Traveling with points and miles (also known as award travel) means using rewards earned from travel credit cards to cover flights, hotels, and other travel expenses, often for little to no cost. While you’ll still need to pay taxes and fees, most of your trip can be booked using points earned from your everyday spending.

The fastest way to earn a large number of points is through sign-up bonuses, which you receive after meeting a card’s minimum spend requirement within the first few months. It’s important to review your budget and choose a card with a spending requirement that feels realistic for you.

Remember to always use your credit cards responsibly. Pay your statement balance in full every month. Carrying a balance and paying interest defeats the purpose of saving money on travel.

Not as much as you might think! Checking your own score doesn’t affect it at all. Only actual credit card applications trigger a hard inquiry, which may cause a small dip (usually a few points). But the good news? That dip is often temporary, and your score can bounce back quickly, sometimes even ending up higher than before.

In fact, opening credit cards strategically and using them responsibly can improve your credit over time. Personally, I open a new card about every 3 months, and my score stays between 810–832.

That said, you don’t have to open cards that often. It depends on your travel goals, how often you travel, and what kind of expenses you want to cover with points (economy flights, business class, hotels, or all of the above). Your card strategy should always align with your lifestyle and goals.

You can check your credit report for free once a year at https://www.annualcreditreport.com

It’s the official site to access reports from all three credit bureaus.

For regular score updates, apps like Credit Karma are easy to use and free. Many banks like Chase, Amex, and Capital One, also offer free credit score tracking.

Getting started with points and miles can feel like a lot and that’s totally normal. You don’t need to have it all figured out on day one. I suggest starting with my free Beginner’s Guide.

You can ease into it by opening cards slowly and learning as you go. Managing your points, cards, and redemptions might take a few hours a month, but it’s time well spent. I see it as a high-value side hustle that easily saves me hundreds in travel. Once you get into a rhythm, it becomes second nature.

To keep things organized, I personally love the Travel Freely app. It helps you track sign-up bonuses, spending deadlines, and more, and best of all, it’s free. It does not require any sensitive information. Give it a try!

My #1 beginner recommendation is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® It offers a strong welcome bonus, earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, and includes solid travel protections, all for a reasonable annual fee. It’s a great starting point if you’re new to points and miles and want flexible options for booking flights, hotels, and more. Read all about it here.

Not sure if it’s the right fit for you? Feel free to reach out. I’d love to help you find the best card based on your travel goals and spending habits.