Your year-end points and miles checklist
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As you might expect, my social media feeds are full of points and miles enthusiasts. Recently, several self-appointed points and miles “influencers” embarked on a worldwide trek where they had to fly 15 airlines in order to earn one million airline miles with SAS, a European airline.
This annoyed me because it brought up two of my biggest pet peeves about points and miles.
One, it fosters the perception that it takes a lot of time and effort to “win” at points and miles. And two, it feeds the myth that you need a bajillion points and miles to be able to travel.
I reject both of these ideas.
I believe points and miles shouldn’t be complicated or time-consuming. My goal is to help make using your points and miles more accessible, not harder.
So, if you have a resolution to use your points and miles to travel more for less in 2025, I have 5 steps for you to be ready:
1. Download the Going app.
Let’s start with the basics. Go to the App store, search Going, and tap Get.
It’s that simple. This takes two seconds of your life, and now you’ll be ready to hop on the deals when they drop.
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2. Read up on our Intro to Points series.
This email series walks you through the basics of how to get set up in points and miles. Study up, and you’ll be ready to go.
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3. Sign up for airline loyalty accounts.
We talk a lot about transferring credit card points to an airline partner to redeem for a flight. In order to make that transfer, you need to set up a loyalty account with an airline. It’s kind of like transferring from your checking to your savings accounts: You need to have both accounts opened and link them.
You can create these accounts beforehand so that you'll be ready when you see a points deal you want to book.
Some airline programs that frequently appear in our points deals include:
- Air Canada Aeroplan
- Avianca LifeMiles
- Flying Blue
- Virgin Atlantic
If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready!
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4. Use your card’s travel fee credits.
Several credit cards come with annual travel fee credits. These are literally reimbursements in the form of a statement credit when you use your card to pay for an eligible service. Much like your FSA funds, they are a use-it-or-lose-it benefit.
Here are several examples:
One card offers an annual $200 airline incidental fee credit. Even if you’re not flying until next year, you can prepay for checked luggage now to use your credit. Before doing so, you’ll need to select a preferred airline. Just use the chat function in your card’s app to do so.
Another card comes with a $300 annual travel credit. In other words, this card literally reimburses you for the first $300 you spend on travel on the card. If you’re not sure how much credit you have left, contact your card’s customer service.
Finally, another card offers a $300 annual credit for bookings through the card issuer’s travel portal. Not sure how much you have left, if any? Ask your card’s customer service representative.
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5. Plan your credit card strategy.
Audit your spending and card usage in 2024. Was there one card you didn’t use too often? If it comes with a hefty annual fee, maybe it’s worth considering downgrading or even canceling it.
Do you need more points and miles to get where you want to go next year? Then, make a plan to earn a new card’s signup bonus. This card is one of the best all-around options, plus it comes with a hearty 75k-mile bonus!
Not right for you? Check out the best travel credit cards available now.
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Extra credit
Check your progress towards elite status. If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that I don’t think it’s worth stressing over attaining elite status. Why? Because airlines make it harder to earn, holding the right card can get you many of the same perks. But, if this is something you do care about, then check your progress and make your final travel plans to attain it.
Apply for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. There isn’t a calendar year deadline for this to-do list item, but if your card offers a statement credit for an application to either of these programs, take advantage of it. Both programs require an in-person interview as the final step for approval, and the wait for an appointment can sometimes be lengthy. Why not start the online application now and then reserve an interview appointment in the new year?
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With expert:
Kurt Adams
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Kurt is a writer with too many credit cards in his wallet. Before becoming a credit card points pro, he wrote personal finance and small business content. A graduate of Princeton, he lives in New York City.
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A disclaimer about card names:
Due to the quirks of credit card compliance, we are sometimes not allowed to use the actual names of cards or certain banks in emails. This means we have to resort to using more generic language when talking about some credit cards.
We know this can be confusing or frustrating, but we encourage you to click through to our site, where we can name and talk more candidly about the cards and their benefits. While we are bound by the rules of credit card compliance, our mission will always be to put our readers first and help you travel better for less.
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