Did you know you can take a 10‑day trip to Hawaii for just $22.40? Read on to learn the exact steps. Brad, a travel expert, will show you how to travel affordably. Enjoy!
Many people today use credit card rewards and points to travel the world for little or no cost. Michelle previously shared how she saved over $2,500 in one year with travel rewards credit cards, and this piece explains how you can do the same—even for a dream trip to Hawaii.
Below I’ll explain the basics, who should consider travel rewards cards, what it takes to succeed, and a clear, step‑by‑step example showing how two people can take a 10‑night trip to Hawaii using points earned from opening only a few new cards.
About me: I’m Brad Barrett, a Certified Public Accountant, husband and father of two young daughters. Three years ago I started RichmondSavers.com as a personal finance blog. After a widely read post about how we took our family to Disney World for nearly free with rewards points, the site pivoted to helping people get started with travel rewards.
I co‑created a free 15‑day email course called Travel Miles 101 with my friend Alexi Zemsky. We’re a CPA and an MD who built this approach into our family lives, and our community now numbers over 6,000 members with a supportive private Facebook group. Over time I moved from being a CPA to teaching people nationwide how to earn and use credit card rewards for low‑cost travel.
My wife and I have earned nearly 2,000,000 miles and points that we conservatively value at close to $40,000. We’ve used those points for trips to Bermuda, New York City, Boston, Disney World, and have additional travel plans in the works. This approach truly transformed our travel experience.
What is this all about?
This strategy involves opening specific credit cards that offer large signup bonuses—often 50,000 points or more—and meeting the required minimum spending to receive those bonuses. When you combine bonuses from multiple cards, you can earn enough points for significant travel redemptions.
For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (a commonly recommended card) often offers a 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) point bonus after spending $4,000 in the first three months. The first‑year $95 annual fee is typically waived. Chase also has a 5,000‑point bonus for adding an authorized user who makes a purchase during that qualifying period.
If you use the card for normal spending and pay the balance in full every month, you can reach the $4,000 target and receive the 50,000 bonus plus the roughly 4,000 points earned from the spending itself, and another 5,000 if you add an authorized user who makes a purchase—totaling at least 59,000 Chase UR points.
Chase UR points are flexible: they transfer to multiple airline and hotel loyalty programs. For instance, 60,000 UR points could be enough for a round‑trip flight to Europe with a free stopover on United, or about 12 free nights at a Category 1 Hyatt. Redeemed strategically, that signup bonus can be worth $1,200 or more—effectively a large rebate on your spending compared with typical 1%–2% cashback cards.
Who are travel rewards credit cards good for?
Travel rewards cards are a good fit for people who already use credit responsibly—paying balances in full each month and managing their finances well. If you have a history of on‑time payments and a strong credit profile, rewards cards can multiply the value of your ordinary spending.
That said, travel rewards cards are not for everyone. To qualify for many premium signup offers you typically need at least a 700 credit score (750+ preferred). If you’re early in your credit history, consider using a no‑fee card as your primary card for a couple of years to build credit before pursuing premium signup bonuses.
Travel rewards also require a bit of organization: tracking minimum spending requirements, monitoring account logins, due dates, and rewards program details. These are manageable tasks, but important to keep you on track.
What does it take to succeed?
Flexibility and advance planning are the most important traits for success. Frequent flyer award space is limited, so being flexible about dates, airports, or destinations greatly increases your chances of finding available award seats. Often the exact flight you want may be unavailable on one day but available the next; flexible travelers benefit most.
I plan trips with flexibility in mind—varying travel dates, airports, and sometimes destination options so I can use whatever award availability appears. This mindset—and some preparation—will let you see the world for a fraction of the cash price.
Common questions about travel rewards credit cards:
Q: Will I be stuck with blackout dates and unable to use my points?
A: Award seat availability is finite, so flexibility and planning matter. If you expect to travel exactly on one set of dates or routes, you may be disappointed. But with modest flexibility—planning in advance or shifting your travel by a day or two—you can often find saver award seats. Easier‑to‑use programs like Southwest, many hotel programs, and cards that offer statement credit redemptions are also good options when you need convenience over maximum value.
Q: Do points expire if I don’t use them or if I close a credit card?
A: Points do have expiration policies depending on the loyalty program, but most airline and hotel programs reset the expiration clock with any account activity. Even a small purchase or moving points between accounts can keep your balance active, and most points remain safe with minimal, regular activity.
Q: What will this do to my credit score?
A: Opening new accounts can create short‑term movement in your credit score—often a small dip at account opening—but responsible use typically results in scores rebounding or even improving over time. In my experience, any temporary drop has reversed after a few months, and overall credit health can benefit from a mix of installment and revolving accounts used responsibly.
Planning a Trip to Hawaii with Rewards Points
Here’s a clear example for two people to take a 10‑night trip to Hawaii using points earned from opening four cards. The same approach works for other Hawaiian islands—Honolulu and the Big Island are shown here, but you could use the same method for Maui or Kauai.
Note: Partners or spouses can each apply for the same cards to collect separate signup bonuses and multiply your points.
The Credit Cards You Need
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (one for each traveler): Example offer—spend $4,000 in the first three months to earn a 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards bonus. $95 annual fee.
- Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express (one for each traveler): Example offer—spend $3,000 in the first three months to earn a 25,000 Starpoints bonus. $95 annual fee waived the first year.
Total minimum spending across four cards in this example is $14,000. If you charge about $1,400 per month across your cards—typical for many households when factoring groceries, bills, and everyday purchases—you could meet those targets in roughly 10 months.
After completing the minimum spends and earning the bonuses, you would have at least:
- 118,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points
- 56,000 Starwood Starpoints
Booking Your Award Flights
Major US carriers often charge 45,000 miles for a round‑trip coach ticket between the mainland and Hawaii. However, some airline programs have sweet spots that cost fewer miles for the same flights. For example, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer sometimes charges 35,000 miles round‑trip for flights operated by United on the mainland‑to‑Hawaii routes.
Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, so once you find United saver award availability, you can transfer the necessary UR points to a KrisFlyer account and book the same United flights for fewer miles.
Search for saver award availability on United.com by searching one‑way segments, choosing flexible dates and award travel, and selecting nonstop flights. When you find saver seats showing 22,500 miles one‑way (45,000 round‑trip at United’s level), those same seats can often be booked for 35,000 KrisFlyer miles round‑trip.
After identifying flights and noting dates, times, and flight numbers, create a KrisFlyer account, transfer the required Chase UR points (for example, 70,000 UR to cover two round trips), and follow the KrisFlyer booking process to ticket the United flights. This approach saves roughly 10,000 miles per person compared with booking directly with United miles.
Booking Your Hotel Nights
After transferring points for flights, you may still have remaining Chase UR points and Starpoints that can cover hotel stays. Chase UR points transfer to Hyatt, and Starpoints can be used at Starwood properties.
For example, the Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach often prices award nights at 12,000 Hyatt points per night. If you transfer remaining Chase UR points to Hyatt, 48,000 points would cover four nights there. For the Big Island, the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay (a Starwood property) is typically a Category 4 or similar award level—often 10,000 Starpoints per night. Starwood also applies a “5th Night Free” benefit when booking five or more consecutive nights, so a six‑night stay priced at 10,000 per night could effectively cost 50,000 Starpoints total.
Using these transfers and promotions, you can assemble a 10‑night Hawaiian stay by combining four nights at a Hyatt property and six nights at a Starwood property using points earned from the signup bonuses.
Final Thoughts
This example shows how two people can use credit card signup bonuses and strategic point transfers to book two round‑trip flights and 10 hotel nights in Hawaii for roughly $22.40 in unavoidable taxes and fees. With flexibility, some planning, and responsible use of credit cards, you can dramatically reduce out‑of‑pocket travel costs.
If you approach travel rewards with an open mind and a plan, they can be a rewarding way to travel more while spending less. The keys are responsible credit use, organization, and flexibility when booking award travel.
Do you use credit cards for rewards points? Why or why not?
If you’re new to travel hacking and personal finance, consider starting small: earn a manageable signup bonus on one card, track your spending carefully, and practice transferring and redeeming points. With time, you can build a strategy that fits your travel goals and lifestyle.