Bora Bora for $550!
This detailed step-by-step guide shows you how the 2 of us took a $27,000 trip to Bora Bora for just $550!
Thanks to credit card points & miles, we flew business class and stayed in an overwater bungalow at a luxury resort.
Learn the EXACT METHOD we used to turn your everyday spending into valuable travel points & miles so you can take dream trips just like this one (without ruining your credit score or going into debt.)
Think dream vacations are just
for the rich and famous?
Think again. When we first heard that you could take free or nearly free vacations using credit card points & miles, we thought it was too good to be true. (Plus we thought it would ruin our credit scores.)
But our love for travel runs deep and we decided to give it a shot.
Following the S.M.A.R.T. Method*, we started putting our everyday spending on a credit card instead of a debit card. Within 3 months, we had earned enough points to book our first trip!
After taking free or (nearly free) trips to Greece, Cancun, Kauai, Costa Rica,
we decided to see how cheap we could take a trip to Bora Bora.
$550 it was. We are shocked that it actually worked! (P.S. Our credit scores are still 800+.)
We want to scream it from the rooftops, but for now, we'll just share all the details in an easy-to-read PDF.
Repudiandae
*What is the S.M.A.R.T. Method?
S-Sign up for a new card. M-Meet the minimum spend. A- Accrue points. R- Refer a spouse/player 2 (if possible). T- Transfer points & book free travel.
Cash price for our business class seats were $19,000. We show you what card we opened and how we transferred the points we earned from that card to book a flight for just the cost of taxes...a grand total of $204 for both of us.
Staying at a luxury property would have cost nearly $5000. We paid $0. Learn how we also got free breakfast, a free room upgrade and got to stay in an overwater bungalow.
Want to start traveling the SMART way, too? You also get basic tips to get you started including best cards to start with.
FAQ
Does opening new credit cards hurt your credit score?
Your credit score is a composite of many factors. As long as you are paying off your card IN FULL each month and are keeping cards open for at least a year, you should not have any problem. Occasionally, you might see a small dip in your score after you apply for a new card, but it usually goes back up within a few months. Our credit scores have actually gone UP since we started.
How far in advance did you have to book your trip?
We booked this trip 1.5 months in advance. .
It seems like so much work. Does it take a lot of time?
You can either spend your time working for money to pay $$$ for trips or spend your time learning this method and managing it to get dream trips for $. Your choice.
What about annual fees?
Annual fees use to scare us away from opening any new cards. But we quickly realized that it is worth paying an annual fee of $95 to get $3000+ worth of travel plus free breakfast and room upgrades. Pretty good ROI if you ask us.
How long did it take you to earn the points for this trip?
It took us 9 months to earn enough points for this trip.
Where did you stay in Bora Bora?
We stayed 1 night at the Hilton Tahiti Hotel and 4 nights at the Hilton Conrad Bora Bora, a luxury resort.
Hey there! I'm Melissa, your travel bff.
Traveling is my love language. I've had some pretty awesome experiences living in Australia, Chile, and Kauai with our young family and taking trips all across the USA, Europe, and Russia.
But traveling the normal way is expensive. As a family of 7, we had to figure out a new way to make traveling affordable again so could keep doing it.
I learned everything I could about traveling on points & miles and NOW.... we are able to make amazing memories traveling for a fraction of the cost (without hurting our credit scores or going into debt.)
We started The Travel School so you can learn how to travel cheaper & smarter, too! Helpful tips and courses will teach you everything you need to know to start traveling free. Can't wait to see where you go!
Follow along @thetravelschool.co for travel inspo and tips!
Your overwater bungalow awaits...
We tell you the exact cards we opened and how we strategically took the price tag of this trip from $27,000 down to $550 for roundtrip flights and our 5-night stay so you could do it, too.
All prices in USD