a pool with palm trees and a city in the background

Putting the word “free” next to the word “travel” instantly creates doubt amongst people. Travel is a goal for many- but it’s regarded as too expensive, and thus many never get the chance to travel properly. The truth is, travel really can be free, or pretty damned close- if you take advantage of lucrative referral programs…

a pool with palm trees and a city in the backgroundBefore We Get Started, Here’s How It All Works…

Referral programs are simple. Rather than paying big money to market or advertise their products, some travel booking sites offer people rewards for sharing with their friends. Free marketing. In exchange for you pumping their products or services- they hook you up with miles, actual money or credit to use towards a booking. Just look for each company’s referral program, and your unique link to send your friends…

a red flower on a pool with a mountain in the backgroundAirbnb Gives You $40 For Everyone Who Books A Stay Through Their Site/App…

Airbnb has a very generous referral program. If you sign up (for free) on their site, you get a link which gives any of your friends $40 off their first booking. When they make their booking, guess what? You get between $20 and $40. You can get an unlimited amount of referrals, meaning you could book an absolutely insane villa on an island off of Bali for free, like this one. They save, you benefit- win win.

a glass of wine on a table in a planeRocketMiles Gives You 1,000 Airline Miles For Everyone Who Books A Hotel Through Their Site/App…

Want an unlimited amount of airline miles, from the airline of your choosing? Thought so. This is a fantastic opportunity to turn other peoples (and your) hotel stays into free flights. For every friend that books using your link, after signing up (here), you’ll get 1,000 airline miles, which you can choose. Every time you book a hotel stay through them, you’ll also get a minimum of 1,000 airline miles per night!

a bottle of wine next to a glassEarn Cold Hard Cash for Everyones Online Amazon Shopping…

Yes that’s right- you can earn actual cash for your friends ridiculous Amazon shopping habits. Amazon has a very lucrative referral program, where all you need to do is send a friend a link to whatever they’d like to buy. When they buy, you get commission for helping to hook up the sale. If that isn’t exciting, I don’t know what is. You can sign up for the US version here, and the UK version here.

a table with a view of a city and a riverEarn Free Five Star Hotel Nights Off Everyones Marriott Bookings…

Ever heard of the Ritz Carlton? Yeah, not too shabby. You can earn a free night in almost any Ritz Carlton, just for referring five people to the (free) Marriott Rewards program. After each friend completes a mere 5 nights (in a year), even at the cheapest hotels, you’ll be chock full with 50,000 Marriott Points, and they’ll have 10,000 bonus points for going through you. 50,000 points is enough for a top hotel night almost anywhere in the world. Amazing.

Times Square street with cars and billboards

Free Uber Rides For Getting Your Anyone To Save On Taxis….

It’s so satisfying to tap a button and have someone (who you can track on a map) come pick you up. Uber is one of the best ways to get around in most of the world, and if you have some friends who aren’t yet using it- you can earn yourself a bunch of free rides! They get $20 off their first ride, thanks to you, and you get Uber credit towards making your rides free. Solid deal for everyone.

a man and woman standing next to luggageGet The Best Luggage For Free, For Convincing Your Friends To Buy It First : )…

We’re massive fans of the Away Travel luggage sets. Their carry on is sleek, can charge your phone, iPad, whatever and is chock full of space. For every person you get to buy luggage, using your unique link, you’ll get $20 bucks off your order. The carry on’s start at $220, so at the very least, you can get one of the best (we think it is THE best) pieces of luggage out there for a fraction of the price. Now, work on that sales pitch…

a black wallet with a blue and black designWithout Spending, You Can Earn 50,000 Credit Card Points For Helping Others Earn Points…

The quickest short cut to free travel is credit cards. They offer lucrative sign up bonuses as well as hotel points, airline miles (or either) for every dollar you spend. Even your latte is going towards some dreamy travel down the line. You can earn up to 50,000 additional points per year, by referring friends to get your credit card. Amex and Chase have really simple sites for referring friends, so just check em out and get going. For other banks, just call the number on the back of your card and ask about referring friends.

Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly...

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2 Comments

  1. I love your idea. Creative Marketing tool. Great Job. I know many people will benefit from your generosity and kindness. I’m gonna try. I would never have the means to fly….. first class….Dream come true.

    Respectively,
    Joni V. Hill
    586-359-7444

  2. Very new to traveling O S . Would so love to be in 1st class. Will need to study this and hope I can eventually find a way to travel 1st class.
    Thank you so much for the chance.
    Ruth Price

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