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Do you like free stuff?

Free coffee? Absolutely. Free tickets? Even better. Free hotel stays and flights? Now you have my attention.

I love to travel, and I like to travel well. First Class? Yes. Five-star hotels? Yes. Private tours? Definitely.

But traveling well doesn’t always have to mean paying full price.

For years, my family and I have used loyalty programs, points, miles, credit card rewards, and everyday spending to travel around the world without breaking the bank. If you’re new to all of this, consider this your introduction to travel hacking for beginners—starting with one of the most important decisions: where to focus your loyalty.

Is this travel hacking? Absolutely.

But before we get into credit cards, points strategies, everyday spending, or how to redeem rewards, there’s something more fundamental to figure out:

Who are you going to be loyal to?

Loyalty Matters in Travel

Airlines, hotels, credit card companies, and travel platforms all want your business—and many are willing to reward you for giving them more of it.

That’s the basic idea behind travel loyalty.

You spend. You earn. And, when you do it strategically, those points, miles, rewards, and benefits can eventually help pay for travel.

There are two important realities, though.

First, you generally have to spend money before you start receiving meaningful perks.

Second, consistent spending matters.

You might be thinking, But I don’t travel enough to earn a free flight or hotel stay.

Maybe not from travel alone.

But you probably spend money every day.

Groceries. Gas. Restaurants. Utilities. Streaming services. Insurance. Shopping. Household expenses. And, of course, travel.

Depending on the rewards programs and payment methods you choose, some of the spending you’re already doing can help move you closer to your next trip.

We’ll get deeper into that in another post. For now, the important thing is to understand that travel rewards don’t necessarily begin at the airport or hotel.

Don’t Spread Your Loyalty Too Thin

With so many travel brands competing for your money, it’s easy to chase whichever company is offering the lowest price or biggest promotion at the moment.

Sometimes that makes sense.

But constantly spreading your spending across airlines, hotel companies, booking platforms, and rewards programs can also spread your points and loyalty activity so thin that you never accumulate enough in any one place to receive meaningful benefits.

That doesn’t mean you have to book everything with one company forever.

Instead, I recommend identifying a primary and secondary loyalty partner in the travel categories you use most.

Think:

Airlines: Primary + Secondary
Hotels: Primary + Secondary
Travel booking platforms: Primary + Secondary, if you regularly use them

Your choices should reflect how you actually travel—not which loyalty program someone on social media says is best.

Start With the Airline That Makes Sense for Your Life

I live in a major Delta Air Lines hub, so Delta naturally plays a significant role in my travel.

But even that comes with tradeoffs.

There are a lot of Delta loyalists where I live, which means plenty of other travelers are competing for status benefits and upgrades. And no single airline flies everywhere I want to go.

So rather than abandoning my primary airline altogether, I have a secondary strategy that allows me to earn rewards and benefits that can be used with another airline.

That’s the point of having a backup.

Your primary airline might be the carrier with the most flights from your home airport. Your secondary might give you better access to international destinations, another airline network, or routes your primary airline doesn’t serve well.

The goal isn’t loyalty for loyalty’s sake.

The goal is to concentrate enough of your spending and travel activity for loyalty to become valuable while maintaining enough flexibility to go where you want to go.

Take the Same Approach With Hotels

I use a similar strategy for lodging.

I tend to prefer Marriott and Hilton because both have broad portfolios of properties around the world, and I generally know what to expect from their various brands.

That consistency has value to me.

But I don’t always want a large international hotel brand.

Sometimes I want a boutique property, an independent hotel, or an experience that feels more connected to the local destination.

In those cases, I may book directly with the property or use a third-party booking platform such as Booking.com or Expedia.

And here’s where having a strategy matters again.

If a third-party booking platform is going to be part of your normal travel routine, consider concentrating your bookings there rather than randomly jumping among several platforms.

Many have loyalty programs of their own. Booking.com has its Genius loyalty program, while Expedia participates in One Key.

Your loyalty strategy doesn’t have to look like mine. It just needs to be intentional.

Before You Choose, Read the Fine Print

Now for my buyer beware message.

Before committing to any airline, hotel, credit card, or third-party travel loyalty program, understand what you’re signing up for.

Don’t choose a program simply because someone told you the points are valuable.

Understand:

• How you earn points, miles, rewards, or status
• Whether and when rewards expire
• What benefits you actually receive
• How rewards can be redeemed
• Whether there are blackout dates or other restrictions
• What happens when you book through a third party instead of directly
• Cancellation, change, and refund policies
• Whether your loyalty benefits or status are recognized on third-party bookings

That last point can be especially important.

Booking a hotel through a third-party site isn’t necessarily the same as booking directly with the hotel. Your ability to earn hotel points, receive elite benefits, make changes, or resolve problems can differ depending on how you booked.

Know the rules before you hand over your money.

Protect the Money You Spend

One more rule I follow: whenever practical, I prefer using a credit card rather than a debit card to pay for travel.

Why?

Among other considerations, credit cards can provide stronger protections for disputing qualifying charges without tying up the cash sitting in your checking account.

But a credit-card dispute isn’t a substitute for understanding the terms of your purchase.

If a company promised you something and failed to provide it, that’s one thing.

If you booked a nonrefundable reservation, missed the cancellation deadline, or simply changed your mind, disputing the charge doesn’t magically override the terms you agreed to.

And that leads to another piece of the travel-planning puzzle:

Travel insurance.

Depending on the policy and the circumstances, travel insurance can help protect against certain unexpected events that airline, hotel, booking-platform, or credit-card policies don’t cover.

We’ll talk more about that, too.

Your First Travel-Hacking Assignment

Before you apply for another credit card or start worrying about transfer partners and redemption values, take inventory of the travel brands already in your life.

Look at the airlines that serve your home airport and the destinations you visit most. Think about the hotel brands you already enjoy. Consider whether you typically book directly or through a travel platform.

Then ask yourself:

Where does it make sense for me to concentrate my loyalty?

Choose your likely primary and secondary partners.

Don’t worry about maximizing every point yet.

Because successful travel hacking isn’t just about collecting points.

It’s about collecting the right rewards, in the right places, for the way you actually want to travel.

And once you’ve figured that out, we can start talking about how to turn the money you’re already spending into your next flight, hotel stay, upgrade, or travel experience.

That’s where the fun begins.

Ready to Put Those Travel Rewards to Use?

Earning points and miles is only part of the equation. You also need to make room on your calendar to actually travel. The Marlowe & Sunday Travel Planner™ helps you find opportunities to get away by combining your PTO, weekends and holidays—then matches that time with destinations that fit how you want to travel.