How many credit card points do I need to fly to Tokyo for free?

A round-trip economy flight to Tokyo costs approximately 70,000 points via Virgin Atlantic Miles, which transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards. The best route books ANA flights — one of the highest-value redemptions available. Business class to Tokyo requires about 160,000 points round-trip.

What credit card gives the most points for travel?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve earn the most transferable points for travel. The Sapphire Preferred offers a 60,000-point signup bonus after $4,000 in spending, which is enough for a round-trip economy flight to Paris. The Amex Platinum and Capital One Venture X are also top travel cards with large signup bonuses of 80,000–100,000+ points.

How long does it take to earn enough points for a free flight?

Most people can earn enough points for a domestic free flight within 3–6 months using one credit card signup bonus. For international travel, combining 2–3 travel credit card signup bonuses typically earns enough points within 6–12 months. For example, getting the Chase Sapphire Preferred (60K bonus) and Amex Gold (60K bonus) in the same year gives 120,000 points — enough for round-trip economy to Europe or Asia.

What is the cheapest destination to visit for free with credit card points?

Domestic US travel is the cheapest — as low as 15,000 points for a one-way flight on Southwest. For international, Cancun is one of the best values at 20,000 points round-trip via Southwest. Caribbean flights start around 25,000 points. European destinations like London and Dublin start at 40,000 points round-trip.

Can I travel for free if I have a fair or low credit score?

Yes, but your options are more limited. With a fair credit score (580–669), you can qualify for starter travel cards like the Capital One VentureOne, Discover it Miles, or secured travel cards. These still earn points toward free travel, just with smaller signup bonuses. Building your credit score to 670+ opens up the best travel cards with 60,000–100,000 point signup bonuses.

How does the Travel for Free Roadmap tool work?

The Travel for Free Roadmap is a free 5-step tool from StackEasy. You pick a destination (31 options including Tokyo, Paris, Maldives, and more), enter your credit score range and current cards, input your monthly spending by category, and set your preferences. The tool calculates exactly which credit cards to get, in what order, and shows you the total points you'll earn plus when you'll hit your goal — with no signup required.

What are transfer partners and why do they matter for free travel?

Transfer partners are airlines and hotels that let you convert credit card points into their miles or rewards at a 1:1 ratio (or better). Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to United, Hyatt, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air France Flying Blue, and more. Amex Membership Rewards transfers to Delta, Air France, Singapore Airlines, and others. Transferring to the right partner can double or triple the value of your points — for example, transferring Chase points to Virgin Atlantic to book ANA business class to Japan is worth 5–10 cents per point vs. 1 cent for cash back.

Is it worth getting travel credit cards with annual fees?

Often yes. The Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95/year) more than pays for itself with 5x points on travel, 3x on dining, and travel protections worth hundreds of dollars. The Amex Platinum ($695/year) offers $200 airline credit, $200 hotel credit, $240 digital entertainment credit, TSA PreCheck/Global Entry, and Priority Pass lounge access — offsetting the fee for frequent travelers. The key is matching the card's benefits to your actual spending patterns.

Chase UR51 hotel destinations

Best Hotels to Book with
Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to Hyatt at 1:1 — the most valuable hotel redemption in all of points travel. With CSP or CSR, 60,000 bonus points can cover 3–7 free nights at top global properties.

★ Best Transfer: World of Hyatt

1:1 ratio, 2.0–2.3¢/pt value vs 0.7¢ for Marriott

Airline Transfer Partners

All ratios from the card's points currency. Transfer times are from point of request.

Program	Alliance	Ratio	Transfer Time
World of Hyatt	Hotel	1:1	Instant
United MileagePlus	Star Alliance	1:1	Instant
Southwest Rapid Rewards	None	1:1	Instant
British Airways Avios	Oneworld	1:1	Instant
Air France/KLM Flying Blue	SkyTeam	1:1	Instant
Singapore KrisFlyer	Star Alliance	1:1	Instant
Iberia Avios	Oneworld	1:1	Instant
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club	SkyTeam	1:1	Instant
Emirates Skywards	None	1:1	Instant
IHG One Rewards	Hotel	1:1	Instant

Avios Loophole

Four programs. One currency. Book any with points from any.

British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways, and Aer Lingus all run on the same Avios currency — and Avios can move freely between all four. Each program prices the same flights differently. A domestic US flight on American Airlines can cost 7,500 Avios through British Airways but cost more through other programs. Transfer your points once, then move them to whichever partner prices your specific route lowest.

When Award Space Opens

Most programs release award space 330–361 days in advance. Search early — business class fills fast.

Booking Window	Programs
360–361 days	Qatar (361), SAS (361), Finnair (360), Cathay Pacific (360), JAL (360), Iberia (360), Lufthansa (360)
330–355 days	United (355), Air Canada (355), Singapore (355), ANA (355), Virgin Atlantic (330)
No fixed window	Delta, Southwest, JetBlue — release space on rolling basis

⚠ Critical Rule

Transfers are one-way and irreversible. Once you move points to an airline or hotel program, they cannot return. Never transfer speculatively — find confirmed award availability first, then transfer. Note: ANA Mileage Club requires your account to be open at least 60 days before receiving a transfer.

World of Hyatt (33 destinations)2–2.3¢/pt

Alila Seminyak

Bali, Indonesia

8,000 pts

per night

~1.9¢ per point$100–$200/night cash

Best Hotels to Book withChase Ultimate Rewards

Airline Transfer Partners

When Award Space Opens

World of Hyatt (33 destinations)2–2.3¢/pt

Marriott Bonvoy (18 destinations)0.7–1¢/pt

Best Cards for Chase UR

Best Hotels to Book with
Chase Ultimate Rewards