✈️ How I Save Thousands on Airfare

Read time: 4 min 🕐

It doesn’t matter if you’re a student or a business owner.

You can book lie-flat intercontinental business class flights for under $100.

It’s simpler than you think.

Here’s the trick:

Almost every airline has a loyalty program you can join for free.

After joining, you’ll be able to earn loyalty points.

Once you earn enough points, you can redeem them to get massive discounts on flights.

Let me put it in perspective for you:

Example 1

This Lufthansa business class flight from Boston to Frankfurt costs $6,206.

But if you wanted to, you could book the exact same flight and experience for 60,000 points + $57 (taxes and fees):

💬 “That sounds great, but how am I supposed to get enough points for a flight like this?”

Once you’ve joined an airline’s loyalty program, there are two main ways to earn points:

• Fly with the airline (or one of their partner airlines)

• Apply for credit cards affiliated with the airline (quickest option)

For example, the Chase Aeroplan credit card is a card affiliated with the Aeroplan frequent flyer program.

The card has a $95 annual fee and offers a 70,000 point sign up bonus.

If you just applied for this card and earned the 70,000 point bonus, you’d have more than enough points to book that business class flight to Frankfurt.

Let that sink in.

While other people would be paying $6,200+, you’d only need to pay $57 (or $152 if you factor in the credit card’s annual fee) for the exact same experience.

Here’s another example of how you could spend the points:

Example 2

You could take Turkish Airlines from New York to Istanbul for 40,000 points in economy or 70,000 points in business (+$57 in taxes).

Without points, this flight costs $812 in economy:

And $2,887 in business:

I think you get the point.

Unless you really enjoy spending thousands on flights, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be collecting airline points.

It’ll change the way you travel.

🎨 Bonus Tips to Help you get Started

• Pick a loyalty program you’d be able to earn points with easily. In most cases, it’ll be the program by an airline that has co-branded credit cards that you’re eligible for, or an airline that you fly often.

• If you want to rack up a lot of points quickly, credit cards are the way to go. But make sure that you’re spending responsibly and strategically. It’s really important that you take the time to understand how credit works, and to always stay on top of your finances.

🌊 Dive Deeper

Check out these resources to learn more about getting started with points & miles ⤵

🚀 Deals

Check them out before they expire ⤵

⚡️ In the News

United Airlines to Reduce US Flights

United Airlines reported strong profits for Q2, up 23% from last year. They operated the most extensive schedule in their history, and increased flight frequency to a number of new and existing destinations.

In preparation for industry-wide slowdowns in Q3; however, they plan on reducing domestic flight capacity alongside other US-based airlines.

Read more at United Newsroom

📱 What I’m Watching Today

(Video) Why Budget Airlines are Suddenly Failing

Lots of interesting insights about why low-cost airlines aren’t performing well.

Give it a watch:

❇️ Today’s Musing

I feel like a lot of travellers get overwhelmed by the paradox of choice. There’s so many destinations and flights to choose from, but how can you be sure you’re making the right choice?

I’ve been planning a trip to Asia (entirely on points) for later this year and honestly, I’d be lying if I said the variety of choices wasn’t overwhelming.

Here’s what I learned:

• The more you overthink, the more confused you’ll be.

• Narrow down your options to a few you’re actually interested in.

• Your trip doesn’t need to be perfect - it’s okay if you don’t end up visiting every destination you have planned, or if your flights aren’t ideal. Just enjoy the process.

👋 Hi, I’m Taymoor.

I’ve been around planes my whole life, both as a passenger and pilot. Naturally, my passion for aviation has led me to learn quite a bit about the industry from numerous perspectives. I started this newsletter to share everything that I’m learning about aviation with you, to help you become a more skilled, informed and confident traveller.

Thanks for reading today’s issue!

Feel free to leave a reply with any questions, feedback or suggestions that you have. I’ll make sure to get back to you asap.

DISCLAIMER: All prices quoted in this newsletter are in United States Dollars (USD) unless stated otherwise. The guides presented in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be personal financial advice. This publication may contain curated content with links to source materials. Recommendations and opinions are those of the original authors, and Flight Citizen assumes no liability.