Transferable Points vs. Airline Miles: Which to Earn First?
Flexible bank points beat locked airline miles for most beginners — the five currencies, current transfer ratios, and when miles actually win.
Read guide →Points & miles, without the hype
The Award Hacker
Fly farther on the money you'd spend anyway.
We teach regular earners — not big spenders — how to turn everyday spending into award flights. Every guide shows the math, the rules, and the catches, so you can book your first award flight in about 90 days and keep the hobby sustainable after that.
No "free travel" promises. Just real numbers, real rules, and a plan you can start this week.
Featured · Start here
Points & Miles for Beginners: Your First Award Flight in 90 Days
The complete beginner playbook: how points actually work, the math behind a single sign-up bonus, the bank rules that can block you, a day-by-day 90-day action plan, and the honest caveats — fees, devaluations, and limited award seats — that the hype blogs skip.
Read the flagship guideAll guides
Seven in-depth guides covering the full beginner journey: earning, the rules, searching, booking smarter, the real costs, and surviving devaluations.
Points & Miles for Beginners: Your First Award Flight in 90 Days
The flagship: how points work, one-bonus math, the disqualifying rules, and a 90-day action plan.
Read guide →The 5/24 Rule Explained: How Chase Limits New Cards
The unpublished Chase policy that decides your card order — how to count your status in 10 minutes.
Read guide →How to Search for Award Availability: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough
The skill that turns earned points into real seats: searching US–Europe across two programs, step by step.
Read guide →Stopovers and Open Jaws: How to Turn One Trip Into Two
Add a free extra city to your award ticket: per-program rules, a worked two-city pricing example, booking steps.
Read guide →Taxes, Fees, and Surcharges on Award Flights: The Real Out-of-Pocket Cost
Award tickets are never $0. Typical fee ranges, the fuel-surcharge trap, and when an award isn't worth it.
Read guide →Devaluation Survival Guide: What to Do When Your Program Raises Prices
Why programs devalue, the warning signs, a 48-hour action plan, and the earn-and-burn strategy that limits damage.
Read guide →Start here: what this site is
The Award Hacker is for the person who spends $2,000–$4,000 a month on a credit card, has heard friends talk about "flying free with points," and has never earned a single mile. We explain points like a friendly mechanic: which currency to earn first, which card rules actually matter, how to search for award seats without losing your mind, and what every ticket really costs out of pocket.
Our rule is simple: show the math or don't say it. Annual fees are stated upfront, bonus terms are qualified, and when we earn a commission on a link, we say so in plain language right next to it. New here? Read the flagship guide first — it takes you from zero to a booked award flight in about 90 days.