Which points or miles should I collect if I don’t travel often?

10.04.2024 - 13:35 / thepointsguy.com

We periodically get a question from readers: "Which points or miles should I collect if I don't travel often?"

No single answer is best for everyone. For example, a cash-back rewards card might be best if you don't travel much at all. However, if you have a particular airline or hotel loyalty program you strongly prefer, that will need to be considered.

For ease, I'll assume you want to earn points and miles instead of cash-back rewards. With this assumption out of the way, let's dive into some topics to help you decide which points and miles to collect.

If you're reading this article, you may already know the benefits of points and miles. You can usually earn points and miles on your travel by signing up for loyalty programs and entering your loyalty number for the associated program when you book hotels, flights and car rental bookings.

These points are often an included perk of booking directly with a hotel program, renting a car or taking a flight. You can use points and miles to save on future travel, which may let you travel more frequently or comfortably.

There are multiple aspects to consider when deciding which points and miles to earn if you don't travel frequently. First, let's consider earning points and miles with one or more loyalty programs you like through rewards credit cards.

If you don't travel frequently, you may struggle to accrue enough rewards to make a redemption if you only earn rewards through your travel. This is where travel rewards credit cards can help.

If you have a few loyalty programs you prefer when you travel, consider getting a cobranded card with one or more of these programs, such as United MileagePlus for flights, World of Hyatt for hotels and Hertz Gold Plus Rewards for rental cars.

In this case, you might benefit from getting the United℠ Explorer Card or the World of Hyatt Credit Card to earn more rewards in a loyalty program you already use. Plus, both cards offer valuable perks to even occasional travelers. For example, the United Explorer card would give you and a companion a first checked bag free when flying United, and the World of Hyatt card would give you complimentary Discoverist status.

Here are links to our guides about the airline credit cards that are best depending on which airline you prefer:

Likewise, here are links to our guides about the hotel credit cards that are best based on your preferred program:

These cobranded cards help you earn rewards with a specific loyalty program. But, as we'll discuss in the next section, infrequent travelers may also benefit from earning transferable points.

Related: The best credit cards to reach elite status

Earning transferable points can unlock redemptions with more hotel and airline loyalty programs.

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