Ok. First, let’s discuss what
“free” means. It can mean something different for everyone. Couponers for
example post their “free” deals, and it often includes 9 of the same coupon
(purchased from 9 different papers) and an out of pocket expense (which yields
cash back for a return visit to the store). Was it free? Not exactly. Was it
inexpensive? Sure. And the next tube of toothpaste bought at that store WILL be
free.
Let’s talk about free travel.
Does it exist? Not exactly. Can it be inexpensive? By all means! First, let’s
explain some methods people use to snag “free” flights.
Some people use the method of
overbooked flights to try and ensure a bump where the airline will offer up free
travel vouchers. This method means you need to pay for a flight. You can get
bumped on an award flight as well, but the point is – you have some sort of out
of pocket cost to start with (dollars or miles) Then you do the wash rinse
repeat action with your travel vouchers, meaning that the travel vouchers are
used to book another fare on an overbooked flight which you plan to get bumped
from. This method is not fool-proof, and it’s hard to travel this way with
companions. You also have to know how to assess which flights will be
overbooked. There are some tools such as this one. But you also will
need to know how to evaluate the information provided. (More on that at a later
time)
Another way to score a “free”
flight is with companion fares. These often require the purchase of full -fare
ticket. Full- fare means non-discounted…which is not the way most people
purchase their fares. Companion fares can be had with certain airlines credit
cards, which come with a fee, so take a good look at the rules of the companion
ticket rules before you decide if this route is to your benefit.
One airline to
note for their companion fare is Alaska Airlines. It’s a $99 companion fare
that is good on all published fares. The companion gets a seat in that fare
class AND they earn miles for their flight. The best value is in booking a
first class ticket when available – though this may or may not be of benefit to
you.
One of the more reliable ways to
get “free” airfare is to use frequent flier miles. Typically most individuals
think of frequent flier programs as hopeless. The amount of flights (and money
paid for such flights) to get just one domestic ticket seems unattainable - or
perhaps not worth the hassle, as many people fly only once a year and not
always on the same airline. But there are ways to boost mileage without flying.
Credit card offers can give bonuses of 10’s of thousands of miles. Shopping
online thru portals will also yield miles, and some programs have mileage
earning promos throughout the year on flights, miles bought, transfers, etc.
So, what is “free” travel? For
me, free travel is travel I accomplish that I would not have been able to
otherwise. Scenario: A credit card bonus yields enough points to fly 2 of us to
Orlando, making up the difference that we had lacking in our vacation fund. 69
dollars for the credit card annual fee – 10 dollars per ticket in taxes and
fees – total cost of “free” travel = $45
for a round-trip flight. Not free, but inexpensive enough to get our family out
the door and on an adventure. (I will talk more on the value and maximization
of miles at a later time)
Now, how do we get to Greece for
free? As we’ve learned, there is no completely free way to do this. But, we can
try to do it inexpensively. In this particular scenario, it’s tricky because there
is no accrued mileage, and the planned departure is about 3 ½ months away.
After analyzing all the credit card offers and reward redemption's for all the
mileage plans, I determined that the best option was to try for the Chase Sapphire
or Chase Ink card. These cards offer Ultimate Rewards Points, and can be
transferred between accounts quickly. These points can be used in a variety of
ways, but in this scenario, they would be used towards the purchase of a ticket
to Athens. With 2 cards and all the points transferred to one account, the cost
of a round-trip to Athens should be decreased from 1800 to 600 dollars as the
points can be used as cash towards the purchase of travel. (Just a note – this is
not the best value for these points – but free travel isn’t always about the
best value, it’s about getting where you want to go for less $$)
Without a current mileage plan,
and very limited time to accrue the miles/points, this was the best route. But
what if we aren’t approved the cards instantly? (This happens, but you may call
for credit reconsideration which often results in approval – but this can take
some time, especially if you wait for your letter of denial) And, what if it
really takes a full 8 weeks to receive the points after required spending?
(Always read your fine print before you apply for credit cards – they usually
say points will post 6-8 weeks after fulfilling the requirements – in this case
it was 3,000 dollars in purchases) This could potentially put the points we
need in our account just weeks before departure.
In the end, there just wasn’t
enough time to prep a mileage account with the miles/points needed. The miles
and points game is not something that happens overnight, accrual happens over
time, and travel sometimes needs to be planned far in advance to get the
flights you desire. There was potential in this situation to be able to
decrease the amount out of pocket, but it would add stress as one would need to
play the waiting game until the points posted – and this had potential to fail
in yielding savings from the current fare. Better in my opinion to seek the
best airfare with the best itinerary, and start accrual of miles/points for the
next trip to be “free”.
So, up next I'll be talking about how to search for the best airfare.
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