Loyalty, the Old-Fashioned Way (No Credit Card Required)

 

Let me tell you about one of the best perks of this new gig: they gave me a corporate credit card for all my work travel—and I get to keep all the points. Airline miles, hotel stays, rental car rewards. All mine.

That’s not just a perk, that’s a full-blown opportunity. Especially for a guy like me who’s spent way too many nights deep in the loyalty program rabbit hole. I’ve read every blog, scrolled every forum, squinted through pages of terms and conditions. At this point, I hear their pitches in my head like a late-night infomercial:

“Get 50,000 Hilton points just for signing up for the Hilton Honors AmEx!”

“Priority boarding with the Citi AAdvantage card!”

“Stack your travel rewards like a pro!”

But here’s the thing—I’m not doing it. I’m not signing up for a single cobranded credit card. I’m earning this the old-fashioned way: by actually traveling.

Now, I’m not crazy. I did sign up for the airline programs. I chose American Airlines as my main ride because they’ve got the biggest presence in the three North Carolina cities I’ll be bouncing between. They’re the logical choice. But I also signed up for United, Delta, and Southwest—because sometimes they’re the cheapest, and I’m not about to leave points on the table, even if it’s just a handful.

Same story with hotels. I went with Hilton Honors as my primary program. For my money, it’s the best fit. Strong rewards, decent upgrades, and a straightforward app that doesn’t require a degree in accounting. It's a shame Hyatt doesn’t have a place in every little backwoods town I might find myself in. So I signed up for Marriott, Best Western, and IHG too. Gotta have options. And hey, some of those points can be turned into airline miles—sure, it’s a terrible exchange rate, but I’ll take what I can get.

For rental cars, it’s National and Enterprise all day. National makes it easy—I book a midsize, but when I get there, I hit the Emerald Aisle and pick whatever’s available. Full-size sedan? Done. SUV? Mine. As long as it’s not luxury or a truck (company rules), I’m good. I signed up with Alamo just in case, but let’s be honest, I’m not trying to get fancy. I just want something that starts and doesn’t smell like regret.

Now, I’ll admit—I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of time researching all of this. But I’m also excited. I’ve got big dreams.

I want to look at  Jamie and say, “Pack a bag. We’re going to Memphis—Graceland, Stax Records, and the at Elvis's favorite sandwich at the diner he visited  A fried peanut butter and banana 

Or “There’s a beach in the middle of nowhere. Let’s go.”

Or “Some country botanical garden is doing a spring festival—grab your floppy hat.”

Or someday: “Kids, we’re cashing in the big stash—we’re going to Bora Bora.”

Right now? I’m at the bottom. No perks. No points. No upgrades. When I board my next American flight, I’ll be in Boarding Group Z—somewhere between “crying baby” and “guy with a tuna sandwich and no shame or deodorant .” I'm am going straight to Gen Pop, do not pass go, there will be no outlets available.

But that’s okay.

Because I’m starting from zero, and I’m going to build it the hard way. No tricks. No plastic perks. Just consistent travel and a little patience. And eventually, someday, I’ll hear those magic words:

“Nate, you’ve been upgraded to the junior suite.”

“Nate, we’ve moved you out of the back row next to the bathroom and into something with legroom.”

That’s the plan. No cobranded cards. No shortcuts. Just loyalty—earned, not bought.

Every trip is a step closer to the dream: surprise getaways, sunset suites, maybe even Bora Bora. For now, it’s gate lice and Group Z—but not forever.

— Nate