227: Travel for (Almost) Free with Credit Card Points Hacking

Derek interviews Mile Method's Trevor Wright to talk about his secrets of flying around the World for (almost) FREE. Trevor has flown to 133 countries for an average of $16/flight! Johnny also hops on the intro and outro to tell us about his place in Kyiv, which is where he's recording this episode from. Derek and Johnny talk about their experiences with points, flying and whether chasing the points game has paid off or not for each of them.  North Dakota-born, Nebraska-raised, Trevor's globetrotting has spanned the spectrum from study abroad student to broke backpacker to luxury traveler. He has averaged $16 per flight to 133 countries while staying free in some of the world's most prestigious hotels. In 2014 Trevor started MileMethod, a 1-on-1 service that earns US clients enough miles/points via credit card signup bonuses to visit their Top 3 Destinations at 95%+ discounts. Listen to ILAB 227 on iTunes here or subscribe on your favorite podcast app. Where we are: Johnny FD – Ukraine / IG @johnnyfdj Sam Marks – Thailand / IG @imsammarks Derek Spartz – Los Angeles / IG @DerekRadio Sponsor: NOVOSign up for your FREE business checking account RIGHT NOW at Novo.co/ILAB. Plus, Invest Like A Boss listeners get access to over $5,000 in perks and discounts. Support Invest Like a Boss: Join our Patreon Discussed: MileMethod IG : @milemethod Like these investments? Try them with these special ILAB links: ArtofFX – Start with just a $10,000 account (reduced from $25,000) Fundrise – Start with only $1,000 into their REIT funds (non-accredited investors OK) *Johnny and Sam use all of the above services personally. Time Stamp: 14:09 – How did you get started using the points programme? 16:43 – How do points programmes actually work? 21:57 – What airlines have you found to be the most generous? 24:44 – How have the airlines made adjustments to affect their bottom line as a result of Covid-19 pandemic? 26:51 – How do you find the best sign up offer for a card? 28:35 – What do you think about the other sites which use affiliate links? 32:10 – How does signing up for the cards affect your credit score? 36:01 – Is the card useless after you sign up and use the miles? 39:14 – How come no credit card company red flags you? 41:19 – What are you looking for in an ideal client? 45:00 – What is your fee structure for your clients? 46:26 – How do people meet the minimum bonus? 48:08 – Why not just sign up for a “cash back” card? 52:00 – Patreon question: Are there still airlines doing mileage runs which are economical? 54:11 – Patreon question: Is there a solution to being denied cards even with a high enough credit score? 56:26 – Patreon question: What are the options for non-american clients? 58:56 – What are some fun trips you have been on? 62:14 – What do you see on the horizon with the points programmes? 66:05 – Johnny and Derek review If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and share it! Also if you haven’t already, please take a minute to leave us a 5-star review on iTunes and claim your bonus here!  Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. Read our disclaimer here.