Way back when, the only way to earn miles was to fly. The more you flew, the more miles you earned. Simple.

Now, you can earn “points” or “miles” not only by flying but also by using credit cards either ones that are affiliated with a specific airline, or flexible cards that let you transfer points to multiple airlines. I use both.

Airline Alliances & Flexibility

Most airlines have their own programs, but many are also part of Global Alliances that allow passengers to earn and redeem miles across multiple carriers.

There’s no single “best” program, it depends on your home airport, travel habits, and priorities. Consider things like:

• Nonstop vs. connecting routes

• Frequency of flights

• Price and destination coverage

• Lounge access, upgrades, and elite status perks

For us, nonstop flights to the East Coast were key. We used to be loyal United flyers and had tons of miles but few perks. Fifteen years ago, we cashed them out for a Europe trip and never looked back.

Why We Switched to Alaska Airlines

Every program has its own elite tiers and thresholds to unlock the best benefits. For us, Alaska Airlines checked all the boxes. We’ve been loyal ever since, wearing what we jokingly call our golden handcuffs.

We primarily fly Alaska and British Airways, which are partners, making it easy to stay within the same ecosystem. Both airlines also partner with carriers serving destinations on our future travel list, so we focus our mileage earning here.

How Alaska’s Program Works

Alaska Airlines has two main earning systems:

1. Alaska Mileage Plan (Atmos) – their own frequent flyer program

2. Oneworld Alliance – a global network of partner airlines

That means we earn 100% of the miles when flying Alaska, but can also earn on partner flights.

Here’s how it works in practice:

Example:
Let’s say I’m flying from SFO to Dallas and want a nonstop flight. American Airlines offers that route.

• I book and pay through American.

• I enter my Alaska Atmos number when booking.

• I earn Alaska miles, even though I’m flying American.

Why not use my American Airlines number? Because I don’t have status with them, and I’d rather build up one strong Alaska account than scatter miles across multiple programs.

The trade-off: I probably won’t get upgrades or priority boarding on American but I’m okay with that since my Alaska balance grows faster.

Earning with Partners

You can earn Alaska miles the same way when flying with these Oneworld Alliance partners:

Oneworld Airlines (Earn + Redeem):
American Airlines • British Airways • Cathay Pacific • Fiji Airways • Finnair • Iberia • Japan Airlines • Malaysia Airlines • Oman Air • Qantas • Qatar Airways • Royal Air Maroc • Royal Jordanian • SriLankan Airlines

Additional Earn & Redeem Partners:
Aer Lingus • Air Tahiti Nui • Condor • Hainan Airlines • Icelandair • Korean Air • Philippine Airlines • Porter Airlines • Starlux Airlines

Earn-Only Partners:
Aleutian Airways • Bahamasair • Cape Air • Contour Airlines • Kenmore Air • Mokulele Airlines • Singapore Airlines • Southern Airways Express

Here are a few charts for more of a visual clarity - focusing on Oneworld Alliance (Alaska and British).

When to Use a Different Frequent Flyer Number

If I’m flying British Airways, I’ll usually use my BA number instead of Alaska’s. Why? Because I have BA status, which gives me lounge access and priority boarding, benefits Alaska can’t extend when I’m on a BA operated flight.

Even within the same alliance, sometimes it pays to pick the program that gives the most back on that particular route.

Managing Multiple Programs (Virgin & Delta)

Even though I focus 99% of my flying on Alaska and British Airways, I also have a Virgin Atlantic Flying Club account that has built up quite a lot of miles over the years. The nice thing about Virgin’s program is that their miles never expire, which means there’s no pressure to use them quickly.

That said, I’m still figuring out the best way to use them strategically. Virgin partners with Delta as well as several international carriers, so I’m exploring whether it makes sense to redeem those miles for premium cabin flights to London or possibly to top off a future Delta trip.

Speaking of Delta; I recently did a status match using my Alaska Atmos number because I have a Delta trip coming up in January, and I didn’t want to sit at the back of the bus so to say. It’s a great short-term way to enjoy some perks (like earlier boarding or seat upgrades) when you have to fly outside your usual airline. I’ll report back once I see how it plays out but it’s a reminder that sometimes flexibility is just as valuable as loyalty.

So What Does It All Mean?

All of this boils down to strategy and loyalty. The more you can consolidate your flying and spending within one ecosystem, the more valuable your points, miles and perks become.

Honestly, keeping track of which program or card to use can feel like a part-time job. There’s definitely a lot of juggling between airlines and cards, and I know it drives my partner a little crazy. (“Use this card! No, not that one, this one gets double miles!”) But over time, those small choices add up to big rewards, and sometimes even a surprise upgrade or a free trip.

Next Up: Let’s Learn About Transferring — how to move those hard-earned points and miles to where they’ll do the most good.

As of today, I’ve got almost a million miles sitting in my Alaska Airlines account and here’s the kicker: I didn’t earn most of them by flying. That’s the thing about points and miles, you don’t need to be a jet-setter to rack them up. You just need to know how to earn them while living your normal life.

Over the five years, I’ve been diving into the world of credit card points, learning the ropes, testing what works, and figuring out how to make everyday spending stretch toward my next big adventure. When we were in lockdown we could not earn miles as we were not flying, so I began dabbling in the points game with credit cards. The past two years, I am pretty much deep in it. While I’m still learning, I thought it would be fun to bring you along for the ride and share what I’ve discovered so far.

The number one takeaway I’ve learned? This can easily turn into a part-time job. You’ll find yourself constantly reading newsletters, tracking points, and calculating transfer options. It’s a lot to keep up with! I’ll be honest, I don’t have a fancy spreadsheet or system. I read a lot, jot down key dates on my to-do list, and try to stay on top of it all. It’s not perfect, so far it works for me. But, I should create a spreadsheet as I get deeper into it.

The number two takeaway: Hoarding points isn’t always the best approach. I used to think the more points I saved, the better, but that’s not really the case. Points don’t gain value over time; in fact, they often lose value as programs make changes.

Take Hilton’s rewards program, for example. They recently raised the number of points required for hotel stays. When we last used Hilton points back in 2023, we stayed in Cancun at the Canopy property (off-season, not even on the beach) and spent 24,000 points for one night.

Fast-forward to today: that same room, same time of year, now costs 60,000 points per night.

For comparison, the cash rate directly through Hilton is around $194, and through the travel agency I work with, it’s showing about $180. If I were to book that stay again, I’d skip using points altogether and instead focus on getting upgrade perks through the agency. And just to keep it real when we stayed there on points, we actually received the worst service we’ve ever had. Hotels don’t typically roll out the red carpet for reward stays. Lesson learned!

Credit Card Points: How I’m Playing the Game

So, how do I earn so many credit card points? Simple, we put almost everything from groceries to property taxes, anything that can be paid with cash on our credit cards and pay them off in full every month. No exceptions.

Right now, we use four different cards: two for business and two for personal spending. I juggle between them depending on which perks or bonuses we’re working toward. This is where it starts to feel like a bit of a part-time job, keeping track of spending categories, bonus offers, and deadlines. You really have to stay on top of it, but it’s worth the effort when those points start stacking up.

Choosing the Right Cards

We focus on credit cards that give us the best deals for airfare, either award tickets or upgraded seats in premium, business, or even first class. I don’t really care about points for hotels or shopping; in my experience, they rarely offer real value. I will go more into that when I write about Transferring Points (a whole other animal). Flight points tend to hold their value the best, especially as fuel costs and airline ticket prices continue to rise.

The cards that are currently working for us include:

Alaska Airlines Visa (formerly Virgin America) - Personal Card. We have had this card since it was a Virgin America credit card, then they merged with Alaska Airlines. We fly primarily Alaska, as well as with their partners, so this card works great for us.

Current promotion for new cardholders: 80,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 within the first 120 days of opening the account. That is a great sign-on bonus! Annual Rate is $95

I do not have to manage the points as they just slide into our FQTV plan with Alaska Airlines as we earn them.

Benefits:

• Annual $99 Companion Fare. Get a $99 Companion Fare (plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. Valid on all Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights within North America booked on AlaskaAir.com.

• Free checked bag. Any cardholder who purchases Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines airfare with their card, and up to 6 additional guests traveling on the same reservation, may check their first bag free.

• Preferred boarding on Alaska Airlines flights so you can get to your seat quicker, when you pay for your flight with your card.

• Earn unlimited 3 points for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines purchases. Earn unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases. And earn unlimited 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. And, your points don’t expire on active accounts.

• Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all points earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America^® account.

• Jet to status. Throughout 2025, earn one status point for every $3 spent on purchases, up to 30,000 status points total.

• Enjoy 20% back on all Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines inflight purchases and get $100 off an annual Alaska Lounge+ Membership when you pay with your new card.

• Earn and redeem across 1,000+ destinations worldwide with oneworld^® Alliance member airlines and 30+ global partners.

• Flexibility with no blackout dates on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines flights when booking with points or a companion fare.

• Plus, no foreign transaction fees.^†

Chase British Airways Visa - Business Card. We got this card earlier this year as we plan to spend more time in Europe, and their offering was fantastic. We primarily fly British Airways when traveling to Europe, as they are partnered with Alaska. I used to transfer the mileage to Alaska when we flew BA. Then learned I lost a lot of miles doing it this way, I would have earned more points if I used the BA mileage plan directly when flying. It is called Avios.

Current promotion for new cardholders: 85,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months of opening the account. That is a great sign-on bonus, ours was 50,000 at the beginning of this year.

I do not have to manage the points as they just slide into our FQTV plan with British Air as we earn them.

Benefits:

• Earn 3 Avios for every $1 spent on British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia flight purchases. Earn 2 Avios for every $1 spent on hotel accommodations booked directly with the hotel. Earn 1 Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

• Take 10% off British Airways flights starting in the US when you book through the website provided in your welcome materials.

• Up to $600 Statement Credits (this is new, did not get this perk) - Receive statement credits of $100 for Economy and Premium Economy - or $200 for Business and First Class seats - three times per year, up to $600, when you book a Reward Flight travelling on British Airways and pay taxes, fees and carrier charges with the British Airways Visa Signature^® Credit Card.

• A Travel Together Ticket (main reason we applied) - Earn a Travel Together Ticket every calendar year you make $30,000 in purchases on your British Airways credit card. Valid for two years when you redeem Avios for a flight on British Airways for a companion traveling on the same flight, or use it for a 50% discount on the Avios price you pay when booking a solo reward flight. For more details, visit here.

Chase Sapphire Preferred - Personal Card. We got this card earlier this year because of a great sign-on bonus and its ability to transfer points to other Frequent Flyer programs. There is a referral link for this card, and for the bonus below. You can skip it if you want.

Current promotion for new Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders: 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 within the first 3 months of opening the account. That is a great sign-on bonus, ours was 60,000 at the beginning of this year.

Current promotion for Chase Reserve (which we are considering swapping out Amex to use as a business card) - 125,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 within the first 3 months (use to be a much higher spend) of opening the account. It is a high yearly fee of $795 but the perks are pretty good, and out-way that spend. $250 apple streaming credit, $120 Peloton credit, a $300 dining credit, Door Dash credits (which we never use), $500 Edit credit (Chase hotels - which we may use for business), and too many other offers to list.

I do have to manage the points on this account as there are a few different options for using them. I will talk about it more when I write about Transferring Points.

Benefits:

• Hotel Credit - Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel

• 2x points on travel

• 1x bonus points with Shop through Chase

• 3x points on select streaming services

• 3x points on dining

• 10% anniversary points boost

• 3x points on online grocery purchases (excludes Target, Walmart and Wholesale clubs)

• 5x points on Lyft

• 1x points on all other purchases

• More Benefits

American Express Platinum - Business Card. American Express Platinum - we use this for our business, and have for YEARS. Their Business Checking account earns a lot of interest, if you are a small business., this is really great. That being said, we have two separate Platinum accounts, and the rewards we have earned have more than paid for the annual fees which are HIGH. I am canceling the Business Platinum Card the end of this year, and only keeping our Personal Platinum Card. I will transfer all the points with the Business Card to an airline - waiting to see which one has the best deal to do so. Reasoning? Amex is raising the their annual fee by $200 per account. The Business card has removed a lot of their rewards for next year, and it will not benefit us for an additional $200 a year. I maxed out our rewards on the Business Card this year. I will keep the Personal card one for 2026 and re-evaluate the end of next year. Annual Rate is $695 (2025) - we have earned about $1600 in rewards on each of our Amex Cards.

Current promotion for new cardholders: you need to sign in using the link to see your current reward — it can be up to 175,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months. Ours was only 100,000 when we signed on with the referral we had. They just revamped their entire program, and the offerings are new.

I do have to manage the points on this account as there are a few different options for using them. I will talk about it more when I write about Transferring Points.

Travel Benefits

• Over $850 of annual value with access to Centurion Lounges, 10 complimentary Delta Sky Club visits when flying on an eligible Delta flight, Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), and other select partner lounges.^‡

• Up to $600 Hotel Credit

  Statement credits up to $300 semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through Amex Travel. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.^‡

• Up to $200 Uber Cash

  Add your Card to your Uber account and pay for rides or orders in the U.S. with an Amex Card to get $15 in Uber Cash monthly, plus a $20 bonus in December.^‡

• Up to $120 Uber One Credit

  Statement credits per calendar year after you purchase an auto-renewing Uber One membership. Terms Apply.^‡

• Up to $200 Airline Fee Credit

  Statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees charged by your one selected qualifying airline.^‡

• $550+ in value with Fine Hotels + Resorts^®

  Unlock a complimentary suite of benefits worth an average total value of $550* per stay when you book Fine Hotels + Resorts through Amex Travel.^‡
  *Average value based on 2024 bookings for stays of two nights. Actual value will vary based on property, room rate, upgrade availability, and use of benefits.

• Up to $209 CLEAR^® Plus Credit

  Statement credits per calendar year for an auto-renewing CLEAR Plus Membership, excluding taxes and fees.^‡

Dining and Entertainment

• Up to $400 Resy Credit

  Statement credits up to $100 quarterly when you make eligible purchases at U.S. Resy restaurants. Enrollment required.^‡

• Up to $300 Digital Entertainment Credit

  Statement credits earned monthly of up to $25 on eligible purchases at participating partners. Enrollment required.^‡

Shopping and Wellness

• Up to $300 lululemon Credit

  Statement credits up to $75 quarterly for eligible purchases at U.S. lululemon retail stores (excluding outlets) and lululemon.com. Enrollment required.^‡

• Up to $155 Walmart+ Credit

  Statement credit for one auto-renewing monthly Walmart+ membership, up to $12.95 monthly plus applicable taxes.^‡

• Up to $100 Shop Saks Credit

  Statement credits up to $50 semi-annually for purchases made at Saks Fifth Avenue or saks.com. Enrollment required.^‡

There you have it, the first part of a series on maximizing your credit card points for free flights! In the upcoming posts, I’ll dive deeper into the frequent flyer programs we use, how to transfer points effectively, and strategies for scoring seats using as few points as possible. Stay tuned!