These insider credit card perks could help you live your White Lotus fantasy

If you’ve got a taste of White Lotus-inspired travel fever, you might be glad to know the credit card tucked away in the back of your wallet might hold added perks to help make your dream of an island getaway a reality.

The White Lotus is one of the most compelling shows on TV right now, with each season introducing us to a group of hotel guests, caught up in scandal and intrigue at a luxury  destination. It’s not just the drama and suspense that keep you watching, though – it’s also the stunning locations where that drama unfolds.

Season two of The White Lotus was filmed in Sicily, and saw the characters sunning themselves on golden beaches, walking ancient cobblestone streets and partying in villas fit for royalty. It’s enough to awaken a sense of wanderlust in anybody, and perhaps get you planning your next trip.

If the show has inspired you to live your best holiday life – or if you’ve been seeing your friends posting on Instagram from gorgeous Mediterranean beaches and feeling a pang of FOMO – then you may well be plotting a dream White Lotus holiday of your own.

Whatever your travel fantasy, if you use a credit card connected to an airline’s frequent flyer program, you could use it to score some added perks. In fact, there may be some rewards, discounts and other travel-related bonuses connected to your card that you’re not even aware of.

Frequent flyer points are for more than just flights

Frequent flyer cards let you earn points with purchases, and while these points can be spent on purchasing plane tickets, they can be put towards a whole variety of other holiday-related perks, from booking your accommodation to arranging a rental car, or even just bumping you up to some nicer seats so you arrive rested and ready to go. If you have a frequent flyer credit card, some potential perks you could be accessing to level up your dream vacation include:

Hotel stays

Frequent flyer points aren’t just for flights – it may well be that your airline has a partnership with a hotel, allowing you to redeem your points to cover all or part of a stay. Qantas boasts a network of 200,000 partner hotels worldwide while Virgin says that it has a network of 400,000 properties. That luxe Sicilian getaway could be closer than you think, and you may also be able to earn frequent flyer points for booking with some of your airline’s partner hotels, to then spend on other things.

Rental cars

A road trip across an overseas country can be the adventure of a lifetime, and while you’ll need to get your international licence sorted out if you plan on hitting the road, your credit card can help you when booking a rental car. Some frequent flyer programs and credit cards have agreements with rental car companies that can allow you to book rental cars with points, and potentially even earn points when booking – you’ll need to check the terms and conditions of your card for details.

Package holidays

If your dream holiday involves decompressing for a few days in an overseas resort, then some frequent flyer programs offer multi-day packages at luxury locations, and you can redeem points to help you get there. For example, Qantas offers packages ranging from weekend escapes to Uluru to Bali resort stays with food and drink included. Even if your partner airline does not offer package holiday deals, you could still save on a luxury hotel stay, or earn points from booking.

Airport lounge access

To kick your dream holiday off, it can be nice to feel a bit fancy, and rather than waiting at the departure gate with everyone else, your card could allow you to relax in the airport lounge with a glass of bubbles. While many frequent flyer programs will allow you airport lounge access, some credit cards will also offer you a certain number of complimentary airport lounge visits, allowing you to kick back in comfort before jetting off.

Seat upgrades

Frequent flyer points can also be a way to arrive at your destination in style, if you put them towards seat upgrades. If you’ve booked economy class tickets, an upgrade to business class could be a fun perk to enjoy your flight in bigger seats and with more personalised service, and frequent flyer points can generally be put towards this. While upgrades are not always guaranteed, it could be a nice little bonus to sit in business class on the way to (or home from) your destination.

Travel insurance

Ideally, nothing will go wrong on your dream holiday, but it’s important to be prepared, and some frequent flyer credit cards offer complimentary domestic and international travel insurance as part of the package. Depending on your card, this could cover anything from medical emergency expenses to trip cancellations or flight delays, lost or damaged baggage, and potentially some COVID-19 related cover.

What do you need to be wary of with frequent flyer credit cards?

While the perks of a frequent flyer credit card can sound lovely, they come at a cost. Typically, rewards cards such as frequent flyer cards come with higher annual fees and interest rates than other credit cards, meaning that you’ll pay more for the benefits of having one. If you typically carry a balance on your credit card and do not pay it off in full each month, then you may want to carefully consider whether a frequent flyer credit card is right for you, as you could find yourself playing a large amount in interest.

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