Popular Ways to Save Money on Travel
Airline Loyalty Programs
Airlines like to encourage frequent flyers. This is why so many airlines offer loyalty programs. The more travelers fly with a specific airline or its partners, the more miles they earn.
Advantages of Loyalty Programs
In general, miles from airlines can be exchanged for flight tickets and other services provided by the travel partner. Miles also give travelers the opportunity to quickly and comfortably complete the check-in process at the airport, use the services of the VIP lounge, book a seat on the plane for free or upgrade their existing seat to business class.
Examples of Loyalty Programs
- Mileage Plan from Alaska Airlines
- AAdvantage from American Airlines
- HawaiianMiles Loyalty Program from Hawaiian Airlines
Subscriptions
Subscriptions are usually paid. For a monthly or annual fee, they provide access to the best travel offers.
Advantages of Subscriptions
Subscriptions provide access to cashback, hotel discounts, tours and activities, low-priced flight tickets, airport lounges at the same price, and even ready-made itineraries.
Examples of Subscriptions
- WayAway Plus
- Tripadvisor Plus
- Travel + Leisure Club
Cashback Bank Cards
Travelers can take advantage of a variety of bank cards to save on flights and other travel services.
Advantages of Cashback Bank Cards
Usually the cardholder spends money in return for miles, which can be exchanged for discounts on flight tickets, free visits to the lounges or hotels, and other services. In some cases, free travel insurance is provided as a gift with bank cards.
Examples of Cashback Bank Cards
- Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
- CapitalOne Venture
- Chase Freedom Flex
Digital Coupons and Cashback Websites
The cashback option is very popular when the cash isn’t from a bank. Everything works simply: travelers need to register on a specific website or download the app and make a payment. In return, the user will receive cashback on the site/app account.
Example of a cashback site: Rakuten
There are other ways to save money by shopping online. For example, sites with coupons. Travelers need to find a suitable offer on the site, carefully read the instructions and make a payment. The total cost of such a site will be less than the site of the main seller.
Examples of sites with coupons: Groupon, Slickdeals
Which Benefits Do Travelers Like?
Loyalty programs help travelers save on various travel services. According to a ValuePenguin survey, before buying travel services, 40% of travelers look for discounts and promotions. As a result, when purchasing their most recent flight ticket:
- 19% of travelers purchased using a discount
- 11% of travelers used points
- 7% of travelers used a promo code
When it comes to loyalty programs, travelers most appreciate:
- The ability to receive rewards
- Access to special prices and discounts
- Privileges gained from achieving a certain status
- Free facilities for loyalty program participants
- A sense of brand relationship
- More personalized services
Popular Programs, Subscriptions, Cards, and Sites to Save Money on Travel
Let’s consider popular loyalty programs, subscriptions, bank cards, cashback services, and sites with coupons. Find out if they offer the benefits that travelers want to see, and whether content creators are able to earn with partner programs.
Mileage Plan From Alaska Airlines
According to a study conducted by NerdWallet, Mileage Plan from Alaska Airlines is the best airline loyalty program.
How to Get a Reward?
- Fly with Alaska Airlines or the company’s airline partners
- Book hotels, cruises, or car rentals on partner sites
- Pay with an Alaska Airlines credit card
How Can Travelers Spend the Reward?
- Get a discount on the purchase of a flight ticket
- Upgrade to first class
- Pay for hotels with miles
AAdvantage From American Airlines
The AAdvantage loyalty program from American Airlines claimed second place in the NerdWallet rating.
How to Get a Reward?
- Fly with American Airlines, American Eagle, or the company’s airline partners
- Book cars, hotels, or tours
- Shop at partners’ online stores
- Pay at restaurants associated with the bank card
How Can Travelers Spend the Reward?
- Use miles to buy tickets for American Airlines and airline partners
- Upgrade on American Airlines, British Airways, and Iberia flights
- Get exclusive service and access to airport lounges
- Pay for hotels or car rentals with miles
HawaiianMiles Loyalty Program From Hawaiian Airlines
Participants of the HawaiianMiles Loyalty Program receive miles not for the cost of flight tickets, but for the distance flown.
How to Get a Reward?
- Fly with Hawaiian Airlines and the company’s airline partners
- Buy goods from the company’s land partners
- Use the World Elite MasterCard Hawaiian card
How Can Travelers Spend the Reward?
- Exchange miles for flights from Hawaiian Airlines and the company’s partner airlines
- Use miles to book hotels, cars, restaurants, and shops
WayAway Plus
WayAway Plus is a membership plan from a flight aggregator called WayAway. For $49.99 ($99.99 without the discount), travelers get access to cashback, premium support, as well as expert guides for cities in the US and around the world.
How to Get a Reward?
- Buy flight tickets on WayAway
- Book travel services with WayAway Plus partners (their list includes indispensable and popular brands like Booking.com, Kiwitaxi.com, GetYourGuide, and many others)
How Can Travelers Spend the Reward?
- Travelers get cashback with real money that can be deposited into their PayPal accounts
Tripadvisor Plus
Tripadvisor Plus is a simple membership program that helps travelers plan trips anywhere in the world. To benefit from the subscription, travelers need to pay $99 for an annual membership. If the travelers don’t book any services for 90 days, they may ask for a refund.
What’s in the Subscription?
- Free membership to the Dollar Flight Club (up to 90% discount for flights)
- Discounts on hotels and activities
- Consultation with travel experts
- Free car rental upgrade on partner websites
- Cashback for certain bookings
Travel + Leisure GO
Travel + Leisure GO is a subscription for travelers from the popular monthly Travel + Leisure magazine. To experience all the benefits of Travel + Leisure GO, travelers need to pay for a subscription of $14.95 per month or try for free within 60 days.
What’s in the Subscription?
- Individual travel routes from personal consultants
- Discounts on hotel reservations
- Special prices for events, excursions, car rentals, and other travel services
Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
This credit card helps travelers accumulate miles from Delta’s SkyMiles loyalty program. The service is free for the first year, then costs $99 going forward.
How Can Travelers Take Advantage of the Card?
- Spend $1,000 during the first three months and receive 40,000 miles
- Earn high cashback miles for paying at restaurants, supermarkets, and on the Delta website
How Can Travelers Spend the Reward?
- Free first registered piece of luggage
- $100 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000
- Up to $50 per flight for every 5,000 miles on Delta
- 20% cashback for purchases aboard Delta
- Insurance against loss and damage in the rental of a car
- 24-hour assistance from the Global Assist hotline
Capital One Venture
The Capital One Venture credit card is available to travelers for an annual payment of $95.
How Can Travelers Take Advantage of the Card?
- Spend $4,000 during the first three months and receive 75,000 miles
- Earn two miles per dollar for each purchase
- Earn an increased cashback at five miles per dollar for booking hotels and cars at Capital One Travel
How Can Travelers Spend the Reward?
- Exchange miles for the purchase of flight tickets from any airline, any hotel, car rental service, or other travel services
- Get two free visits per year to Capital One’s lounges or in more than 100 places through a network of partners
Chase Freedom Flex
A credit card with 0% entrance fee for the first 15 months, after which the annual rate ranges from 17.24% to 25.99%.
How Can Travelers Take Advantage of the Card?
- Spend $500 during the first three months and receive $200 cashback
- Get 1% cashback points for everyday spending
- Earn increased cashback points of up to 5% when spending in the travel, food, and pharmacy categories
- Earn quarterly cashback points of 5% in bonus categories
How Can Travelers Spend the Reward?
- Exchange points for cash and gift cards
- Pay with points for travel, products, or services associated with the program
Rakuten
Rakuten is a cashback service with which you can save on flights, hotel reservations, tours, cars, and cruises.
How Can Travelers Take Advantage of the Card?
- Buy travel services on the Rakuten website
How Can Travelers Spend the Reward?
- Users receive cashback with real money. Rewards can be withdrawn four times per year (minimum amount of $5)
Groupon
Groupon is a group discount service that helps travelers save on passes, boat trips, tours, and other forms of entertainment.
To save on these services, travelers need to pay for them on the Groupon.com website.
Slickdeals
Slickdeals is the largest trade exchange forum in the United States. On the website, travelers can find discount coupons for flight tickets from popular airlines, hotels, car rental services, cruises, and other activities that may be needed for trips.
The use of the service is free, as with Groupon, travelers only need to buy services on the site slickdeals.net website.
| Product | Price | Benefits | Restrictions | Partner or Referral Program |
| Mileage Plan | Free | Referral program of the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature card | ||
| AAdvantage | Free | As far as we know, AAdvantage doesn’t offer a partner or referral program | ||
| HawaiianMiles Loyalty Program | Free | |||
| WayAway Plus | $49.99 ($99.99 without discount) / year | Cashback with real money that can be deposited into one’s PayPal account | A short list of partners | The WayAway partner program is only available on the Travelpayouts partnership platform. |
| Tripadvisor Plus | $99 / year | As far as we know, Tripadvisor Plus doesn’t offer a partner or referral program. However, you can earn with Tripadvisor on hotels and experiences on the Travelpayouts partnership platform. | ||
| Travel + Leisure GO | $14.95 / month | As far as we know, Travel + Leisure GO doesn’t have a partner or referral program | ||
| Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card | The service is free for the first year, then costs $99 / year going forward | You can receive referral bonuses for issued American Express cards | ||
| Capital One Venture | $96 | You can receive referral bonuses for issued Capital One cards | ||
| Chase Freedom Flex | Free for the first 15 months, then the annual rate is 17.24-25.99% | You can receive referral bonuses for issued Chase cards | ||
| Rakuten | Free | Users receive cashback with real money. Rewards can be withdrawn four times a year. Minimum amount of $5. | Publisher Partner Network | |
| Groupon | Free | Travel services at a discount | The Groupon Affiliate Program is available on CJ Affiliate. The partners’ remuneration is 10% of the transaction value. | |
| Slickdeals | Free | Travel services at a discount | As far as we know, Slickdeals doesn’t have a partner or referral program |
How Content Creators Can Make Money on Saving Travelers Money?
Pay Attention to the Way You Earn With the Product
You can join the partnership platform and promote travel subscriptions or websites with partner tools on your website, social media page, etc.
If you want to earn with partner programs, pay attention to the WayAway partner program (available on Travelpayouts), the Rakuten Publisher Partner Network, and the Groupon program on CJ Affiliate.
If you want to earn with flight partner programs, learn more by reading the free “Ultimate Guide on How to Monetize Your Travel Content With Airline Affiliate Programs”. In this guide, you’ll find out how (and how much) you can earn by selling flight tickets online as well as how to choose the best partner flight programs.
You can also earn from referral programs. For example, you can receive a reward every time someone gets a card based on your recommendation. Note that many banks set the maximum amount that you can get per year. For example, with a Chase Freedom Flex card, you can earn up to $500 a year. It’s not a bad reward, but it’s unlikely to earn a steady paycheck.
Consider the Specifics of Your Audience
To make solid earnings from affiliate or referral programs, you should know your audience’s needs.
For example, loyalty programs are mostly used by men over 35 years of age. They fly more often on work assignments than on vacation.
Cashback, promotions, and discounts on travel services are most interesting to travelers between the ages 20 to 34. In addition, travelers over the ages of 20 to 34 years old appreciate additional content about travel (maps, guides, and other materials). Travelers from the ages of 18 to 24 note that they find it difficult to understand the system of credit card bonuses.
