2018 has just about started, and there is no time better than right now to put your plans for 2018 in action. Specifically, your travel plans, especially the part where you need to think through how will you travel better this year. We have a lot of tips and tricks in store for you. Here are the first few things you need to do this year to get a headstart in 2018 for Free Travel.

This is specifically a video for LFALtv, our new YouTube channel launched today which will cover all things miles, points and travel.

While we’d invite you to look at the full video, here are some key tips for your ready reference as well.

1.Sign up for loyalty programs if you haven’t, yet.

First things first. Sign up for all the airline and hotel loyalty programs in your region or the ones you think you’ll be using this year. It is just about membership number. Once done, ensure that your membership number reflects every time you fly or make a hotel stay. Even when you are not brand loyal, this helps you add up miles and points during your travels.

2.Sign up for promotions from these programs

Keep an eye out for all the current promotions. Airlines and hotels often run offers which can help you earn extra miles and points. Just a few days back, I wrote about a Jet Airways promotion where 9W was giving 15,000 bonus JP miles for one round trip on Jet Airways. Then, there is always a chance to stack your account with extra miles when you web check-in or book directly.

Similarly, Marriott Rewards’ MegaBonus gets you a free night stay on two stays that you complete. Not just that Marriott has been doling out points on Twitter in 2017 where you could earn points by just sending out a simple tweet. Shipra and I managed to earn over 25,000 Marriott Rewards points without spending anything on a stay.

It doesn’t cost anything to register for these promotions. So sign up and keep them in mind when planning your upcoming travels. There is a very good chance that you will earn a free vacation on points much sooner than you imagined.

3.Sign up for Award Wallet

With so many loyalty programs to keep track of it’s easy to feel lost trying to track everything. One of the best tools for tracking your miles and points is AwardWallet. The paid version of the same tool is AwardWallet+, which comes free via this link for 6 months. While AwardWallet allows you to track multiple accounts, you can also use their stored passwords to log into your accounts from their page. This makes it easier to keep all your miles and points related information in one place and manage it.

4.Get Mileage earning credit cards

This is something I keep reiterating all the time. Apart from travelling on a plane the easiest way to earn airline miles is by spending on cards that offer miles. Shipra and I keep multiple mileage earning cards and stack up a neat pile. Check how we together earned over a million miles in 2016. A modest spend of INR 10,000 a month on the right credit card can earn you enough miles for a free Jet Airways flight. Check out our post on how to pick a miles earning credit card, and our recommendations on Credit Cards for beginners and for advanced users.

5.Be Loyal

It’s important that you show commitment to an airline or a hotel chain for them to recognize you as a valued customer. There are so many benefits you can get by just being loyal and gaining a status. Here’s how our airline status helped us on a 50-hour long economy return trip to the US last year.

Bottomline

There are tonnes of ways to get more returns out of your already planned travel and make it better for you. We intend to share one tip a day with you to make your travel better. You can track our newly launched #LoungeBytes series on Twitter and on Instagram Stories.

What is the way you are getting ready to Jet Set in 2018? Do Share in the comments below.