My family is in a single-digit countdown to our trip to Europe. Several people have commented to us about how lucky we are to be going (and flying in business class seats to boot!)
Yes, we are certainly lucky. However, we don’t always get the best deals when it comes to miles and points credit card offers and shortcuts.
The Lucky and the Not As Lucky
Certainly, my husband and I have scored some great deals with credit card sign-ups and promotions over the years. These include some deals that were only available for a limited time:
- 100k sign-up bonus on Chase Sapphire Reserve
- 100k sign-up bonus on Capital One Venture X (X2)
- Hyatt Diamond status upgrade through Twitter in 2015
- 5 nights at Andaz Costa Rica for 15k points per night/room
However, we don’t always score the highest/best deals:
- We signed up for the BoA Air France card when the bonus was 50k last year. Now it’s 70k.
- We got Citi Premier cards when the bonus was 50k. Now the bonus is 80k, and we were both denied after applying yesterday.
- I passed on a 25% transfer bonus from Chase to Air France last month, but I wound up booking flights at the “full price” a few weeks later. Ugh.
What Matters Most
So in this hobby, you win some and you lose some. But overall, I’m still winning. The point is, I’m DOING SOMETHING. I took the leap years ago to open a new credit card, and I continued. I keep reading to find deals and jump on them when I can.
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. So why not take a shot?
If you are ready to start accumulating miles and points for travel, see my post Travel Hacking 101.
Experienced miles and points hobbyists, what are some of the biggest wins you’ve had?
