• I use credit card points to book almost all of my trips, but I try not to carry balances on my cards.

• I don’t accumulate points unless I’m strategically saving for a specific trip.

• I never redeem points for merchandise rewards because I think it’s a waste of money and points.

I am a frequent flyer — on average, I fly at least once a month — and I put most of my spending on my Delta co-branded airline credit card.

I save a lot of money when I travel by using my points to book flights, and my credit card also allows me airport lounges where I don’t have to pay for food and drinks.

Over the years, I have found several ways to maximize my points by following a few rules. As a person who I book most of my trips with points and miles, here are things I would never do.

Instead of accumulating points, I strategize how I’m going to use them

I always have a target or goal that I save my points for, and I use them for trips we are planning in the short term rather than accumulating them for “someday.”

For example, I recently accumulated enough points for my family of four to fly roundtrip from San Antonio to Fort Lauderdale for our vacation.

I usually use my saved miles to pay for my family’s trip and charge my own plane ticket to my card. This allows me to accumulate miles while still feeling like I’m getting four tickets for the price of one.

I only use my points for flights

In my experience, it is rarely beneficial to use my air miles and credit card points on hotel stays or vacation packages.

I can usually find deals on hotels through other loyalty programs or discount websites, so I save my points for flights, where they give me the most miles – pun intended.

I’m trying not to have a balance on my credit card

I earn points from flights and other purchases with my Delta card, but I strive to spend in a way that allows me to pay for my purchases monthly.

I never want to have a balance that I can’t afford and potentially negatively impact my credit or get interest charged.

Another thing I would never do is have credit cards with multiple airlines.

I primarily fly Delta, but I don’t always have the option to choose my airline for work. Regardless, I’m keeping my Delta card and just staying enrolled in other airlines’ basic loyalty programs.

It’s common to earn tons of miles by opening a new co-branded airline card, but I resist the offers. This is a time when I like to keep all my eggs in one basket.

I miss these perks when I’m not flying with my favorite airline, but I remind myself that multiple airline cards mean multiple annual fees, and ultimately that’s not a good financial decision for me.

Plus, I love that my favorite credit card gives me free checked bags and the ability to choose a good seat without paying extra. I can also board the plane in one of the first boarding groups, so the plane probably won’t run out of overhead bin space before I get to my seat.

In full disclosure, I also have a Southwest Airlines co-branded card, but I don’t use it often. It’s my oldest credit card and the interest rate is reasonable, so keeping it is good for my credit score for now.

I won’t delete emails from my credit card company until I read them

I like to be an informed customer by staying up to date on my card changes and the latest offers.

Sometimes that means sifting through lots of emails, but I set aside time to read about my card changes and special offers.

Additionally, some discounts or offers are time-sensitive, so not reading emails quickly may mean I miss news that might be of interest to you. save me money.

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