If there were ever a year to stretch your vacation budget, it's this one—and rewards programs can help. As a travel editor who’s visited nearly every state and been to more than a dozen countries, I know how loyalty program perks could save you thousands and improve your experience away.
But here’s the truth: Most people aren't maximizing their benefits correctly. Here’s how to fix that and stretch expenses during your next city vacation or beach escape.
Maximize hotel nights
Many hotels offer loyalty programs that gift frequent guests with perks and discounted stays. Hilton, for example, has its own program that allows members to rack up points during each visit—and with over 25 hotel brands under the company’s belt, there’s something for everyone.
Just make sure you're a member of Hilton Honors before your next trip, and you’ll be eligible to get points for your stay, on-site meals, and even rides on Lyft.
For instance, I recently booked a room at the Conrad New York Downtown—and as a Gold Hilton Honors member, I qualified for a $25 dining credit for each night of my visit.
If you're not signed up yet, do it now because Hilton has a special offer happening called the Welcome Bonus. It’ll let you earn up to 500 points after your first stay, 1,000 points after two stays, and 1,500 points after your third.
Pool flight miles with family members
If it seems like it’s taking forever to have enough miles to qualify for a free airline ticket, see if it’s possible to pool your miles with other family members.
For example, United Airlines allows you to form a “mileage pool” with four other MileagePlus members to consolidate your miles. You can go all in and put 100% of everyone’s miles in the pool or designate an amount.
JetBlue has a similar program, and it allows you to pool with seven family members or friends.
My husband, daughter, and I recently pooled our miles together to cover two of the three tickets we needed for a trip to Bermuda. I’ve also seen friends using their young children's miles (or their parents' miles) to get them over the hump to a free ticket.
Get rental car rewards
Three summers ago, after a long flight to Seattle, my family and I waited on line for two hours prior to picking up our rental car.
Since then, I've joined free rewards programs like Avis and Hertz that allow me to skip the line that's winding around the building and get right in the vehicle so I can spend my vacation time, well, on vacation.
(Note: I’ve come across other free car rental rewards programs, but not all of them offer the skip-the-line feature.)
Save on museum admissions
If you're a member of a certain museum, zoo, or science center, you may be able to get into a partner location at a heavily discounted rate (or even at no charge).
To find out if you qualify, check if the children's museum, aquarium and zoo, or science center you’re a member of has any nearby locations that they’re affiliated with.
Also, note: National Park free days include August 25, September 17, October 27, and November 11.
Earn credit back for experiences
You may think of Tripadvisor as a hotel review site, but you can book thousands of experiences on it from whale-watching cruises to Broadway shows.
Plus, if you sign up for Tripadvisor’s rewards program (which is free), you’ll be able to automatically earn "Trip Cash" as a result of booking getaways and experiences through the company.
