A Million Miles in 90 Minutes... Without Stepping on a Plane
An uber savvy TPG reader just sent me his latest accomplishment: 1,005,000 miles in 90 minutes.
His haul includes 405,000 Delta Skymiles and 600,000 American miles- all for opening no-fee credit cards that I posted about (Delta and American). While the Delta deal expired 12/31/10, the American 100,000 and 75,000 deals are still live.
How was this done? Well he signed up for a boatload of cards for himself and his small business as well as five of his family members whose frequent flyer accounts he manages. In total he got approved for 16 credit cards, all with no annual fees for the first year.
While this sounds amazing, mind you he has a LOT of spending to do on a bunch of different cards in order to fully achieve the million mile pay day. Per the spreadsheet he sent me, it looks like he needs to spend about $49,000 in the next 3-4 months on 16 different cards.
Sounds like a hassle, but he has a plan. As a small business owner, he puts all of his business spend on his points earning cards (smart) and his family members are adults, so its really not hard to rack up monthly spend when you put all of your personal expenses on your card.
When all is said and done, he will have enough miles for 11 round-trip business class tickets to Europe. Or, if he wants to stretch his miles, he could take advantage of American's off-peak 40,000 mile Europe/South America coach rewards and take 15 of his closest friends and family on vacation using his 600,000 miles. Not too bad!
Have your own points story to share? Feel free to email me or comment below.
[card card-name='Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express ' card-id='22035076' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app