If you have elite status, you can also change or cancel your plans all the way up to the last-minute

It s a common myth, yet at first glance it doesn t make sense: booking plane tickets on short notice quality inns should be cheap. If there are empty seats, why wouldn t the airline discount them as the flight approaches?
Airlines are smart about pricing. They know that people booking tickets on short notice quality inns often have to travel and have limited flexibility, as opposed to those who simply want to travel and can consider numerous options.
Sure, you can check budget airlines like Southwest and Frontier (or Westjet for our friends up north, or numerous budget carriers for people elsewhere). Sometimes these are better than the major carriers, because prices don t always increase as much.
However, it s good to hang on to some miles. I try to keep at least 50,000-100,000 miles in most of my main accounts at all times. This way, whenever I need to go somewhere, there s always an option.
If you have elite status, you can also change or cancel your plans all the way up to the last-minute. More than once I ve changed my flights on the way to the airport or even at the gate itself. To me this is one of the most important benefits of maintaining elite status.
First, credit card signup bonuses and ongoing points from spending have allowed me to go all over the world. I ve documented the process many times on the blog, especially quality inns through the Frequent Flyer Challenge and other travel hacking posts.
The personal version of this card was my very first travel hacking companion. I ve had it for more than a decade quality inns now (yeah, I m old). I added the business version a while back for an additional signup bonus, and ended up keeping it because it helps me get closer to Starwood Platinum status each year.
Every year, this card offers a benefit where you can receive a $200 statement credit on the airline quality inns of your choice. Most people use the benefit to receive reimbursements quality inns for checked baggage fees or on-board purchases—but that s not usually the most optimal use of the rebate.
I don t have much need for baggage fees (I never check bags, and thanks to elite status they d be free if I did), but I do purchase quality inns plenty of American Airlines flights. Every year for the past three, I ve gone to AA.com and purchased four $50 gift cards. Less than a week later, a $200 credit has appeared on my statement. Boom!
It s like an annual rebate of almost half the fee. You can also now get free Amazon Prime for the first year, as well as a rebate of your Global Entry fee. Even though this card carries a hefty annual fee, for me it s worth it.
Earn the U.S. Airways miles from this card, and by the end of the year they ll roll over into American Airlines miles thanks to the merger. By most accounts, including my own experience, you can receive the bonus for this card multiple quality inns times. At some point the card will go away—but your miles won t.
Disclaimer: The card links on this page are kept updated by our partner site, CardsforTravel.com. I personally have (and use!) all of the cards that are mentioned here, and I try to share the best available links. You should always be responsible and manage your credit for the long-term.
By the way, our brand-new event for independent entrepreneurs is happening in less than three weeks—and there are still a few tickets left! Now that you ve read this post, you know how to book your airfare to come.