Ahhh…September. Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer. The kids get back to school. The weather begins to change. And we gear up for the holidays. While summer vacation has come and gone, don’t miss a great opportunity to make your travel for next summer even better.
In its 2018 Travel Credit Card Study, Nerdwallet found:
- Americans without travel rewards cards miss out on an average of $277 a year in rewards — and significantly more in year one — by not putting expenses on one.
- The first-year value of a travel rewards credit card for the average American is $901. This includes the sign-up bonus and ongoing rewards.
- Almost 3 in 5 Americans (59%) think the right time to apply for a travel rewards credit card in order to use the card’s sign-up bonus to pay for a flight is less than five months before the flight. In reality, five months prior is the minimum amount of time recommended between card application and takeoff.
In an earlier study, NerdWallet found that August is the best time for hotel cards and November is the best time for travel and airline cards. While the travel rewards game is not for everyone, it could be a great time to take advantage of good deals if you want to get in the game. You can learn more on from my primers:
- A Beginner’s Guide to Travel Rewards – Part 1
- A Beginner’s Guide to Travel Rewards – Part 2
- Travel Rewards: Pitfalls to Avoid
I’d also love to hear about your travel rewards successes and challenges. Email, tweet or message me at the links below. Happy hunting!