We flew 10 business class flights in 2025 and NEVER paid more than $200 per ticket! This is all thanks to our knowledge of credit card points and airline miles.
While the world of points and miles can seem daunting, it really doesn’t have to be. In this blog post we are going to share 5 things that we would do if we were starting from scratch and explaining how you can use them to fly business class on points and not spend thousands of dollars.
1. Knowing The Basics of Using Points and Miles
It’s really important to understand some of the basics of using points and miles before redeeming for business class flights.
The difference between points and miles
Credit Card Points: Often referred to as just “points”, these are what you accumulate when you sign up for a credit card and reach the minimum spend, and you accumulate them every time you make a qualifying purchase.
Airline Miles: Often referred to as just “miles”, these are specifically tied to airlines and are earned by flying or through airline-branded credit cards. You will need a free account with the airline (frequent flyer programs or loyalty programs) to start earning and redeeming airline miles. For example, one of our favourite frequent flyer programs is Aeroplan through Air Canada.
Signing up for frequent flyer programs is very important
While you do not need status with any airline, it is important to be enrolled in frequent flyer programs in order to earn, purchase and redeem miles (more on this later).
Enrolling in frequent flyer programs is FREE. We recommend signing up for as many as you think will be necessary for your goals. Whether it’s airlines you already fly or dream airlines you want to fly one day.
2. Choosing The Right Credit Card
Not all credit cards are equal in terms of the value that they provide for travel related awards. It is also important to consider what is right for you specifically.
Travel Rewards Card vs Generic Credit Cards:
If you are looking to use your rewards for travel, then we highly recommended signing up for a credit card that is tailored to travel. Some of our favourites are the American Express Platinum Card or the American Express Gold Card. While cash back cards may offer value in other ways, they will not help you with travel.
Annual Fee:
It is also important to consider the annual fee when choosing a card and compare it to the benefits it offers. Our favourite travel rewards card, The American Express Platinum Card, has great rewards and in our opinion, outweigh the annual fee.
Sign Up Bonus:
Credit cards offer various sign up bonuses at different times of the year. The sign up bonus requires a minimum spend. So, if you have a large cost coming up (renovations, wedding, honeymoon, trip), we highly recommend looking at the sign up bonus offerings of the credit cards that you are interested in and signing up so you can make the purchase on that card.
SEE Our favourite Travel rewards credit card here!
3. Make Purchases Wisely
So you signed up for a travel rewards credit card (or two) and now you put every purchase you make on that card. Let us break down why you need to be strategic about what you charge to which card.
The best card for everyday purchases: The American Express Cobalt Card offers 5x the points for every $1 spent on everyday purchases like groceries, take out and restaurants. It also allows you to earn 2x the points on every $1 spent on eligible transit, gas and ride shares. Got a streaming subscription? This card lets you earn 3x the points for every $1 spent for that too!
The best card for travel related purchases: Booking a flight? We recommend doing this with the American Express Platinum Card or the American Express Gold Card. You earn 2x the points on every $1 spent on travel related purchases with these cards. You also earn an additional point for every $1 spent if you book travel through the American Express Travel portal.
4. Transfer Partners
So you want to book a business class flight with all of the credit card points you have earned. In order to do that, you will need to transfer the points to the airline loyalty program that has the offering you are interested in.
Credit Card Transfer Partners: You travel rewards credit card has specific transfer partners that you can move your points to. For example, some transfer partners of American Express are Flying Club (Virgin Atlantic), SkyMiles (Delta), Aeroplan (Air Canada), FlyingBlue (Air France and KLM) and Avios (British Airways).
Why transfer points: In order to book the eligible rewards flight, you will need to do that through the airline website that is offering it.
Transfer Partners and Airline Alliance: Say you transfer your points to Aeroplan, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to fly Air Canada exclusively. At times, rewards flights (the business class seats you are eyeing up for points) are offered through their partner airlines but can be booked through the Air Canada website with Aeroplan points.
For example, we booked business class tickets to the Maldives with Lufthansa for 60,000 Aeroplan Points!
5. Let Someone Else Do the Hard Work
Using tools and alert programs to allow you to work smarter not harder.
Thrifty Traveler
This is one of our favourite programs! They provide alerts on reduced or mistake fare flights, epic business class award alerts and even tell you what credit cards are offering the best sign up bonuses right now.
If you are a bit more advanced in the points and miles world and you have multiple travel rewards cards then you NEED this tool. Thrifty Traveler has a spread sheet that lets you keep track of every benefit with every travel rewards credit card you have. This way you don’t miss out on using your annual travel credit or your dining credit!
If you have the premium service like we do, you get exclusive points deals sent directly to your inbox. They don’t send all of them to the free subscribers! You can also tailor your home airport to get alerts that are relevant to you.
You can check out their program offerings (free and premium) here!
Final Thoughts
Flying business class with points and miles does not need to be complicated. With a few basic strategies and utilizing a service that sends all the best deals straight to you, you can be flying business class in no time!
If you want to know more about points and miles you can download our PDF Guide here!
This blog post may contain affiliate links that earn us a small commission at no additional cost to you. These small monetary amounts allow us to continue to provide free resources so we thank you in advance. 🙂
