Budget Trips

Your First Travel Card: How to Get a Free Flight on $38K/Year

Ravi PatelBy Ravi Patel
Planning Guidestravel credit card for beginnersbest travel card low incomehow to get free flights with pointsbudget traveltravel hacks

When you open Instagram or TikTok, "points gurus" are often telling you to open multiple credit cards, juggle rotating categories, and spend $20,000 a month to fly First Class to Dubai.

When you make $38,000 a year working as a barista and freelance social media manager in Queens, that advice isn't very helpful.

I live in a three-bedroom apartment in Astoria with two roommates. My rent is $950 a month, and I have $32,000 in student loans from SUNY Binghamton that I'm still chipping away at. I'm not flying First Class, and I'm not spending $10k a month on a credit card.

But I still take international trips multiple times a year, and I haven't paid full price for a flight recently. My first nearly free flight was a round-trip to Colombia that usually costs around $600. I covered the fare with the signup bonus from my first travel credit card (though taxes and fees still apply).

If you're looking for a travel credit card for beginners, especially if you're on a tight budget, you don't necessarily need a massive income. You just need a plan. Here is the strategy I used for how to get free flights with points when working with a typical salary.

A One-Card Strategy

Starting with one card is usually the most manageable approach. Don't worry about complex multi-card setups like the "Chase Trifecta" right away.

For many beginners, the main value comes from the signup bonus. As of March 2026, a strong signup bonus is around 70,000 to 75,000 points. Depending on how you redeem them, those points can often be worth $700 to $1,000 in flights. That can be enough to cover a round-trip to destinations like Colombia or Portugal.

Hitting the Minimum Spend (Without Extra Spending)

To earn a large signup bonus, you typically have to meet a "minimum spend" requirement—often $4,000 to $5,000 in the first three months.

When I first started, $4,000 in three months sounded difficult without spending money I didn't have. The approach I took was to avoid spending extra money, but to redirect the money I was already spending.

I put my rent on the card. Even though my landlord's payment portal charges a 3% fee (which is $28.50 on my $950 rent), paying that fee to help unlock a bonus worth hundreds of dollars was a trade-off that made sense for me. You can also use the card for utilities, Wi-Fi, groceries, and daily coffee runs. If you have a planned large expense—like car repairs or a laptop—you might time your card application around that purchase.

The Portal vs. Transfer Partners

When you earn points, you generally have two main ways to use them for flights:
  1. The Travel Portal: You log into your credit card's booking portal and buy a flight with points. Often, 10,000 points equals $100 or $125 towards travel. It's simple, though sometimes less valuable than transferring.
  2. Transfer Partners: You transfer your credit card points to an airline's frequent flyer program. Sometimes, this can yield a higher value per point if you find a good redemption.

Flexible points from programs like Chase and Amex are often considered valuable because of these transfer partners. This is where you can sometimes find outsized value for your points.

Two Starter Cards to Consider in 2026

If you are looking for the best travel card low income earners can manage, you might want to skip the high-annual-fee luxury cards. Here are two strong options to consider. Note that these offers are current as of March 4, 2026:

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred
  • The Cost: $95/year
  • The Current Offer (As of March 2026): 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months.
  • Why I like it: This is widely considered a great beginner card. Chase points can transfer to partner airlines (like United and Southwest) or hotels (like Hyatt). It's the card I started with, and the points can be quite valuable when transferred to travel partners.

2. Capital One Venture
  • The Cost: $95/year
  • The Current Offer (As of March 2026): 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit in your first year.
  • Why I like it: The minimum spend requirement is slightly lower ($4k vs $5k), and it includes a first-year travel credit. Capital One miles can be straightforward to use—you can book a flight and use your miles to cover the purchase on your statement, or use their transfer partners.

When NOT to Open a Travel Card

My parents immigrated here and worked hard; they taught me to avoid credit card debt. It's a lesson that stuck with me. You generally should not open a travel credit card if:
  • You carry a balance month-to-month. The high interest rates (often 20% or more) will quickly wipe out any value you get from travel rewards.
  • Your credit score is low (under 670). You may not get approved for premium rewards cards, and the hard inquiry can temporarily drop your score. It's usually better to build your credit first.
  • You can't pay it off in full, every single month.

Going into debt for a rewards flight usually defeats the purpose of the rewards.

Planning Your Timeline

As of March 2026, many people are already dreaming about summer plans.

If you are considering this strategy, think about the timeline. If you open a card now and use it for regular expenses like rent and groceries, you might hit the minimum spend in a few months. The bonus points would then be available for booking late summer or fall flights.

With careful planning, those points can significantly reduce the cost of your next trip.