Whether you’re sending yourself or a family member to college, annual tuition fees can be daunting. In the 2022-2023 school year, the average annual tuition fee was $39,400 for private universities and $10,950 for public universities (for state residents). That’s no small price to pay.

However, it’s not necessarily all doom and gloom when it comes to paying tuition.

Earning a free one-way flight may sound too good to be true. But with the Excursionist Perk from United Airlines, you can do exactly that. This is a hidden gem from United that’s actually not hidden at all. Redeeming your free flight is straightforward, as long as you familiarize yourself with the qualifying rules.

If you understand how United defines its rules, then you can even redeem a first-class one-way flight and only end up paying taxes.

Maximizing the redemption value of rewards and perks is often a question of timing, as well as of finding the sweet spots.

The British Airways Executive Club, the loyalty program of British Airways, uses Avios as its reward currency that can be redeemed for award flights. 

Avios are used and accepted by multiple airlines, meaning the opportunities for redemption are wide-ranging, regardless of your country of departure or arrival.

Understanding how to use Avios to their maximum value is a case of understanding British Airways’ distance-based reward system and how it can benefit—as well as be of detriment to—you.

For the avid traveler, The Platinum Card® from American Express could quickly become a favorite.