Our family has traveled all over the world — from Disney parks in California and Florida to Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney, Australia, Hawaii and beyond.
And one of the biggest ways we’ve been able to make so much travel possible?
Credit card points.
I know credit card points can sound complicated when you’re first getting started. There are different types of points, airline programs, transfer partners, welcome offers and redemption options.
But you don’t have to become a points expert to start using them.
In this guide, I’m breaking down how our family thinks about credit card points, some real-world examples of trips you could potentially book with points, and the strategy I would use if I were starting over today.
Looking for the cards I actually recommend?
I keep a separate page with my favorite travel credit cards and the best current welcome offers so that the information stays up to date.SEE MY FAVORITE TRAVEL CREDIT CARDS + CURRENT OFFERS HERE
Overwhelmed with choices? Here are my two favorite travel credit cards with annual fees under $100 for booking international flights with points
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — Best Overall for Beginners
Annual fee: $95This is my #1 pick for someone who wants to start traveling with credit card points. You earn flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to airline and hotel partners, making them especially useful for bigger family trips like Europe, Japan and Hawaii.
Best for: Families who want flexible points and are just getting started.
2. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card — Best for Keeping It Simple
Annual fee: $95This is one of my favorite options for someone who doesn’t want to worry about remembering bonus categories. You earn at least 2 miles per dollar on purchases, and those miles can be transferred to airline and hotel partners when you’re ready to learn more advanced points strategies.
Best for: Busy families who want a simple everyday travel card.
Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. If you apply for a credit card through one of my links, I may receive compensation. Offers and point values can change. Always review the current offer and terms before applying. Credit cards aren’t worth it if you’re carrying a balance and paying interest.
First: How Do Credit Card Points Actually Work?
Here’s the easiest way I can explain it:
You open a travel rewards credit card, earn points from the welcome offer and your everyday spending, and then use those points toward travel. But here’s where things get really interesting. Some credit card points are transferable points.
Instead of only redeeming them through your credit card’s travel portal, you may be able to transfer them to airline or hotel loyalty programs. That’s one of the strategies we use when planning expensive international trips.
For example, instead of thinking: “I need enough points to buy a $1,200 flight.” I might think: “Which airline programs can get us from the U.S. to Japan, and which of my credit card points can transfer to those programs?”
That opens up a LOT more possibilities.
Real-Life Example: Using Points to Fly to Japan
Let’s say you’re a family dreaming about taking your kids to Tokyo Disneyland.
A cash flight from the West Coast to Tokyo can easily represent a major chunk of the vacation budget — especially when you’re buying four tickets.
This is where transferable credit card points can become incredibly valuable.
Depending on your dates, departure airport, airline, transfer partner and award availability, you may find economy award flights between the western U.S. and Japan in the neighborhood of roughly 35,000–60,000 points per person, each way.
That means a family could potentially use points to cover thousands of dollars worth of airfare.
And once you’re in Tokyo?
You can put the money you didn’t spend on flights toward hotels, park tickets, food and all the cute Tokyo Disney merchandise your suitcase definitely didn’t have room for.
Our tip: Don’t transfer your credit card points until you’ve found the award flight you want and are ready to book. Transfers are often irreversible.
Using Points to Get to Disneyland Paris
Paris is another destination where points can make a huge difference.
We’ve traveled internationally with our kids many times, and airfare is usually one of the first things I look at when deciding whether points make sense for a trip.
For flights from the Western U.S. to Europe, you may sometimes find economy award options starting around 20,000–50,000 points per person each way, depending on the airline program, route, dates, and availability.
If Disneyland Paris is the goal, you don’t necessarily need to search only for flights associated with Disney.
Think bigger:
Step 1: Use points to get your family to Paris.
Step 2: Get yourselves to Disneyland Paris.
Step 3: Spend two magical days at Disney.
Step 4: Add Paris or another European destination to turn it into a bigger trip.
This is one of my favorite things about using points for international travel. Suddenly a trip that sounded completely out of reach can start feeling much more realistic.
Using Points for Disney World or Disneyland
You don’t have to fly across the world for points to be useful.
If you’re planning a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California, points can potentially help cover:
- Flights
- Hotels
- Rental cars
- Other travel expenses
For domestic flights, we’ve seen routes where award flights can start around 5,000–15,000 points each way, although prices can be much higher depending on the route and travel dates.
Now multiply airfare by a family of four.
Even if points only cover your flights, eliminating that one expense can make a Disney vacation significantly more affordable.
Using Points to Get to Hawaii
Hawaii is another trip where I LOVE checking points before paying cash.
For our family, a trip like Aulani isn’t just about the cost of the resort. We also have to get four people across the Pacific.
Depending on your departure city, dates and airline program, economy flights from the West Coast to Hawaii can sometimes be available for roughly 10,000–25,000 points per person each way.
If you’re planning an expensive Hawaii vacation, using points for airfare can free up a huge portion of your budget for the actual experience.
What About Australia?
This is where having a large stash of flexible points can really pay off.
Flights to Australia can be EXPENSIVE.
Award pricing varies enormously, but economy flights between the U.S. and Australia can sometimes be found in approximately the 40,000–75,000+ point range per person each way.
For a family of four, that can require a significant number of points. But here’s the part beginners often miss: You don’t necessarily have to earn all those points from spending. Welcome offers can do a lot of the heavy lifting.
One good welcome offer could potentially cover a substantial portion of the points needed for an international trip. That’s why I pay attention to elevated credit card offers instead of applying for a card randomly.
[SEE THE BEST CURRENT CREDIT CARD OFFERS HERE
The Biggest Mistake Beginners Make With Credit Card Points
One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is:
“We don’t spend enough money to earn that many points.”
Neither do most people!
The goal isn’t to spend $50,000 just so you can earn 50,000 points.
For many travel rewards strategies, the biggest opportunity comes from welcome offers.
A card might offer tens of thousands of points after you meet a certain spending requirement within the first few months.
If that spending requirement fits expenses you were already going to have, that can accelerate your points balance dramatically.
The important part is that you should never spend extra money just to earn points and you should pay your balance in full. Interest charges can quickly wipe out the value of the rewards you’re earning.
Why I Prefer Flexible Points
There are airline-specific credit cards and hotel-specific credit cards, but some of my favorite points are the ones that give us options.
I love being able to earn points in one place and potentially transfer them to different airline or hotel loyalty programs.
Why?
Because award availability changes.
Maybe Airline A wants 70,000 miles for the flight I want, but Airline B has a partner flight for 35,000.
Flexible points give me the ability to compare my options before deciding where to transfer them.
That flexibility becomes especially valuable when you’re trying to find four award seats on the same flight.
Our Basic Credit Card Points Strategy
You absolutely do not need 15 credit cards to start traveling with points.
If I were starting from zero, I’d keep it simple.
1. Start with flexible travel points.
I like points that give me multiple redemption options rather than locking me into one airline.
2. Look for an elevated welcome offer.
Credit card offers change constantly. A card that’s a great deal today might have a much lower offer six months from now.
3. Make sure you can comfortably meet the minimum spending requirement.
Never manufacture spending or buy things you don’t need just for points.
4. Pay the card off in full.
This is non-negotiable for our strategy.
5. Earn the welcome offer.
Then keep earning points on purchases you would have made anyway.
6. Don’t transfer points immediately.
I generally want to know exactly what I’m booking before moving transferable points into an airline or hotel program.
7. Start planning the trip.
This is the fun part.
Think About the Destination BEFORE the Credit Card
This is one of my biggest pieces of advice.
Don’t start by asking:
“What’s the best credit card?”
Start with:
“Where do I want to go?”
Maybe your goal is:
🏰 Disneyland Paris
🌺 Aulani in Hawaii
🇯🇵 Tokyo Disney Resort
🏰 Walt Disney World
🇦🇺 Australia
🏖️ The Caribbean
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Once you know your goal, you can work backward.
Where do I want to go? → What airlines fly there? → Which loyalty programs could book those flights? → Which credit card points transfer to those programs?
That’s much more useful than collecting random points and figuring out what to do with them later.
How Many Points Should I Save?
Here are some very rough planning ranges for economy airfare. These are NOT guaranteed award prices — they’re simply useful numbers for understanding the scale of different trips.
| Trip | Rough Planning Range |
|---|---|
| U.S. domestic flight | 5K–20K+ points each way |
| West Coast → Hawaii | 10K–25K+ each way |
| U.S. → Europe | 20K–40K+ each way |
| West Coast → Japan | 35K–60K+ each way |
| U.S. → Australia | 40K–75K+ each way |
Actual award prices can be lower or significantly higher. Availability, travel dates, airline programs, cabin class and transfer bonuses can all change what you’ll pay.
But this gives you an idea of why a 60,000-, 75,000- or 100,000-point welcome offer can be so powerful.
Do You Need Perfect Credit to Start?
Travel rewards cards are generally designed for people with good to excellent credit, but approval requirements vary by issuer and card.
Don’t open a card simply because the welcome offer looks exciting.
Consider your credit, annual fee, spending requirement and whether the card’s benefits actually make sense for your family.
And remember: points are never worth going into debt for.
Ready to Start Earning Points for Your Next Trip?
If you’ve watched our family travel around the world and thought: “How are they paying for all of these flights?” Credit card points are one of the tools that have helped us make travel possible. You don’t need to understand every airline program on day one.
You don’t need a wallet full of credit cards. And you definitely don’t need millions of points. Start with a destination you want to take your family to, learn which type of points could help you get there, and work backward from that goal.
I’ve created a separate page where you can see my favorite travel credit cards and the best current welcome offers. That page is kept updated, so instead of listing offers here that could be outdated next month, you can always see what’s available right now.
[SEE MY FAVORITE CREDIT CARDS + TOP CURRENT OFFERS
Then start thinking about the fun question:
Where are your points going to take you first?
The information on this page is for educational purposes only. Credit card offers, award availability, transfer partners and redemption rates can change at any time. Always verify current terms with the credit card issuer and loyalty program before applying or transferring points. This site may receive compensation when you apply through certain links.
