Did you know U.S. consumers are expected to spend an average of $1,007 during the 2018 holiday season? This is according to the National Retail Federation’s 2018 holiday consumer survey, which also found that over 80% of consumers planned to start their holiday shopping by November 1, 2018.
If you’re a travel enthusiast like me who also plans to spend $1,000+ on family and friends this holiday season, then this is a perfect opportunity to earn free flights!
Follow along to learn how I leverage timing of the holiday season to earn free flights without making any drastic changes.
Leverage holiday shopping to earn over 50,000 bonus points with a new travel credit card
You’ve likely heard about credit card sign-up bonuses as a quick way to earn points. Most travel credit cards require you to spend $3K to $4K within the first 3 to 4 months to earn the sign up bonus points, which typically range between 40K to 60K points. For reference, 50K points with Chase or American Express have a value of $500 to $625 – enough to earn you a free round trip flight!
But, without a strategy there’s a risk you may not spend enough within the required time frame. Or, you may even feel pressured to spend money you weren’t planning on just to earn your bonus.
This is exactly why the holiday season is the best time of year for you to apply for a new travel credit card!
If you’re planning to spend around $1,000 more than you typically do within a three month period, then this minimizes your risk of not hitting the spending target.
Refer to the following table for an example of how holiday spending boosts your ability to hit credit card spending targets so you’re certain to earn your bonus points.
| Expenses | Per Month | Non-Holiday 3-Month Period |
Holiday Season (Oct to Dec) |
| Groceries | $300 | $900 | $900 |
| Eating Out/Entertainment | $200 | $600 | $600 |
| Vehicle (Gas/Insurance/Oil Change) | $250 | $750 | $750 |
| Utilities (Electric/Internet) | $200 | $600 | $600 |
| Cell Phone | $100 | $300 | $300 |
| General Shopping (Hygiene/Pet/Clothes) | $75 | $225 | $225 |
| Holiday Shopping | $0 | $0 | $1,000 |
| Total Spending | $1,125 | $3,375 | $4,375 |
The above example assumes you spend $1,125 in a normal month on expenses that you can pay for using a credit card. Housing and rent is not generally paid for using a credit card, which is why it’s not listed.
Now, $1,125 times 3 months equals $3,375, which is barely enough to hit the common spending target of $3,000 in a 3-month period. In this example, you’re cutting it close, which can be stressful.
Next, assume your normal monthly spending stays the same and all you do is add in your planned holiday shopping budget of $1,000. This puts your 3-month spending at $4,375, which ensures you’re able to hit a $3K or $4K spending target no problem!
And, if you spend more on average per month or have other planned spending, such as buying new tires, booking a trip or spending more on the holidays, then you can easily hit a $5,000 spending target during the holiday season.
This is why leveraging the holiday shopping season is such a good strategy when timing your travel credit card application.
You’re essentially able to earn a free flight by shopping for Christmas presents!
My favorite travel credit cards with big sign-up bonuses
The two travel credit cards that I love the most, which have great sign-up bonuses and other benefits are the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card and the American Express Platinum credit card.
Below is a high-level summary of each of these travel credit cards. For a complete list you’ll have to refer to each credit card’s benefit terms on their website.
| Updated 11/6/18 | American Express Platinum | Chase Sapphire Preferred |
| Sign-up Bonus | 60,000 points | 50,000 points |
| Spending Target to Earn Bonus | $5,000 in first 3 months | $4,000 in first 3 months |
| Cash Back Points Value | 100 points = $1.00 USD | 100 points = $1.00 USD |
| Travel Points Value | 100 points = $1.00 USD, but you can transfer to airlines or hotels with 25% to 40% bonus points | 100 points = $1.25 USD when booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards! |
| Bonus Point Value | $600 Cash Back or $600+ Travel | $500 Cash Back or $625 Travel |
| Favorite Card Member Benefits: | ||
| Airline Credit | $200/year | N/A |
| UBER Credit | $15/month & $35 in December ($200 total credits!) | N/A |
| TSA & Global Entry Credit | $100 credit for Global Entry or $85 credit for TSA Pre-Check | N/A |
| Airport Lounge Access | You plus a guest can relax at the AMEX Centurion, Priority Pass Select, Delta lounges & more, which include free internet, free meals/drinks, etc. The Centurion Lounge even provides free massages and manicures!
(Total value multiplies with each trip you take and can easily be worth over $200/year) |
N/A |
| Free Hotel Status Upgrades | Yes, Hilton Honors Gold Status & Marriott/SPG Elite Gold Status | |
| Point Earnings on Spend | 1x points on all purchases & 5x points on travel | 1x points on all purchases & 2x points on travel |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | No foreign transaction fees! | No foreign transaction fees! |
| Trip Cancellation / Interruption Insurance | Can be reimbursed up to $6,000 per trip | Can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per trip |
| Trip Delay Reimbursement | Covered up to $1,000 per ticket | Covered up to $500 per ticket |
| Lost Luggage Insurance | Covered up to $1,000 per passenger | Covered up to $3,000 per passenger |
| Card Member Benefit Value | Over $800/year | Over $100/year |
| Annual Credit Card Fee | $550/year | $95/year |
| Apply Now To Get Your Bonus Offer! | Apply Now | Apply Now |
Pro Tip: Receive a FREE ShopRunner Membership with your AMEX credit card and get FREE 2-day shipping at thousands of retailers!
ShopRunner is an online service that provides you with free 2-day shipping at over 100 of the most popular online retailers. It provides convenience and cost savings! And, it’s also extremely simple to use.
All you have to do is sign-up and start using it to start saving money on shipping. This is how it works:
- While shopping look for the ShopRunner logo in your Shopping Cart or during Checkout. If you see the logo, then you know your order is eligible for free 2-day shipping!
- Make sure you’re logged in to ShopRunner during Checkout. You can sign in on ShopRunner.com or on the checkout page.
- Select ShopRunner free 2-day shipping before placing your order and you’re done! Your ShopRunner benefit will then be applied to your order!
- What I also love about ShopRunner is that you can return your order for free if you don’t like what you purchased!
You can find out which online retailers are in the ShopRunner network here.
A membership for ShopRunner is currently $79/year, but if you have the American Express Platinum credit card you get a FREE membership to ShopRunner as a card member benefit!
That’s one more reason I love the AMEX Platinum card. You can activate your AMEX ShopRunner account here.
Bonus Tip: Earn AAdvantage airline miles with the American Airlines Shopping Portal
This is my last big tip for you that most people don’t know about. You can easily earn extra American Airline AAdvantage miles by shopping at over 950 popular online retailers!
All you have to do is have an AAdvantage frequent flyer account, sign-up to use the AAdvantage eShopping Mall and start earning miles!
Given you’ll be doing a ton of holiday shopping, now is the best time to sign-up so you maximize your airline miles. You can earn anywhere from 1 mile per $1 spent up to 35 miles per $1 spent! And, there are often many large mile bonuses you can earn!
We’ve already earned 8,824 AAdvantage miles in the last year!
How it works:
- Start your online shopping at the AAdvantage eShopping Mall.
- Login and search for your store or product.
- Shop: Click on any store or product and you’ll be taken to its website to shop and checkout.
- Earn: The store will notify AAdvantage that you purchased your order and credit the miles into your AAdvantage account!
Okay, here’s my final takeaway for you.
I’ve outlined all of these tactics individually. But, the good news is that they are NOT mutually exclusive, which means you can use them together to multiply your points, miles and savings!
For example, you can apply for the American Express Platinum travel credit card to earn 60K bonus points and get all of the following per online shopping order.
- Earn 1x or more points per dollar by using your new credit card,
- Earn AAdvantage miles by using the American Airlines eShopping Mall, and
- Get FREE shipping by using your free ShopRunner membership!
Combine all of these tactics and you’ve got a solid strategy this holiday season to earn a free flight and save money. These are the gifts that truly do give back!
Cheers and happy holidays!
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