2011: The year of miles and points!

This year I am going to work on accumulating tons of frequent flier miles, hotel points, and other rewards points I can use for travel. I will be getting all of the credit card and debit car bonuses that are worth it to me, with as many airlines as I can, so I can continue to see the world on someone else's dime!

Last year I grabbed some great bonuses for Continental Airlines since they will soon merge with United. Once that happens I can do the same with United offers and double up! I am also looking out for bonuses for Delta (my current primary airline) and any others that can get me to Asia. Using miles to travel saves me thousands in airfare each year. Even if I have to pay a couple of annual fees for the cards it works out much cheaper over the long haul.

The award programs can be complicated and have funky rules but that is part of the game. You learn all the tricks to get the most out of your points and make them go as far as possible. There are tons of great forums and websites of other people doing the same thing. Luckily I am good with small details and have used that to my advantage over the years.