6 Ways I’m Earning More Miles This Holiday Season for 2025 Travel

The holiday season isn’t just about spending. It’s about earning, too. This year, I plan to double-dip on my seasonal spending to get as many points and miles as possible — ensuring I’ll have a healthy stash of rewards to fuel my travels for 2025.

From using the right credit cards to maximizing shopping portals and bonuses, here’s exactly how I’ll be raking in extra points and miles this holiday season when purchasing gifts, spending on travel and dining, and beyond.

1. Score Bonus Points on Existing Credit Cards

This time of year, I pay close attention credit card promotions, or opportunities beyond the ongoing bonuses I receive, such as 3x points on travel with my Chase Sapphire Reserve^®.

Recently, I got a targeted email for a limited-time bonus: My IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is offering 7x points on up to $1,000 spent at grocery stores, restaurants, and, my personal favorite, Amazon.com, through December 31, 2024. (To check if any of your co-branded Chase cards are eligible, head to Chase.com/mybonus.)

Thanks to this promo, I’ll be using my IHG Premier card to buy gifts on Amazon this year and get a generous bonus in return. In fact, these types of promotions might even inspire the types of items I buy to ensure I get as many bonus points as possible. I’ll also check my email as the season goes on to ensure I don’t miss any other promotions similar to this one.

Sometimes earning, cash-back is just as welcome as points. Certain cards like the Chase Freedom Flex^® have rotating bonus categories that change quarterly. For the final few months of 2024, cardholders can earn 5% cash-back on McDonald’s, PayPal, pet shops and vet services, and select charities on the first $1,500 spent. With these limited-time opportunities, I’ll try to spend extra around the holidays in those categories (yup, everyone’s getting McDonald’s gift cards this season!) to maximize the additional cash-back bonuses.

2. Use Shopping Portals To Buy Gifts

This year, I’m letting shopping portal bonuses dictate my holiday gifts. I’m in the market to earn AAdvantage miles and Iberia Avios, so I’ll be using each airline’s shopping portal to see which retailers have the best deals.

6x miles at Sephora? Looks like these year’s holiday gifts will be perfume and beauty products. 10x Avios at Ray-Ban? Maybe sunglasses. I usually use Evreward, a couponing and deals website, to check and make sure I’m not missing any amazing deals when it comes to shopping portals.

Since American Airlines eShopping is my preferred portal, I’ve also installed its Chrome extension to ensure I’ll earn American miles every time I check out.

3. Explore Offers from Amex, Chase, and Capital One

Before making any kind of purchase, from wrapping paper at Target to Christmas beach-break sunblock at Walgreens, I’ll also check my Amex Offers, Chase Offers, and Capital One Offers, which can save me money or reward me with additional points.

Some great gift-giving offers I found include 15% cash back on Vera Bradley purchases with one of my Chase credit cards and an opportunity to earn 4,500 Amex Membership Rewards by spending $150 at Dior with one of my Amex cards. I’ll keep checking these offers, as they’ll update frequently before the holidays.

Many of these credit card offers are also lucrative for travel purchases. For my Christmas trip this year, I’ll be keeping an eye on elevated bonuses or cash-back for hotels, flights, other travel expenses.

4. Wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday Holiday Deals

Black Friday or Cyber Monday are also opportune times to score deals on holiday travel and gifts.

Beyond the usual deals, many shopping portals offer additional bonuses on Black Friday if you spend a certain amount. Often, if you hit certain spending thresholds, you get additional points. I try to register for these bonuses and wait to shop on included dates, so I have more opportunities to earn these extra points.

In particular, I pay close attention to deals at Saks Fifth Avenue and use the up-to-$50 Saks credit that comes twice per year with The Platinum Card^® from American Express upon enrollment. Not only does the retailer have great sales around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but I also click through a shopping portal to double-dip.

In the past, Saks has offered $75 gift cards for $150 in spend around this time of year, so I’ll be paying close attention to see this promotion comes around in the coming weeks.

5. Earn Additional Miles for Festive Dining

Many credit cards offer bonus points for dining or eating out at restaurants. I’m always the first to offer to pay at group holiday dinners (but don’t forget to Venmo me!) in order to maximize my points earnings. This helps bulk up my balance of points during festive seasons when I dine out more frequently.

Many airline and hotel loyalty programs also have dining programs with new member bonuses for joining. By signing up for AAdvantage Dining, I’ll get get 5 miles per dollar spent at restaurants or takeout when I pay with a linked card, which means I can double- or even triple-dip on earnings when I eat out. I’ve also joined IHG Dine & Earn to get additional IHG One Rewards points (up to 8 points per dollar spent) when dining out.

6. Apply for New Credit Cards

I already carry plenty of credit cards in my wallet, but I plan to apply for a Hilton Honors credit card this season, using my elevated holiday spend to meet the bonus spending requirement. Some credit cards offer outsized welcome bonus offers this time of year, which can really help fuel your 2025 travels.

This is a time of year when I spend more than usual, so I find it much easier and faster to meet a minimum spend requirement in the months leading up to Christmas.

Final Thoughts

‘Tis the season … to bulk up my points stash. Since I’m already spending, I may as well be savvy about it, chasing the deals, promotions, and bonuses that will help me earn those extra rewards. With a bit of planning and organization, I know I’ll earn more points than ever this holiday season.