Flying First Class for Free

On the eve of this holiday season your travel dollar might not feel like it goes as far as it used it. But tonight we're gonna meet some everyday travelers who found -- -- to fly literally around the... See More

On the eve of this holiday season your travel dollar might not feel like it goes as far as it used it. But tonight we're gonna meet some everyday travelers who found -- -- to fly literally around the world in first class luxury. For next to nothing. If that sounds too -- be true. May be because you've never seen the extreme measures these folks are willing to take to rack up frequent flier miles those bonus point together. From all kinds of places that -- apply for a discount. Or for free here's ABC's John -- This is where everything your song gets to go practically for free whenever he goes flying. -- the front of the line check in counter. To the first class lounge this is united to Chicago's O'Hare airport two seats like -- at the front of the Arab. First class and business class. The places he and his wife got together this year such as -- we. Gone from Savannah to -- flew over to Dubrovnik in Croatia spent some time there. -- up to split also in Croatia and then up to get through them and bad business class total. Must just the taxes six dollars each. Plus one -- frequent. Flier miles each which sounds impossibly high that's what we're trying to do but not from what riches he frequent flier on millionaire one who wants to teach the rest of us -- a few tricks -- On an out of debt kind of millionaire -- the. Anybody in this room applied for credit card. Primarily to get a sign up bonus -- -- did you know you can get miles by the millions without ever flying. These folks are smiling because they do -- that the most important one to be able to say as I have never been late on a payment. The first -- Rick recommends cashing in on credit card bonuses. Lots of banks now offer -- new credit card -- sign up bonuses of 20040000. Sometimes 70000 miles or points. The more credit cards you sign up for the more points you get. Even though most require you to spend at least -- -- thousand dollars first and this is the primary -- that I suspect and yes these cards most of them do represented -- current holdings of active credit cards and. When losing isn't supposedly a -- your credit rating and applying for a lot of cards everybody thinks it does but it really doesn't. Every time you apply for credit card they do what's called an inquiry on your credit report. It cost between two and five points on your credit score some some -- it's not a big hit underscore. Still -- teaches that people who have shaky credit who cannot pay their bills in full every month. Or who are applying for a mortgage in the near future should not be playing this game. Now within the fraternity of extreme frequent fliers it's controversial that any of these secrets are getting out. But Rick started a blog called Froogle travel guy for the common man and he's holding seminars like this -- the two more than 500 people all sorts of people. People who will get on the plane and just flying around over a weekend. To maximize their mileage and to raise their -- status with an airline. One day. -- to Austin to Dallas. Orange County health. Left the airport spent five hours -- my relatives. Then get back on the plane flew to O'Hare and Frankfurt Germany have set the land for an hour in Frankfurt back to -- back to almost. Mileage runs those are called or you could try and Chris -- Also known as a hotel bonus lots of hotel chains offer points that can be converted into airline miles or free hotel night. Of course this can also get extreme when people like wind -- hear about the hand tinian offering a bonus for each separate state in a short period of time. But it was sold to Disney World we are so little tiller tonight. Thirteen days thirteen status and so everything that you switch hotels every thirteen times ebitda next method. The rental -- bonus typically you get a few hundred points for a one or two day car rental but when one company raised the bonus to 101000 for a one day rental. George Smart went to was local airport and rented almost every car off the lot how many cars to to -- About twelve or 15 in the morning and I would get maybe sixty to a 100000 miles for a very inexpensive investment. That's the equivalent of going to Europe on -- -- Twice -- -- -- -- from morning yet but back to Rick and our journey through the airport but now we were sitting in the first class section of -- -- the United Airlines kind of let us visit. Because the point is even first class and business class which can be this Republicans comes within reach to those who are frequent -- millionaires. As is evident by Rick's trip this year to the form. We went to China for ten days we flew from Chicago to Beijing. Went to see the great Wallace times went to Inchon and saw the terra cotta warriors. -- when the Shanghai and he's back again nothing more than taxes that was maybe -- 150 dollars. In business class in business class right. Price in frequent flier miles 1101000. Miles speech but otherwise this would be. 120000 dollar ticket culture -- easily which would also get you into United's first class lounge there's always some snacks that are available. Free drinks free snacks no crowds and it's -- view that you can be -- to. You can beat his kind of millionaire you think is -- ordinary folks can do oh absolutely not only can but they should do extreme. Perhaps but only the tip of the iceberg of the techniques talked about at this seminar all of which frankly take a lot of work a lot of study. But in -- to you when you're settled back in the big chair it really will seem worth it. I'm John Donvan for Nightline in Chicago.