Your Ticket to Japan: How to Fly for Free Using Credit Card Rewards
For many, a trip to Japan is a once in a lifetime aspirational vacation. But it doesn’t need to be. With just one or two credit cards you can secure the airfare for free.
In this article we’ll look at a few credit cards that will cover the expense of those round trip tickets. These cards also provide benefits to make those long travel days breeze by.
HOW IT WORKS
Here’s the bottom line on how you get to Japan for free with credit cards.
- Apply for a travel credit card with a high welcome bonus
- Meet the spend requirement to earn the welcome bonus
- Use the perks of the card to make your travel more comfortable, affordable, and easy
- Move your everyday spend to the travel card, or a sister card that is mutually beneficial with the travel card
There are multiple cards that meet all of the points listed above. All you need is a decent credit score and the financial responsibility that comes with having a credit card. There are no guarantees, but credit scores in the low 700’s often see approvals.
These are the credit cards we’ll look at in this article:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Chase Ink Business Cards
- Capital One Venture X
We’ll also look at sister cards to the ones listed above. These cards work together to help you earn more points and get more free travel.
OPTION 1: CHASE
SAPPHIRE PREFERRED
The Sapphire Preferred has a welcome bonus that fluctuates between 60,000 and 100,000 Chase points. If you apply when the bonus is 80,000, you’ll have at least 84,000 points when you finish earning the welcome bonus.
This card provides a 25% bonus when you book travel via Chase, so your 84,000 points are worth ($840 * 1.25) $1050 towards travel. Round trip Japan tickets roughly range from $700 – $2k, so this bonus is enough to cover the cost of the tickets in the low season.
It is worth noting that this card has an annual fee of $95. Sometimes it is waived for the first year, but usually not. For almost all travelers, the value of the benefits far outweigh the annual fee.
CHASE INK BUSINESS CARDS
The Ink cards are a suite of 4 business cards from Chase. Welcome offers for these cards range from 75,000 points to 100,000 points. Even the Ink cards with no annual fee have had welcome offers as high as 90,000 points!
If you get the 90,000 point bonus, you will have 96,000 points by the time you are done with the welcome offer. This is at least $960 towards travel.
Currently, the Chase Ink Preferred has an outstanding and all time high 100,000 point welcome offer. This card provides the same 25% travel bonus that the CSP does. So, 100,000 points is worth $1250 towards travel!
The Ink cards also have an incredible referral bonus of 40k Chase points. This means you can be rewarded with $400 of travel simply for referring someone.
DO I QUALIFY FOR BUSINESS CARDS?
The scope for what qualifies as a business is wider than most expect. You don’t need a LLC or Corporation to be considered a business.
For example, if you resell items online, provide photography services, or do nearly anything that generates revenue, you can apply as a Sole Proprietorship.
OPTION 2: CAPITAL ONE
VENTURE X
The Venture X is Capital One’s flagship travel credit card. The welcome bonus varies from 75,000 points to 90,000 points. This is $750 or $900 towards travel.
The Venture X has a ton of benefits that any traveler would be sure to enjoy. Check out this article for a more detailed look at the Venture X, and a comparison with the Sapphire Preferred.
POOLING POINTS: EARN POINTS FASTER FOR FREE
The bottom line with mutually beneficial cards is to earn the most points for every dollar you spend. Specific non-travel oriented cards earn points at an accelerated rate. These points can still be redeemed for travel.
For Chase, the mutually beneficial cards are the Freedom Flex, and the Freedom Unlimited. The Freedom Flex earns 5 points for every dollar spent on certain categories. These categories change every quarter and often include things like gas, groceries, or Amazon. The Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5 points for every dollar spent, regardless of category.
The idea with these Chase cards is to use the Sapphire Preferred on travel expenses, the Flex on the 5x categories, and the Unlimited on everything else.
For Capital One, the sister card is the Savor Rewards. This is a cashback card, but Capital One allows you to transfer cashback rewards into travel rewards. The Savor Rewards card has excellent cashback rates on popular categories. Most notably it earns 4% back on dining, and 3% back on groceries.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE SHORT ON POINTS
Here are three options if you’re short on points:
- Get the cards far in advance and transition your everyday spend to them
- Why not use expenses that you’re going to incur regardless to bring you closer to a free vacation?
- Consider applying for sister cards, or more than one travel card
- Not all travel cards provide the same benefits. Depending on your situation, getting multiple travel cards might make sense for you
- Take advantage of referral bonuses
- Referral bonuses are a great way of easily scoring a big point bonus. If you’re traveling with friends or family this is practically a must do
FINAL THOUGHTS
In conclusion, embarking on your dream vacation to Japan is more attainable than ever with strategic credit card planning. By leveraging welcome bonuses and maximizing travel perks, you can turn your travel aspirations into reality. Start planning today and pave the way for unforgettable experiences and cherished memories in the Land of the Rising Sun.
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