Zach Griff is one of the original travel influencers with 139K followers on Instagram and is a Senior Reporter for The Points Guy where he talks about travel, airlines, credit cards, points, and miles. If you want to know more about any of these topics, this one is for you. Zach is very transparent and goes into detail about what he actually uses in his everyday life. He gives really great recommendations on credit cards and travel, you don’t want to miss it.

The Complete Guide to Travel Hacking for Guys in Their 20s: Credit Cards, Miles, and Flight Perks

How travel influencer Zach Griff built a career flying 200,000 miles per year and his insider tips for maximizing points and perks

Most guys in their twenties see travel as an expensive luxury—something to do once or twice a year if they're lucky. But what if there was a way to travel constantly, stay in premium hotels, and fly first class without breaking the bank?

Zach Griff, senior travel reporter at The Points Guy, has cracked the code. Last year alone, he flew 200,000 miles across 100 flight segments, often in business or first class, using almost exclusively points and miles.

His journey from healthcare consulting to becoming one of the most followed travel influencers offers a roadmap for anyone wanting to maximize their travel while building a career around their passion.

From Consulting to the Cockpit: Following Your Passion

After graduating from Penn, Zach took what seemed like the safe route—healthcare consulting at ZS Associates. But even in that traditional career, he was thinking about travel.

"One of the things that I was really excited about in consulting was the appeal of the travel," he recalls. "You're traveling out to your client Monday to Thursday, and I was really excited about that because it would offer me the opportunity to accrue airline miles, points, hotel status."

During college, he was already hooked on what insiders call "mileage runs"—flying somewhere just to accumulate miles because of a cheap fare. When The Points Guy posted on Instagram that they were hiring, he took a chance, despite having minimal social media presence.

The Lesson: Sometimes the career that seems like a detour is actually the direct path to what you really want. Pay attention to the parts of your "safe" job that excite you most.

The Credit Card Strategy That Changes Everything

Here's where most people get overwhelmed, but Zach breaks it down into something manageable. You don't need his 25+ credit cards—most people need just 3-5 strategically chosen ones.

The Essential Credit Card Stack:

1. Flexible Points Card (Start Here)

• Chase Sapphire Preferred ($95 annual fee) for beginners

• Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 annual fee) for frequent travelers

• These earn points on travel and dining (major expenses for guys in their 20s)

• Points transfer 1:1 to airlines like United and hotels like Hyatt

2. Cashback Simplified Option

• Citi Double Cash gives 2% back on everything, no complications

• Perfect if the points game seems too complex

3. The Rent Hack

• Bilt Credit Card lets you earn points on rent with no fees

• Most apartments charge 3-5% fees for credit card payments—Bilt eliminates that

Advanced Moves:

• Amex Gold: 4X points on dining and groceries

• Airline-specific cards: Get perks like free checked bags even without elite status

The Elite Status Game: Why Loyalty Pays

Zach's strategy centers on picking one airline and sticking with it, especially if you're traveling regularly for work:

Choosing Your Airline:

• Location matters: Are you closer to Newark (United hub) or JFK (Delta hub)?

• Route considerations: Where does your company send you most often?

• Delta: Best experience, less rewarding loyalty program

• United/American: Better rewards, solid experiences

The Payoff: With elite status, you get free upgrades, premium cabin access, free bags, and priority boarding. Zach recently redeemed 75,000 points for a business class ticket to the Middle East that would have cost $5,000 cash.

Travel Hacking Fundamentals for Beginners

Building Credit the Right Way:

1. Start with a student card like Discover It

2. Keep it active for 6-9 months, pay on time

3. Graduate to Chase Sapphire Preferred

4. Add specialized cards based on spending patterns

Essential Travel Tools:

• TSA PreCheck + Global Entry: Saves hours at security

• Clear: Skip ID lines (often free with premium cards)

• Travel insurance: Built into most premium cards—don't buy separate

Smart Airport Strategy:

Zach's controversial advice: "If you're not missing a flight every so often, you're arriving too early at the airport."

He arrives just 45 minutes before departure with PreCheck and Clear. While this might be too aggressive for beginners, it highlights an important point—the two-hour early rule is often unnecessary and wasteful.

Hotel and Miles Strategy That Actually Works

Hotel Loyalty:

• Hyatt offers the best redemption value (Zach used 25,000 points for an $800/night Chicago hotel)

• Marriott and Hilton are larger but less rewarding

Using Miles Smartly:

• Redeem for flights, not hotels/car rentals

• Target international business class for maximum value

• Avoid using points for domestic economy unless it's a great deal

Practical Travel Tips for Real Life

Packing Essentials:

• Always carry your passport (even for domestic flights)

• Pack earplugs for long flights

• Extra snacks—airline food isn't enough

• Power adapter and fully charged devices

Budget Travel Hacks:

• Choose basic economy on major airlines over Spirit/Frontier

• Major airlines have more rebooking options when things go wrong

• Factor in bag fees when comparing prices

Lost Luggage Protection:

Premium credit cards often provide reimbursement for delayed bags. Zach once got $300 to shop at H&M in Paris when his bag showed up three days late.

The Career Pivot Playbook

Zach's transition from consulting to travel media wasn't immediate. He built expertise as a hobby first, then leveraged that knowledge when the opportunity arose.

His Formula:

1. Develop genuine expertise in something you're passionate about

2. Share that knowledge (even with a tiny audience)

3. Be ready when opportunities arise

4. Don't be afraid to take calculated risks

Destination Recommendations for Different Vibes

Guys Trip:

• New Orleans (bachelor parties, great food, manageable size)

• Vegas (use Hyatt partnership for MGM properties)

Budget-Friendly:

• Basic economy on major airlines

• West Coast road trips during off-season

Couples/Relaxation:

• Caribbean islands accessible with points

• Mexico resorts (good redemption values)

The Bottom Line: Start Small, Think Big

You don't need to become a travel hacker overnight or accumulate dozens of credit cards. Start with one good travel rewards card, pay it off every month, and build from there.

Zach's success came from combining passion with strategy. He didn't just want to travel—he wanted to understand every aspect of how travel works, from loyalty programs to airline operations to credit card benefits.

For guys in their twenties, travel hacking offers three key benefits:

1. Experience more while spending less

2. Build valuable financial habits through credit management

3. Develop expertise that could lead to career opportunities

The world is more accessible than you think. With the right strategy, that dream destination isn't years away—it might just be one sign-up bonus away.

Ready to start your travel hacking journey? Follow Zach Griff @_zachgriff on Instagram and check out The Points Guy for daily travel tips and credit card strategies. Subscribe to Guyset for more practical advice on building the lifestyle you want in your twenties.

Interview with Zach starts at 3:18 and the timestamps are below:

3:18 interview begins

4:04 Zach’s most recent trip

7:35 Zach shares how he got started as a travel influencer

11:02 We talk about The Points Guy

12:53 We talk about Zach’s Instagram account

15:59 If you came for travel recommendations, start here. Zach gives advice on traveling for work and choosing an airline

18:15 Zach tells us how to pick an airline to star with
19:30 I naively ask Zach what points are used for

21:08 Zach shares his favorite airline

23:54 Zach explains airline perks

25:13 If you came for credit card recommendations, start here. Zach shares what credit cards he has and what he recommends

30:48 We talk about AMEX

31:58 Zach shares the credit cards you should get

32:46 The simplest card to get

33:44 The first card to get

35:56 The amount of credit cards to have

37:30 The hotels to stay at while traveling

38:28 We talk about BILT

40:50 We talk about travel insurance

42:22 Zach shares what he looks for on a plane

43:23 Zach tells us what he always travels with

46:22 We talk about Zach’s favorite NYC airport

47:12 Zach’s recommendations for traveling on a budget

48:20 We talk about Spirit and Frontier

48:58 We talk about losing luggage

50:04 Zach shares his favorite travel locations

51:25 Zach gives recs for a guys trip

52:25 Zach gives recs for a trip with a significant other

53:12 We talk about the craziest perks he’s received

54:19 Zach shares his day-to-day as a senior reporter at the points guy

55:33 Zach shares how early he recommends getting to the airport before a flight

57:29 We talk about what to do if you miss a flight

Thank you for listening!

Send in any questions, things you want me to talk about, or things that should be talked about for guys in their 20s to josh@guyset.com  

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