434,000 Miles Without Flying

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Update: Some of the credit card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our credit card page for the latest offers.

Photo Credit: American Airlines

Time to take stock and see how many miles and points I’ve earned this year solely from signup bonuses and the total came to 434,000 miles without flying.

Now before you get your panties in a bunch, I acknowledge I’m using the term miles liberally.  Some of the miles that I’ve earned in 2012 are points, such as Ultimate Rewards points; Ultimate Rewards points which can be transferred to miles.

The end result, by simply applying for several credit cards I was able to earn 434,000 miles without flying, all through credit card signup bonuses.

2 Easy Steps to Earn 434,000 Miles Without Flying:

1. Apply for a credit card that offers a lucrative signup bonus
2. Meet the minimum spend on the credit card

As you can see, by applying for a few cards, you can leverage signup lucrative signup bonuses to allow you to fly and travel for free.

A few points to note about my results:

• The Chase Ink Bold was a targeted 50,000 signup bonus offer for one of my businesses that only required a first purchase to get the bonus.  The additional 10,000 Ultimate Rewards points was due to a signup offer match.
• I calculated the 2 free nights at Hyatt at a rate of 27,000 points each because I’m redeeming them for a Category 6 property. Because what’s the point of redeeming them for a Category 1 Hyatt when you get stay at a Category 6 Hyatt.
• Only 30,000 miles from US Airways.  I know, for shame. What the heck kind of miles and points blogger am I?
• The American Express Business Gold was a targeted offer for one of my businesses (not the same one as the business that was targeted by Chase).

I have a separate spreadsheet of my yearly total miles and points which include miles and points earned from flying, hotel stays, spending, category bonuses, and signup bonuses.  That total is just a tad higher than 434,000.

And when I say tad, I mean trillions and decimals.  Yeah, I couldn’t think of anything witty using tad as an acronym either. Trillions and decimals will have to do.

Note: All credit card links are  the banks. I’m providing them as a courtesy. No financial compensation is received.  

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Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card

The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card is currently offering a quick way to get up to two years of free flights. The welcome offer is up to 120,000 points: 60,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first three months. And another 60,000 points after spending a total of $15,000 in the first 9 months. This offer will end soon.

 

My favorite perks about this card are earning 3X points per $1 on Southwest purchases, 2X points on rideshare, 2 free Earlybird checkins, and no foreign transaction fees.

 

Review of the Southwest Premier Business card.

 

Learn more about the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card and how to apply

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Capital One Venture X Business

With the Capital One Venture X Business the welcome offer is 150,000 mile bonus after spending $$30,000 on purchases in the first three months.

 

My favorite perks about this card are free Capital One Lounge access, earning 2X points on all purchases, and transferring miles to over 15 travel loyalty programs.

 

Learn more about the Capital One Venture X Business and how to apply

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best card to get started in the world of miles and points. It is the first card you should get to start traveling for free because the welcome offer is 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months.

 

My favorite perks about this card are earning 5X points on travel when booked through the Chase portal (2X if direct purchase), 3X points on dining, $50 yearly credit on hotels booked through the Chase portal, no foreign transaction fees, and transferring points to 13 airline and hotel partners like Hyatt, United, and Southwest.

 

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and how to apply