How We Started Traveling More (Without Spending More)
If you’re brand new to the world of points and miles… welcome. We promise it’s not as complicated as people on the internet make it sound.
First things first:
We are NOT financial advisors, accountants, or legal experts. We’re just twins who have traveled to dozens of countries, luxury resorts, boutique hotels, and dream destinations using points, miles, loyalty programs, transfer bonuses, and travel hacking strategies over the years.
And honestly?
We wish we had started sooner.
The biggest misconception people have is that travel hacking is only for people who fly constantly for work or spend thousands and thousands of dollars. That’s just not true.
The reality is:
Most people are already spending money every single day. Groceries. Gas. Insurance. Kids activities. Dining. Hotels. Flights. Amazon. Utilities. Costco runs.
The goal isn’t to spend MORE money.
The goal is to make the money you’re already spending work smarter for you.
Here’s exactly how we’d start over today if we were beginners again.
Step 1: Look at Where You ACTUALLY Spend Money
This is the biggest beginner mistake people make.
They sign up for a random “best travel card” they saw online… without thinking about how they actually travel.
Before you apply for anything, sit down and ask yourself:
- Where do I spend the most money each year?
- What airlines do I naturally fly?
- Do I stay at hotels often?
- Am I mostly traveling domestically or internationally?
- Do I value flexibility or loyalty?
- Do I want luxury hotels? Flights? Lounge access? Free checked bags?
For Kara, the answer became obvious pretty quickly:
She spends the MOST money on:
- accommodations
- flights
So she focused on cards that would maximize:
- hotel redemptions
- airline miles
At the time, her first cards were:
- United
- Hyatt
Why?
Because she was constantly flying routes like:
- Denver
- Phoenix
…and United had the best routes and availability for where she naturally traveled.
Hyatt also had one of the BEST redemption values in travel. (Still true honestly.)
For Kate, flexibility mattered more.
So she started with Chase Ultimate Rewards points because:
- she wanted transfer flexibility
- she didn’t want to be locked into one airline or hotel
- lounge access was important since she traveled frequently
At the time, Chase Sapphire Reserve was one of the strongest all-around beginner luxury travel cards.
And honestly? It still is.
Step 2: Think About Your NEXT Trips (Not Your Dream Trips)
A lot of beginners get distracted by:
“OMG I can fly Emirates First Class to Dubai someday!”
Cool.
But realistically… where are you traveling in the next 1–3 years?
This matters WAY more.
Ask yourself:
Are you mostly traveling domestically?
You may benefit more from:
- Southwest
- United
- Hilton
- Marriott
- Hyatt
Planning national park trips?
You’ll probably use chain hotels more often.
That’s where Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt cards can become super valuable.
Traveling internationally?
Transferable points become WAY more important.
That’s where cards like:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserve
- American Express Gold/Platinum
- Capital One Venture X
really shine because you can transfer points to airline partners later.
Flexibility = power.
Step 3: Understand Transfer Partners (THIS Is the Magic)
This is where points and miles go from:
“cool little discounts”
to
“wait… people are doing WHAT for free?!”
Transfer partners are how people book:
- business class flights
- luxury resorts
- international airfare
- aspirational hotels
for WAY fewer points.
Example:
Instead of redeeming through a travel portal at 1 cent per point…
you might transfer those points to:
- Air France
- Virgin Atlantic
- Flying Blue
- Hyatt
- Aeroplan
…and suddenly your points become dramatically more valuable.
This is why flexible points currencies are so powerful.
The “big three” flexible ecosystems are usually:
- Chase Ultimate Rewards
- American Express Membership Rewards
- Capital One Miles
These let you transfer later depending on the best deal.
And yes — transfer bonuses are a HUGE thing.
Sometimes airlines offer:
- 20%
- 30%
- even 40% bonuses
just for transferring during certain periods.
That’s how experienced travel hackers stretch points far.
Step 4: Annual Fees Are NOT Always Bad
This one scares beginners.
People see:
“$95 annual fee”
or
“$695 annual fee”
…and immediately panic.
But here’s the thing:
A card is only worth it if the benefits outweigh the fee.
For example:
Kara kept her Hyatt card because:
- the annual fee was around $95
- every year it included a free hotel night certificate
That free night alone was often worth:
$200+.
So the math worked.
Even if it was “just” a business hotel during work travel, the card paid for itself.
Step 5: Premium Cards ONLY Make Sense If You Use Them
Kara recently added an American Express Platinum card.
Yes — the fee is HIGH.
But the reason it made sense was because she knew she would use:
- airline credits
- Uber credits
- hotel benefits
- lounge access
- TSA PreCheck/Global Entry
- Fine Hotels & Resorts perks
- travel protections
If you actually use the perks?
The value can offset much of the fee.
If you DON’T use the perks?
Don’t get the card.
Simple.
Step 6: Start Slow — You Do NOT Need 14 Credit Cards
Social media has made this world look insane.
You do NOT need:
- 15 cards
- spreadsheets
- manufactured spending
- weird hacks
Start with:
1–2 strong cards.
Learn:
- how points work
- how to redeem
- how transfers work
- how to track benefits
THEN expand later.
Honestly, beginners usually do best with:
- one flexible points card
- one hotel or airline card
That’s it.
Beginner Friendly Cards We’d Personally Look At Right Now
(Again — not financial advice. Just what we’d personally research if starting over today.)
Flexible Beginner Cards
Great for people who want options.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Capital One Venture X
- American Express Gold Card
Why we like these:
- transferable points
- strong welcome bonuses
- flexibility
- easier beginner redemptions
Best Beginner Hotel Programs
Hyatt
Still one of the BEST redemption values in travel.
Especially for:
- luxury hotels
- boutique stays
- international properties
Hilton
Great footprint. Easier for families. Tons of locations.
Marriott
Huge global presence and useful for road trips + national parks.
Best Beginner Airline Programs
United
Good domestic network. Strong partner network through Star Alliance.
Southwest
Amazing for families and domestic travel.
Delta
Easy to use but often higher redemption costs.
Biggest Beginner Mistakes
❌ Cashing out points for gift cards
Usually terrible value.
❌ Opening too many cards too quickly
Slow down. Learn first.
❌ Ignoring annual fees
Run the math every single year.
❌ Letting points sit forever
Programs devalue constantly.
❌ Not checking transfer partners
This is where the BEST value lives.
Our Favorite Beginner Strategy If Starting Today
If we had to restart completely from zero?
We’d probably do:
Option 1: Flexibility First
- Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Learn transfer partners
- Add Hyatt later
Option 2: Family Travel Focus
- Southwest + Hyatt
- Great for domestic travel and easier redemptions
Option 3: Luxury Travel Focus
- Amex Gold or Platinum
- Learn airline transfers
- Focus on premium cabin flights and luxury hotels
✈️
Travel hacking isn’t about gaming the system.
It’s about:
- being intentional
- maximizing your spending
- understanding loyalty programs
- traveling better for less
And honestly?
One of the biggest things we’ve learned is this:
You do NOT need to be wealthy to travel well.
Some of our favorite flights, upgrades, hotels, and experiences happened because we learned how points actually worked.
Start small.
Learn slowly.
Focus on YOUR travel style.
And remember:
The best points strategy is the one you’ll actually use.
For more beginner-friendly travel tips, affordable luxury ideas, and points & miles strategies, check out TravelledTwins and follow @travelledtwins on Instagram.