The Points Game 101: Do Your Homework…

Before diving into the nitty-gritty of The Points Game, I’m giving you a few homework assignments.

Yup… you have to do some research before you get going so that we can focus your efforts.  By understanding the how and where of your travel patterns (or how and where you want to travel) we can make sure you have the best possible plan for getting you on your way towards cheaper, more frequent and even free travel.

There are other travel blogs out there that have extensive “how-to” courses and, for the most part, they are good.  But from my time in the hospitality business, I learned that it’s important to understand what you want before you jump into action.

I had more than a few customers who checked into my Key West B&B only to either leave early or be disappointed because we weren’t what they were looking for.  I quickly learned to vet my customers to make sure my property is what they really wanted for their precious vacation time.  You need to do the same before jumping into The Points Game.

Homework Assignment #1:  Where you live can have a big impact on the airline programs you use.

Let me give you an example.  I live in Sarasota, Florida and I love my local little airport – it’s ten minutes from my house, parking is inexpensive and it typically takes ten minutes from the time I enter the terminal until I get through TSA and arrive at my gate.  What’s not to love, right?

The problem is that while SRQ is supported by eight airlines, five of them cater to Canadian snowbirds or have very limited schedules.  That leaves me with the Big Three – American, United and Delta, although newly announced Southwest Airlines schedules may be useful.

Airlines use hub locations to minimize costs and serve the most locations possible by consolidating maintenance, catering and administrative costs.  United flies from Sarasota to four hubs that allow me to grab a connecting flight going further west (Chicago and Denver) or possibly an international flight (Washington Dulles and Newark).

I have yet to fly United out of my home airport because the schedules just aren’t great.  We almost always fly American through Charlotte or Dallas or on Delta via Atlanta.

Given those limitations, why would I have a Southwest Airlines or a British Airways credit card?  As it turns out, I have both because Tampa International Airport is just a little over an hour away and I have flown on both of those airlines through Tampa.

Tampa is a great airport, but it means having to deal with traffic and the uncertainty that entails.  As a result, my total travel time increases by at least 90 minutes each way plus it takes much longer to get to my terminal and through TSA.  Realistically, though, flying through Tampa adds two hours to my travel time in each direction.

If I return late at night, do I really want to spend another hour and a half driving home?  That said, Tampa offers more options such as Southwest, British, Copa, Alaska, Norwegian and others.  The bottom line is that I have options that include over a dozen airlines and sometimes it’s worth it.

By comparison, if I lived in my hometown of Great Falls, Montana, my choices would be reduced to Alaska, Allegiant, Delta and United.  The next closest airport of any size is Missoula, which is a three-hour drive across the Continental Divide.  Missoula adds American and Frontier, but for a three-hour drive, I doubt I would consider that to be much of an alternative.

So, your first task is to pull up the website of your local airport (and any others that may be a reasonable distance away) and find out who flies there.  Most airport websites have a route map or “Where We Fly” section so you can easily see your options.

The big cities lying at the end of the non-stop routes may be hub cities for a major airline and will likely be your jumping-off point for your final destination.  The airlines taking you to hub cities are the most likely credit card candidates to pick up a bunch of free frequent flyer miles.

Homework Assignment #2:  Where in the world do you want to go? 

This is certainly related to the airlines that support your local airport but also how airlines cooperate with each other through code-share partnerships and global alliances.  We’ll get into those topics in more detail in the future, so let’s focus on the immediate question first.

Is most of your travel to see family and friends in the U.S.?  Have you always wanted to see koala bears in Australia, eat at a café along the Seine in Paris or learn to tango in Buenos Aires but figured you could never afford it?  Do you love traveling in Europe and wish you could fly business or first class?  Are you planning a special anniversary or honeymoon and have your heart set on Maui?  Is there a particular place you go back to again and again?

Make a short wish list of destinations you want to travel to.  Be bold, but honest.  While I love the almost mystical allure of the Orient, with the possible exception of Thailand my wife has zero desire to go to Asia.  On the other hand, Europe is always a favorite and there are plenty of places we have yet to see.

We also know that we like to spend some of our vacations visiting family and friends.  I have some exotic locations on my wish list including India, Antarctica, the Galapagos and going back to Morocco.  Will I ever get to them?  I don’t know but it’s a pretty good bet that if they are not on my list, I absolutely won’t experience them.

Now use your favorite flight search engine such as Matrix Flights, Kayak or Skyscanner to see what airlines pop up.  This is important.  Enter your home airport and one of your dream destinations.

How do the airline options match up with those that fly to/from your local airport?  Do the same exercise with some of the other destinations on your list.  Is there a pattern emerging in terms of the airlines that appear most frequently?  Chances are that, especially for domestic flights, you will have a handful of airlines that will be the most useful for booking future trips.  Jot down the results so we can use this list later.

Homework Assignment #3:  How do you like to travel?

When I was younger (OK – much younger), I loved camping and Lisa used to hike parts of the Appalachian Trail every year.  Those days are long gone… we don’t need luxury but we definitely prefer some basic comforts when traveling.  So, think about the conditions under which you prefer to travel.

My sister and several friends have RVs and use them regularly.  I know others who love camping in a tent under the stars and cooking over a campfire.

I also have friends who wouldn’t consider staying in anything less than the Intercontinental, Raffles or the Ritz-Carlton.  Lisa and I enjoy “going native” and hitting the local markets in order to cook some of our meals; this has meant renting one-of-a-kind places through Airbnb or VRBO.

In 2019 we did a family vacation with Lisa’s brother’s family along with my wife’s son and girlfriend.  We were all able to stay in large Airbnb properties, which cut our per-person costs while making for some great family time.  Do you have a timeshare?  Yes, many people still have them and there are ways to maximize their use.

No matter if you like roughing it or traveling in style, there are credit cards and loyalty programs to fit your unique needs.  Between my wife and I, we have credit cards for Radisson, Hilton, Marriott and International Hotels Group (IHG).  Each of these cards has an annual fee and each of these cards offers an annual free night.

The price of that free night more than covers the cost of the annual fee.  I booked a free IHG night at the New Orleans Crowne Plaza for this upcoming Memorial Day weekend – had I paid cash it would have been $192 but I saved more than $100 because my annual fee is only $89.

Once you’ve done your homework, we can start talking about the best credit cards for you.  If you never stay at a hotel, you may not want to get a hotel affinity card (although I will show you reasons to get some of these cards even though you prefer other lodging arrangements).

If your best airline options are limited, we’ll focus on those specific airlines plus credit cards that offer their own “currency” to buy airfare or lodging.

In my next post on The Points Game, we’ll start reviewing the basics of customer loyalty programs for airlines, car rentals and hotels, with a focus on which programs to join and why.

OK, let me put on my best parent voice… “Go do your homework!”