Generation Z, listen up: If you’re a frequent traveler and haven’t yet entered the world of points and miles, you’re missing out.

Collecting points and miles doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive or confusing. Take it from me, a Gen Zer myself, who was initially intimidated by everything other than my cash-back cards. With some research and education, I learned how to maximize points and miles fairly quickly.

Now, my rewards cards are paramount to my travel style.

Here at TPG, many of my fellow Gen Z colleagues have their own unique perspectives on award travel. Let’s get to know the staff, how they started their points and miles journeys and the advice they have to share.

Gabrielle Bernardini

Role: Senior points and miles editor (Gen Z by association for her love of TikTok)

First transferable points card: Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees)

How did you start your points and miles journey?

I wanted to book an aspirational (aka out of my budget) ski trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I began looking into ways to cut cash costs and opened my first travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve, to earn a welcome bonus to book my flight and accommodations.

Advice for an award travel beginner

Know yourself and your goals to begin researching how points and miles can help you. If you regularly fly American Airlines, start researching “How to book AA flights with points and miles.” Though you’ll initially come across opening American Airlines cobranded cards, you’ll also start down the rabbit hole of learning about booking American Airlines flights through partner airline loyalty programs, such as British Airways Club.

To read more from Gabrielle, check out her author page.

Olivia Mittak

Role: Credit cards editor

First transferable points card: American Express® Gold Card

How did you start your points and miles journey?

I started digging into personal finance during the COVID-19 pandemic while I was stuck at home. I sort of knew about the American Express Platinum Card® already from a little research I’d done in high school, but I didn’t know much about the world of points and miles until I discovered a video from a channel called “Yellow Productions” about credit cards that earn them.

I was so fascinated by the idea of “traveling for free,” so to speak, since I’d always been discouraged by the significant cost of international plane tickets and hotels. My first credit card was the Petal 2. My second card was my first true foray into points and miles: the Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees).

The information for the Petal 2 credit card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Advice for an award travel beginner

Remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. A lot of seasoned credit card enthusiasts have a lot of cards and thousands or even hundreds of thousands of points and miles. They all spent years getting to that point, so don’t get discouraged if all you’re able to qualify for right now is a beginner card or a card that doesn’t earn transferable rewards. Patience is key!

To read more from Olivia, check out her author page.

Chris Nelson

Role: Credit cards writer

First transferable points card: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees)

How did you start your points and miles journey?

I started my points and miles journey when I was going to Singapore on what was then the world’s longest flight. I had to walk past business class to my economy seat. That was my eye-opening moment, and I immediately started researching how I can fly up front without being rich.

Advice for an award travel beginner

Don’t always look for the big, luxurious redemptions. Look at redemptions that work for you, can save you money and are practical. Additionally, don’t think you have to save up all your points and miles for one big redemption. Instead, consider smaller, miniature redemptions.

To read more from Chris, check out his author page.

Louisa Nino

Role: Senior email analyst

First transferable points card: Amex Gold

How did you start your points and miles journey?

I grew up in a family where credit cards were only used for emergencies, so my interest was piqued when I joined the TPG team. I learned how, without spending any differently, I could earn rewards to travel for free.

Advice for an award travel beginner

I am going to give a couple of tips:

• Get a card that best fits what you are trying to achieve, then look at the best card for earning those points or miles. If you value a better hotel over a flight, focus on the cards that have good hotel partners or maybe even a specific cobranded card, if you are already loyal to one brand. If you want a better travel experience, look for cards that offer TSA PreCheck, lounge access or free checked bags.
• If you rent, get the Bilt Mastercard®* (see rates and fees). It’s too good a program, and there’s too much money spent on rent each month not to take advantage of the Bilt Rewards program.
• On redemptions, start small. It is great if you can make the best redemption on your first try, but sometimes, it’s unreasonable to wait until the most opportune time.
• When you do have the flexibility to wait, pick multiple destinations and multiple time frames that you are interested in. Keep your search wide versus narrowing it down. There will be vastly more options out there.

*TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt adviser and investor.

Augusta Stone

Role: Credit cards writer

First transferable points card: Chase Sapphire Preferred

How did you start your points and miles journey?

While I’ve always enjoyed traveling and being on the go, I was initially a big fan of cash-back cards. They’re simple, and I was too busy in my early 20s to take the time to really learn about points and miles. However, once I educated myself on how much value I could get from carrying travel credit cards — especially those that earn transferable rewards — I was absolutely hooked.

Advice for an award travel beginner

If you’re going to collect points and miles, take some time to learn the best ways to redeem them. Research transfer partners and use award search tools, such as Seats.aero, to make the process that much easier. Once you make your first few redemptions, you’ll realize it’s not that complex to maximize your rewards after all.

To read more from Augusta, check out her author page.

Bottom line

Once I dove into award travel, I realized creating a points and miles strategy can be as easy as daydreaming about my next trip. Even when I was new to the world of credit cards, there were still many ways to get started.

I advise taking it slow and considering what matters most to you when you travel. With these tips in mind, you’ll be jet-setting in no time.

If you want to read more first-person experiences from the TPG team, check out our article with advice for beginners from millennial staff members.

For rates and fees of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.
For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.