Points, Perks and a Little Strategy: Getting More From Your Travel Credit Cards

We love a good deal. And for a lot of travelers, the biggest untapped deal is sitting in their wallet: a credit card full of points they're not sure how to use.

Here's our plain-English guide to the kinds of travel cards, the main programs, and how to get more out of them without turning it into a second job.

This is not financial advice. It's just how I use my cards and try to make the best use of points.

Here's the simplest way I think about points: they're a small give-back from the bank behind your card. On everyday spending that's usually somewhere around 2–5% back, and it can be more with promotions, bonus categories and sign-up offers. Not life-changing on any one purchase, but it adds up fast when you're strategic.

Part 1: The four types of travel cards

Flexible (transferable) points cards

These earn a bank's own currency, like Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards. You can usually redeem through the bank's travel site or move points to airline and hotel partners.

Best for: people who want options and don't stick to one airline or hotel brand.

Airline co-brand cards

These earn miles in one airline's program and often come with perks on that airline, like a free first checked bag.

Best for: travelers who mostly fly one airline out of their home airport.

Hotel co-brand cards

Same idea, but for a hotel chain: points in that chain's program and often perks like an annual free night or elite status.

Best for: people who stay with one brand again and again.

Cash-back or fixed-value travel cards

These are the simplest. Points are worth a set amount and can be used against travel purchases.

Best for: anyone who wants rewards without the homework.

There's no single "best" card. The right one depends on how you travel and how much effort you want to put in.

Annual fees and finding each card's sweet spot

Annual fees aren't automatically bad, but they can eat into your value if you don't actually use the card's benefits. Cards like the Chase Freedom Flex and Freedom Unlimited have no annual fee. Cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve charge one, and in return come with richer travel perks, credits and benefits.

So the question isn't “fee or no fee?” It's “will I use enough of what this card offers to come out ahead?” Check each card's current fee and benefits on the issuer's site, then be honest about how you travel.

Every card has a sweet spot. The trick is matching it to how you actually spend and travel.

The Disneyland Hotel pool complex, with palm trees, cabanas and yellow umbrellas, seen from a guest room high above on a sunny day. — Hotel points at work: the view from our room at the Disneyland Hotel.

Part 2: The programs (and the ones we use)

Chase and Amex are our go-to programs, and the reason is flexibility. They also work as a team: some airlines, like Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and British Airways, partner with both, so we can top up from one or the other.

Program		What to know
Chase Ultimate Rewards	We use it	Transfers to a mix of airlines and hotels, including United, Southwest, Hyatt, Marriott and IHG.
Amex Membership Rewards	We use it	Transfers to an even longer list of airlines, including Delta, plus hotel programs like Hilton and Marriott.
Capital One	Other good option	Miles transfer to more than a dozen airlines and a handful of hotel programs. Most airlines transfer 1:1, but some don't. JetBlue, for example, is 5:3.
Citi ThankYou	Other good option	The bank currency that reaches American Airlines AAdvantage. The full transfer ratios generally require one of Citi's premium cards.
Bilt	Other good option	Points can be earned on rent and transfer to a long list of partners, including Alaska and Hawaiian's Atmos Rewards and World of Hyatt.

Airline and hotel programs. These are the programs where your points actually get spent: United, Delta, American, JetBlue, Southwest, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, IHG and more.

How transfer partners work. You move points from a bank program into an airline or hotel program, usually in 1,000-point steps, and then book the award there. Two things to know. First, ratios vary by program, and sometimes by which card you hold. Chase's Hyatt ratio, for example, now depends on the card. Second, transfers are generally one-way. Once points leave the bank, you can't move them back.

Part 3: How to get more from your points

Earn on bonus categories. Most cards earn extra on certain spending, like dining, groceries or travel. Put each purchase on the card that earns the most for it.
Use sign-up bonuses strategically. Sign-up bonuses (you'll see them called SUBs) are one of the most powerful tools out there. Most new cards reward you for hitting a spending target in the first few months, and opening new cards thoughtfully, spaced out over time, can add up to hundreds of thousands of points. Just keep it responsible: only open cards you'd actually use, time them around spending you were already going to do, and pay every one in full.
Pool where you can. Some programs let you combine points. Chase lets you move points from some no-annual-fee cards to a premium card with transfer access. JetBlue has Points Pooling for family and friends.
The key tip Find the award seat first, then transfer. This is the big one. Find the exact flight or room at the award price you want, confirm it's bookable, and only then move your points.
Look for sweet spots. Some routes and hotels cost far fewer points through one partner than another, especially when a program uses an award chart instead of pricing that tracks cash fares. These change, so check before you count on them.
Use the perks you're already paying for. Many cards come with travel credits, airport lounge access, free checked bags or other benefits. Benefits and fees change often, so check your card's current terms.
Stack points with advisor perks. This is where Carrolyn comes in. She's a Fora Travel advisor, and when you book a hotel through her, you can often still earn that hotel's loyalty points and get extras like daily breakfast, a property credit or an upgrade when available. It depends on the property and the rate, and some elite-status benefits may not combine with advisor perks. She'll always confirm the details before you book.

The sun sets over the ocean through the glass-panelled ceiling of a gold-toned lounge on a cruise ship. — Sunset from the Top Sail Lounge on our MSC cruise. A good lounge is a perk worth using.

The deep-blue Pacific and the Palos Verdes cliffs seen from a succulent-covered bluff at Terranea Resort in California. — The bluff at Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

A quick example: a family heads to the Caribbean

Clear turquoise water runs between a white-sand beach and a rock jetty under a bright blue sky at Ocean Cay in the Bahamas. — Ocean Cay, Bahamas: the kind of beach week this example family is after.

Here's an example family (not a real client) planning a Caribbean beach week. They have Capital One miles and some JetBlue points already.

Search first. They find JetBlue flights they like and check the points price. JetBlue prices awards based on demand, so the cost moves with the cash fare.
Pool. The family combines everyone's JetBlue points with Points Pooling.
Do the math. Say they're 12,000 TrueBlue points short. At Capital One's 5:3 ratio, that takes 20,000 Capital One miles. (These numbers are for illustration only.)
Compare. Because 5:3 is a weaker ratio, they also check whether paying cash and using Capital One miles to cover the travel purchase is the better deal. Sometimes it is.
Stack the hotel. They book the resort through an advisor. They often still earn hotel points, and they may get breakfast or a resort credit, depending on the property.

Let's put your points to work

Bill and Carrolyn, in sunglasses, smile in a selfie on the Terranea bluff with the Pacific Ocean behind them. — Carrolyn and Bill on the bluff at Terranea Resort, California.

Got points sitting around and a trip in mind? Send us a trip brief at edittravel.com. Tell us where you want to go and which programs you hold, and we'll help you make the most of them.

This is not financial advice. It's just how I use my cards and try to make the best use of points. Card terms, transfer ratios and benefits change often, so always check current details.

— Carrolyn & Bill, Edit Travel