How I’m Using Credit Cards For Summer Travel

Many travel portals associated with your credit cards will have limited-time offers that you can use to save money on flights, hotels and even excursions. For instance, I currently have eight travel offers I can take advantage of in the Capital One Travel portal. These include 30% off (up to $300) on hotel bookings in Monaco, $125 off select Air New Zealand flights and $100 off hotel bookings in Australia.

Although it’s at the tail end of summer, I plan on using the $100 discount on Australian hotels in September when I go to Melbourne to visit a friend for her birthday. Going to the Great Barrier Reef has been a lifelong dream of mine, so I plan to spend a few days in Queensland during my trip to snorkel in the most famous reef in the world.

I’ve found these promotions to be very generous with open availability. The offers typically change every few months, so keep an eye on your portal for the most up-to-date information. If you are flexible on the destinations you visit this summer, this can be a fantastic way to cut costs.

Outside of travel portals, many airlines and hotels will offer last-minute promotions that can be a great way to add spontaneity to your summer travels. Delta Air Lines has a dedicated Delta Deals page where you can enter your origin airport and find flight deals. I’m a Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees) cardholder, so I will get an additional 15% off the advertised mileage redemptions on the Delta Deals page. At the time of writing, I could fly from New York (JFK) to Nassau, Bahamas (NAS) for just 17,000 SkyMiles, plus $120 in taxes and fees in the main cabin. The deals page can help you narrow down potential trip destinations if you’re struggling to decide on somewhere to go.