I've used credit card rewards to pay for vacations for 2 decades. Here are 3 tips to make the most of your points.

What happened: A freelance travel writer who has redeemed credit card points and airline miles for over two decades shared three strategies for using rewards: building a flexible points ecosystem across multiple programs, checking partner airline and alliance sweet spots, and booking positioning flights. Key numbers: Annual card fees Why it matters: The writer states that earning points is the easy part and using them well is the real challenge, and that the same seat can cost fewer points through a partner loyalty program than through the operating airline or a credit card travel portal.

A freelance travel writer who has redeemed credit card points and airline miles for over two decades shared three strategies for using rewards: building a flexible points ecosystem across multiple programs, checking partner airline and alliance sweet spots, and booking positioning flights.

The writer states that earning points is the easy part and using them well is the real challenge, and that the same seat can cost fewer points through a partner loyalty program than through the operating airline or a credit card travel portal.