The Easy, Step by Step Guide to Earning a Free Flight

The process of earning a free flight doesn't have to be as daunting as many people make it seem. You don't need to travel a lot, have a high status on an airline, or have a plethora of credit cards. If you have decent credit and are responsible with your money, it can be much easier than you think.

Step 1: Do some research and set a goal

Before you start signing up for credit cards left and right, figure out what your end goal is. Do you want to fly roundtrip to Europe? Maybe a one way, first class flight to Asia? Want to score a flight on a specific airline?Check out a few airline websites to see where they fly and how many points it takes to book the flight you want. Be sure that when you are searching for fares you click for the prices to be shown in awards or miles and not dollars. It is extra important that you search for your flight under awards availability as the availability varies greatly when compared to flights paid in dollars.  

Step 2: Choose a main credit card

The three main options for credit cards with travel rewards and transfer options are Chase, American Express, and Citi Rewards. Each of these companies offer credit cards that give you the opportunity to earn more points on travel expenses, dining, and other categories. They each also have their own transfer partners, where you can transfer the points you have earned to partner airlines (hint: how we make these "free" flights happen!).Some favorites of each of these travel credit cards include:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred
• American Express Premier Rewards
• Citi Thank You Premier

You may notice that all of these credit cards have a yearly fee. The first year the fee is waved, past that you will be charged to use the credit card each year. For some, that may be worth it based on all the benefits that you receive. If not, be sure to cancel the card before your one-year anniversary to avoid paying the fee.

Step 2: Spend that minimum and get the bonus points for your new member offer!

This is the important part! Each credit card has their own guidelines for earning the new member bonus. The offers range from a 20,000-100,000 credit card points after spending a set amount of purchases within 2-3 months of opening the credit card. Each credit card has their own offer, so be sure to read it carefully so that you meet the minimum spending amount within the time frame. If not, you lose out on the opportunity to earn a giant chunk of points.

(Optional) Step 3: Choose a partner's credit card, spend that minimum, and get those bonus points!

This step is optional - depending on how many points you need and which transfer partner you choose. If you are planning on booking your points flight through United, Delta, American Airlines, Southwest, British Airways, or JetBlue then this is a great way to earn another big chunk of points.Once again, apply for the credit card and be sure to meet the minimum spending amount to earn your bonus. Be sure that you choose a card that is a transfer partner to your main card (transfer partner list in Step 4), so you can combine these points for the ultimate redemption!

• United Explorer card through Chase
• Delta SkyMiles card through American Express
• American Airlines AAdvantage card through Citi
• Southwest Airlines card through Chase
• British Airways card through Chase
• JetBlue card through Barclays

Step 4: Transfer points

Now that you know which flight you want and have the points to buy it, it's time to transfer those points. Log into your main credit card account and transfer the amount of points that you need to the partner of your choice.If you decided to complete step 3, then you will be transferring your points to the airline associated with your second card to combine your points.

• Most points can be transferred in 1,000 point intervals.
• Most points are transferred at a 1:1 ratio and transfer automatically, some may take a day or two.
• Be sure to double check, as some transfer partners (such as JetBlue) don't have a 1:1 ratio, so you may lose points while transferring.
• American Express charges a small fee for points transfers, but it is well worth it for the points redemption.
• Once you transfer your Citi Points, they expire after 90 days, so be sure to use them during that time!

Chase transfer partners:

• British Airways
• Air France
• Singapore Air
• United
• Southwest
• Virgini Atlantic
• Korean Air
• Aberia
• Aer Lingus

American Express TRANSFER PARTNERS:

• British Airways
• Singapore Air
• Iberia Plus
• Aeromexico
• Aeroplan
• ANA
• Delta
• Hawaiian
• JetBlue
• Emirate
• Alitalia
• Asia Miles
• Etihad
• Flying Blue (Air France + KLM)
• Virgin Atlantic

Citi TRANSFER PARTNERS:

• Flying Blue (Air France + KLM)
• Jet Blue
• Avianca LifeMiles
• Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• Etihad Airways
• Singapore Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• EVA Air
• Garuda Indonesia
• Jet Airways
• JetBlue
• Malaysia Enrich
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• Thai Airways
• Turkish Airlines

Step 5: Book the flight

Now time for the fun part, booking your flight! Log into your airline of choice, search for your flight under awards/miles, book the flight. Most flights you need to pay airline fees/taxes on top of paying for the flight with points. This could range from a few dollars to a couple hundred dollars, depending on the flight and airline.When booking your flight, be extra careful while looking at the flight details. Many rewards flights will have extra long layovers that may not be ideal.

(Optional) Step 6: Cancel credit card

You've earned your points, booked your flight, and finished your trip! If you don't want to keep your credit card for any reason, you can always cancel your credit card or downgrade the card to one with no annual fee.

Commonly Asked Questions

Will my credit score go up by applying to multiple credit cards?

Yes, it can cause your credit score to increase slightly, but nothing major. And don't worry, your credit score will settle back to where it was if you continue to pay your bills on time.

What if I can't pay off my credit card bill in full?

If you can't pay off your bill in full each month, then this may not be for you. Not paying your credit card bill in full can lead to interest fees and then these points aren't really "free" anymore.

What if I haven't used my points within the first year of having my card but I want to cancel it before I have to pay the annual fee?

No worries! Call up your credit card company and ask if you can be switched to a no fee card and confirm that your points will transfer.

What about building up status with a specific airline?

Building up status with an airline can be a great thing. It pays to be loyal and a lot of benefits can come with that. However, if you don't fly that often it really isn't worth it to chase status on a particular airline. It is probably more worth your while to take the cheaper or more convenient flight. You should however still sign up for their loyalty programs, that way you can still rack up points with each flight.

Have you ever redeemed airline or credit card points for a flight? Let us know in the comments!