Raj

there are so many credit card users in India who are sitting on ₹15-20 lakh worth of free travel and most of them have no clue. They're burning points on toasters and Amazon vouchers while the 12 of us here are flying premium cabins and staying at some wonderful hotels for free. Fuck it, here's the actual playbook: Banks WANT you to redeem for cashback and shopping vouchers. That's where they win. They're hoping you never figure out transfer partners exist. For every person flying with points, there's 10,000 buying bags and watches at 0.25p per point. That's why the good redemptions stay available. Here's the actual play: Step 1: Stop thinking about "rewards" Start thinking about "currency arbitrage" Your Axis/Amex/HDFC points aren't rewards. They're undervalued currency you can flip 3-5x. 1 point = ₹0.20 - ₹0.25 for statement credits or vouchers 1 point = ₹2-5 on flights if you know what you're doing Same point. Different value. That's the game. Step 2: Category multipliers Stop using random cards for everything. HDFC Cards: upto 33% on travel via SmartBuy Axis Cards: upto 60 ER points per ₹200 on traveledge Amex Cards: upto 5x on voucher purchases via shopwise HSBC Cards: upto 12x on travel bookings Someone I was helping this year, I earned 4L points so far just by routing spends correctly. Zero extra spending. Same expenses. Different cards. Step 3: Transfer partners This is where the magic happens. Axis → Aeroplan/Accor/JAL Amex → Marriott/Virgin Atlantic HDFC → Singapore Airlines/Flying Blue Suddenly, that Europe trip goes from ₹5L to 150K points. Let me translate this to actual trips: JAL Business Class to Tokyo: 40K JAL points (transfer from Axis) Retail price: ~₹1.4L Value per point: ₹3.5 Air India Business Class to Vienna: 40K Aeroplan points (transfer from Axis) Retail: ~₹1.5L Value per point: ₹3.75 Air France Business to Paris: 85K Flying Blue points (transfer from HDFC) Retail: ~₹2L Value per point: ₹2.35 That's ~₹5L+ in premium travel from points you're earning anyway. Or you could've bought 3 toasters. Your choice. "But I don't fly Business, that's wasteful" That's exactly what banks want you to think. Economy redemptions are almost always terrible value. You're better off paying cash, earning points on that cash, and saving points for cabins you'd never pay for. I don't pay cash for Business. I don't use points for Economy. That's the rule. Who's actually doing this? - NRIs who learned this in the US (they know) - Corporate folks who figured it out from work travel - The 0.1% of people who read terms and conditions - Every credit card influencer (obviously) Most stay quiet because if everyone knew, availability disappears. But here's the thing: Most people won't do this anyway. They'll read this, think "interesting", and continue redeeming for cashback. Because it requires: - Reading - Planning - Flexibility - Patience 99% won't execute. That's why it still works. Real examples from the last 6 months: Me: - Bangkok 2x (Thai Airways Biz) - Dubai Multiple Times - London 4x (Air France Biz, Air India First and Biz, Etihad First and Biz, Emirates) - 50+ hotel nights (Marriott/Accor/ITC) Retail value: ~₹30L+ Points used: ~6-7L (earned from regular spends) Your competition doesn't know this. That's your only advantage. The mindset shift: Stop: "Points are nice to have" Start: "Points are currency I'm getting 3-5x value on" Stop: "Business/First Class is for rich people" Start: "Business/First Class is for people who understand points" Stop: "I'll redeem when I have enough" Start: "I'm planning redemptions 9 months out" The actual system: Phase 1: Card selection - Get cards with good transfer partners - Axis/HDFC/HSBC/Amex Phase 2: Smart earning - Route spends to category bonuses - Hit milestone bonuses - Use accelerated portals (Smartbuy, Travel Edge) Phase 3: Smart redemption - Transfer to airline partners - Book premium cabins only - Plan 9-12 months ahead - Never redeem for shopping Phase 4: Repeat Rich kids learn this from parents who fly Business. Middle class learns "save your points for a rainy day." That's the real divide. Plus, banks can't stop it. This is how the programs are designed. The 1% who actually execute this deserve to eat. If you're still reading, you're probably that 1%. The move: Go check your points balance right now. Stop planning that Amazon shopping spree. Start planning that Japan trip in Business Class. Or keep flying economy and buying toasters. While we're up front with lie-flat seats. Your points. Your choice. 🤷‍♂️