How to use credit card points for travel – A Guide for the Sandwich Generation

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For most of my life I paid for every single flight and hotel with what seemed like the obvious way to pay – money. Funny enough, I had heard about free travel from my childless and travel-obsessed friends, but assumed it was something reserved for them. Travel rewards were for carefree globetrotters, not parents who got excited for back to school sales, right? I couldn’t have been more wrong! Credit card points are simple – spend more, earn more. As it turns out, people with families naturally have a lot of expenses, some of which can be paid for by credit cards, and that money spent then convert to points. Those points can mean free or reduced travel, usually in the form of flights or hotels. Parents, especially those in the sandwich generation, deserve this.

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Most of my traveling is centered around family

My parents currently live across the country. My family and I are working on the complicated process of helping them to move, but until then, we travel cross-country to see them. In fact I’m flying next month to visit. This presents several challenges for us. I need to take time off from work, which I’d love to use on a real vacation, but instead need in order to visit and help out family. It’s surprisingly expensive to travel from Oregon to North Carolina. During peak season, I could fly to Europe for the same price. It’s also not easy to adjust to time zone changes, especially with kids.

In the first picture below, I’m traveling with my four-month-old son to visit my parents last year. My Dad’s cancer had returned and spread, my mom was totally overwhelmed, and they both expressed a desire for help. This was shortly after returning from maternity leave. It was brutal. My daughter had just returned to school so she stayed home with my husband. Leaving her is always a bit hard for me. But off I went, infant in arms, on two flights to get us across the country.

The second picture is traveling with the whole family (minus our dog) to visit my mother-in-law early this year after her knee surgery. This cross country travel takes its toll. Did I at least deserve points to pay with? Yes. And I was grateful for them.

note – at the time I didn’t plan to share these picture with anyone so they are grainy but realistic!

Should you use credit card points for travel?

It depends. Before having kids I had heard a bit about travel rewards but avoided them anyway. Why? At the time, I had a bad history with credit cards and wanted to avoid them at all costs. Initially it was smart of me to avoid travel rewards credit cards because I would have just misused them. So, how do you know if you’re ready?

Read through this brief list of questions. If the answer to any of these is no, then now is not the time for a travel rewards credit card, and that’s ok. You can always work on that line item, among other financial improvements, and apply later.

• Do you always pay your credit card balance in full every month?
• Do you spend responsibly and stick to your budget when using a credit card vs a debit card?
• Do you have a credit score of at least 700, and preferably 740 or above?
• Are you willing to pay a small annual fee for the benefits (often under a hundred dollars, depending on the card)?
• Is your annual household salary high enough to qualify? This one is tough because, unlike credit scores, there’s no published rule for qualification. Income is a factor to approval though, because credit companies need to determine your ability to pay.

If you are feeling ready to apply, read on for my favorite travel cards.

What Are My Favorite Personal Travel Rewards Cards?

Note: The current offer details are valid as of mid-2025. You’ll want to confirm the latest offer details before applying! I’m also not including business credit cards, which have similar benefits but may have different requirements for applying.

Chase Travel Rewards Cards

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

My favorite credit card points card, hands down, is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Why I Love It:
I love the flexibility of booking travel with this card as well as it’s travel protections. You can transfer points out of the Chase portal into your preferred airline or hotel program instead of being tied to any single carrier. Sometimes partners even offer promotions that boost your points when transferring them.

The best way to maximize your points value is usually going to be to transfer them. But the Chase Travel app is also a convenient way to book. I use this for hotels that don’t have their own rewards program and to get the annual hotel credit. Chase also has a program called Points Boost, which increases the redemption value on select flights and hotels.

This card also has superior travel protections to many other credit cards. It offers trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and rental car collision coverage.

Apply here.

Current Offer (mid‑2025):

• 75,000-point sign-up bonus
• 5X points on Chase travel
• 3X points on dining and online grocery purchases
• 2X points on other travel
• $50 annual hotel credit booked through Chase Travel
• $95 annual fee

Pros:

• Extremely flexible point transfers
• A travel portal option with Points Boost
• Annual hotel credit
• Excellent travel protections

Cons:

• No premium lounge access (unlike the Reserve card)
• No airline-specific perks

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

I don’t have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card yet, but am looking to upgrade in the next couple of years. It’s a fantastic choice for frequent travelers or those who prefer more luxury.

Apply here.

Current Offer (mid‑2025):

• 100,000 points + $500 Chase Travel promo credit after you spend $5,000 in 3 months
• 8X points on Chase Travel purchases
• $300 annual travel credit
• Priority Pass Select lounge access to over 1,300 airports
• $795 annual fee

Pros:

• High earning rates on travel
• Lounge access
• Huge sign-up bonus
• Strong travel protections

Cons:

• High annual fee

Capital One Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Capital One Venture Rewards Card

Often cited as a strong alternative to Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Capital One Venture Rewards card has a reasonable annual fee, flexible points transfers and its own Capital One Travel Portal.

Apply here.

Current Offer (mid‑2025):

• $95 annual fee
• 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
• 2X miles on every purchase and 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• Flexible point transfers to airline and hotel partners
• Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck

Pros:

• Simple earning and redemption
• Transfer flexibility
• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit

Cons:

• Weaker travel protection benefits than Chase Sapphire Preferred
• Lounge access recently downgraded—you now must pay to use Capital One Lounges and some Plaza Premium Lounges

My Take:
If you don’t want a Chase card and value simplicity, this is a very solid option.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Card

This is the higher end, luxury version of the Capital One Venture Rewards Card. It’s a strong alternative to the Chase Sapphire Reserved Card.

Apply here.

Current Offer (mid‑2025):

• $395 annual fee
• All of the current offer details listed above for the Capital One Venture Rewards Card

Pros:

• All of the pros listed above for the Capital One Venture Rewards Card
• In addition
  • 10,000 anniversary miles
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit for bookings through Capitol One Travel
  • Access to Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and Priority Pass lounges

Cons:

• Weaker travel protection benefits than Chase Sapphire Reserved Card
• High annual fee

Airline-Specific Travel Rewards Cards

If you’re loyal to one airline, there are plenty of co-branded cards with free checked bags, priority boarding, and faster status-earning, but I tend to prefer flexible point programs for broader options. I will only outline Southwest because of their companion pass deal.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Visa Card

I’ve flown extensively with Southwest because of their former free bags and flexible cancellations. However, as of earlier this year, bags no longer fly free. Southwest now charges for checked luggage, though Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Visa cardholders still get one free bag for themselves and up to 8 companions on the same reservation. Apply here.

Current Offer (mid‑2025):

• 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
• 6,000 anniversary points each year
• 10,000 Companion Pass qualifying points boost per calendar year, posted by January 31 or ~30 days after account opening
• No foreign transaction fees

Companion Pass Details:

• Earn the Companion Pass by accumulating 135,000 Companion Pass–qualifying points in a calendar year (or by flying 100 one-way segments)
• Qualifying points include bonus and spend on your Southwest card, flight revenue points, and some partner activity. Only points that post during the calendar year count, so timing matters.
• Once earned, the Companion Pass is valid for the remainder of the year you qualify plus the entire following calendar year (up to about 2 years if timed well).

Why It Matters:

• The annual 10,000-point boost means you only need 125,000 more qualifying points through bonus + spend/flights/partners
• A well-timed strategy—like earning the bonus early in the year—can give you nearly two full years of buy‑one‑get‑one Companion Pass travel

Pros:

• Complimentary Companion Pass (taxes/fees only) once qualified
• One free checked bag for primary and up to 8 travelers on same reservation
• Simple earning structure with anniversary bonus and decent multipliers

Cons:

• Baggage fees now apply after the first bag unless traveling on Business Select or holding elite status
• Requires focused spending or flying strategy to reach the 135k threshold

My Take:
Southwest’s recent changes have made me less of a fan, but if you fly them extensively and often travel with a companion, there’s still value here.

How to maximize credit card points

Transfer Points to Travel Partners
One of the best ways to stretch your points is by transferring them to airline and hotel partners. Many credit card issuers (like Chase and Capital One) allow you to move points to travel programs at a 1:1 ratio. This can unlock plane tickets or hotel stays that would cost way more if booked directly through your credit card portal.

2. Wait for Transfer Bonuses
Even better? Keep an eye out for transfer bonuses. Sometimes a 1:1 transfer turns into 1:1.25 or even 1:1.5 for a limited time. That means your 50,000 points could become 62,500 or more.

3. Book Through Travel Portals (Sometimes)
Booking through your credit card’s travel portal can also offer value. For example, Chase Sapphire Preferred points have been worth 25% more in the portal, while Sapphire Reserve points were worth 50% more. Chase is phasing out this flat bonus system and rolling out the new Points Boost rate. Points Boost offers are specific to certain flights and hotels, so you’ll really need to run the match (partners transfers vs portal pricing) to get the best deals.

4. Stack with Welcome Bonuses
If you’re just getting started, the fastest way to earn a huge chunk of points is through a welcome bonus, some of which I outlined above. These often require you to spend a certain amount in the first 3 months, but the payout can cover flights or several nights in a hotel. You’ll definitely want to track your spending carefully to make sure you don’t miss out on this bonus!!

5. Use Cards as Payment Whenever Possible
I try to put all my spend on my travel card, including recurring bills like utilities. I have very limited payments come out of my checking account, since that’s not rewarding me for spending! You may even consider making your spouse an authorized user so you can more easily pool your points.

6. Determine when to use points vs cash

There may be times when your torn between booking a flight with cash or points, especially if you have limited points and multiple trips to plan. There are several points calculators out there, including airline specific ones, but I like the simplicity of The Points Guy Awards Vs Cash Calculator.

Don’t spend more to earn more

We should never spend more than we would otherwise just to get travel rewards points. Spending more in hopes that you will get more free travel is definitely not an effective way to plan. The idea of rewards points is to get rewarded for purchases you would definitely be making anyway! If your points aren’t covering all your travel needs, you’ll want to start saving regular old money using a regular old budget. It’s not fancy but it works. So, to repeat, we shouldn’t spend more to get points but we should definitely travel more because we have them!

In Summary – Travel More, For Less

Although a lot of my travel right now centers on visiting parents, there’s still room for fun. This year, for Father’s Day, I booked us all into my husband’s favorite hotel using the Chase travel portal—a happy little surprise. We’re planning a family flight to California, easily covered with points. Fingers crossed, next year will bring an international trip that’s purely for fun (gasp), with flights and hotels booked entirely on points.

The mental, emotional, physical, and financial toll of caregiving in two directions is wild. Let travel rewards give something back and take you away.

Happy travels.