The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Advertiser disclosure
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
News
Have points, will travel: Survey shows generational and gender differences in how Americans vacation
Featured image by JACOBS STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES
Clint Henderson is a managing editor at TPG who has worked in the journalism industry for more than 25 years. He is obsessed with travel and has used points and miles to explore the world.
June 5, 2024 • 8 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Related stories
Quick summary
A recent survey shows 76% of Americans plan to travel in the next year, with most trips occurring during the summer months.
Travel habits, including timing and purpose, differ by gender and generation, with younger travelers more likely to travel for business and internationally.
About two-thirds of U.S. adults have a rewards credit card, and most have redeemed rewards, often for travel-related expenses or cash back.
Many cardholders prefer to accumulate rewards for larger redemptions, and nearly half say their rewards card motivates them to travel more.
What to consider
Some offers referenced in the article are no longer available.
Generational and gender differences impact both travel patterns and how rewards are used, with younger adults and men more likely to use rewards for travel.
A significant portion of cardholders are unsure when to use or save their rewards, especially among younger generations.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed breakdowns of generational and gender trends in travel and rewards usage, plus insights into how travelers plan to redeem rewards for upcoming trips.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Memorial Day is the traditional kickoff to the busy summer travel season, and this year is expected to be especially packed. In fact, 76% of Americans plan to travel in the next 12 months, according to a new poll commissioned by TPG and conducted by The Harris Poll. Among those travelers, more than half (56%) say they will travel by air for personal trips.
TPG commissioned the survey to learn more about travelers, their travel habits, their use of rewards cards, and how they earn and burn points and miles.
We learned that travel decisions — such as when to travel, the reason for travel, and the ways of using credit cards and travel rewards — vary by gender and generation.
Travel patterns as we head into the busy summer period
While there are differences in where and when travelers hit the road, you won't be surprised to learn that most people traveling over the next 12 months (69%) will do so during the traditionally busy summer travel season from June to August. Although, 44% of travelers say they will travel in the fall (September to November), which means "shoulder season" may be catching on.
Additionally, 26% of travelers will travel at some point in the winter (December to February), and 19% plan to travel in the spring of next year. Men are more likely than women to say they plan to travel this winter.
Among travelers, women are slightly more likely than men to say they are planning for personal reasons (95% versus 92%), while men are more likely to travel for business (36% versus 21%).
The generational divide
BLACKCAT/GETTY IMAGES
The polling also found some fascinating generational travel patterns among Generation Z (ages 18-27), millennials (ages 28-43), Generation X (ages 44-59) and baby boomers (ages 60-78).
Among travelers:
Gen Xers and baby boomers are more likely than Gen Zers and millennials to say they are planning to travel for personal reasons (96% and 99% versus 86% and 91%).
Gen Zers and millennials are more likely to travel for business (43% and 41% versus 26% and 11%), which likely makes sense given their age and role in the workforce.
Gen Zers and millennials are also more likely to travel internationally by about 11%.
Gen Xers and baby boomers are more likely than Gen Zers to say they will travel this fall (45% and 52% versus 33%). A simple explanation may be a more flexible calendar that is not as tied to younger children's school schedules; for the older group, it might be that the freedom and flexibility of retirement allow for more personal travel when peak summer dates (and sometimes higher travel prices) are over.
Who has rewards credit cards?
PROSTOCK STUDIO/GETTY IMAGES
TPG also got some fascinating insight into who does — and does not — carry rewards credit or charge cards.
About 67% of Americans ages 18 and up have a rewards credit card of some type; this includes 58% who have a rewards card that earns cash back and 27% who have a travel rewards credit card.
About 24% of Americans only have a traditional credit card that does not earn rewards. One in 10 Americans (10%) have some other type of credit card (like a store credit card), and 20% do not currently have any credit cards.
Interestingly, our survey again found generational and gender differences in credit card and rewards behaviors.
Members of the older baby boomer generation are still more likely than Gen Xers, millennials and Gen Zers to have a credit card (89% versus 79%, 74% and 73%).
We also found that Gen Zers and millennials who have rewards cards are more likely than Gen Xers or baby boomers to use their credit card rewards for travel-related expenses. Gen Zers and millennials are more likely than Gen Xers or baby boomers to have used their credit card rewards for travel-related expenses (73% and 69% versus 55% and 47%).
The survey also revealed that not everyone is as obsessive about checking their points balances as we are at TPG.
About 36% of Americans with a rewards credit card check their rewards balances a few times a year or less; meanwhile, 30% check it once a month, and 34% check it more than once a month. Put me in that last category — I check my balances daily.
But not everyone is so diligent.
The survey found that 40% of all rewards cardholders confess they are often unsure when to use their credit card rewards and when to save them. That confusion is highest among Gen Zers.
How consumers are using their rewards
SKYNESHER/GETTY IMAGES
While some travel rewards cardholders hoard points because they're not sure how to use them or don't often think about them, that's not the case for most.
According to our survey, nearly all rewards cardholders have used rewards in some form or fashion.
A whopping 94% of rewards cardholders said they'd redeemed some of their rewards, whether that was redemptions for travel or just getting cash back.
More than half used their credit card rewards for travel-related expenses or cash back (57% each), while 36% of rewards cardholders have used their rewards for nontravel expenses. Just 6% of rewards cardholders have not used their credit card rewards.
Still, 80% of those with rewards cards said they prefer to let their credit card rewards accumulate as much as possible before using them. This can certainly make sense as you can get more value for your rewards with some larger strategic uses than by using them at a fixed value —like during checkout on Amazon.
A whopping 81% of rewards cardholders who are planning to travel this summer say they'll use their rewards to pay for that travel. Here's what they say they'll spend them on:
As we mentioned, there are generational and gender differences in how people use their rewards. For example, boomers in our survey were less likely than millennials and Gen Xers to use their credit card rewards for their summer travel. Women were more likely to use credit card rewards for cash back than men, while men were more likely than women to use their credit card rewards for travel-related expenses.
The data contained a few more interesting tidbits. Just under half of rewards cardholders (45%) agree they have opened a credit card specifically for travel rewards.
Finally, nearly half of rewards cardholders (46%) agree that their rewards credit card inspires them to travel more. That's not terribly surprising because using credit card rewards can get you to your next travel goal much faster than saving cash.
This is a big reason why TPG is very much against the proposed Credit Card Competition Act, which a group of lawmakers is trying to push through Congress. If passed, it would very likely lead to drastic cuts — or worse — to credit card rewards programs ... and the travel dreams they help unlock. You can find more information on that here.
Survey method: This survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of The Points Guy from May 7-9, among 2,100 U.S. adults (18 and older), among whom 1,548 have plans to travel in the next 12 months, and 1,393 currently have a rewards credit card. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
