5 Tips for Using Points and Miles for Holiday Travel

Traveling anytime during the year takes planning, patience and precision. And it's especially true during the busy holiday travel season. That’s when airlines up their ticket prices and limit award availability, planes are always crowded, and delays always seem to be are at their highest.

I have some good news though! There are ways around most of those problems. And the following five tips are a great way to start. Not only can you use miles and points to save money, but you’ll be able to book that Christmas vacation of yours without even breaking a sweat!

Be a little flexible with your travel dates

If you can travel right before or after Christmas, you’ll find more award availability with the airlines, and you’re dollar will go further. For example, booking travel between December 28th and January 4th or December 30th and January 6th is a better deal than going somewhere a week prior.

It doesn’t require many much flexibility, but a little can go a long way.


Be flexible with your final destination

If you’re beginning to think that flexibility is important, you’d be correct. I’d recommend making a list of your top five holiday vacation spots. If the top one on your list is out of the question (b/c of price, award availability, etc) go to number two, three, and so on.

The early bird gets the worm

If you plan on using points or miles for a little holiday over Christmas break, book the trip as early as possible. Most points and miles programs set aside only a certain amount of award space, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. So booking early gives you more options. In this case, the old proverb is most certainly true: the early bird gets the worm.


Start earning points as early as possible

This point and the last point kind of go hand-in-hand. In order for you to have the ability to go on a trip by using points, you’d be best served if you earn the points you need early. For example, if you want to go on a Christmas trip in 2017, start earning now. That way you can lock down those award seats without having to worry.

​
The travel credit cards you use matter

There are dozens of travel credit cards that you potentially have at your disposal. But here are also certain things you’ll want to consider when deciding what card to whip out of your wallet:

• What airline will you use? Would it be best to use an airline branded card?

​

• Do you want to stay at a boutique bed and breakfast, or Airbnb? Maybe use a card like Barclaycard Arrival Plus or the Capital One Venture Card. Those two cards are basically a “cash back” travel rewards, meaning you can use them at small privately owned hotels you may find in Europe.

Bottom line
Traveling using points during the holidays takes a little bit more patience and planning than almost any other time of the year. Why? Because everyone wants to do it. But if you start early and plan appropriately, you’ll be off to that dream destination over Christmas break in no time.


You may also like:
-9 Podcasts you Should Consider for Your Next Trip
-Planning Vacations can Make you Happier Than Taking Them
-Everything you Need to Know About the Chase Sapphire Reserve