For couples who love to travel, the world of travel rewards credit cards offers an exciting opportunity to explore more destinations without breaking the bank. By strategically leveraging the Best Travel Bonus Credit Cards, you and your partner can accumulate points and miles faster, unlock premium travel perks, and enjoy unforgettable experiences. This guide dives into a smart approach to maximizing travel rewards as a couple, focusing on sign-up and referral bonuses to significantly boost your travel fund.
The Power of Sign-Up and Referral Bonuses: A Couple’s Strategy
The key to quickly amassing travel rewards lies in strategically applying for new credit cards that offer substantial sign-up bonuses. When you combine this with referral bonuses, the rewards can multiply, especially for couples. Let’s illustrate this with an example.
Month 4: Doubling Down on Points with Referrals
Imagine a couple, let’s call them Alex and Emily, who are new to travel rewards. They’ve each recently opened travel credit cards – Alex the “Preferred” card and Emily the “Priority” card – focusing on meeting the initial spending requirements to earn the sign-up bonuses.
Now, in month four, they implement a clever strategy: Alex refers Emily to the “Preferred” card, and Emily refers Alex to the “Priority” card. This simple act unlocks bonus points for both of them on top of the original sign-up rewards.
As a result of these referrals:
- Emily earns an additional 20,000 points for referring Alex.
- Alex earns 60,000 points from his initial sign-up bonus.
- Alex earns 20,000 points for referring Emily.
- Emily earns 40,000 points from her initial sign-up bonus.
Combined, as a couple, Alex and Emily net:
- 140,000 points in one rewards program (e.g., Chase Ultimate Rewards)
- 100,000 points in another program (e.g., Southwest Rapid Rewards)
While these points are initially spread across individual accounts, many programs allow you to transfer points to a partner or household member. This consolidation is particularly useful for co-branded cards like Southwest or Marriott, enabling you to pool your resources for bigger redemptions. For programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, household transfers are often permitted, streamlining point management for married couples or those in the same household.
Expanding Your Rewards: Hotel and Premium Cards
With initial airline cards like the “Preferred” and “Priority” cards successfully leveraged, the next step involves diversifying into hotel and premium travel cards. This stage often involves more personal preference based on travel styles and desired benefits.
Month 7: Venturing into Hotel and Premium Rewards
Continuing with Alex and Emily, they now consider hotel loyalty programs and premium cards. Emily opts for a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card, attracted by a sign-up bonus offering three free nights (potentially worth up to 150,000 points). Alex, on the other hand, chooses an American Express Platinum card, drawn to its substantial 100,000-point sign-up bonus and premium travel perks.
Months eight and nine are dedicated to meeting the spending requirements for these new cards, mirroring their initial strategy.
Month 10: Referral Bonuses with Hotel and Premium Cards
The referral strategy comes into play once again. Emily refers Alex to the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card, earning herself a 20,000-point referral bonus. Interestingly, the referral bonus for Alex on the Bonvoy card is also three free nights (valued up to 150,000 points). While technically valued as points, these are practically used as free night certificates at Marriott properties.
Now, when considering premium cards like the American Express Platinum, personal preference becomes crucial. Some couples who primarily travel together might question the need for two premium cards with high annual fees, as many benefits (hotel elite status, lounge access, Fine Hotels & Resorts Collection) often extend to both partners when traveling together.
However, if the annual fee is justifiable for the combined benefits, Alex could refer Emily to the American Express Platinum card.
In this scenario:
- Alex earns 15,000 points for referring Emily.
- Emily earns 100,000 points for signing up for the Platinum card.
With this second set of cards, Alex and Emily collectively accumulate:
- 215,000 American Express Membership Rewards points
- 320,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
Tracking the Total Rewards: A Points Powerhouse
Let’s tally up the points Alex and Emily have accumulated using this strategic approach with the best travel bonus credit cards:
- 140,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (estimated value: $2,100 in travel, based on an approximate value of 1.5 cents per point)
- 100,000 Southwest Rapid Rewards points (estimated value: $1,400 in travel, based on an approximate value of 1.4 cents per point)
- 215,000 American Express Membership Rewards points (estimated value: $2,150 in travel, based on an approximate value of 1 cent per point)
- 320,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (estimated value: $2,560 in travel, based on an approximate value of 0.8 cents per point)
Grand Total: 775,000 points, with an approximate travel value of $8,210.
This impressive accumulation comes with approximately $2,068 in combined annual fees, or $1,034 per person. However, it’s important to note that the cards recommended often provide annual benefits that can outweigh these fees, such as travel credits, hotel free night certificates, and other perks. Carefully evaluating each card’s benefits against its annual fee is crucial to ensure you are getting net positive value.
The Southwest Companion Pass: Unlocking Even Greater Value
While the sign-up and referral bonus strategy is powerful on its own, the Southwest Companion Pass represents an even more significant opportunity to amplify travel rewards for couples.
The core concept is simple: earn 135,000 qualifying points or fly 100 qualifying one-way flight segments in a calendar year, and you can designate a companion to fly with you for free (paying only taxes and fees, typically $5.60 each way) for the remainder of that year and the entire following year.
Referral bonuses do count towards Companion Pass qualification. In our example, if Alex were pursuing the Companion Pass, the 10,000 points earned from referring Emily to the Southwest card would contribute to his 135,000-point goal, along with the initial sign-up bonus points.
Securing the Companion Pass early in the year maximizes its value, as it’s valid for nearly two full years in the best-case scenario. While transferring Rapid Rewards points between partners doesn’t count towards Companion Pass qualification, strategically focusing one partner’s earning on Southwest cards can make achieving this valuable perk a realistic goal.
Summary: Strategic Card Selection for Maximum Couple’s Travel Rewards
By strategically selecting the best travel bonus credit cards and leveraging sign-up and referral bonuses, couples can dramatically increase their travel rewards. This approach, combined with programs like the Southwest Companion Pass, can unlock thousands of dollars in travel value, making dream vacations more attainable.
Remember to consider your preferred airlines and hotel chains when choosing cards. While programs like Southwest and Marriott offer excellent value, explore options that align with your travel preferences to make the most of your rewards journey together.
