A few years ago, I thought business class flights, luxury hotels, and international adventures were things other people got to experience. Then I discovered miles and points.
If you’re reading this, you’re already ahead of most people. A lot of people say, “I wish I could travel more,” but never take the next step to figure out how. Learning how miles and points work is that next step.
Since getting into this hobby, we’ve flown business class to Tahiti and Thailand, explored places such as Japan, Finland, Turkey, and Taiwan, and have even started planning a safari in South Africa. The best part? This hobby is not reserved for experts, frequent flyers, or people who spend thousands of dollars every month. Anyone can learn the basics, start earning points, and unlock more travel for less.
Now it’s your turn to learn the game.
The Different Types of Points
Before we get into the game, we need to talk about the pieces. Miles and points are the award currencies of airlines, hotels, and banks. Some programs call them miles, others call them points. For simplicity, we’ll just call them points.
There are three main types of points: airline, hotel, and transferable. Airline and hotel points are probably what you’re already familiar with. Think of Delta SkyMiles or Marriott Bonvoy points. These points are tied to one brand and usually can’t be used anywhere outside of the specific brand.
The third type, and by far our favorite, are transferable points. These come from banks like Chase, Capital One, American Express, Bilt, and Citi. Transferable points are the gold standard in this hobby because they can be moved to dozens of different airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly through each bank’s travel portal. That flexibility makes them far more valuable than points locked to a single airline or hotel program.
Think of transferable points as uncommitted travel currency. Instead of being locked into Delta or Marriott, you decide where to send them only after you’ve found the best deal.
This uncommitted nature matters because every airline and award program prices flights differently. The same flight can often cost a different number of points depending on which loyalty program you book through. For example, a flight from the United States to Europe might cost 80,000 United miles if booked through United, but only 60,000 points if booked through one of United’s partners. Having transferable points gives you the freedom to book whichever option offers the best value instead of being tied to a single program.
A travel portal is basically an online booking site run by the bank, like the Chase Travel portal. It looks and works a lot like Expedia, except you can use your points instead of cash.
The Best Ways to Earn Points
Now that you understand the types of points and how their value can differ, the next step is learning how to earn them efficiently. There are three main ways to rack up points, though they are really not equally effective. For most, the breakdown usually looks something like this:
Credit Card Welcome Bonuses (85%)
Credit cards are by far the fastest and most effective way to earn points. Sign-up bonuses alone can be enough for a free flight or hotel stay, and everyday spending adds up over time. Some cards earn transferable points, while others earn points tied to a specific airline or hotel.
Everyday Spending (14%)
Once you have the right card, earning points on daily expenses becomes simple. Depending on the card, some even have boosted categories for groceries, gas, bills, and even online shopping.
Loyalty Programs (1%)
Airline and hotel loyalty programs can add points if you fly or stay often, but for most people, they’re a drop in the bucket compared to what you can earn with a credit card.
We earn all of our points from credit card sign-on bonuses and everyday spending. It’s the quickest and simplest way to earn points.
The takeaway here is that mastering credit cards is where you’ll see the biggest impact on your points balance and travel opportunities.
Next, let’s talk about how to pick your first credit card, a step that often trips beginners up or leaves them feeling overwhelmed.
Picking Your First Credit Card
Picking Your First Credit Card
Picking your first travel credit card is usually the most intimidating part of getting started. Most of us were never taught how credit cards work, how to choose one, or why they can actually be useful for travel.
I know I wasn’t. My first credit card was just a basic card from my local bank. I had no idea there was an entire world of travel rewards cards available.
The important thing to understand is this: the credit card itself is not the reward. The points are.
Most travel credit cards offer a welcome bonus when you open the account and meet a minimum spending requirement. This is where you can make the biggest jump. Instead of earning a few points at a time from everyday purchases, one bonus can be enough for a flight, several hotel nights, or even the start of an international trip.
For example, a card might offer 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first few months. That does not mean you should go spend money you weren’t already planning to spend. The goal is to put your normal expenses on the card, pay it off every month, and earn rewards from purchases you were already making.
But this is where so many get stuck.
You earn your points… now what?
The easiest way to use your points is through your credit card company’s travel portal. Most banks have their own booking system that works a lot like Expedia. You search for a flight or hotel, choose your trip, and pay with points instead of cash.
This is how many people start, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, this is how we started.
Using points through the Capital One travel system was simple and helped us understand that this hobby actually worked. Seeing a flight or hotel booking covered with points is the moment everything starts to click.
As you learn more, you discover there is another layer to the hobby.
Some points, especially transferable points from banks like Capital One, Chase, American Express, Bilt, and Citi, can be moved to airline and hotel partners. This gives you more flexibility and can sometimes unlock much better value.
Instead of simply using points like cash toward travel, you can search different programs and find the option that gives you the most value. This is how people book flights that might cost thousands of dollars with far fewer points.
But you do not need to understand all of that on day one.
The biggest mistake beginners make is thinking they need to master airline programs, award charts, and advanced strategies before they can start. You don’t.
The goal is simple: earn your first bonus, book your first trip, and learn from there.
Our first travel rewards card was the Capital One Venture card, and we still recommend it because it made the process simple. It helped us understand the basics without feeling overwhelmed. Another popular beginner option is the Chase Sapphire Preferred because it offers flexible points and access to valuable travel partners.
The best first card is not necessarily the card with the most complicated benefits or the highest possible value. It is the card you understand, use responsibly, and actually learn from.
Remember the basics:
- Never spend money you would not normally spend just to earn points.
- Always pay your balance in full.
- Start simple.
- Use your first trip as motivation to keep learning.
Before your first redemption, points are just a number on a screen. After you use them for a real trip, they become a tool that can completely change the way you travel.
The World of Possibilities
Once you take that first trip on points, the doors really start to open. It is not an exaggeration to say there is an entire world of possibilities waiting for you. So much of the travel we have been able to experience has come from learning this hobby.
The crazy part is that I did not know how to do any of this when I started. I continue to learn little by little. I read blogs, follow people who know more than me, and keep testing things for myself. That is the hidden beauty of miles and points: it never really ends. There is always another strategy to learn, another redemption to discover, and another way to make your points work harder.
My advice is simple: do not overthink it.
Start with a good beginner card. Earn your first bonus. Book your first trip. Once you see your points turn into a real experience, the entire hobby starts to make sense.
From there, you can learn as much or as little as you want. You do not need to become an expert overnight. You just need to take the first step.
At its core, the miles and points hobby comes down to one simple idea: earn flexible points as efficiently as possible, then redeem them where they provide the most value.
That is how a few everyday purchases can turn into your next adventure.