“Aren’t gimmicky credit cards just marketing, But here’s the thing: Utilizing and maximizing a travel credit card to pay for your flights is a great way to earn a Big Win. In fact, you can save THOUSANDS each year if you travel often and know how to effectively leverage your points/miles/pudding lids.

There are hundreds of options out there. How the hell do you find the best travel credit card AND learn how to maximize the points so you get the best deals, That’s why we turned to one of the best minds when it comes to travel credit cards and rewards hacking: Brian Kelly, aka The Points Guy.

He also sometimes takes his dog out on helicopter rides just because he can do it with his points. “I would go to Europe in first class and my friends would ask me, ‘What trust fund are you on, ] I was basically living below the poverty line in New York City and I also had some debt from college. So there was no trust fund. He’s since used his acumen to help others find the absolute best deals and launched a media empire.

So we spoke to him about his recommendation on the absolute best travel credit card on the market right now. WARNING: Before you even think about applying for a credit card, there’s something you need to make sure you understand: DO NOT GET A NEW CREDIT CARD IF YOU’RE IN DEBT! In fact, if you’re in credit card debt or have a bad credit score, your first order of business is to get out of debt as fast as possible.

Just like we don’t allow people in our courses with credit card debt, you shouldn’t even think about worrying about airline miles until you have your finances in order. Airlines and travel credit cards offer points that you can redeem in exchange for things like flight tickets and hotels. While you can earn points directly from airlines through frequent flyer miles and associated rewards programs, the value of those points tends to fluctuate constantly at the airline’s discretion.

That’s why we’re going to be focusing on fixed-value points — points where you always know exactly how much money your points are worth — from travel credit cards. Travel perks are everything offered that are NOT just airline miles/points and encompass a large variety of things including free checked bags, priority seating, first-class seating, and lounge access.

“The flight itself is just one part of your traveling,” Brian says. We want a card that provides a good amount of return for your travel points while offering some solid perks that’ll help make your travel easy, relaxing, and fun. You also don’t want to be nickel-and-dimed for idiotic things like blackout dates, penalties, and fees.

That’s why today, Brian is going to be giving you TWO credit card suggestions. Having multiple travel credit cards will help maximize your rewards as each one will offer different perks of which you can take advantage. It’ll also benefit you as a traveler in general. For instance, many credit card companies are overeager to protect you from fraud and might just shut down your card if they see you do something out of the norm like purchase bottle service from a nightclub in Berlin. “Credit cards get shut off for fraud all the time.

If you’re traveling abroad and your card gets shut off, you should have a back up. Also, your card might not be accepted in certain countries due to coverage blackouts,” Brian explains. If you’re looking to dip your toes into travel rewards, start with the Chase Sapphire Preferred. This card is the 1966 Ford Mustang of travel credit cards — reliable, classic, and full of perks. “The Preferred is a great way to start,” Brian explains. 625 towards your airplane ticket if redeemed through Chase’s Travel Rewards program.

“So you’re not going to spend a cent out of pocket AND you’re getting a ton of points. That makes it an absolute no brainer,” he says. You can also transfer the points at a 1:1 ratio on other travel programs. So you’re not locked into one airline or hotel chain.