7 Ways to Stack Loyalty Programs for Maximum Travel Value

In the highly competitive landscape of travel rewards, true value lies in going beyond basic points collection. Savvy travelers leverage an advanced technique known as "program stacking"—strategically layering multiple, often disparate, loyalty programs to exponentially increase rewards and benefits. This is not about using a credit card; it’s about exploiting systemic overlaps, niche partnerships, and specific currency conversions to unlock luxury travel for a fraction of the cost. This article reveals seven distinct, lesser-known, and highly effective strategies for mastering the next level of loyalty program stacking, transforming your earned currency into peak travel experiences.

1. The Dining Network Trifecta (Card + Program + Portal)

Most travelers know about earning points via dining programs like Rakuten Dining or airline dining portals. The ingenious hack is stacking this with a specific credit card bonus and a third-party rewards service. Hack: Enroll in a hotel dining program (e.g., Hilton Honors Dining). Use an airline shopping portal link to buy a restaurant gift card (earning airline miles). Then, use that gift card to pay for the meal while earning points from your high-multiplier credit card and the dining program simultaneously. This turns one meal purchase into three separate loyalty currency deposits.