These Apps Could Make Your Next Flight Almost Free. Here’s How!

Picture this: You’re booking a flight to Paris, Tokyo, or Hawaii. Now imagine you’re paying just $5.60 in taxes, and that’s it. No joke.

This isn’t some pipe dream. It’s called “travel hacking,” and trust me, it’s easier than it sounds.

The secret? It’s not about finding some one magic app. It’s about knowing which apps to use and how they work together.

I’ll show you exactly which apps can get you those free flights. We’ll dive into the best travel rewards programs and how their mobile apps can unlock thousands of dollars in free travel.

It’s simpler than you think!

Your “Points Bank”: The Core Apps for Travel Credit Cards

Let’s talk about your “Points Bank.” This is the foundation of travel hacking, the place where all your flexible points live before turning into free flights and hotel stays.

Think of it like this: earning airline miles is good, but earning bank points is better. Miles usually lock you into one airline, but bank points are flexible. You can move them to a bunch of different airlines or hotels whenever you want.

You earn these points just by using certain travel credit cards for your everyday spending: groceries, gas, streaming subscriptions, all of it. Then, through the bank’s app, you can track, manage, and eventually transfer those points where you want them to go.

Also Read: The Travel Hack That Saved Us 60% on Our 2025 Dream Trip (Without Giving Up Luxury)

Chase Mobile App (Ultimate Rewards)

If you’re just getting started, Chase is a great place to begin. The Chase Mobile app manages your Ultimate Rewards points, the currency behind cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred®.

Inside the app, you’ll see your points balance and a “Chase Travel” portal where you can book flights directly. But here’s the trick: don’t use that portal if you want the best value. The real magic is in the “Transfer to Travel Partners” section.

Here, you can move your points 1:1 to airlines like United or Southwest, or to hotels like World of Hyatt. This is how you turn everyday spending into serious travel value.

Amex App (Membership Rewards)

The American Express app is another heavy hitter. It powers the Membership Rewards program for cards like the Amex Gold and Platinum.

Two features stand out: “Transfer Points” and “Amex Offers.”

“Transfer Points” allows you to send your points to partners, such as Delta, Air France, or Hilton, at a 1:1 ratio.

“Amex Offers” is the secret bonus. You can add special deals to your card for cash back or extra points when shopping at places you already visit.

We’ll talk later about how to “stack” these offers for even more value.

Also See: This Secret VPN Trick Travelers Use to Find Crazy Cheap Flight Tickets Instantly

Capital One Mobile App (Venture Miles)

The Capital One Mobile app is the simplest of the bunch. Cards like the Venture X earn a flat 2x miles on everything you buy. Easy math, no categories.

You can transfer these miles to over 15 travel partners, including major airlines and hotel programs. It’s not as fancy as Chase or Amex, but it’s clean, fast, and easy to use.

Here is a quick look at where these “Bank” apps can send your points.

Yet Another Free App for Travel Rewards Programs

What if you could earn travel points on your biggest monthly expense — your rent — and not pay a single fee for it? Sounds impossible, right? That’s exactly what the Bilt Rewards app does.

Bilt is a free loyalty program that lets you pay rent and earn points toward flights, hotels, and more. There are no transaction fees, and you don’t even need their credit card to start earning.

(Though honestly, their no-annual-fee card is one of the best beginner travel cards out there.)

Bilt is the only program that connects directly with all the big names in travel. From the app, you can transfer your points 1:1 to major players like:

• American Airlines AAdvantage
• United MileagePlus
• World of Hyatt

With those three alone, you’ve basically got access to every major airline alliance in the world.

So if you’re serious about earning free travel, the Bilt app is a no-brainer. It’s simple, powerful, and completely free; a must-have whether you’re just getting started or already deep into travel hacking.

Read: This Secret Airline Calendar Tells You Exactly When to Book for the Lowest Fares (And It Actually Works)

How Airline Loyalty Programs Use Apps That Hand You Free Flights

Here’s the truth that surprises almost everyone: you don’t have to fly to earn airline miles.

That’s right, most airlines have their own apps and partner programs that reward you for what you already do every day: buying coffee, taking Uber rides, or shopping online. Once you learn how to use them, these apps can quietly hand you free flights over time.

United MileagePlus X (MPX) App

United has a hidden gem called the MileagePlus X app, and it’s one of the smartest travel hacks out there. Here’s how it works:

You’re standing in line at Petco (or Adidas, or hundreds of other stores). Your total is $42.50.

Instead of swiping your card at the register, open the MPX app and buy an eGift card for that exact amount. You instantly earn United miles, then scan the barcode from the app to pay.

You’ve just earned airline miles on a purchase you were going to make anyway. And if you have a United credit card, you’ll even get a 25% mileage bonus on top of that. It’s easy, quick, and adds up fast!

Read: Skyscanner Is Outdated: These 6 Hidden Sites Find Cheaper Flights Every Single Time

Delta SkyMiles App (Partner Links)

Delta’s Fly Delta app is another solid earner, especially when you connect it to your favorite brands. The strategy here is simple: link it once, then forget about it.

Go to the SkyMiles partner page and connect your accounts with:

• Starbucks: Earn 1 mile per $1 spent.
• Uber or Lyft: Earn miles on every ride and even Uber Eats orders.
• SkyMiles Dining: Link any credit card and earn miles automatically whenever you eat at participating restaurants.

Once it’s set up, you’ll start collecting Delta miles in the background every time you live your normal life.

American AAdvantage eShopping

American’s AAdvantage eShopping app works a little differently, but it’s just as powerful. It’s what’s known as a “shopping portal.”

Let’s say you want to shop at Macy’s or Home Depot. Instead of going straight to their website, you open the AAdvantage app (or the eShopping site), find the store, and click through their link. Then you shop as usual.

Because you started from the AA portal, you earn AAdvantage miles for every dollar you spend. And here’s the kicker: those miles also count as Loyalty Points, which help you earn elite airline status, even if you never step on a plane.

“Stacking” Apps for 3x the Points

Stacking is the art of layering multiple rewards on the same purchase. It’s how pros squeeze every last point out of their spending. And the best way to do it? With the Rakuten app.

Rakuten works like a shopping portal, similar to American Airlines’ eShopping site. However, instead of taking your rewards as cash back, you can choose to earn them as Amex Membership Rewards points, and that too at a 1:1 ratio! One cent equals one Amex point.

That little toggle unlocks what’s known as the “Triple Dip.”

The Triple Dip Stack: Step by Step

• Portal:

Open the Rakuten app. Let’s say it’s offering 10% cash back at your favorite store. Click the link to activate it.

• Card:

You buy a $100 item and pay with your Amex Gold, one of the best cards for everyday points earning. You earn 100 Amex points just for using your card.

• Stack:

Because Rakuten is linked to your Amex account, that “$10” in cash back is actually credited as 1,000 Amex points.

Result: You’ve just earned 1,100+ Amex points on a single $100 purchase, and you didn’t do anything special beyond clicking a link first.

This method is simple and completely repeatable. Just remember one rule: you can’t double up on portals. If you click both Rakuten and the Chase portal, only the last one you used will track your rewards.

Get this system down, and suddenly every online purchase becomes a mini points factory, quietly stacking toward your next free flight.

Related: New Google Flights Data Reveals the Best Time to Book Cheap Flights

Using Hotel Apps to Fuel Airline Loyalty Programs

Sometimes, you’ll need miles in an airline program that your usual bank apps don’t support. That’s when you use what I like to call the “back door”: the Marriott Bonvoy app.

Marriott has one of the biggest partner networks in the travel world, with over 30 airline partners, far more than any single bank program.

Now, the transfer rate isn’t amazing by default: 3 Marriott points = 1 airline mile. But there’s a trick that changes everything.

Whenever you transfer 60,000 Marriott points, Marriott throws in a 5,000-mile bonus.

That means:

• 60,000 Marriott points = 25,000 airline miles

It’s not something you’ll use every day, but it’s an excellent way to top off your airline miles when you’re just a few thousand short of a big redemption, like that dream business-class flight you’ve been eyeing.

Read: 10 Insider Secrets Airlines Pray You’ll Never Discover About Booking Cheap Tickets

Warning: These Are NOT the Apps That Hand You Free Flights

Let’s clear something up before we go any further.

You’ve probably seen flashy ads for apps like Hopper or Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights). They pop up everywhere promising huge flight deals, and to be fair, they do help you find cheap cash fares.

But these are not the apps that hand you free flights.

Hopper and Going are all about saving cash, not using points. They won’t show you flights you can book with rewards or help you earn miles. They live outside the points-and-miles ecosystem we’ve been talking about.

That doesn’t mean they’re useless. They can be great if you’re paying out of pocket and just want the best deal. But if your goal is to fly for (almost) free using points, these apps won’t get you there.

Also Read: 10 Insider Secrets Airlines Pray You’ll Never Discover About Booking Cheap Tickets

Also, it’s worth noting: many travelers have complained about rough customer service experiences with these apps, especially when flights get canceled or plans change.

So, in short, use them for price alerts, not points redemptions. The real travel hacks live elsewhere.

How to Redeem Your Hard-Earned Points

So you’ve earned a pile of points. Now comes the tricky part: how do you actually use them to book a flight?

This is where most people get stuck. You can search airline websites one by one, but that’s slow, messy, and honestly, frustrating. Instead, you need what I call a “finder” app, something that does the heavy lifting for you.

The best one out there is Point.me.

Think of Point.me as Google Flights for points. It searches through more than 30 airline loyalty programs at once and shows you the best ways to book using your rewards.

Here’s what makes it so powerful: it doesn’t just show you flights, but actually tells you how to book them. You might see something like,

“You can book this flight by transferring 60,000 points from your Chase account to Air Canada Aeroplan.”

That kind of clarity saves hours of guesswork and trial and error.

Point.me has a paid subscription, but even its free “Explore” tool can help you spot great deals and get a feel for what’s possible.

If earning points is the fun part, using them wisely is the art. And Point.me is the tool that makes that art a whole lot easier.

Read This First: The Rules for Using These Apps

This system is amazing, but it runs on rules. These are not a catch. They are just the rules of the game.

Will this ruin my credit score?

Short answer: No, as long as you’re responsible. You might see a small, temporary dip when you apply for a new travel credit card. But over time, using these cards wisely can actually help your score by lowering your credit utilization.

There’s one golden rule you cannot break: never carry a balance. Travel cards have high-interest rates. Any rewards you earn disappear fast if you pay interest. Pay in full every month.

What about annual fees?

Yes, many premium travel cards have annual fees. But the perks, be it free hotel nights, airport lounge access, travel credits, often outweigh the cost. If you’re just starting, pick a low-fee or no-fee card like Bilt to get your feet wet.

Do my points expire?

This is where the apps really shine.

Bank Points: Chase, Amex, and Bilt points don’t expire as long as your account is open.

Airline Miles: Some airlines, like American or Alaska, will expire your miles after 18–24 months of inactivity.

The fix: Make a tiny purchase through an airline’s dining app (like SkyMiles Dining) or a shopping portal (like AAdvantage eShopping). Even $5 counts as activity and resets the clock.

See: 8 Ways to Get Business-Class Seats on Your Next Flight Without Paying Full Price 

Your 3-App “Free Flights” Starter Kit

You don’t need a dozen apps, just three. This is your starter kit for earning points and booking free flights.

1. The “Earner” App: Bilt Rewards

Start here. Download the Bilt app and link your rent payment. It’s completely free, risk-free, and gets your Points Bank going. Every month, you’re earning points toward flights without even thinking about it.

2. The “Multiplier” App: Rakuten

Next, grab Rakuten. Link it to your Amex (or your preferred card). Use it for all your online shopping to stack your rewards: portal points + card points = triple the value on some purchases.

3. The “Finder” App: Point.me

Once you’ve saved 50,000+ points, it’s time to book. Point.me (or its free “Explore” tool) searches dozens of airline programs to show the cheapest way to redeem your points for flights.

Download, link, and start stacking. The world of travel rewards is open to you. These apps literally hand you free flights. Now it’s just a matter of using them.

Which one will you start with first?