PTT: Load Up on the Rewards!

Professional Tip Tuesday

Here I am, back in beautiful Salt Lake City this week. On my evening flight in last night - I received an unexpected compliment. ...Well I considered it a compliment. The gentleman sitting next to me said, "Hey with all of your organization and use of gadgets, you must travel all the time." Eeek. Like I said in my last post, I am definitely still a frequent-travel-newb.

At least I give off the vibe that I know my stuff!

Morning view from the hotel!

So my latest traveling tip for this week?

Load up on rewards cards! And if you can afford it / feel comfortable - sign up for a credit card to take full advantage of the points. 

I have been debating the 'right' way to do credit cards for a while. It can be so overwhelming! You don't want too many credit cards, but you also need to establish credit too. 

One of my original credit cards is a store visa card. It was a really great idea as I was stocking up on my professional wardrobe. The rewards are great and there aren't any annual fees. But now I feel like it's time to get a credit card that I can get even more out of. 

Since I know I will be traveling quite a bit - I decided to look into airline and hotel rewards cards. After some research.. ding, ding, ding - Southwest was the winner for me.

What to consider when thinking about a rewards credit card: 

1. Be aware of annual fees and charges. 

- Make sure it is actually worth the rewards. You don't want to be surprised by any hefty fees or extreme annual charges. I wouldn't completely rule it out - Southwest does have an annual fee. But the particular rewards I am getting will outweigh that cost.

2. Understand on how your points add up. 

- How much are the points worth? And how many points do you need to even reap the rewards? For Southwest, $1 = 1 point. If I am spending it with Southwest, I get 2 points! And especially since I will be purchasing lots of flights, the actual rewards will hopefully add up quickly. So when considering a card, be sure you know how your points add up. 

3. Consider what rewards you will actually use.

- My first credit card seemed too good to be true with the awesome rewards. But I just don't use the rewards as much as I thought I would. 

What companies are you loyal to when you are traveling? Comment below!