4 Ways My Credit Card Saved Me Money on a Recent Trip

Recently, my family and I went on a vacation for a week. During the course of the trip, my credit card saved me money in multiple ways. In fact, here are four examples of how my card allowed me to keep more money in my checking account. 

1. I got a free airline ticket

I use my credit card for as many purchases as possible, which helps me earn rewards points. My card also gives me bonus rewards when I book airline travel. Since I've spent quite a bit on travel over the course of this year, I earned enough credit card points to get a free airline ticket. This meant I saved over $400 on the trip before even leaving my house or packing a single bag. 

Now, it's true I had to spend money to earn the miles that I cashed in for my free ticket. But I would have had to spend the money anyway, so there was very little reason not to use my card for my past purchases so I could save hundreds on this trip. 

2. I got a free checked bag

My credit card saved me money when I arrived at the airport as well. This time, the savings came from the fact that free checked bags are one of my cardholder perks. 

Flying with a checked bag would typically come at a cost of $30 on this particular vacation. But I didn't have to spend this, since my card allows me to check a suitcase at no extra cost.

Because I was able to check a bag without worrying about paying for it, I also didn't have to try to stress about getting clothes for a family of four into carry-ons. And I didn't have to transport multiple carry-on bags through the airport (along with my two kids) just to avoid having to pay to check bags. This was a huge savings of both time and effort.

3. I didn't have to buy food at the airport

My credit card offers me access to an airline lounge, which has food and drinks available. My family of four was able to eat lunch at no cost and enjoy several fruity (non-alcoholic) drinks. We were able to eat meals at the airline lounge on both our departing and returning flights. 

Since we normally spend about $40 to $50 on food and drinks when we go to the airport, my card saved me $80 total here by enabling me to avoid buying meals at both ends of the trip. 

4. I got early check-in at my hotel

Finally, I was able to get early check-in at my hotel using a different travel credit card that was issued by that hotel company. Because we had early check-in, I didn't have to pay a fee to get into my room earlier. 

I was also able to schedule my flight at a time that was convenient -- and that came with less expensive tickets -- rather than trying to make sure we didn't land too early and have nowhere to go for hours.

All of these were major money savers and are huge benefits of having a travel card. I would never go on a trip without one, since I don't see a point in paying extra for things I could get included as cardholder perks.