I try to avoid using free travel slang in my posts but it’s inevitable that some slips through. This page should help familiarize you with the words and abbreviations we use to describe what we’re doing. If you want to be more than just an observer and start playing the free travel “game” you need to learn our language.
The Game is played by signing up for credit cards offering frequent flier miles, hotel points, or cash bonuses and redeeming them for travel. Credit card companies, airlines, and hotels all encourage the game and there are over 300,000 people playing to some extent. The game will not hurt your credit ( it usually increases your credit score) and it is not illegal. The game is a hobby that can enrich and change your life.
After playing for a few months, you will eventually indoctrinate yourself into The Hobby. What’s the difference? People in The Game don’t realize the extent of what is really possible. People in The Hobby reap thousands of dollars in travel and cash each year. Read as much of the glossary as you can and refer back to it as needed.
AA: American Airlines airline code
AAoA – Average Age of Accounts: average age of credit lines on your credit report
AF – Annual Fee: usually refers to annual fee required to keep a credit card open, often waived for the first year
AGC – AMEX Gift Card: prepaid American Express gift cards, notoriously hard to liquidate
AI – All In: final price after taxes and fees
AMEX – American Express: major credit card issuer
AoR – App-o-Rama: applying for multiple credit cards on the same day in an attempt to have the hard pulls combined, somewhat outdated
AS: Alaska Airlines airline code
AU – Authorized User: someone who has a (authorized) copy of your credit card, the account stays in your name but they can essentially spend money in your name (you are liable for the payments)
BA: British Airways airline code
Barclays: major credit card issuer
BoA – Bank of America: major credit card issuer
BK – Bankruptcy: makes playing the game almost impossible (sorry)
Cap One – Capital One: major credit card issuer
CFPB – Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: when a bank takes advantage of customers you file a complaint with these people, most effective en masse
Chase: the most valuable travel credit card issuer, do not blow it with these guys
Churning: applying for the same credit card repeatedly to obtain the bonus, only necessary/possible after 1-2 years of playing the game
Citi: major credit card issuer
CL – Credit Line: amount of credit available on a credit card
CLI – Credit Line Increase: asking your credit card issuer to increase the amount of credit they have extended you, can be good for repairing credit, sometimes requires hard pull
CPM – Cost per Mile: usually measured in cents (ex: 1.5 CPM = $0.015 per mile), attempt to place a value on credit card sign up bonuses
CR – Credit Report: best way to check status of accounts and track hard pulls
CSP – Chase Sapphire Preferred: one of the best travel credit cards in the game, offered by Chase
CSR – Customer Service Representative: be nice to them, they have broad authority to approve/deny/close your account
CX: Cathay Pacific airline code
DL: Delta Airlines airline code
DOT Complaint: Department of Transportation (DOT) complaints are filed when airlines take advantage of customers, most effective en masse. Often used to enforce error fares.
EQ – Equifax: one of the three major credit reporting agencies
EQM – Elite Qualifying Miles: miles that count towards status with an airline
Error Fare aka “Mistake Fare”: ridiculously cheap flights, usually the result of a coding mistake or human error, usually sell out in a few hours
EX – Experian: one of the three major credit reporting agencies
F – First Class Ticket: nicest seats on the plane, “flew from NYC to LAX in F”
FF – Frequent Flyer: airline reward programs
GC – Gift Card: great tool for meeting minimum spend requirements
Hard Pull: aka “Hard Inquiry”, when you ask a bank to review your credit report and make a decision to extend you credit, impacts your credit score
Hub: refers to the airline operating the most flights out of an airport, Atlanta is a Delta/SkyTeam hub, you should identify which major airline/alliance operates out of your home airport
HUCA – Hang Up and Call Again: when something doesn’t go your way with a CSR, say “Thank you” then hang up and call again, third time’s the charm
IATA – International Air Transport Association: assigns three letter names to airports (JFK, LAX, ATL, ORD, IAD, MIA, SFO, etc)
ITA – Google Search Matrix: advanced tool for routing, google flights on steroids
J – Business Class Ticket: second nicest seats on the plane, “flew LAX to NYC in J”
LH: Lufthansa airline code, free alcohol on flights to Europe 🙂
Metal: certain deals require you to fly on that airlines “Metal”, this means you have to fly on planes operated by a specific airline, “AA Metal” means American Airlines flights
MGC – MasterCard Gift Card: MasterCard prepaid Debit Card
MO – Money Order: for more advanced aspect of the game
MR – Membership Rewards: universal travel currency awarded by certain AMEX cards, context dependent
MR – Mileage Run: flight to anywhere for the sole purpose of earning airline status or frequent flier miles, context dependent
MS – Manufactured Spending: buying cash equivalents with a credit card and then “cashing out”, ethical grey area, more advanced aspect of the game, high risk, not necessary
Open Jaw: example: fly from NYC to London then Paris to NYC, arrange separate transport from London to Paris
OW – One World: major airline alliance (American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Finnair, Iberian Air, etc), context dependent
OW – One Way: one way flight, context dependent
PC – Product Change: downgrading a credit card to avoid the AF/apply for it again
Recon – Reconsideration Line: when your credit card application is “pending” or denied you should call the Recon Line and talk to a credit analyst to try and get the decision reversed, very easy conversation, they want to extend you credit!
RT – Round Trip: “RT AI” means “round trip all in” means total round trip ticket cost including taxes and fees
RTW – Round the World: ticket package to fly around the world
Same Day Turn: flying somewhere and then stepping back on a plane to fly home, usually don’t leave the destination airport, often done in conjunction with a Miles Run to earn frequent flyer miles and airline status
Soft Pull: aka “Soft Inquiry”, these do not impact your credit score, there are two types, 1-you request a copy of your credit report for you to review, 2-a bank requests a copy of your credit report for marketing/promotional purposes
SPG – Starwood Preferred Guest: one of the best travel credit cards in the game, offered by AMEX
SkyPesos: name given to Delta frequent flyer miles (actually called “SkyMiles”) because they are worth so little and are notoriously difficult to redeem
SkyTeam: major airline alliance (Delta, KLM, Air France, Alitalia, etc)
TU – TransUnion: one of the three major credit reporting agencies
UA: United Airlines airline code
USB – US Bank: major credit card issuer, context dependent
UR – Ultimate Rewards: universal travel currency awarded by certain Chase credit cards
VGC – Visa Gift Card: Visa prepaid debit card
VX: Virgin America airline code
Y – Coach/Economy Class Ticket: worst seats on the plane but also the cheapest, “I flew BWI to LGA, next to the crying baby, in Y”
YMMV – Your Mileage May Vary: you might not get the same deal/offer that someone else got, these are the words to live by when playing the game
YQ – Fuel Surcharge: extra charges some airlines (BA is notorious) tack on to make award tickets expensive, advanced routing attempts to “Dump YQ”
*A – Star Alliance: major airline alliance (United Airlines, Lufthansa. Scandinavian Airlines, Air New Zealand, etc)
You made it! Knowing these terms is the first step to joining our community. I have spent thousands of hours poring over credit card and travel company terms, conditions and rules. This guide is my best shot at condensing that down into 15-20 minutes of reading.