Gerri Detweiler, credit card expert
It’s no secret that summer is generally the most expensive time to travel. With warm weather and kids out of school, the demand for travel is high, which can send prices skyrocketing.
As a Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholder, my rewards always help me save money when my family and I book travel. But as prices go up, the rewards I worked so hard to earn don’t stretch as far. What may have covered a big chunk of a vacation months ago is now covering only a small percentage of my family’s trip.
Gerri Detweiler, credit card expert
I talked to Gerri Detweiler, a credit card expert, author and member of CNET’s expert review board, who said there’s no doubt about it, how many points we’re using to cover the rising cost of travel has definitely gone up.
“If you’re flexible, there are still plenty of deals out there,” Detweiler said. “But it’s going to be harder to find those if you’re dead set on going to a particular popular location during a popular time.”
Your credit card rewards can still help you score a last-minute vacation — if you’re flexible.
Regardless of your rewards, destination or dates, Detweiler recommends being open-minded to different ways of earning rewards to get the best savings.
The right travel credit card can help you pay less — even if the rewards don’t cover the entire flight or hotel stay. To maximize your rewards, Detweiler recommends finding a card that lets you transfer to an airline, hotel or other partners. You’ll typically get more value out of your rewards that way, rather than the industry standard of 1 cent per point.
I put her advice to the test with my Sapphire Preferred card. Chase has 14 travel partners (11 airlines and three hotels), and I can transfer my points to any of them. Even though I prefer to fly Delta, if Southwest has a deal as a Chase partner, I may be able to stretch my points further for a last-minute trip by switching airlines.
Detweiler recently transferred points from her Chase Sapphire Reserve® to fly Air France, and it worked in her favor.
“I thought I was going to pay through the teeth to get back from Europe in May,” Detweiler said. Instead, she used only 20,000 points (plus $67) to get from Paris to the US, and she was pleasantly surprised.
Aside from a credit card, there are other ways to earn points too. Some bank accounts offer points, such as Detweiler’s American Express Rewards Checking account, which offers Membership Rewards on select purchases. Bask Bank also has a savings account that offers American Airlines miles instead of interest, which could come in handy.
Many of the best travel credit card lists — CNET’s included — focus on general travel cards, which often offer better value than co-branded cards. Co-branded airline and hotel rewards credit cards aren’t as flexible, but there are times when they can offer you a more luxurious experience, Detweiler said.
Many co-branded cards offer travel perks like free checked bags that cover the card’s annual fee. A hotel or airline credit card can also be a good fit if you’re already earning rewards with the brand and can level up your loyalty status, such as reaching Gold or Silver Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy.
For example, if you choose the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and you’re already a Marriott Bonvoy member, you’ll get complimentary Silver Elite status, which gives a 10% point earnings bonus and an award for a free stay each year. You also get perks like access to late checkout when it’s available.
If your airline or hotel of choice isn’t running a compelling welcome offer right now, you might consider reviewing other brands to see if you can get a better deal on your next trip.
Instead of paying top dollar for popular destinations, consider a lesser-known travel spot that may be more affordable and can stretch your credit card points a bit further.
For example, I used Chase’s travel portal to find prices for a trip to Disney World near Orlando, Florida, from July 18 to 22. Hotels near the park for these dates would cost me between $150 to $200 per night. Roundtrip flights from Charlotte, North Carolina, were around $1,000. The total for a family of four was upward of $1,600.
I plugged in another family-friendly destination for the same dates. Instead of paying for airfare, I picked a beach town in Charleston, South Calorina, a place close enough to drive to. Hotels averaged $250 a night (a little bit higher than Orlando), but I’d pay only $359 for a rental car for four days. The total travel cost is $1,359 — and would be even less if I used my own vehicle. That’s a $241 price difference. And I didn’t even factor in what I’d save on the cost of food or event tickets, which are known to be high at Disney parks.
Yes, credit card rewards can be a cost saver when booking travel, but some valuable cardholder perks are often overlooked.
For example, instead of booking a flight, you may rent a car if your destination is within driving distance. If you do rent a car, take advantage of your credit card’s collision damage coverage or rental car insurance, which may otherwise cost you (prices vary). If you’re flying, you may skip travel insurance and the high price tag if your card already includes it. Just make sure you understand your coverage limits. Detweiler pointed out that she’s had to use her card’s travel insurance a few times, and it was a cost saver since it’s not always a cheap addition.
“When you’re planning a trip, I’d encourage you to look through the other benefits your card offers, so that you get the most value out of those benefits rather than just focusing on ‘how many points can I get from this?’”
If summer travel isn’t an option right now, that’s OK. Instead, use this time to start saving and planning a trip in advance. Since you have time, you may score better deals on flights and hotels by booking early. And your points may stretch further. Detweiler recommends setting up alerts to see when fares go on sale. You may use Hopper, Google Flights and Sky Scanner are a few options.
“Be willing to spend some time to dig into deals and set up alerts so you can see when fares go on sale,” Detweiler said. Whether you’re paying with credit card rewards or cash, keep an eye on your booking to see if the price drops. If it does, you may be able to cancel your tickets or reservations without paying a fee so you can rebook at a lower price. Some credit card travel portals also monitor trip prices and will notify you if a lower option becomes available.
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