How We Use Credit Card Rewards to Travel as Interpreters
Traveling is a big part of our lives as interpreters—whether it’s heading to conferences like the Coda Conference or flying to Texas and Illinois for BEI certifications. Over time, we’ve figured out how to make travel work for us by earning and redeeming credit card rewards. Here’s how we’ve done it, using real examples from our 2024 adventures, and how you can too with the cards we use every day.
Turning Work Travel into Rewards
For us, work-related travel is an opportunity to earn rewards we can use later. Take our BEI certification trips to Texas and Illinois. We put flights, hotels, and exam fees on the Navy Federal Flagship card, which gives 3x points on travel. These trips helped us hit the $4,000 spending requirement for a 50,000-point sign-up bonus. (If you qualify for Navy Federal membership, this card’s a great option for travel rewards!) Meanwhile, we use the US Bank Smartly card for 4% cash back on everyday purchases like meals and transportation during those trips.
Our strategy? Pay for work travel with cash or a rewards card, reimburse ourselves through work, and then save the points or miles for personal trips. It’s a simple way to double-dip on benefits.
Redeeming Miles for the Coda Conference
In 2024, we attended the Coda Conference in San Diego—a must for interpreters—and used miles to make it affordable. We flew from Pensacola to San Diego and back using Alaska Airlines miles both ways: 13,000 miles each for the outbound flight and 17,500 miles each for the return. Here’s how we made it happen:
Earning Miles: The Bank of America Alaska card gave us a big chunk of miles from its sign-up bonus after spending $3,000 in three months, which covered most of these flights.
Redeeming: We booked early to snag those low-mileage rates, making the entire trip free in terms of flights.
While at the conference, we used our US Bank Smartly card to cover meals and local transportation, earning 4% cash back on every purchase. That cash back helped stretch our budget for networking events and materials.
Save on the 2025 RID National Conference with Rewards
The RID National Conference in Minneapolis this year is a fantastic opportunity for interpreters to connect and learn. Here’s how we’re using rewards to make the trip affordable—and how you can too.
Flights with Alaska Airlines: We’re flying from Pensacola to Minneapolis using Alaska Airlines miles earned with our Bank of America Alaska card. A one-way flight costs around 15,000 miles, so we’ll use 30,000 miles each for a round trip.
Hotels with Hyatt: The conference is at a Hyatt hotel. We’re transferring points from the Chase Sapphire Preferred card to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio. A few nights can be as low as 5,000 points per night, making our stay free with points earned from daily spending.
Cash Back on Conference Fees: The RID conference fees are covered with our US Bank Smartly card, earning 4% cash back. A $500 fee means $20 back to spend on meals or materials.
Our Referral Links
Want to try the cards we use? Here are our referral links with current bonuses:
Capital One Venture: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in three months. Apply here.
Bank of America Alaska: Earn 42,000 miles after spending $3,000 in three months. Apply here.
Synchrony Virgin Red: Earn 10,000 points after your first purchase. Apply here.
Final Thoughts
Travel doesn’t have to drain your wallet. With cards like the ones we use—Capital One Venture, Navy Federal Flagship, and Bank of America Alaska—you can turn work trips into rewards and make conferences like Coda a reality. Start small, plan ahead, and watch those miles stack up!