The True Value of Travel Hacking
Travel hacking can look vastly different for individuals depending on their goals and wishes of playing this game. No matter what redemptions are made, the true value of travel hacking is greater flexibility and less worry when it comes to booking travel.
Jessica Savic
Good Redemptions
You may come across influencers in the travel hacking world that swear by only making redemptions worth certain values. While in theory that may be the best use of your points and miles, maximizing your redemptions may not always be ideal for you.
When I initially started the points/miles game, my intent wasn’t to travel to tropical islands all over the world. It was primarily due to being tired of paying for hotels and flights when traveling for my kid’s sporting events. I already pay a ridiculous amount of money for my kids to play club sports and paying for travel-related expenses on top of that was killing me.
Once I started travel hacking, the relief of not having to worry about additional hotel and flight expenses was immense. While these types of redemptions may not be considered sexy, for our family they are integral to our financial picture.
It’s easy watch influencers on Instagram sipping champagne from their first-class seat and think you are missing something. But remember, there is no ‘right or wrong’ way to play this game. Any redemption you make with points and miles is an advantage over outright paying cash for the travel!
Meaningful Redemptions
While my family has been fortunate to take some amazing vacations thanks to points and miles, some of the trips I’ve been most thankful for have nothing to do with exotic locations. One such redemption happened recently when I was able to visit my uncle who was in his last stages of battling metastatic cancer.
Travel rewards allowed me to make a last-minute trip to see a beloved family member to say good-bye. This last-minute trip would have cost nearly $900 for the flights and several hundred for hotel costs. And while this was an extremely difficult weekend emotionally, I will forever be grateful for our time together. Ultimately this would not have been possible (or would have been financially very difficult) without points and miles.
While travel rewards can take you places all over the world, sometimes it is the family memories you make closer to home that are the most impactful. Due to my work schedule, it can be difficult sometimes to take lengthy vacations throughout the year. We love booking small staycations along California’s southern coast, not too far from home for small breaks. While these are not usually extravagant, our family loves getting away for a few days, staying in a nice hotel, and exploring a new town. Our kids are constantly asking when the next staycation is, they are hooked!
Be Yourself
Whatever reasons you got into the travel hacking game, make your redemptions make sense for you. Only you can really determine what the true value of travel hacking means to you! If you are aiming for those luxury seats on a 15-hour flight to Aisa, more power to you! But if your primary goal with joining this game is to save your family a little money when travelling for kid’s sports tournaments, you can’t lose there either!
Just remember that when you are booking with travel rewards, you are already ahead of the game. You have already increased your purchasing power by covering flights and hotels, making your money go further for other travel needs.
Don’t get caught up in what travel redemptions influencers on Instagram are posting. Evaluate your goals with travel, the points/miles you have, and the redemptions that make the most sense for you and your family. Then get out there and get traveling!
Learn More
Interested to learn more about travel hacking? Check out our Introduction to Travel Hacking Basics here!
Ready to apply for a new card? Check out our Top Recommended Cards here!
