Save On Travel: Use Points to Pay for Flights and Hotels

The strategies in this article are for anyone who just wants a seat on the plane and to travel as cheaply as possible.

• students
• backpacker
• solo
• with friends
• in family
• weekend getaway
• world tour over several months
• etc.

How Can I Save Money When I Travel?

Where to Travel on a Budget?

Planning a trip on a budget starts with a realistic estimate of expenses, including transportation, accommodation, food and activities. Some destinations, such as Southeast Asia, are more affordable than Western Europe. To save money on flights, it’s a good idea to use price comparison sites and keep an eye out for promotions.

When it comes to accommodation, youth hostels, independent hotels and home-stays (Airbnb) offer options to suit different budgets. Eating locally or cooking for yourself can also cut costs. Free activities, such as free museums, festivals or hiking, enrich the experience without weighing down your wallet. Finally, using loyalty programs and tracking expenses in real time helps you maximize your budget while enjoying your trip to the fullest.

The World of Credit Card Points for Travel Savings

The objective will be to earn mainly reward points for travel and make up the difference with what you’re saving. It seems that most people do the opposite since it seems more logical.

But the hunt for points is a very lucrative game when you’ve mastered it! Additionally, with the Canadian dollar plummeting, points could be even more attractive to travel with, as you’re likely to get a better valuation.

The Beginner’s Guide is a must-have for people who want to save money on travel simply by optimizing their spending habits.

What's the best way to save on travel with credit cards that are easily accessible to everyone?

The range of credit card choices for students is not huge, since your credit history and income are limited. However, with the right strategy, you can quickly climb the ladder to become an expert in the world of points.

Students and people with low incomes are eligible for a variety of credit cards that do not require a minimum income. On Milesopedia, we have a card comparison tool that allows us to filter credit cards according to our situation.

By indicating a zero personal income, many credit cards are available.

For example, the National Bank Platinum Mastercard^® requires no income.

On the other hand, the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Platinum* Credit Card and the American Express Cobalt^® Card are also very accessible for people who want to easily accumulate points for flights.

The Points Accumulation Strategy and Tips for Saving Money When Travelling

Before choosing a credit card, you must make a budget. Then, figure out your consumption habits and ensure a sound management of your expenses: this is how you can optimize the return in points on each purchase.

The Objective and Types of Reward Points to Prioritize

During my college summers, I was able to take several backpacking trips; these trips lasted on average 3 to 4 months.

The goal was always the same: to travel longer and experience more in the most economical way. Luxury and business class were not a priority at all.

So, the strategy for accumulating reward points was almost identical for all these journeys; the focus was on travel points.

Saving Money on Your Travels – Low-Cost Lodging and Accommodation

Independent Hotels

To travel the world in the most economical way possible, you should mainly turn to travel points that can be applied to your purchases.

In short, using this type of points is very simple. You book the least expensive hotel (or bed) with your credit card.

Then, since the expense is categorized as « travel », the points can be used to reduce the balance owing on the credit card statement, and save money on travel.

Basically, the lowest prices for accommodation will be found on independent hotel platforms.

• Hostelworld
• Booking.com
• Hotels.ca
• Expedia
• AirBnB
• etc.

The following cards should be on your radar for saving on travel accommodation expenses, as they are accessible to everyone.

• National Bank Platinum Mastercard
• CIBC Aventura^® Gold Visa* Card
• TD Platinum Travel Visa* Card
• and the American Express Cobalt^® Card

Youth Hostels: A Goldmine for Travel Savings

Youth hostels or hostels should always be an option when you want to save money when travelling.

These facilities are not just for backpackers. Indeed, this false image can lead you to overlook them, but it is an excellent opportunity to save money on your trip.

Hostels offer mostly dormitory-type beds that can accommodate up to twenty people in the same room. You pay for each bed you use, so if you are travelling alone, it won’t be very expensive. Shared lounge areas and kitchens are usually available, and bathrooms are also shared.

Youth hostels sometimes have private rooms too: these may or may not share a bathroom. These rooms are an excellent compromise between privacy, comfort and economy. You will have to pay a little more than for a bed in a dormitory, but the rate is still interesting even if you are alone.

Plus, hostels often offer low-cost social activities and excursions. So it’s easy to meet new people too!

Marriott Hotels

Although a Marriott hotel is much more comfortable than a youth hostel, the latter will always be cheaper.

However, the welcome bonuses on Marriott Bonvoy credit cards are quite generous. This way, you can easily earn points to save on travel with these hotels!

In fact, there are several sweetspot destinations for the Marriott Bonvoy program where a credit card can give you several free nights!

A good strategy would be to integrate the Marriott Bonvoy sweetspots into our itinerary, then complement with independent hotels at other locations.

What better way to save on travel than with free luxury!

Save On Travel – The Cheapest Flights Possible

International Flights

When it comes to flights don’t overlook airline points (Aeroplan, Avios, etc.) for international flights in favour of travel points. Airline points are very easy to accumulate in Canada.

There are several credit cards available to earn airline points. The following two cards stand out for saving money on airfare when travelling.

TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Platinum* Credit Card :Earn 1 point^† per dollar on all eligible gas and grocery purchases. (If your income allows it, its big sisters offer more points per dollar spent).

American Express Cobalt^TM Card: earn 5 times points on eligible food and beverage purchases made in Canada. This includes grocery stores and food delivery services.

In fact, they allow you to earn more points on the main expense item for most people: groceries.

Although the dilemma between using points or paying in cash remains, money saved is money that could be used elsewhere.

So even if your valuation calculation isn’t optimal, the points you have can help you get a plane ticket that would otherwise be difficult to pay for.

If you’re paying for a ticket in cash, think again about the travel points applicable on the purchase to save on travel!

In addition, some programs (Avios, Asia Miles, Aeroplan, etc.) allow you to build complex itineraries such as a « round the world » trip or to make the most of your points and save on travel.

In fact, accumulating enough airline points for a round-the-world trip will be much easier than collecting $5,000 to pay for all the plane tickets.

Domestic Flights

Then, turning to travel points applicable on expenses will be preferable when low-cost airlines serve your destination. Especially in Europe and Asia, lowcosts are hard to beat.

However, if you run out of travel points and still have airline points left over, you can still use them in the same way as above.

Avios miles can cover the majority of your domestic flights, in Australia and Japan for example, and surpass the savings of low-cost airfares.

Paying tuition, taxes and fees with credit card

By default, tuition fees are payable by cheque or bank transfer. However, some institutions allow payment of these fees by credit card with or without additional fees. Just ask!

Otherwise, there are ways to pay bills of all kinds by credit card (school and municipal taxes, Hydro-Quebec, etc.) with Plastiq and PaySimply. Sure, there are fees to consider for using this service, but to unlock a bonus, it may be worth it!

How to Save for a Trip With Friends and Family?

Take a look at the people you know and trust, and target those who have no interest in joining the world of points and rewards. Their expenses can help unlock your welcome bonuses. Then, to compensate for the points or discount they couldn’t earn themselves on their purchases, you can give them a discount to make it fair.

For example, I have a friend who does her grocery shopping at IGA and gets 3% cash back with her BMO CashBack^® Mastercard^®*, because depending on her needs and goals, it’s the ideal card for her.

In fact, it doesn’t collect enough rewards to justify the annual fee of a card with a better accumulation rate. Also, she is not interested in managing it all.

So I buy her a $100 gift card to IGA with my American Express Cobalt^® Card. Then she transfers me $97, while this amount helps me reach expenses to unlock a welcome bonus. So I’m not taking anything away from her that she would have achieved without me.

This is comparable to using services for bill payment or buying points. To unlock a bonus or to use those points at a higher value, it might be worth it.

Similarly, when I’m at a restaurant with friends, I always grab the bill if they pull out cash… No need to disown these friends, they’re actually helping you save on travel!