Do you like to travel? In this post, I share my hotel and airline expenses for 2021. My loyalty programs allowed me to travel during the pandemic while enjoying savings offered to members to help boost the travel industry. Am I vaccinated? Are you? I travel. You can travel too.

A-List Preferred

This year I surpassed A-List on Southwest and reached A-List Preferred with my final trip of the year to Atlanta. At the beginning of the year, I received a boost from Southwest, and without the extra points, I would not have achieved A-List Preferred. What is the difference? A-List Preferred has a higher earning bonus on Rapid Rewards points. Think about a 100% bonus rather than 25%. A-List Preferred members also receive free in-flight Wi-Fi. I will no longer be limited to watching free tv. 

Airfare Budget

Diamond Status and Brand Explorer

I qualified for a free night reward with Hilton by spending $15,000 on my Amex Hilton Honors card. So that you understand, I did not spend $15,000. I own a timeshare with Hilton Grand Vacations and pay for my timeshare assessment with the Hilton Honors card, and my son is an authorized user. I occasionally make reservations at Hilton Brands when traveling with family and friends. In return, they pay me their share of the bill. The World of Hyatt has an Explorer Program. In 2021, I booked a room at Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Hyatt House Virginia Beach, The Forester a Hyatt Place Hotel, Andaz Savannah, and Hyatt Centric Midtown Atlanta. You earn a free night when you stay at five different brands. If you are not a member of a hotel rewards program, please join one today.

Hotel Budget

For 2021 I budgeted $11,146 for hotel stays; I spent $4,935. Yes, I saved $6,211 on accommodations. I booked my timeshare five times: Las Vegas, Los Cabos, New York, Orlando, and Hawaii. Technically, I booked seven times. However, I did not write about my son’s wedding or the Bears’ trip to Vegas. I used points plus cash for most of my reservations at Hyatt properties. The World of Hyatt program is the most liberal program out there. For my stay at the Hyatt Centric Midtown Atlanta, I used 6,000 points and paid $109.63.

Do You Like To Travel?

When you break down the expenses, I only spent $8,490 to travel in 2021, even though I spent $1,490 ($8,490-$7,000) more than planned when I traveled to New York and Washington. However, I saved $1,600 in my travel savings account. I set a budget for my credit cards and intentionally put aside $200 monthly to pay Southwest, $150 for Amex Hilton Honors, and $100 for Marriott Bonvoy. My credit card travel budget is $5,400. Although the budget you see below is the actual cost minus any travel rewards, I want you to see how much you can save if you belong to travel rewards programs. I hope this post inspires you to travel. If you need more inspiration, click on the Amazon link below.

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