Thinking of taking a trip? You can simply charge airfare on your credit card, or if you have been collecting points as part of a rewards program maybe that’s an option. We thought we’d see just how far points would take us, for all of our shopping.

Several credit card companies offer reward programs allowing you to save up and purchase your flight with your accumulated points. You can’t however combine points from different cards, so select your program carefully. How points are collected with various credit cards will vary in that some cards require you to spend more money to earn points and others offer one point for every dollar spent. The amount of points it costs to take a trip also varies from card to card. We’ve found that the best deals are the cards that offer a point for every dollar spent.

Typically, there is a fee that you’ll incur for a rewards program, usually around $100 per year. There are usually some other privileges that come with this annual fee. Things like rental car insurance, out of country medical and insurance for flight delays.

Now, that free bonus Air Miles card you’ve probably seen will allow you to collect Air Miles. When you see that blue-and-white logo where you shop for gas, groceries, banking, clothes, shoes and more, you can just show your card and earn points. But you’ll only get one mile for every $20 you spend.

We looked into the cost of booking a flight from Vancouver to New York on 3 different cards:

Canadian CIBC Aventura Gold VISA requires 30,000 points; so point for dollar, you’ll need to spend $30,000 to earn your flight.

Alaska Airlines VISA Platinum needs less points, amounting to around $20,000 US.

Air Miles free bonus card is honoured at several sponsors located across Canada. But remember, they’ll only give you a point for every $20 you spend, so you’ll have to rack up $78,000 to get to the Big Apple!

Once you’ve saved enough points then you have to find an airline that will honour them. We found out that the Air Miles program only gives you six airlines to choose from. Alaska Visa Platinum offers almost four times that. And, Aventura Gold lists 100 different airlines you can book with.

Flight availability is also another thing to consider. There may also be blackout dates and other fine print type restrictions. Booking early is highly recommended to get the flight you want at the time you want. But if time isn’t a luxury, keep checking back because things constantly change and seats often open up. Administration fees may be less when you book your flight online so look into that too.

If flying isn’t something you think you’ll be using your points for make sure there are other products or services available that do interest you. It’s a great thing to be rewarded – in whatever way – for all that shopping!