rental automotive to carry you up. However when my accomplice and I rented a automotive from the Nationwide counter at Minneapolis-St. Paul Worldwide Airport (MSP) this summer season, we had been out and in throughout one of many busiest journey weeks of the yr, and it was all because of my standing. I am by no means going again.
Associated: Why the Hilton Surpass gained me over as somebody who did not need a cobranded card
Backside line
There’s multiple method to benefit from the world of factors and miles. And, in my view, you do not have to be an professional or insist on first-class flights to return out forward. My preferences differ from a few of my colleagues, however we finally all discover worth in journey bank cards.
I like that I can say “sure” to marriage ceremony invitations, go to my mates and take incredible journeys with out digging into my financial savings accounts. I really consider that factors and miles ought to be just right for you, and I hold my rewards balances in an excellent place for lower than $1,000 in annual charges. That is a win for me.
Associated: Why transferable factors and miles are price greater than different rewards
For charges and charges of the Amex Gold, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Hilton Surpass card, click on right here.
