Bougie Miles may receive commissions from certain affiliates. BougieMiles.com has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. BougieMiles.com and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Bougie Miles: Luxury Travel Brought to You by Frequent Flyer Miles, Points and Loyalty
When it comes to travel, you don’t need a lot of money to be #BougieAF. You do however need the right credit cards, the ability to hold points and frequent flyers miles until the right opportunity arises and the knowledge to cultivate and maximize those opportunities. Bougie Miles is devoted to helping you travel the world in the most luxurious way possible while keeping spending to a minimum. We’ll also cover how to maximize your everyday spending and make small changes to your lifestyle to get the best return on your investment.
If you prefer your content in video form- check out my new YouTube Channel
Award Travel Basics
The Following Topics Are Integral to Luxury travel Awards and will be a focal point of Bougie Miles
- Loyalty Programs
- Credit Cards
- Earn Rewards by Maximizing Spend
- Leverage Spend for Luxury travel (Effectively Use Your Travel Awards)
- Choosing the RIGHT Redemptions (as opposed to the earn and burn method)
How is Bougie Different?
There are so many amazing blogs and resources out there to help people with the ins and outs of travel rewards but I’ve always felt there wasn’t quite enough out there for people who are more concerned with high end travel than free travel.
Frequent Flyer Miles: What’s the Point?
That’s up to you!
Why are you interested in award travel? What are you hoping to get out of it? How are you looking to improve your travel?
Every person has a different travel style and before you decide the best way to go about award travel you should decide what your goals are. If you’re a travel newbie and have no idea then pick a specific vacation goal- maybe you’ve always wanted to stay at the Cove in the Bahamas, or maybe you’re dying to fly first class to Australia. With a specific trip in mind we can get you started and you can expand your horizons from there.
First Steps
Sign up for Loyalty Programs
Get Award Wallet
Set a Travel Goal
Travel Rewards Essentials
- Loyalty Programs
- Choose the Right Credit Cards
- Earn Miles and Points: Maximize Return on Spend
- Leverage Spend for Luxury travel
- Effectively Use Your Travel Awards
Loyalty Programs: Which is right for you?
- Always sign up for any program you may use, even if it’s just for one trip or stay
- Choose 3 or 4 loyalty programs to focus your efforts on at first
- Familiarize yourself with the program, how you earn points and the types of promotions available as well as any partners
Choosing the Best Credit Cards (Things to Consider)
- What cards offer the best earn rates in the categories you spend the most money on
- What perks are most important to you
- Transfer partners with your preferred loyalty programs
Earning: Maximizing Spending
You spend money each and every day, the key to award travel is to earn the biggest return possible on that spend. This is where us bloggers lose many people because there are some very complicated and time consuming methods used to earn points and miles. DON’T WORRY I don’t believe anyone should have to resell blenders or stand online at Walmart for hours on end in order to travel luxuriously. I’ll focus more on the more practical methods and low hanging fruit. Besides, there is nothing bougie about Walmart.
One of the easiest ways to earn extra rewards is to buy 3rd Party Gift Cards at Amazon or Staples or wherever you earn the most points with a card that earns a bonus on certain types of stores.
Leverage Spend for Luxury Travel
The key to traveling luxuriously is using the money you have to spend on travel in the most effective way possible. I certainly am not opposed to getting things for free, but that’s not what I’m looking for, I’m looking for the best possible travel experience for the best price possible. This concept is best explained with a few examples.
- I recently paid cash to stay at the Bellagio despite having a comped night available because booking through Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts got me an upgraded room, a $100 resort credit, free breakfast and earned me loyalty points from Hyatt in addition to a bunch of Membership Rewards Points.
- I was planning a two night stay at a Kimpton property and I opted to pay cash for the stay even though I have more than enough points because the IHG credit card gives members the 4th night free on stays booked with points and I’d rather save those points for a 4 night stay I have coming up where using said points will result in a 25% discount.
Effectively Use Your Travel Awards
Redeeming your hard earned points and miles is the most complex aspect of award travel because there are endless options and those options are constantly changing. BUT don’t worry, we’re here for you!
Beginner Posts
- Top 5: Favorite Google Travel Features
- Easily Calculate How Many Miles You’ll Earn for a Flight
- Amex Platinum Lounge Network: Access Rules and Guest Policies
- Should you Buy Points or Pay Cash for your Next Hotel Stay?
Affiliate Links:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases purchased through the Amazon Affiliate link above. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I am a Ceasars Diamond Plus Member and a Ceasars Visa Credit Card Holder.
What hotels in Las Vegas would match my Caesars Status for comped hotel rooms. I would like to stay at the T1ropicana or MGM in July to attend my d as daughters Dance Competition which will be held at the Tropicana from July 5th to 10th.