Daddy Travels Miles & Points

How exactly did I get started with earning travel rewards

In 2014, I began traveling a lot on business, and thought of ways to maximize my points earned from flying and my hotel stays. I did realize though, that even if I were to travel a lot, I’d probably only get a free airfare or a few free nights with hotel stays. It raised my curiosity in possibly finding other ways to supplement my desire to travel outside of work. It just snowballed from there. Since I’m a huge fan of going to Hawaii, I applied for a credit card that could give me a free ticket to Hawaii. I also applied for a Marriott credit card since all my business trips had a nearby Marriott for me to stay, I had no discipline per se, I applied for “whatever” card appealed to me, I had no guidance, I was pretty much on my own. I made mistakes along the way, cards I should have applied for first, but looking back, I have no regrets because with the little growing knowledge I had with credit cards, it had allowed me and my family to travel around the world for nearly free.

Caveat: Credit 101

I feel like I have to keep reminding my readers about this. With you applying for credit cards, I am not suggesting that you should apply, spend $2,000 dollars during one billing period, and only pay the minimum amount. NO. I am not suggesting that. Nor am I suggesting that you spend on frivolous things just so you can earn the points. Definitely not. This endeavor will only work if you spend wisely, pay on time, and in full every month. Plain and simple. If you spend $2,000 this billing cycle, then you pay $2,000 when your billing statement is due. Capiche? Good!

Simple steps to earning rewards from credit cards

• Know your travel goals (where/when you want to go, how many in your party will be traveling) – read next section below
• Learn and know your Chase 5/24 Status (don’t know what this means? READ THIS ENTRY.
  • This is important in planning your strategy.
• Determine which type of reward you’re looking for (air, hotel, cash back, etc.)
• Identify the card/s that could give you those rewards
• Know the sign-up bonus offered by card/s (typically awarded in points, and some, in cash, some given in free nights with hotels)
• Apply for the card, and once approved;
  • Meet the required minimum spend (usually, you’re given 90 days to meet the minimum spend)
  • Once the minimum spend is met, you will get the sign-up bonus added to your account
• You can begin using these bonus points, or free nights, or cash rewards (whatever it is that you were supposed to get)

What kind of credit card should I get? What are your goals?

I’m always asked “what’s a great card to get?” There’s really no perfect fit because we all have different needs. So I turn around and ask, “What are your goals?” Are you looking for rewards that could get you:

• airline tickets
• hotel stays
• rail
• car rentals
• cash back rewards

There are cards that I’ve used that can give you all or most of these rewards. Some cards are best used for hotel stays. In my experience, I’ve used my credit card points that have allowed my family to get airline tickets and hotel stays for nearly free. We have certain cards we carry today that also give us cash back rewards. So it all boils down to your goals. There is no one-size-fits-all, but from my experience, there are credit cards that I’ve used heavily and have been fortunate to travel around the world with their perks.

What is your Chase 5/24 status

So the question now is, “Jason, if I want to get started, which credit cards would you suggest I start with?”

My answer then is what is your Chase 5/24 status? I asked this earlier, and if you still have not answered this question, I suggest reading this ENTRY before you go any further.

• If you are under 5/24 –> proceed to read below
• If you are over 5/24 –> stop and reach out to me for other credit card options. Post your question over on my Daddy Travels Now Facebook page (click here)

“Wait, I don’t know what 5/24 means?” Again, please read this ENTRY (click here).

Two of my favorite cards to travel for FREE or nearly FREE

I have a couple of top picks. If I knew then what I know, for those who are just starting out, I always recommend getting one of these two cards. It will all vary based on your needs and travel goals.

These two Chase Sapphire cards are perfect starter cards. The Chase Sapphire Reserve (CSR)  (no active referral link at this time) and the Chase Sapphire Preferred*. These are both great cards that have gotten lots of use for my family and those who want to get in on earning travel rewards.

Where have we gone with our Chase Ultimate Rewards

Why are they my favorites? I’ve been able to use them to get many airline tickets and hotel stays. We’ve taken many trips where we used points with Chase and we paid $11 per person in fees (between 2014 and 2018).

Hawaii

• Kauai – 2015, 2017, and 2019
• Big Island 2018
• Maui – 2014 and 2016
• Oahu – 2014

We go to Hawaii yearly, the years I mentioned above were the visits that allowed us to use our travel rewards. All other years prior to that, our airfare and hotel stays were always paid in cash.

New York City

• Spring 2017
• Winter 2017
• Summer 2018

 

International Trips

• London, Budapest and Prague – Fall 2015
• Lisbon, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris – Summer 2016
• Philippines  – Winter 2017
• Peru – Spring 2018
• Porto, Italy, and the UK – Summer 2018
• Hong Kong – Fall 2018 (will be blogging about this deal soon)
• Tokyo – Spring 2019

 

We’ve traveled to other places such as Australia, Iceland, Sweden, Singapore, Malaysia, Toronto, Canada, Washington DC, and Philadelphia – and we used other types of credit card points other than Chase Ultimate Rewards.

So yes, as you can see, these points earned with our Chase cards have been quite valuable to me. Oh and by the way, this is not to say that by signing up for these cards that you could avail of all of these trips with just  50,000 bonus points. I just found a way to make my points earned work for me and getting all these points is another story. But for now, let’s focus on you getting started with these cards.

Chase Sapphire Reserve & Chase Sapphire Preferred

Side by Side Comparison

Look at the program details between these two cards and you’ll see similarities and differences.

***Please see the update notes/changes below)

NOTE:

• March 2019, the bonus for the Chase Sapphire Preferred increased to 60,000. The annual fee is $95 and is not waived on the 1st year.

• In 2020, the annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Reserve had increased to $550.

What do they have in common?

So let’s dissect this information.

***NOTE: Chase Sapphire Preferred is currently offering 60,000 bonus points (Nov 2020)

Both cards offer a sign-up bonus of 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards (as of March 2019 – Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a 60,000 bonus – subject to change). In order to get these bonus points, you have to meet the required spend of $4,000 within the first three months. When you travel outside the US and use these cards, you will NOT be charged a foreign transaction fee (other cards charge as much as 3% on top of your purchase).

What are the key differences?

Annual Fee – the Chase Sapphire Preferred charges $95 annual fee , while the CSR charges $550 annual fee. That’s a big difference. But before you set the CSR aside because of it’s $550 annual fee, look at the side-by-side comparison below. For me, the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a more robust, feature-rich credit card that caters to the kind of consumer I am, and the kind of traveler we are as a family.

NOTE: As of March 2019 – the annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Preferred is NO LONGER waived with the increase to 60,000 bonus.

Value of points when redeemed with Ultimate Rewards Portal – that’s a lot of fancy words. The CSR get a 1.5 cents value, while the CSP gets 1.25 cents. When you book you travels using Chase’s UR portal, the points earned with the Reserve is worth more than the points earned with the Preferred.

Dining and Travel – every time we use Reserve for Dining or Travel-related expenses (ranging from hotels, airfares, Uber, cab, train, timeshare, parking, etc.), each dollar spent gets us 3 points vs. 2 points with the Preferred.

Annual Travel Credit – if you have the Reserve, let’s say you booked a hotel stay worth $350. After a couple of days, Chase will issue a $300 credit back to your account.

Global Entry/TSA Precheck – to those not familiar, Global Entry allows for an expeditious processing once you return back on US soil. Those pre approved no long need to wait in long lines. You just go to a kiosk type of machine, scan your passport, answer a few questions, and you’re done. The application fee for Global Entry is $100, and when you use your Chase Sapphire Reserve, after a few days, you will see that $100 charge get credited back to you. Along with Global Entry approval, you also get TSA Precheck approval which allows you to use a specific TSA Precheck line at the airport, and when you go through security, no need to remove your shoes, jacket, or laptop. This line is typically shorter than the regular line.

Airport Lounge Access via Priority Pass – this one is definitely one of the best perks we’ve been using and many thanks to Priority Pass access that we got with our card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Nowadays, you could find our family going to an airport lounge before every flight. We get to eat, drink, relax for a bit, surf the net, or doze off if needed.

Again, it’s all based on your needs. For my family the $450 annual fee charged by the Chase Sapphire Reserve is a no- brainer since we tend to use the benefits to the fullest. Others might be content with getting the Chase Sapphire Preferred, and that is perfectly fine, it truly is one of the best cards out there. As I mentioned, there is no one-size-fits-all.

Can you apply for both?

Up until the middle of 2017, you could apply for both cards and get them with no issues. Now, you can only apply for one. In my wife’s case, prior to mid 2017, she got the CSP in December 2015, and then got the CSR in Dec 2016. This did not present an issue back then. Chase had since changed their policy. You will have to wait 48 months from the last time your bonus posted before you can apply for the other card. This means, you have to choose wisely which card will best suit your travel needs. If you apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred today, and a few months down the line you realize, “Hmmm…I would like Global Entry?” Or, you might want to get access to airport lounges. At that point, Chase won’t allow you to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve.  Again, choose wisely.

As mentioned, there are hundreds of other cards out there, however, having been doing this miles and points journey for the past four years, these two credit cards are the two perfect starter cards that I highly recommend for you to consider.

To learn more about the credit cards that we use in our family that has allowed us to travel around the world for nearly free, click here.

Why I think applying for the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the way to go?

(updated with COVID-19 in mind)

We are in a pandemic in 2020 (and it is unknown when this crisis will end). With COVID-19, not many of us have been traveling the way we were used to. This also means, we’ve not been having all of the opportunities to maximize the travel benefits linked the premium credit cards. So when I’m asked, “should I apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve with an annual fee of $550 and bonus points of 50K, or, should I apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred with an annual fee of $95 and bonus points of 60K? For me, especially with today’s crisis, I’d go for the card with the lower annual fee and BIGGER bonus. You can always upgrade or do a product change after one year of owning the CSP and get a CSR. This will allow you to earn the bigger pot of 60K vs 50K bonus with the CSR.

How can I begin earning points to travel for nearly free?

I updated my favorite travel credit cards. I’ve also written this recently:

• How we traveled using nearly 2 million points in 2018

However, if I were just starting out, there was always one card that stood out, perfect for a lot of those who are getting into the game.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a perfect starter card. With its 60,000 bonus points, those points alone have gotten us two tickets to Hawaii, just as an example. The sign up bonus alone can be worth as much as $1,000 or more in travel.

– 1000,000 Ultimate Rewards sign up bonus after $4,000 in spend in the first three months (as of May 2021)
– Points are transferable to:

• Hotel Partners
  • Hyatt
  • Marriott
  • IHG
  • Ritz-Carlton
• Airline travel partners
  • JetBlue
  • United Airlines
  • British Airways
  • Southwest Airlines
  • Singapore Airlines
  • Flying Blue
  • Virgin Atlantic
  • Aer Lingus
  • Iberia

– Points are worth 1.25 cents each when redeemed through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal
– Primary rental car collision damage waiver
– Earn 2X points on all travel and dining
– $95 annual fee

If I were just starting out in earning miles and points, I suggest starting out with this card,  the Chase Sapphire Preferred. We have two upcoming trips in 2019 and we’re very excited.

• How my family booked 12 FREE tickets to Japan
• How we booked SIX FREE tickets to Hawaii this 4th of July

To apply for my favorite Top Travel credit cards that I use most, click here

• Follow me on Facebook at Daddy Travels Now
• Instagram @daddy.travelsnow_

Lastly, here Reader Success Tales that I featured on my site.

• The Yamaguchi’s European Holiday Vacation
• Stephen & Fiona’s Aspirational Trip to Japan
• $80 Trip to Costa Rica for 2 – Vanessa’s Tale
• Traveling is not just for the rich – Iza’s $11 Trip to Hawaii
• Last-minute trip to Hawaii – Bryan & Emily’s Tale
• The Smith Sisters conquer New York City – Gina’s Tale
• Seeing the world through my children’s eyes – Maricar’s tale

For more deals, follow me on my travel page on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter

Editorial Disclosure – The editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuers, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuers.