Does one need a credit card to accrue airline miles? To start, everything must be configured to automatically accrue points and miles. The most well-liked and fruitful methods of accumulating airline miles are examined here.
You can save a lot of money on your next trip by using airline points. However, did you realize that you may still accrue miles on a credit card without one? To accrue airline miles without having to deal with the annoyances of credit cards, there are several travel tips and techniques available.
Certain credit cards and airline loyalty programs allow you to accrue redeemable points for each dollar you spend. These programs are known as airline miles or travel points. Travel earns you points, which you can use to purchase goods as long as they are eligible for the reward program. When these points reach a certain threshold, you’ll be able to take advantage of other benefits, such as free hotel stays or flights.
That credit card benefits aren’t for everyone, though, is regrettable. I’ll provide advice on how to accrue travel points without a credit card because credit card rewards come with cumbersome qualifying requirements and stringent underwriting standards.
Travel Reward Options Without Crediting a Card
Some of these hacks are so fascinating because they might allow you to earn airline miles without ever having to travel or spend a bunch. You may earn airline miles in several ways without using credit cards.
1. Make Money with Rewards Apps While You Shop
Along with using an airline’s web store, rewards applications and extensions allow you to accrue points for travel without the need for a credit card. The number of travel rewards applications has grown in this modern age where many people utilize cash-back apps and browser extensions to reduce their online expenditures. By partnering with specific airlines, these applications and extensions enable airline miles to be offered while using them, so consumers who use them instead receive travel points rather than cash-backs.
Capital One Shopping, the InboxDollars app, and Honey Cashback, three of the most well-known travel rewards apps, are excellent examples of such an application. Notable airlines include American Airlines, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines have partnered with InboxDollars.
Reward percentages with InboxDollars change according to how much is spent in cash. Present cards can be redeemed and used straight toward flight purchases. Apart from InboxDollars, you may combine this with an app such as Lifepoints to obtain more points and money through several methods.
2. Collect Rewards By Dining at Restaurants
One of the best methods to accrue miles without using a credit card is to eat at restaurants. You can accrue travel points by just dining out at different restaurants that are part of the dining club programs offered by most airlines.
Given that you have to register, eat, and accrue points, joining an airline’s dining club is a special method of earning miles. A US household’s average annual expenditure on food consumed outside the home is over $3,000, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That is only an average amount; your household will most likely spend more than $3,000. Depending on where you eat, this could net you a substantial amount of airline miles. Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines are a few airlines that provide this kind of rewards program. By spending $3000, an average household can earn 15,000 airline miles with Delta SkyMiles Dining, which awards up to 5 miles for every dollar spent.
3. Make Use of The Online Portals for Airlines
A common business strategy used by airlines to diversify their revenue streams is the creation of shopping portals. If you use their online portals to shop, the majority will provide you with travel benefits. How much you spend determines how many airline miles you accrue. The majority of purchases made these days are made online, so why not use an airline’s shopping portal to accrue more travel points?
This approach does have a drawback, though, even though it might quickly accrue airline miles based on your expenditure. The temptation to splurge when purchasing online can negate any gains that are obtained. When purchasing goods, it’s crucial to do so out of necessity rather than just allure. Without a credit card, you can earn airline miles from several well-known shopping portals, such as:
4. Use Booking Apps to Earn Points
Reservations are managed mainly using online booking apps. Since they let tour companies and activity providers take and handle reservations online, they’re excellent tools for trip planning. But they’re capable of so much more, including accruing mileage on flights. Priceline, Marriott Bonvoy, HotelTonight, Hotels.com, and RocketMiles are a few popular booking applications that offer reward programs.
For every dollar you spend, you may earn airline miles with RocketMiles, which is a wonderful platform for booking accommodations. Additionally, RocketMiles occasionally awards complimentary frequent flight miles. To get your chance, you can check their deals and promos often. Airlines that have teamed up with RocketMiles include some of the following:
With just a registration process and selection of your preferred reward program, the app is simple to use. Then, with only a click of a button, you may look for hotels and make reservations. You can amazingly earn up to 10,000 bonus miles for just one reservation.
5. Utilize a Debit Card to Get Travel Benefits
Earning airline miles without a credit card can also be accomplished by using a debit card. For people who feel uneasy using credit cards, debit cards are a decent alternative, even though they don’t provide as many travel rewards as credit cards.
Travel rewards debit cards are unfortunately not issued by all banks. Consequently, it’s wise to find out first if your bank offers this kind of service. You have the option to open an account with a bank that offers travel rewards debit cards if your current bank doesn’t. The Sable Bank Account and Debit Card is one example of a bank that offers reward programs for debit cards. With this card, you can receive one percent cash back on qualifying purchases.
Furthermore, a SunTrust SkyMiles debit card is offered by Suntrust Bank. With the Hawaiian Miles program, the Bank of Hawaii offers two different debit card alternatives. For every $2 paid on either option, you will receive one mile or a point reward. In contrast, Suntrust offers a welcome bonus of 5,000 miles after the first transaction and a reward rate of one mile for every $2 spent on their travel rewards debit cards.
6. Earn Airline Miles with A Savings Account
Do you have any questions about passively accruing airline miles? You could find your answer in this choice, though. Saving money allows you to accrue points, even though travel rewards credit cards earn miles through purchases.
This not only gives you free excursions, but it’s a great way to teach yourself financial discipline. Open a savings account that earns travel rewards instead of interest to start one of the most effective and efficient ways to earn airline miles without a credit card.
American Airlines AAdvantage travel points are earned by saving with Bask Bank, as an example of a bank that provides such an option. Due to the savings program’s numerous bonuses offered to consumers in the first year, frequent flyers on American Airlines stand to gain great benefits.
Each dollar you save over a year earns you one mile, so to get credit, you must put money into your savings account and keep it there. You will earn 25,000 miles if you save $25,000 over a year. Furthermore, saving with Bask Bank offers you additional methods to earn your airline miles. Upon opening a savings account for the first time, for example, the bank typically extends certain offers.
Though the incentive rates vary annually, it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on them. During the first year of saving, you can accrue bonus miles worth up to 40,000 miles. The greatest savings options, such as money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and more, are provided by CIT Bank if you would rather have something that pays interest.
7. Receive Travel Benefits by Completing Surveys
In any firm, testimonials and input from customers are invaluable. With the use of this data, businesses may better understand their customers and how they are performing in the market. As such, in the context of online market research surveys, your feedback happens to be extremely significant.
Airlines are just like any other big business or brand; they are always prepared to invest a significant amount of money to obtain useful data. Leading airline companies collaborate with marketing agencies to attempt and obtain information by conducting online polls. Your time and honesty can be rewarded with travel points.
Survey Junkie or Swagbucks, which is well-known for lavishly paying survey respondents, is an excellent marketplace to earn airline miles. Earnings, however, differ from survey to poll and are dependent on several variables that respondents may never be aware of.
The length of the survey is one important thing to consider, as longer surveys typically yield greater rewards. Travel businesses like Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines allow you to earn airline miles without a credit card using Survey Junkie or Swagbucks. Your funds must be cashed out to buy gift cards or miles directly.
8. Earn Rewards Through Promotions
This may be helpful to you if you’re still looking for other ways to earn free frequent flyer miles. During their campaigns, brands consistently give away travel-related prizes. You may keep track of your preferred lodging establishments or airlines and keep an eye out for exclusive promotions they run through their loyalty programs. These frequent flyer points can be obtained for free on social media sites.
It is common for brands to run promotions across several channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and so forth. By sharing a post and using a hashtag, you could receive a lot of points or very little depending on the promotion structures. To begin receiving updates about upcoming sales and promotions, you can follow these firms on different social media sites and subscribe to their email list.
The investment is little, and you could be the next winner, even though this method does not ensure that you will get some free miles. Additionally, you will stand out from the large fan community if you participate actively, and you might even get a better deal than frequent flier points.