You don’t have to step on a plane or check into a hotel to rack up serious points and miles. In this episode of Takeoff: A Points & Miles Podcast by 10xTravel, Bryce, Emily, and Matt break down the hidden value of airline and hotel shopping and dining portals, and how you can use them to turn everyday purchases into free travel.

The episode covers:

✅ How shopping portals like Rakuten & airline programs actually work

✅ Dining programs that give you bonus miles every time you eat out

✅ Smart stacking strategies with credit cards & seasonal promos

✅ Common mistakes that can cost you points (and how to avoid them)

✅ Real success stories, like turning Apple purchases into free flights

Wherever you are on your points and miles journey, this episode will help you earn more without spending more.

In this episode:

00:00 Introduction and Icebreaker

00:58 Unusual Ways to Earn Points and Miles

05:34 Introduction to Shopping and Dining Portals

06:20 Exploring Shopping Portals

07:36 Exploring Dining Programs

09:33 Rakuten and Hybrid Programs

11:24 Maximizing Points with Shopping Portals

15:31 Tips for Using Shopping and Dining Portals

21:24 Seasonal Promotions and Advanced Strategies

25:39 Common Pitfalls in Using Shopping Portals

27:14 Maximizing Rewards with Dining Programs

28:02 General Points and Miles Strategies

31:18 Effort vs. Reward in Points and Miles

42:02 Listener Success Stories and Tips

44:00 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Links and Resources from this Episode:

Take Our Free Points and Miles Course

New To Points and Miles? Listen to Episodes 1-6 of the podcast

Our Best Credit Cards List (Updated Monthly)

My10x: Manage your points and miles in one place

Let us book your next award flight for you

Upgrade your next stay with our Luxury Hotel Program

Get free, personalized advice on choosing your next card

10xTravel+: Upgrade your travel by becoming a member today

Join us at an upcoming Meetup

Learn How to Use Rakuten

Sign Up for Rakuten and Earn Membership Rewards or Cash Back from Shopping

Sign Up for Mesa to Earn Points on Mortgage Payments

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Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this website are from companies which 10xTravel will earn an affiliate commission. 10xTravel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this video is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available.