Anyone that knows me, knows, I love a good  deal with free extras thrown in & if it benefits me to use points I will. As a result, we developed a points or pay system when travelling to get the most out of our points. However, when deciding to you use points or pay when travelling you need to be mindful of a few things.

It’s a catch 22 situation, to get points you need to sometimes pay & when using points, you don’t always receive points. I have put together some tips on how we decide when to use our points reward system.

Although, we recommend checking with your chosen group & become familiar with what they offer & when your points can be used. If you don’t have a regular group you book with, the benefits overview section has a selection of booking site offers.

We do recommend you check & choose based on your travel style. This points and pay system when travelling has helped us for a variety of services over the years to get more out of our travels.

Tip: Check your bank, do they have an existing credit card points to dollars program offering travel booking or benefits (maximise the points or pay system this way)?

Tip: Check if there is a point-based reward system for employees where you work.

Building a Points or Pay System when travelling

Building Points

1. Before starting your travels if you don’t already have a group or company, you receive points from.
   • Select three or four companies that you regularly use, like or have good reviews.
2. Research which offers YOU the best benefits, the requirements to reach relevant tiers & is there any charge involved
3. Be mindful of what’s required of each company to reach their specific tiers
4. Many companies offer points to book through them for other services, which is great
   • However, be cautious of this, you may be building points for one company but missing out on points & benefits of the other
   • Weigh up the benefits of using one or the other
5. To really benefit quickly when using the points and pay system when travelling
   • Stick with the companies & affiliates of YOUR choice when booking, which will build your points quicker
   • Always add any food or beverages to your room, this goes on to your total points
   • This points or pay system when travelling is also relevant for Airlines, Hotels, Car Rental & Booking Sites.

Using the Points or Pay System When Travelling

1. If you have a of a multiple night stay, use points for one night
2. Pay some of your bill for meals when staying at hotels
3. Upgrading your room or flights, though check requirements for this before booking
4. Use points with the companies’ specific partners (free car rental as an example)
5. Convert or combine points from or to a partner program or
6. Use points programs to do all you shopping for travel related products before your trips.

We have used this points and pay system when travelling for 8 of the 10 years to decide when to use points or pay, which has saved a considerable amount in the process. As an example our preferred groups are Expedia, All Accor Live Limitless (paid membership), Hotels.com, Europcar & Virgin Australia (& affiliates). Although, when booking through Expedia we have found whilst we receive the points not all benefits are passed on.

As a result, we do prefer to book & travel independently & why we developed our Travel planning system & complimentary products. Our FREE Printable Travel Checklists is a good place to start YOUR independent travel journey & how the points or pay system can benefit you.

Points & Benefits Overview

Booking Sites – Reward Program Overview

We have provided an overview of three commonly used booking sites that we have reviewed for the points or pay system when travelling. You can also download a copy of the Booking Sites – Rewards Program Overview -PDF to keep & review later. Included in the overview are the tiers, benefits & how to earn your points, this will enable you to see at a glance what each has to offer. Benefits when booking this way quickly add up, especially if you are travelling & haven’t booked all your travel components.

Booking Sites

As an example if you have been using Hotels.com & have achieved your 10 nights. You then qualify for a free night (equivalent to your average spend). This is extremely convenient to get accommodation cheaper or at no cost if you need an additional night somewhere.

When using Expedia you can collect points, on eligible flights, stays, cars, packages & things to do. We recommend reading up on exactly what they mean by ‘eligible’. Once you have your points, you are then able to use them on stays, hire cars, or activities. These are redeemable at the check out, where you can choose to use all or some of your points. Just enter the amount you wish to use to complete your booking.

At Booking.com your program is based on stays, these are awarded once you have checked out. Always ensure that the ‘Genius’ symbol is next to the hotel you are booking. Whilst we don’t use Booking.com regularly, it does however have benefits of being linked to Priceline, Kayak, Open Table, Agoda & Rental Cars.

Note: These are just booking sites & are not directly linked to the hotels, activities etc that you are booking. Any query you may have regarding your booking should be done through the booking site not directly.

Tip: Many of these companies offer ways to double or triple your points, whether it’s booking on an app, specific dates or offers. I strongly recommend looking at any offers first to see if they fit with your travel planning.

Hotels

There are many hotel groups that offer both paid & free rewards programs when you stay with them to begin your points or pay journey. The overview provided is for the companies that offer the best variety of hotels to suit individual travel styles. As always we recommend if you are regularly using a group that you know, love & trust, who have offered you exceptional benefits & service whilst travelling. Join their program if you haven’t already.

A snapshot of the overview for 4 major hotel groups is below, you can directly download a PDF copy of the Hotel Groups – Free Membership Programs to keep. Included in the overview are the various tiers, how to achieve them & the benefits associated with each. Links within the PDF document allows you to access further information if you need it to make your decisions. Furthermore, we have included an outline with links included on how you can earn & use your points.

Transport points systems

The transport industry has so many different options for the points or pay system when travelling. Which is why we are offering some tips for cars & trains, based on our regularly use & experience from past travels. We will also be include two global companies that offer rewards programs. Before you even start, ask yourself do you choose your transport companies based on price? Or is there a company you regularly use, as they have offered overall great service in the past.

If it’s the cost then I would recommend looking at a program fits your needs, you may pay more but the rewards may be well worth it. As an example, buying an economy seat & being able to upgrade to Business class… yes we do that. Alternatively, look to join one of the booking sites rewards programs then you can build points even quicker. It will keep them in one place also, which can simplify when deciding to use points or pay when travelling.

Where you have one or more transport companies you currently use ask yourself:

• Do they have a rewards program?
• Are they the best fit for you & your travel style?
• Are all their benefits actually usable & beneficial for you?
• Do they offer rewards programs with their partners?
• Does it cost to join?

These are questions we recommend you ask no matter where you are on your rewards point journey. Our article on ‘Planning your next adventure’ has links to those companies we have used & recommend.

Hire Cars

When hiring cars we use one company, this is a partner of the airline we regularly use & we received a reciprocate membership. Although I do always check on comparison sites such as Expedia to make sure we are getting the best price.

In addition to getting cheaper rates a membership with car rental companies can offer you other benefits, such as:

• Free days/weekend rentals
• Priority service – car waiting when you arrive
• Discounts or $$ off your rentals
• Free upgrades on car categories
• Free additional driver

Tip: Before you go & join a program, check if one of your existing rewards programmes offer reciprocal deals.

Trains

Whilst we don’t use trains in Australia for interstate travel as it is limited & not the most efficient use of time. When in Europe we have used trains as a main transport mode, for travelling internally & between countries. Greg (my husband) often says it’s crazy that the fastest he’s ever travelled on the ground was in a ‘TRAIN’!  Depending on which country you are in or going to the options can vary, though many companies have either continuous day & discounted travel cards.

As an example of some of the benefits & passes:

• SBB – have a Half Fare Travelcard – where you can travel for half price on all SBB routes and most other railways as well as on boats, postbuses and trams.
• DB – offer a German rail Twin Pass – where the 2nd persons pass is 50% off
• Eurail – allows you to explore up to 33 countries with one pass & two children can travel free with a paying adult.
• Amtrak – lets you explore the USA with 10 ride-segments or trips over 30 days
• VIARail – has a pass that offers rail credits over a selected number of days valid for travel across Canada.

If planning to go to more than one country in Europe or North America you can use our Planning Spreadsheet System to compare prices so you get the most cost effective option.

Airlines

Many airlines offer points & status credits or similar for the regularity you fly, across many destinations. Within the program we use (Virgin Australia), we have been able to upgrade seats at no cost & get free flights for family to travel with us. As well as benefiting from being on a high tier we get extra luggage allowance & free seat selection.

This has been achieved by being consistent in our booking with this one company over several years for all our domestic & international flights. Furthermore, choose a company that allows you to family pool your points & any credits, this alone helped us achieve higher statuses early, as well as helping us consistently maintaining our level.

We strongly recommended if you haven’t started collecting or using points with any one airline. Check what’s on offer with any of the companies you regularly use & their affiliated airlines so you can also travel further, for cheaper. The points or pay system when travelling works best if the transportation company is one you already ‘regularly’ use & check to see if family pooling of points is available.

However if you don’t have one company that your regularly use. Two global airline alliance options that may be of beneficial to your style of travel are ‘oneworld’ or ‘Star alliance’. These link 14 (oneworld) & 26 (Star Alliance) into a single network to offer more flexibility for choice of airlines you can use & benefits offered.

Booking consistently with one company is the best way to master the points or pay system when travelling across all your needs. Additional information on saving on points can be found at Points Hack and The Points Guy.

We’d love you to stay connected with us, follow us on social media or email me at jeanine@letsgoawandering.com with all your travel ~Dreams~ & ~Plans~.