“Your daughter must sell drugs. With all these trips she goes on? No way is she doing all that on a teacher salary.” As my mother relayed this sentiment to me from one of her coworkers, all I could do was laugh. Of course I’m not doing all this traveling on just a teacher’s salary! (But just to be clear, I’m also not selling drugs…nor am I involved in any weird pyramid schemes!)
When I first graduated from college and moved to Alaska, travel was something that was important to me, but felt unrealistic. As a first year teacher living in a state with a much higher cost of living than I was used to, I knew I had to get creative to make these trips a reality. Plus, trying to figure out my new career and new hometown without any friends and family around was enough stress, so it wasn’t like I had time to be developing side-hustles.
After many conversations with fellow Alaskan travelers, a little research, and some firsthand trial and error, here are five easy ways to make any and all travel expenses feel more affordable by racking up airline miles. And yes, they’re all totally legal! Added bonus? Most of them come from minor adjustments in your day-to-day routine without much added effort from you. All that’s required is a frequent flyer account to drop your earnings into!
Credit Cards & Referrals
When a colleague of mine found out I love to travel she immediately started gushing about Bank of America’s Alaska Airlines Visa. “You just have to get one! I use it to pay for literally everything!” she declared.
“American Express,” a friend of mine insisted recently. “With how much you travel? You just have to; there are so many travel benefits!”
In the end, to each their own, but who doesn’t want free flights? Most credit cards have some sort of travel reward program, and if your card doesn’t it may be time to start investigating alternative options. There are some directly tied to specific airlines if you have one in particular that you like flying with, or more generic options are available too, if that’s more your style. Do some research and find whatever works best for you! You’re already spending the money, so why not get some added mileage out of your dollars spent?
If you’ve already found the best option for you but know somebody in the market for a new credit card, many times you can get more miles thrown your way as a referral bonus if they simply list your name on their application.
Your Bills- No, really!
This is another way that everyday expenses can help fund your next trip while basically earning miles in your sleep. Linking travel accounts to your utilities is another of the easiest ways to rack up the travel bennies without any added efforts on your part. My grocery store and internet provider both offer the option for me to link my accounts to earn airline miles with Alaska Airlines, and honestly, that’s all that’s required. Once I linked my travel account to my internet or grocery store shopper card, the miles accrue without any added effort from me. And if I’m using a credit card with travel perks already to pay for my internet and groceries? Miles on top of more miles!
Shopping
Many airlines including Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest, and United now reward your use of online shopping trackers with miles. Simply add the ‘button’ as an extension to your internet browser, then pop in your frequent flyer information to link your account and you’re ready to go! The values for each online vendor can vary from day to day, and bonus events also may pop up with opportunities to earn bonus miles if you spend a certain amount of money within a given timeframe, so be on the lookout!
Travel Expenses- Cars, hotels, you name it
Frequently airlines will create partnerships with hotels, restaurants, car rentals, or companies like AirBNB and Lyft. Below are a few of my favorites:
– Earn Delta miles when you book with AirBNB
– Earn a mile with Alaska Airlines for each dollar you spend on a Lyft ride
– Book rental cars and hotels through a specific airline partner site to earn mileage bonuses
Travel Begets More Travel
Last but not least, miles flown earn miles, too! So long as you pay for your flights and they weren’t booked as reward travel, you should earn miles toward your next trip. If you earn elite status with an airline or book seats at a certain level such as first class, you can often compound your earnings. And don’t forget about my first recommendation! Booking a flight with an airline affiliate credit card will also usually incur bonus miles.
There are so many ways to make travel and the expenses that come with it more manageable and affordable. This list is just a starting point- keep an eye out for opportunities and happy (award) travels!