Rakuten Triple-Dip Flight Strategy: India Case Study
✈️ The Backstory
After our Sun Princess cruise, Brandon and I went separate ways — I headed home with all the laundry, and he flew to India for work. He asked me to book his flights, and of course, I wasn’t about to leave any points behind. This is the exact strategy I used to triple-dip on points for a reimbursed flight.
Referral Disclosure: I do not use affiliate programs for credit cards — I only share my personal referral links for the cards I personally hold and use. If you choose to apply through my Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve referral link, I may earn points, and you’ll get the same welcome offer publicly available.
For Rakuten, I use their standard referral program — you’ll get a bonus when you sign up, and I’ll earn $50. It’s one of the easiest wins in travel hacking.
💡 The Setup
Brandon was flying ITA Airways, which is listed on Rakuten (yes, really!). That meant I could stack three different earning opportunities:
Rakuten portal — earned 10,517 Membership Rewards® points (pending)
United miles — credited 7,388 miles to his United account
Chase Sapphire Reserve — earned 10,708 Ultimate Rewards® points at 4× on flights
📸 Proof of the Stack
Chase Ultimate Rewards for my purchase
United Miles for the Purchase
Membership rewards for the same purchase
Rakuten pending 10,517 points
United miles earned 7,388 on AZ 770 FCO–DEL
Chase Sapphire Reserve 4× on flights = 10,708 points
Each screenshot shows how the points stacked perfectly — Rakuten for portal earnings, United for flight miles, and Chase for credit card rewards.
🔁 Why This Matters
This flight will be reimbursed, meaning we earned thousands of points on money we’ll get back. It’s the ultimate Lazy Girl stacking strategy — effortless, profitable, and repeatable.
🧠 The Triple-Dip Breakdown
Source
Points Earned
Type
Rakuten
10,517
Membership Rewards®
United
7,388
Airline Miles
Chase Sapphire Reserve
10,708
Ultimate Rewards®
Total: 28,613 points earned on one reimbursed flight.
If you’re curious about the card I used for this flight, here’s my Chase Sapphire Reserve referral link — it’s the one I personally use for 4× travel and lounge access.
🔗 Internal Links
💬 CTA
If you’re not using Rakuten for travel yet, start now — it’s free, and I earn $50 per referral. Use my link to get your own bonus: Join Rakuten.
🏁 Key Takeaway
Even on reimbursed trips, you can earn thousands of points by stacking portals, airline programs, and credit card bonuses. This is how you turn every flight into a mini points jackpot — and it’s exactly what I teach in my Lazy Girl Travel Hacking series.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate or referral links. I only share products and services I personally use and recommend. If you sign up or apply through my links, I may earn points or a small commission at no extra cost to you.
About the Author
Julie Davis is the travel‑hacking mom behind No Point Left Behind, where she helps cruisers and travelers save money, earn more points, and travel smarter using real‑life strategies. She’s sailed 25+ cruises — including Princess, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity — and specializes in Lazy Girl travel hacks, cruise stacking strategies, and points‑powered itineraries.
When she’s not writing guides or testing new travel hacks, she’s helping her college‑age sons maximize their Freedom Unlimited cards, planning retiree‑friendly trips for her parents, and documenting every Princess Cruises menu she can find.
