Credit card strategy for those who receive free flights
A lot of our articles about credit card strategies discuss earning miles that you can use for free flights to get where you want to go — the beach, a family reunion or even a cruise port. But what if you already get free flights and don’t care about this aspect?
Anyone who works for an airline or has a buddy pass falls into this segment, and we admittedly haven’t covered this topic previously. TPG reader Kenzie reached out to us asking about credit cards for people who already have free flights at their disposal, and it deserves coverage.
Let’s look at how to build a credit card strategy if you work in or are connected to the airline industry and regularly fly for free.
Master the basics first
Before we talk about the unique credit card strategy for people who already receive free flights, there are some basic concepts from our beginners guide to keep top of mind:
Once you’ve got a good grasp of the above, you can start mapping out your credit card strategy.
What should your credit card strategy be if you fly for free?
You’ll want to have credit cards that cover other aspects of travel, such as hotels, cruises, trains, and ride-hailing services. You’ll also want credit cards that provide important travel protections for things like trip cancellations, trip delays and lost and delayed luggage.
To map out your credit card strategy, start by thinking about these questions:
- What are your travel goals? Do you want to backpack across Southeast Asia, stay in an overwater bungalow on a remote island, rent an Airbnb with friends in a European capital, take a cruise to Antarctica or something else?
- What is your travel style? This is similar to the above question, but consider whether you want to spend a few nights at an ultra-luxury property or prefer to stretch your points by staying at cheaper hotels, backpacker hostels or vacation rentals.
- Who will go on these trips with you, and how will they contribute? If your travel is primarily with co-workers — who also get free flights thanks to working for an airline — your strategies will probably align well. You could all chip in some points for a hotel together or take turns redeeming points for different aspects of an upcoming trip together.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
Then, look at what points can help you achieve your goals. More often than not, transferable points will help you the most since these offer terrific value and the greatest range of redemption options. For travel expenses that require paying with cash, a fixed-value card or a card with a “purchase eraser” feature can help you out.
Transferable-points credit cards
Transferable points are points that you can transfer to travel partners. Rather than simply using these points like cash in a booking portal or as a statement credit, you can transfer them to airline and hotel partners for high-value redemptions.
Several credit cards offer transferable points, including:
| Card name | Welcome offer | Key benefits | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. | $95 | |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. | $550 | |
| American Express® Green Card | Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership. | $150 | |
| American Express® Gold Card | Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership, plus 20% (up to $100) back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months. | $325 (see rates and fees) | |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | Earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership. | $695 (see rates and fees) | |
| Citi Rewards+® Card (see rates and fees) | Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,500 in purchases with your card within three months of account opening. | $0 | |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card | Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening, plus a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in the first cardholder year. | $95 (see rates and fees) | |
| Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card | Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. | $395 (see rates and fees) |
The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
**Effective February 1, 2025: Eligible Platinum Card Members will receive 10 Visits per Eligible Platinum Card per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight.
If you won’t get as much use out of transferable points, perhaps a fixed-value card is the better way to go.
Fixed-value-points credit cards
There are, unfortunately, travel expenses that you can’t cover in advance with points, such as seaplane transfers to an island resort in the Maldives, rail passes in Europe and daily subway tickets needed to explore a major city.
Luckily, several cards can reimburse you for these kinds of purchases with fixed-value points. You can use them to pay yourself back for purchases in the form of credit card statement credits.
The following are some examples of credit cards that offer fixed-value points:
| Card name | Welcome offer | Key benefits | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card | Earn 25,000 bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. | $0 | |
| Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. | $95 | |
| U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa Signature® Card | Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on the card in the first 90 days. | $0 | |
| U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card | Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on the card in the first 90 days. | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $95 thereafter (effective Sept 9, you will enjoy a $0 annual fee) | |
| U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® Card | Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,500 on the card in the first 90 days |
|
$400 |
The information for the Altitude Go, Altitude Connect and Altitude Reserve cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
With Bank of America and U.S. Bank, options for transferring your points to partner programs aren’t possible. Instead, you can redeem your points in the form of a statement credit to cover travel expenses.
Related: Why you should get a fixed-rate rewards credit card
Hotel credit cards
The good news about a hotel room is that, unlike a seat on an airplane, the room can be shared by you and a friend, spouse or significant other. Because of this, your hotel points and free night certificates can go further when you’re both earning points and free nights.
Adding hotel credit cards to your wallet is also a great way to garner extra perks, such as upgrades or shortcuts to elite status.
Here are some of the currently available hotel credit cards worth considering:
| Card name | Welcome offer | Key benefits | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| World of Hyatt Credit Card | Earn 30,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 bonus points total per dollar spent in the first six months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent. | $95 | |
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card | Earn three Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 in the first three months of account opening. Certain hotels have resort fees. | $95 | |
| IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | Earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. |
|
$99 |
| Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card | Earn 130,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. |
|
$150 annual fee (see rates and fees) |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card | Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your Card within the first six months of card membership. | $650 (see rates and fees) | |
| Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card | Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening. | $550 (see rates and fees) |
The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
In order to determine which card you should get, it’s important to understand your priorities. Are you looking for a card with a low fee and moderate perks? Or do you want top-tier elite status to enjoy suite upgrades upon arrival at the hotel?
Related: My top 3 picks for the best cobranded hotel credit card
Should you get other credit cards for specific types of travel?
You may be wondering whether you should get credit cards for specific types of travel, such as cruise lines.
In nearly every case, you’re better off paying for a cruise with a general travel credit card than a cruise-specific card. That’s because the cards we highlighted above — those that earn transferable points — will earn much greater value in rewards when paying for your cruise.
Additionally, some transferable-points credit cards provide protections like trip cancellation insurance and trip delay insurance — perks you won’t receive with cards affiliated with particular cruise lines.
Related: Use these credit cards to maximize your next cruise vacation
Bottom line
If you get free flights already, you’ve already eliminated the most expensive part of travel for most people and the largest drain on points and miles for those of us who collect them. If you have a buddy pass and get free flights, a tailored credit card strategy is needed for your particular situation. By considering your travel goals and then earning the points that will help you accomplish them, you should be able to combine your access to complimentary flights with free travel in multiple other forms.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Gold, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Bonvoy Brilliant, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Hilton Surpass, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Hilton Aspire, click here.
