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You probably realize that no one is just handing out free airline tickets to your dream destination 10,000 miles away from home. Wait... no one is doing that right? If they are... you would let me know, wouldn't you? Of course you would! ;-) You also probably realize that most people who are traveling to amazing destinations are not paying cash for all of their flights. Sure, there are some people who can afford to fly anywhere at any time in first class without batting an eye. But how are the 20-something-year-old backpackers doing it!? Have you ever stopped and thought "Wait a second... what am I doing wrong here?!" I have! For a long time I have avoided the idea of signing up for credit cards just for perks, and now I wish I hadn't. But I only say that because I am a responsible credit card user. I never charge more than I can pay off that month. Every month my cards get completely paid off. I never pay interest on a charge I make on any credit card. Period. I don't even know or really care what my card maximums are, because I will never need that much credit. Know what I'm saying? Anyhow, after years of a PNC credit card that gave fairly decent cash back and mailed you out a cash check every time you reached $100 bucks, I switched to Chase. Here's the easy way to get a round trip to almost anywhere you want to go in the next few months. Chase Sapphire Preffered: * 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months. * 5,000 bonus points when you add an authorized user and they make a purchase * 2x points on travel and dining at restaurants * 1 point/dollar on everything else * 1:1 points transfer to a TON of travel programs including United, British Air, Korean Air, Singapore Air, Southwest, Virgin Atlantic, Hyatt Gold, IGH Rewards Marriot Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards.. So 1,000 Chase points = 1,000 miles/points with any of the partners. Awesome value! * $0 Foreign Transaction Fees (Perfect For Travel Abroad!!!) * 20% off travel when you use points for airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. This card has NO annual fee for the first year, and after that the fee is $95. Chase Sapphire Preffered has some awesome protection for you while traveling also including coverage if you bag is delayed, damaged, or lost. I have personally experienced this and plan to post more about it in the future. Chase Freedom: * 15,000 bonus points when you spend $500 in the first 3 months * 2,500 bonus points when you add an authorized user that makes a purchase * 5% on up to $1,500 each quarter in bonus categories that rotate * 1% cash back on everything else * Points never expire if your account is open Some of the categories have included: Gas Stations, Local Commuter Transportation, Grocery Stores, Restaurants, Amazon, Online Shopping, Amusement Parks etc. Each quarter you have to activate so you can get the bonus 5% in the categories. You can opt for a reminder email and You can activate it until about 2 weeks before the quarter ends and it will be retroactive for the whole quarter, so don't worry if you forgot to do it before the quarter started! This card has NO annual fee. Period. YAY! Why These Cards Are A Great Team One Reason: Points can be transferred. For instance, you can cash out your 1,500 points on Chase Freedom for $150. OR you can transfer them to Chase Sapphire, which will then allow you to book travel with them or transfer them to any of the partner programs and you will likely get a value of more than $150. You can also transfer points like this: Say your spouse has a card with 5,000 points. And you are 5,000 points short to book a flight. He can call in and transfer his points to your card, combine the points, so you can book award travel! Score! When to Use: |