Surfing the World for Nearly Free: Your Ultimate Guide to Travel Rewards (Part 2)
Alright, surf crew, welcome back to the lineup! In Part 1, we cracked open the travel rewards game—how I went from scraping valet tips to surfing Oahu for $11.20, thanks to points. We nailed the Chase Sapphire Preferred® as the starter stick, stacked 60K points for $1,200 in travel, and took a family of four to Hawaii for under 50 bucks.
Now, in Part 2, we’re paddling deeper—strategies to score the best waves, the dopest cards beyond Chase, and why flexibility’s your secret wax. Back in my 20s, I’d watch VHS surf flicks, dreaming of Indo, but the costs were a total buzzkill!
Today, points are my cheat code, and I’m spilling how to ride this wave further. Whether you’re a grom or a salty dog chasing 1-2 epic trips a year, stick with me—let’s get you shredding the globe for peanuts!
Surf Travel Strategies: Picking Your Perfect Wave
Chasing waves with points is like picking the right break—you gotta know your style, swell window, and board. Three strategies rule the surf: transferable points, airline-specific miles, or cashback that flexes into travel.
I’m hooked on transferable points—Chase Ultimate Rewards® are my go-to. Why? They’re a quiver killer board—versatile as hell.
Transfer ‘em to Southwest Airlines for a quick Hawaii hop (10K-20K points round-trip, plus $11.20 fees). Or hit United for a Bali haul (40K-50K one-way, 80K-100K round-trip). Even Hyatt hooks up hotels like the Grand Hyatt Kauai at 25K points a night (vs. $800 cash).
I’ve booked a Puerto Vallarta stay for 19K points—short boat ride to Sayulita, kids paddling, wife stoked! Airline miles are a shortboard—fast for one break.
Southwest’s Rapid Rewards, via Chase transfers, scores Cali-to-Hawaii flights for 10K-20K points round-trip (plus $11.20). But you’re locked to their routes—no Indo dreams here.
Cashback’s a fish—fun, but weaker unless paired with a premium card. The Capital One Venture turns 75K miles into $750 travel at 1 cent each—great for board bag fees, less for long hauls.
Match your surf vibe: locked on Hawaii every winter? Alaska Airlines Visa® (60K miles after $3K spend, $95 fee) is my pick—15K-25K to Oahu, plus a companion fare slashing cash costs.
Wanderer dreaming of Hossegor to J-Bay? Flexible points rule—Chase’s 11 airline and 3 hotel partners (United, Southwest, Hyatt, etc.) cover the globe.
Pro tip: hoard points ‘til the swell’s firing—transfers are one-way, no refunds. Don’t send miles to an airline until you’re ready to book. If you don’t use the miles, it’s like leaving your surfboard on the sidewalk and driving away.
Check Southwest’s Wanna Get Away fares for Hawaii, United’s MileagePlus for Indo, or Chase’s portal for hotels. Time it right, and you’re shredding cheap!
Best Credit Cards for Surf Travel: Beyond the Starter Stick
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® kicked us off—$95 fee, 60K points after $4K spend in 3 months. That’s $1,200 travel value at 2 cents a point via transfers or 1.25X in the Chase portal.
But the lineup’s stacked with cards to max your surf game—here’s the deep dive, surf-style. All $95 or less, except one worth a nod.
Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: The all-conditions ripper—$95 fee, 70K points after $4K in 3 months. That’s $700-$840 travel at 1-1.2 cents via Citi ThankYou portal or transfers.
Earn 3X on restaurants (post-sesh burritos), supermarkets (family grub), gas (coastal road trips), air travel, and hotels—$1,000 spend nets 3K points. A $100 hotel credit (on $500+ stays via Citi Travel) wipes the fee.
16+ transfer partners like JetBlue (10K-20K to Hawaii) or Singapore Airlines (50K-60K to Indo) flex hard. I’ve used 3X gas points driving to Trestles—stacked fast.
No Chase 5/24 hassle—grab it anytime. Hit $4K with gas, groceries, a new board—normal spends, no splurge.
Capital One Venture Rewards: The all-arounder—$95 fee, 75K miles after $4K in 3 months. That’s $750 travel at 1 cent per mile.
Earn 2X on all purchases—$1,000 on wax, fins, gas gets 2K miles. Redeem by wiping travel charges (flights, hotels, $200 board bag fees) within 90 days—no blackout dates.
Special perk: score a wave-crashing Airbnb pad with this card, then rinse the cost with miles like shaking sand off your deck. Great for spots with fewer hotels and cheaper Airbnbs.
Transfers to 15+ partners (Air Canada, Singapore Airlines) start at 1:1, but only with the Venture X upgrade ($395 fee). Simple, but less juice than Chase’s 2-cent transfers.
Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority: Hawaii fiends, this is your stick—$149 annual fee (over our $95 cap, but worth a nod). Current offer: earn the Companion Pass® through 2/28/26 plus 30,000 bonus points after $4K spend in 3 months—$420-$480 value at 1.4-1.6 cents per point.
Earn 3X on Southwest flights, 2X on hotels/rentals—10K-20K points round-trip to Hawaii or Cali. Perks? 7,500-point anniversary bonus ($100+ travel), $75 Southwest credit, 4 upgraded boardings.
The Companion Pass lets your surf buddy fly free—who’s your plus one? No foreign fees, but Southwest’s U.S.-centric—Hawaii’s the limit.
Alaska Airlines Visa® (60K miles, $95 fee) for Hawaii loyalists—15K-25K flights plus a $99 companion ticket yearly. More cards, more waves—pick your surf map!
Flexibility: Your Surf Travel Superpower
Surfing on points is like chasing swell—flexibility scores the best rides. Rigid plans get you onshore slop.
Airlines drop award seats 330 days out or last-minute (cancellations). Try securing a planned trip almost a year out so you have something locked in, then keep flexible for last-minute trips to align with the swell.
Chase’s 11 airline partners range wide—Southwest (10K-20K to Hawaii), United (40K-50K one-way to Indo), Alaska (15K-25K to Hawaii). Hotels? Hyatt’s 5K-30K per night—a local-style hotel in Puerto Vallarta at 19K was a steal.
Portal bookings boost value—Sapphire Preferred® gets 1.25X (60K = $750 travel). I’ve used it to book flights that earned miles back—double-dipping like a post-sesh taco run.
Flex spots and dates to win. Would you rather United’s 80K round-trip to Bali or Southwest’s 15K to Hawaii?
Google Flights tracks cash prices—cross-check Chase’s portal or United’s award calendar (shows partner seats). Surfline.com or swellforecast.com pegs wave windows—book when points and swell align.
Flexibility’s your wax to stick the best value moves. Lock in that dream swell, then pivot if a better set rolls in!
Conclusion
Part 2 just dropped a bomb set of travel rewards stoke—strategies to match your surf style. Cards stack points like sets at Rincon, and flexibility lets you ride any swell.
From Citi Strata Premier®’s all-conditions perks to Southwest’s Companion Pass dreams, you’ve got tools to surf the world for nearly free.
Keep it ethical—pay off that card monthly, no debt traps. Part 3’s coming with redemption hacks and surf trip wins—think Bali on a budget.
Dream break? Drop it below—let’s swap stoke and charge it!
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