Strategies for Earning Tons of Miles and Points in 2018

Happy 2018! The new year brings a slew of new travel opportunities. Whether you’ve given it extensive thought or are just getting around to it, it’s time to come up with a strategy to meet your travel goals in 2018. Planning ahead is always a good idea, so now is the time to tally up how many miles you need and which currency you’ll use to get there. Next steps? Lucky for you, I’ve outlined those as well. Here are some strategies for earning tons of miles and points in 2018:

1 – Time your credit card applications

Once you have your travel plans figured out, it’s time to plan out your credit card applications. Most people apply for 3-5 cards every quarter. But you should figure out how many miles you need and which credit cards will get you there.

There’s really no need to apply for credit cards beyond that, though it helps to work in some flexible rewards points just in case of fluctuating award availability. It’s also important to be aware of credit card approval rules for different banks so you don’t apply for cards in the wrong order. After all, a credit card inquiry is a terrible thing to waste…

2- Pick your airline for the Amex Platinum Card Airline Fee Credit

The annual airline fee credit from The Platinum Card and Amex Business Platinum Card are awesome ways to earn extra miles and save on travel. How? For starters, you’re getting $200 worth of statement credits from each card. That’s $200 worth of spending that you’re getting reimbursed for.

Those credits can be applied towards travel fee or even airline gift cards. If you go the latter route, you’ll not only get up to $200 worth of airline fees/gift cards reimbursed, but you’ll also earn miles based on distance flown. Be sure to designate your airline for the credit by January 31, 2018.

3 – Get help from authorized users

Whether you’re new to this hobby or have been at it for a while, adding authorized users is a great strategy for earning tons of points and miles throughout the year. Not only do many banks offer bonus points for adding authorized users, but you can double your earnings from credit card spending by adding a trustworthy friend or family to your card.

This can get tricky, so make sure you’re only choosing people you can trust 100% to pay you back. It’s easier with family, especially if you’re dealing with a spouse or perhaps a college-aged kid who gets an allowance from you anyway. At least by making them an authorizes user, you’re getting rewarded when they sponge off of you.

4 – Pay attention to Amex Offers

I’m a huge fan of Amex Offers. Not only do I save hundreds of dollars every year on things I plan on buying anyway, but I also earn tons of miles. Over the last few months, I’ve been targeted for some incredible travel deals.

Right now, I’ve got a bunch of statement credit offers for Hilton, Starwood, Marriott, and Thompson hotels along with travel gift card deals. All of these deals either come with massive bonus points or around a 20% discount on hotel charges. I don’t know about you all, but it really doesn’t get better than earning tons of points and saving money on travel.

Amex Offers for travel deals aren’t the only way you can earn tons of points in 2018. I’ve routinely been targeted with incredibly retail offers: 5x points at Sam’s Club, $20 off a $45 Sam’s Club membership, 1000 bonus points for $25 gas purchases, 7500 points for $325 spent at Kate Spade, etc. Some of these deals were super easy for me to complete based on regular spending. Others I was able to take advantage of thanks to family members. But overall, Amex Offers has made it possible for me to not only off-set my credit card annual fees, but earn tens of thousands of bonus points. Here’s to more great deals like this in 2018!

5 – Put reselling on your radar

Reselling has been popular for a few years now, but the more things go down hill in this hobby, the more people gravitate towards reselling as a means of earning more miles and points. What is reselling? Buying products at a discount and then selling them (mostly on eBay and Amazon) at a profit.

A lot of people also buy products wholesale from China and then sell them online. In other words, they’re running a business. Ultimately, that’s a far easier and more rewarding way to generate points and miles while also spending your time productively. If you haven’t given reselling much thought, 2018 is as good a time as ever.

The most important strategy is to prepare in advance. Regardless of whether you plan on earning your points and miles via credit card sign-up bonuses or spending, do it well in advance. Take it from a (recently) reformed last-minute planner: It’s way less stressful when you book everything ahead of time. Here’s hoping for a rewarding, travel-filled 2018!