10 WAYS TO FLY FOR FREE And Enjoy The Freedom
Hey, my name is Clint and I have been travel hacking through over 120 countries. I fly for free, never pay full price, and always get the most out of my hard earned days off traveling. I started Triphackr to share the tips and and travel hacks I have learned from over a decade of traveling.
My aim on Triphackr is to show you what I have learned so you can travel more often for less. Whether it is using miles to book free flights or simply learning how to Hack a Flight without miles you will learn new ways to find travel deals.
What is Travel Hacking?
Travel hacking is a term that is thrown around a lot these days. Typically, people consider travel hackers to be those chasing frequent flyer miles, signing up for every travel reward credit card, and earning elite status on airlines. Those are components of travel hacking, however, to me travel hacking is a lot more than points and rewards. It is about getting the most out of your travel experiences, using travel hacks, and finding the best resources available to book a great trip.
Since we don’t all have a war chest of frequent flyer miles and travel credit cards to get free hotels and flights around the world I will show you how to start travel hacking without them. What I will do is is show you how to get more miles and rewards for what you are doing already. This means getting the best flights without miles, the best accommodation without rewards cards, and the best travel experience possible. You will learn a lot of ways to grow your frequent flyer bank here but you will also learn about to maximize what you are doing already.
10 WAYS TO FLY FOR FREE
1. Sign-up for a new Frequent Flyer Credit Card
If you haven’t done this yet you need to because you are losing miles on every purchase you make without a travel rewards card. This is the easiest way to earn a free flight right away. almost every airline has a partnership with a card.
2. Sign-up for a Non-specific Travel Rewards Card
Not loyal to one airline or can’t decide which airline’s card is right for you? No problem because there are plenty of travel rewards cards that will simply earn you points that you can convert to miles to fly for free.
3. Volunteer to Get Bumped and Use a Voucher
When flights are oversold, and they often are today, you can volunteer to give up your seat. These vouchers can range from a couple hundred dollars and up just depending on the airline and route.
4. Seek Out Overbooked Flights
This goes along with volunteering to get bumped. Your odds of receiving a travel voucher go up when you are flying a route with a good chance of being oversold. Popular flights include the first fight of the day, popular destinations, flying on a holiday, and flying from a major airlines hub. Feel free to ask the agent at the gate if they think they will need volunteers to take the next flight. Keep in mind flexibility is the key to success here.
5. Use Your Companion Ticket
This method allows you to take a friend/partner/boyfriend or just about anyone you can call your companion on a free flight that you are on. Many airline credit cards, such as Delta, will allow you to bring a companion along for free once a year for renewing their credit card. Your only cost the government taxes and fees ranging from $10.80-$27.60 (with Delta).
6. Complain with Good Reason
This is not something you should take advantage of but if you experience a less than enjoyable flight you may receive compensation for it. Be honest and write a formal complaint to the airline. Don’t email the complaint to them but actually write this letter by hand with all your flight number, route, frequent flyer number and explain why you were dissatisfied. Explain to them that you want a free ticket because of what your negative experience was. Send carbon copy to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division so the airline will see that you are serious.
7. Do Your Shopping Through Airline Shopping Portals
All airlines have shopping portals where you will earn miles on almost everything you want to buy. They carry every major retailer and
8. Fly on Special Military ‘Space A’ Flights
If you have someone in your family who is or once was in the military you can fly for free. The Space A or military hops, is a program that provides free flights for those who serve and their families. The catch is you have to be very flexible with dates and times.
9. Work for an Airline or Make a Friend Who Does
Working for an Airline has its advantages. Airline Associate can fly at discounted or free rates. As a Pilot or flight attendant your flying all the time. As a perk to
10. Earning Miles the Old Fashioned Way
Applying for too many credit cards can have negative effects on you. To remedy this just go back to the basics. You can still earn the miles you need to fly for free. This starts with flying consistently with one airline when it is reasonable to do so. Loyalty pays off but
Conclusion
Flying for free or a discount allows you to spend money on other things. Even when you travel such as lodging or extended stays. Some methods are much easier than others and numbers 8 and 9 are not possible for everyone. The point is there are a lot of ways to earn free travel. Make sure to always get those miles and points when they become available to you. Seek travel vouchers when they are available. Don’t forget to use those companion tickets your airline offers you every year
