{"id":135,"date":"2019-11-26T05:07:04","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T05:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/boltonpoints.com\/?p=135"},"modified":"2020-02-13T22:25:12","modified_gmt":"2020-02-13T22:25:12","slug":"whats-in-my-wallet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/boltonpoints.com\/index.php\/2019\/11\/26\/whats-in-my-wallet\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s in my wallet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Throughout the years, the one question I\u2019ve been asked consistently is how Leigh and travel like we do. Beyond the fact that we\u2019re both lucky to have great jobs that allow for a good amount of flexibility, the primary method is simply using points. It used to be that I earned most (and a lot) of my points through actually traveling for work, but nowadays, that\u2019s not so true\u2026at least with airlines. As loyalty programs have (d)evolved, I\u2019ve found myself relying more and more on credit card sign-up bonuses and spend. The question is: where to start? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

My view is that you should concentrate enough miles and points in at least two programs and\/or in flexible currency. Why two? Because that it provides more opportunities for award space. For example, you may find plenty of award space TO Europe on oneworld via American Airlines, but you literally can\u2019t find anything to get home. If you have United miles, then you\u2019ve just increased your odds of getting home on a Star Alliance carrier<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, having points in more currencies is great for open jaw itineraries. An open jaw is an itinerary where you go into city A and go out of city B, with no booked connection between the two. Example: you want to fly from Atlanta to London, then a few days later, take the Chunnel to Paris and fly out from there back to Atlanta. In this example, you might be able to find British Airways\/oneworld award space there and Air France\/Sky Team award space coming home just due to the fact you\u2019re traveling in and out of different airline hubs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through spend, travel, and signup bonuses, I always try to keep enough points in each of my frequent flier accounts to cover a one-way business class ticket. Leigh has several of the same cards as me, and that\u2019s her strategy as well. If we find that award space has opened up when we need it, we book it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transferrable currency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I used to only hoard American miles because that was who I was loyal to and certainly that\u2019s all I could ever need. The issue I consistently found is that I could never find the award space I needed, when I needed it, on both legs. While I\u2019m no longer solely loyal to American, I\u2019ve also changed my strategy. I still have miles with American, and I have miles with United, and Alaska, and Virgin Atlantic, and a few with Delta. I also have Chase Ultimate Rewards Points and American Express Membership Rewards, both of which transfer to a myriad of partners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Chase and American Express allow you to use points to book flights directly. This is a great option for those who are less flush on cash or just want to save some money. Further, you still earn frequent flyer miles (elite-qualifying too) on the flight itself, which can be a huge boon if you find a great deal! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also transfer miles to a myriad of partners for both Chase and American Express:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current<\/strong> American Express transfer partners:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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