How I earn free flights faster with my new credit card
I always thought I would move back home after I finished college on the other side of the country from my family and friends. But I was offered a fantastic job in the city where I attended college and I ended up starting my career there. As the years went on and I started building a life in my new home, I realized that I might never move back to my hometown. That was when I made a commitment to myself that I would fly back home frequently to visit everyone and enjoy a home-cooked meal.
On my first visit home to see my parents I bumped into my old high school sweetheart. Things clicked immediately and I knew right then that long-distance travel was going to become an important part of my life. Since Delta Airlines offers non-stop daily flights back to my hometown a few times a day I knew that I wanted to take advantage of that and looked up a few websites like milecards.com to get to know more about the Delta SkyMiles credit card and how to maximize credit card rewards for air miles — for flights and points.
I also have a Chase card, and so the question of do chase points expire came up. There is nothing worse than having a reward card only to find out later that your points have expired!
Once I did the research on the benefits and features of the card I knew it was for me. I can earn SkyMiles with practically every dollar I spend on the card, including gas, phone bills, groceries, restaurants, movies and shopping. When I use the card to book flights I earn double miles, which means I will collect points and earn free flights faster. With the Delta app for smartphones, I am able to check fares, book flights, check-in, review flight status and even book upgrades, making it very easy to manage my travels.
I started using my new SkyMiles credit card right away. After three months had passed, I earned 30,000 bonus SkyMiles since I had spent over $1,000 in flights and merchandise. Not only that, but I also earned a $50.00 statement credit since I booked a flight and paid for it with my credit card in those first 3 months. The 30,000 SkyMiles are equal to a $300.00 credit when I use Pay with Miles, which I can use to pay either in part or full for my tickets! With my frequent flights back home I know I will put those SkyMiles to good use.
Since my flights are across the country, I enjoy dining and watching movies while I travel. It sure was nice to learn that my in-flight purchases would earn me a 20 percent statement credit when I pay with my SkyMiles credit card. When I need to unwind, I enjoy playing video games on the plane. It’s nice to know I earn statement credits for video game and headset purchases as well!
I know that I will be traveling home for my summer vacation to spend time with my sweetheart and parents. Since I will have to check a bag to carry everything back with me, it is nice to know that my first checked bag flies at no cost when I book the flight with my new credit card. One time, my parents decided they wanted to return with me to explore my new city. I was happy to learn that since I booked them under my reservation their checked bags weren’t subject to any additional charges! If I travel with up to nine friends under my reservation, all their checked bags will fly for free! That is a savings of up to $50.00 per person round trip.
When I am traveling back home for weekend trips I like to keep my carry-on bag within my sight in the cabin. That is why I was happy to learn one of the features of booking and paying for my ticket with the SkyMiles credit card is the coveted benefit of priority boarding for flights. I am able to stow my bag in the compartment above my seat and get settled before the flight prepares for takeoff.
Within my first year of having the card I was able to save hundreds of dollars on flights by using the Pay with Miles option. Even with 10,000 SkyMiles, I can save $100.00 on a flight. With money I saved by not having to check my luggage and the 20 percent off on in-flight purchases, I realized how much money I had saved with the card. It was quite surprising to learn that the $95.00 annual fee was waived for my first year too.
I know that next year will be another year full of travel back home to see my sweetheart, which is why I will continue to use the SkyMiles credit card for my everyday purchases to earn a mile for every dollar I spend. I always book and pay for my plane tickets with my SkyMiles card to take advantage of double miles on Delta purchases. All the money I save on flights, checked bags and on board purchases more than make up for low annual fee.
