Maximizing Points For Father's Day: Gifts For Traveling Dads

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

While your calls home might be monopolized by mom, Father’s Day is the ideal time to remind the man who raised you that you really do appreciate all those hours he spent picking you up off the ground when you fell off your bike, or risking life and limb while teaching you how to drive.

Whether on a flight across country to a historic baseball park, a round of 18 holes at a golf course he’s never played before, or a trip abroad to a country that was on his bucket list long before you were a twinkle in his eye, why not plan something special for dear old dad this Father's Day...and maximize your points and miles while doing so?

Shopping Portal Bonuses: Earn some extra points or miles by ordering gifts for your lucky father through shopping portals like the Ultimate Rewards Mall,SkyMiles Shopping portal, AAdvantage eShopping portal, and the MileagePlus Shopping portal.

Through AAdvantage eShopping, you can buy dad a new shirt and tie from Brooks Brothers and earn 15 AA miles per every dollar, plus cufflinks at Red Envelope also earning 15 AA miles per dollar. Or shop for tools or gadgets at Sears.com and earn 4 AA miles per dollar, or turn him on to a new tech product with Apple accessories and earn 4 AA miles per dollar.

If your father already has a trip abroad booked, giving him a head start breaking the language barrier with Rosetta Stone will be a useful bonus, and earn you 7 AA miles per dollar. Even if your parents are more homebodies, you can still earn points to globe trot while they make house improvements with gifts from Lowes, and earn 4 AA milers per dollar.

The Delta SkyMiles shopping portal has fathers of all ages and tastes covered by offering 3 miles per dollar spent at Omaha Steaks, 2 miles per dollar at HomeDepot.com, 1 bonus mile per dollar at BestBuy.com, and even 2 miles per dollar on man-pampering at Lab Series.

If you prefer Chase Ultimate Rewards points there are a number of ways to save, you can earn 10 extra points per dollar at Kohl's, 4 extra points per dollar at Sports Authority or 5 extra points per dollar at Hanes. Before purchasing be sure to check sites like evreward.com and rewardsDB.com to make sure you’ll be getting the most points/miles for your gift.

Just because he is your dad doesn't mean his is over the hill, so Hawaiian Airlines has got health-conscious Father's Day gifts covered. Earn 5 HawaiianMiles per dollar spent at Nike.com on footwear, apparel, sports gear and accessories, 6 HawaiianMiles per dollar spent at GNC on supplements to support his active lifestyle, or 3 HawaiianMiles per dollar spent at Sports Authority on equipment to get him in the game. When it comes to dad, as Michael Jordan said: "Just Do It!"

Hotel Shopping Portal Deals: Along with airlines, many hotel portals have shopping incentives targeted just for dad this month. Hilton is offering a collection of incentives including 2 HHonors points at Staples per dollar, 1 HHonors point at Walmart per 2 dollars, and 2 HHonors points at Home Depot per dollar so dad can buy everything he needs to make his garden grow. The ShopMyWay Mall by Marriott allows you to capture timeless memories, and earn 15 Rewards Points per dollar at SnapFish, 2 Rewards Points per dollar at Dell, or - because even the toughest dads need to relax - 4 Rewards Points per dollar spent at Spa Finder Wellness.

Share Miles: Why not share the love, and share the miles, this Father's Day by taking advantage of US Airways current 50% bonus on shared miles that equates to spending about 2.15 cents per mile, especially since the airline is waiving the $30 transaction fee that is normally charged for transferring miles. Simply go to the Share Miles page and you’ll see the bonus is automatically offered, and is valid from June 1- June 30, 2013, with a maximum bonus of 25,000 miles (for sharing 50,000 miles), at a cost of 1 cent each plus a 7.5% tax. American Airlines also has a tempting offer, when you to share miles between family and friends the recipient will receive up to 30% in bonus miles, now through July 1, 2013.

Companion Ticket: Show your dad he is the number one man in your life by using a companion ticket on him and taking him for a well-deserved getaway. Whether you’ve earned a Southwest Companion Pass, spent your way to a British Airways “Travel Together” companion ticket, or just haven’t figured out how to use the companion ticket you get with various credit cards including the Delta Reserve and Platinum Amexes, the Alaska Airlines Visa and the US Airways Mastercard. You might be saving money, but the gift of quality time together is priceless.

Buy Points/Miles: Although it’s usually a low-value proposition, sometimes airlines and hotel chains run buy miles/points bonuses of up to 100% that can make premium redemptions a bargain. Hyatt is currently offering up to 30% bonus on Gold Passport points purchases, the bonuses are hard-coded into the buy points page, so you don’t have to register. Normally, Hyatt points cost 2.4 cents each but with this promo, however, when you purchase 1,000-9,000 points the 10% bonus brings the cost per point to 2.2 cents each, available now through June 30, 2013. For trans-Atlantic travel, there is no better time to take your dad to see the sights in London. Virgin Atlantic is offering an award discount promotion where you can book economy award seats for 25% fewer miles than normal. Concurrently, the airline is also offering a buy/transfer/gift miles bonus of 15%. A roundtrip flight from New York JFK or Newark will normally cost you 35,000 miles, but with this promo the mileage requirement is only 28,000 miles. Act fast, as it is only available now through June 17, 2013.

Transfer Bonuses: If your father is naturally a globe-trotting guy, then give the gift of travel for less by taking advantage of a transfer bonus. Right now, American Express is offering a 35% transfer bonus on points to British Airways Avios. If a trip across the pond is not a good fit for your father, you can hold off to see what other bonuses come our way, but with BA’s Oneworld partners, distance-based awards and fabulous premium classes of service, a BA award might just be the perfect gift. Be sure to snap this deal up quickly, as it expires on June 7, 2013.

Travel Toiletries: Your dad is a well-groomed guy and deserves the very best in toiletries, especially ones that are small enough to throw in his carry on and take on the go, as well as being able to avoid using unpredictable hotel products. Kiehl's has a conveniently packaged Men's Starter Kit for the guy who really doesn't know what he needs. Comprising of body scrub soap, energizing moisture cream and face wash, shave cream and hand salve - all in carry-on sizes - the kit costs $42 and can be paired with a sleek, black Keihl's pouch for $35. If your father is more of a classic gentleman, then how about a gift set from The Art Of Shaving, that includes pre-shave gel, shaving cream, after-shave lotion, and pure black badger shaving brush. The collections come in a choice of scents made from essential oils such as Ocean Kelp, Sandalwood and Lemon, and cost $115.

Golf Experiences: You don't need to stay at a five-star resort to play on a top-ranking golf course, and there is no better place for father-son or father-daughter bonding than out on the green. The Links at Terranea in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, allows both hotel guests and visitors to experience the collection of 9 championship-caliber par-3 holes overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. The breathtaking view is worth the price alone, and as the property is an affiliate of Lowe Enterprises and JC Resorts and managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, you can earn points to redeem at their sister properties around the country. A golf package that includes a one night stay, two rounds of golf and breakfast for two starts at $410 per night (including resort fees). North of the border, the Fairmont Banff Springs near Alberta, Canada, has a 27-hole championship golf course that was designed in 1928 by Stanley Thompson. With the Golf FORE Free package, you can play one round of golf per room. Room rates start at $559 CAN ($544 US) per night in June. Join the Fairmont President's Club and earn benefits including 500 to 1,000 airline miles per stay, $50-$100 dining and spa certificates and complimentary use of TaylorMade golf clubs at select hotels.

Chase Ultimate Rewards cardholders can work on their game with the TaylorMade Golf Club Fitting Experience, costing $200 or 20,000 points. The package includes 3-D motion-capture swing analyses, club recommendations, a written personalized report, and $100 credit towards the purchase of golf clubs during the fitting session, locations vary. For $138 or 13,800 points, learn from the best with a one-hour private golf lesson with a pro-instructor at at course near you.

Gift Certificates: While gift certificates can be perceived as boring presents, they are often the most useful especially when you think beyond iTunes or Starbucks and splurge on travel. Last month Delta launched a new line of eGift certificates that can be redeemed for Delta-operated or Delta codeshare flights that have a Delta flight number. They come in amounts from $50 to $1,000, and increments of $5. Once you buy the certificate, Delta will email it to any designated recipient within 72 hours from when you purchase it, and they do not expire. Recipients can redeem the certificates through delta.com, reservations agents or at airport locations by including the redemption code and certificate number from the eGift Certificate when they place their reservation. Based on anecdotal evidence, $50 eGift cards are triggering the Amex Platinum $200 annual airline fee rebate, so if you have this card, the business version or the Mercedes-Benz version, you could be saving some money on this valuable gift.

Another option is to pick up either Southwest or Marriott gift card at Office Depot and Staples stores. If you have the Ink Bold or Ink Plus, you can earn 5X points per $1 on office supply purchases.

Dinner With Dad: There is nothing more delicious than an enjoyable family meal, especially when you save money and earn bonus points. The Chase Sapphire First Friday partnership with OpenTable comes just in time for Father's Day, offering 3X points per $1 on dining when you pay for a meal with your Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire cards, which normally earn 2X per $1 at restaurants. Although you don't have to book through OpenTable, it does give you the chance to triple dip with OpenTable Rewards and earn an additional 1% back in the form of future dining credit. If you use your Sapphire Preferred card to buy a gift certificate directly from the restaurant, it will award you with a 7% annual points dividend on all points earned – base and bonus – so you’re really earning 3.21 points per dollar on dining using it. Alternatively, pick a dinner place that participates in the Dining Rewards Network of the airline or hotel that you’ve linked your credit card to so that you’re earning between 3-5 miles/points per $1 you spend. Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, United, US Airways, Priority Club and Hilton HHonors all have dining rewards programs, many of them offering double points at a rotating list of restaurants, bars, and clubs along with new member bonuses.

With so many great offers on the table - and in the skies - where are you going to take your dad this Father's Day?
[card card-name='Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card' card-id='22125056' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']