Most people think you have to be a corporate road warrior—living out of suitcases and middle seats—to earn enough miles for a business-class seat to Europe. But as a pilot, I’ll tell you a secret: Flying is, perhaps, the slowest way to earn points.
If you’re only earning when you’re in the air, you’re playing the amateur game. The real “flyGIRL” strategy happens on the ground.
Your Daily Life is Your Bread-and-Butter
Travel hacking isn’t about spending more money; it’s about being surgical with the money you’re already spending. Every dollar that leaves your bank account is a missed opportunity if it isn’t earning you 2x to 4x back in travel currency.
From my morning coffee to my monthly WiFi bill, I treat every transaction like a fuel tank. If I’m not earning points, I’m losing money.
1. The Business Multiplier
As a business owner, your overhead is your biggest asset. Whether it’s hiring pros on Upwork or making those massive Home Depot runs for a renovation project, those are “vacation points” in disguise.
If you have an EIN and you’re still paying for supplies with a debit card or a check, you are leaving thousands of dollars of travel value on the table every single year. My last trip to London was essentially funded by office supplies and online service expenses. That’s just good business.
2. The Shopping Portal “Double-Dip”
Never—and I mean never—buy directly from a retail website (look out Amazon).
Before I buy anything online, I spend 30 seconds clicking through a shopping portal like Rakuten or the AA eShopping Mall. You get your standard credit card points PLUS whatever bonus the portal is offering. I’ve seen 10x or 15x points per dollar on things I was going to buy anyway. That is a “double-dip” that adds up faster than a flight to Australia.
3. Dining for Miles
I’m a fan of a good pizza night (shoutout to Jet’s), but I’m an even bigger fan of earning while I eat. By linking my cards to a dining rewards program, I earn automatic miles every time I hit a participating local spot. It’s “set it and forget it” strategy at its finest.
4. The “SUB” Shortcut
If you want to go from zero to 100,000 points by next month, there is only one way: The Sign-Up Bonus (SUB).
To earn 100k points by actually flying, you’d have to circle the globe multiple times. To earn them on the ground? You open the right card, put your regular “bread-and-butter” spending on it to hit the requirement, and you’re done. That’s your business-class seat to London, gifted to you by your grocery bill.
The Bottom Line
Stop treating travel like a “one-day” checklist and start treating your daily spending like a mission. The goal isn’t to fly to earn points; it’s to use the points you earned while sleeping to fly for free.
Which are you: A “Points Pro” earning on the ground, or are you still waiting for your next boarding pass? Let’s argue in the comments.