How I Saved Hundreds on Flights Using Points, Cashback, and Travel Credits
We booked a casino deal for a Southern Caribbean cruise sailing from Puerto Rico in January 2027, and I was determined to make every part of the trip a points win. Our flights there were a steal — just 11,500 Southwest points each — but I didn’t have enough points to book our flights home right away. Thanks to my mom using my personal referral link for her new Southwest card, I earned enough points to fly Tanner home for only $5.60. That left me needing to get creative for my own flight — and what I came up with is exactly the kind of real‑life stacking strategy I love sharing. You can find all my favorite tools and step‑by‑step methods in my Stack & Save Hub.
I use personal referral links only — never affiliate links for credit cards. If you see a link in this post, it’s either:
A personal referral link for a card I personally hold and use
A shopping portal or app link I genuinely use in my own travel‑hacking life
I don’t earn commissions from credit card companies. I only share what I use.
So that’s where this whole adventure started — a dream cruise deal, cheap points flights to Puerto Rico, and a half‑finished plan to get us home. Once Tanner’s return flight was covered thanks to those referral‑bonus Southwest points, I still had to figure out my ticket. And this is where the magic of stacking comes in. When you don’t have enough points, you don’t panic — you get creative. You look at your rewards apps, your old vouchers, your card credits, and you start piecing together a solution. That’s exactly what I did, and it’s exactly what I teach inside my Stack & Save Hub.
🎒 Tanner’s Flight: Free on Southwest Points
Tanner’s flight home from Puerto Rico was 100% covered with Southwest points. Score!
💁♀️ My Flight: Time to Get Creative
I didn’t have enough Southwest points for my own ticket — so I stacked every possible credit, voucher, and reward.
Here’s the exact breakdown:
Fetch Rewards — I redeemed my points for a $50 gift card
A random $5 travel voucher from two years ago (No Point Left Behind, obviously)
$30 statement credit from my American Express Blue card
That gave me $85 off my flight, bringing my out‑of‑pocket cost down to $200.
Not free… but absolutely a win.
🛡️ Why I Booked Both Tickets With Chase Sapphire Reserve
Even though Tanner’s flight was booked with points, and mine was heavily discounted, I still booked both tickets using my Chase Sapphire Reserve because of the travel protections.
If you’ve followed my journey, you know I’ve filed multiple Chase Sapphire travel insurance claims after getting stranded in four different cities in 2025. I trust this card’s protections with my whole travel‑hacking heart.
See my full guide: Chase Sapphire Travel Protections
🚢 Pairing It With a Casino Cruise Deal
We matched these flights with our Crown Princess casino offer — $556 for a 12‑day cruise. Our flights to Puerto Rico were already covered with points and miles, so this whole trip is a perfect example of how I travel:
Some points. Some miles. Some cashback. Some creativity. All strategy. No Point Left Behind.
💡 Why I Share These Stories
Because this is my real personal journey. I’m not doing anything fancy — I’m just using the tools available and stacking them in ways that work for my life.
And you can do the same.
You don’t need 20 credit cards. You don’t need a million points. You don’t need to be perfect.
You just need to start paying attention to the little wins — like Fetch, shopping portals, random vouchers, and easy cashback opportunities — because they add up faster than you think.
🔗 Tools I Used
🌸 Lazy Girl Takeaway
Don’t sleep on the easy stuff. Don’t ignore the tiny credits. Don’t let old vouchers expire. Don’t skip scanning receipts.
This is how I’ve paid for almost every flight since 2019 — and how you can start building your own travel‑hacking wins, one small step at a time.
👩💻 About the Author
Julie is the creator of No Point Left Behind, a travel‑hacking blog built on real stories, real strategy, and real-life wins. She’s paid for over 20 free flights a year using points, miles, and cashback stacking — and she’s only paid full price for one flight since 2019. She teaches families, retirees, and Lazy Girls everywhere how to travel smarter without gatekeeping or overwhelm.
