Why You Shouldn't Plan Travel By Destination

I know it may seem counterintuitive but stick with me here. Many people’s first steps on planning a trip or vacation is by first choosing a destination and then seeing what points they need to get there. This seems like the most obvious step and I would normally agree with this method if you’re paying by cash or card. However, if you are trying to redeem points for a trip, planning by destination may not be the easiest way. This is especially true when the destinations you’re looking at are in high demand or during their high tourism season.

When you pay for a trip by cash or card, you will have many more choices than when you redeem with points. This is because airlines and hotels may limit the amount of point award redemptions available since they prefer “cash” customers. You may have already seen this in your previous searches for award redemptions and it can be a very frustrating experience. 

My Proposal

What I am proposing is to first take inventory of your points to see where your points can take you rather than picking a location first THEN seeing what points you need to get there. The idea is to make a list of potential destinations that you can easily redeem with points first, then choosing your destination from that list. This method can be rewarding for those who have more flexibility and an open mind in terms of destinations. It may not be the best method for those who have a specific trip or destination in mind so take it as an alternative strategy to credit card points redemptions, especially for those who are new to redeeming points and miles. 

For example, if you wanted to visit a country in Asia and you’re not set on one specific location, you first look at your points inventory to see what hotels or airlines are available to you in places such as South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, etc. with the points you already have. This gives you many choices in terms of destinations, type of trip, and gives you more flexibility in terms of how you want to use your points. The “normal” or traditional method of planning a trip based on first choosing a specific destination, like Japan only, can be rough because now you need very specific points and are limiting yourself on what points pool you can redeem from.

An alternative and over simplified example would be imagining you’re at an arcade and you have a handful of tickets, which represent your points. You go to the prize counter and there are all sorts of prizes with a large degree of varying costs. Instead of choosing the most expensive prize, then realizing you don’t have enough tickets, and having to go back to earning more tickets, you instead look at what prizes you can redeem with what you already have. This way you can find something that satisfies your needs for now and next time you come back, you can be better prepared and slowly work your way to your big prize.

Why This Method?

A lot of people who are new to credit card points and miles are turned off by not being able to use their points for specific locations due to limited availability, black out dates, or conflicting schedules. The method that I propose can help you avoid the negative experience by giving you alternative destinations that may be just as good or even better than your original destination. This allows you to book a trip that you’ll still be happy with without the headache of searching nonstop and trying to juggle points and availability.

As you learn and grow through the credit card community, you’ll be more comfortable with redeeming points and miles and learn to be be more proficient in your planning. It will build your confidence and allow you to hone the skills and patience needed to plan trips by destination.