My bank card setup permits me to simply go to family and friends dwelling the world over. I have been capable of discover locations I assumed I would solely see in my goals, just like the attractive 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 may be doable for me, as a younger girl in my 20s.
I dwell inside a comparatively modest finances. My splurges usually focus on eating experiences and live performance tickets greater than the rest. I principally fly economic system, keep in all tiers of inns and usually choose 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.
This is how my journey bank cards maintain me on the go as a budget-conscious individual.
Go all in on transferable factors and miles
In case you take only a single piece of recommendation from me, let or not it’s this: Get into transferable factors and miles and discover ways to use them.
I exploit Chase Final Rewards factors, American Specific Membership Rewards factors and Capital One miles to get just about in every single place. These currencies are tremendous versatile, which makes it simple for me to switch them to any journey companion I would like.
The Chase, Amex and Capital One ecosystems give me entry to 31 mixed distinctive airline and lodge loyalty packages, so I am not often left with out an possibility. 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 popular® 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 charge, this card is tough to beat.
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I exploit my Sapphire Most popular 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 maintain 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 inns with my Sapphire Most popular, particularly since I’ve saved cash utilizing the cardboard’s journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage.
Chase factors switch to 14 loyalty packages, highlighted by Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Singapore KrisFlyer, United MileagePlus, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership and World of Hyatt.
Nonetheless, 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. Other than Chase, Hyatt solely permits transfers from one different loyalty program: Bilt Rewards.
I choose to stretch my factors and use them often, so I am most frequently redeeming Chase factors for stays at Class 1-3 Hyatt inns. 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 quick and candy to depart factors within the financial institution for the long run.
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 rejoice my companion’s birthday.
I like a spontaneous journey, and these modest redemptions maintain me going with room for extra.
American Specific Membership Rewards
As an enormous foodie and newbie residence chef, the American Specific® Gold Card is the simplest card for me to rack up factors. At a $325 annual charge (see charges and charges), the Amex Gold is without doubt one of the dearer playing cards in my pockets, but it surely’s simple 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 12 months, 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 12 months, 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 immediately 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 packages. This unlocks a lot of choices after I’m looking for award availability by means of 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 companion 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 acquired 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 fees the very best annual charge in my pockets ($395) and comes with essentially the most travel-related perks.
In relation to my technique for incomes and redeeming factors and miles, the Enterprise X is my catchall card, guaranteeing I all the time earn not 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 similar 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 12 months, I’ve transferred Capital One miles to Air France-KLM Flying Blue to e book two Delta Air Traces economic system tickets for a home flight to get me and my companion to a marriage in Michigan.
I like holding my steadiness of Capital One miles at a good stage so I can use them at any time when the necessity arises, like for weddings.
Associated: Methods to switch Capital One miles to airline and lodge companions
Earn factors for lease
In case you’re a renter, there’s actually no purpose to cross up the no-annual-fee Bilt Mastercard® (see charges and charges) to earn factors on lease (as much as 100,000 Bilt Factors in a calendar 12 months) with no transaction charge (see charges and charges).
To earn factors, you have to make not 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 matches completely into my technique regardless of having comparable incomes classes to my Sapphire Most popular.
That is as a result of I leverage Bilt’s month-to-month “Hire Day” to earn double Bilt factors on the primary of each month (excluding lease, as much as 1,000 bonus factors), so these 3 factors per greenback I would usually earn on eating multiply to six factors if I resolve to dine out in the beginning of the month. I additionally wish to pay my utility payments on the primary with Bilt. This manner, they’re simple 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 companion of every other transferable bank card forex.
I dwell within the southeastern U.S., so it might be shocking that I am such a significant fan of Alaska Airways’ loyalty program. As a result of I dwell 90 minutes from Charlotte Douglas Worldwide Airport (CLT), I discover myself flying with American Airways typically. Alaska Airways’ Oneworld partnership with American Airways means you may typically snag high-value award flights on American once you e book with Alaska miles.
From Charlotte, I’ve flown round-trip to Louisville, Kentucky, for 9,000 Alaska miles on American. I often discover Alaska offers on American flights that will price practically triple if I have been to make use of American Airways AAdvantage miles.
By way of Bilt, I earn free flights in lower than a 12 months simply by paying lease, an expense I can not keep away from. I see my Bilt factors completely as Alaska miles. So long as Bilt continues to companion with Alaska, I will stay a fan of this program.
Associated: Must you pay your lease with Bilt? We crunch the numbers
Remember in regards to the perks
My bank card technique is cheaper than some relating to annual charges. Nonetheless, I need to get essentially 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 Move entry to 1000’s 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 charge.
Journey portal credit
Whereas I choose reserving immediately with inns and airways 90% of the time, I will leap into issuers’ journey portals when I’ve credit. The Enterprise X and Sapphire Most popular assist me save on bookings annually, due to annual credit.
For one, my Enterprise X gives an annual $300 journey credit score, reducing my efficient annual charge to $95 annually. This 12 months, 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 the whole keep. That helped take numerous the sting away from the tons of of {dollars} I spent to see The Killers play a live performance on that journey.
The Sapphire Most popular’s $50 Chase Journey℠ lodge credit score is one other easy credit score that I used to decrease the price of a obligatory 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 a great deal for an evening in Might.
Associated: Methods to use the $50 lodge credit score on the Chase Sapphire Most popular
Take a dip into elite standing
As soon as I used to be happy 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 charge, then $150 (see charges and charges) that I will justify.
As somebody who had by no means loved elite standing earlier than, the 2 perks I acquired from this card made me a believer.
Hilton elite standing
The Hilton Surpass comes with computerized Hilton Gold standing. Although Gold is a mid-tier standing stage, it severely packs a punch due to its every day food-and-beverage credit score within the U.S. or free continental breakfast perk. (That is typically a full scorching breakfast, as I discovered from my stays on the Cosmopolita Resort Rome, Tapestry Assortment by Hilton and the Cover by Hilton London Metropolis.)
My companion and I’ve additionally acquired 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 presents complimentary Nationwide Automotive Rental Emerald Membership Government standing after you enroll within the Emerald Membership program. Once more, I hadn’t thought-about 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 value it.
After a protracted journey day, the very last thing you need is in your rental automotive to carry you up. However when my companion and I rented a automotive from the Nationwide counter at Minneapolis-St. Paul Worldwide Airport (MSP) this summer season, we have been out and in throughout one of many busiest journey weeks of the 12 months, and it was all due to my standing. I am by no means going again.
Associated: Why the Hilton Surpass received 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, for my part, you do not have to be an knowledgeable or insist on first-class flights to return out forward. My preferences differ from a few of my colleagues, however we in the end all discover worth in journey bank cards.
I like that I will say “sure” to wedding ceremony invitations, go to my pals and take improbable journeys with out digging into my financial savings accounts. I actually imagine that factors and miles ought to give you the results you want, and I maintain my rewards balances in a great place for lower than $1,000 in annual charges. That is a win for me.
Associated: Why transferable factors and miles are value 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.
