Your Quick Start to Flight Miles Hacking 🚀

Step 1: The Foundational Cards

To start, you need at least one (ideally two) key cards:

• American Express Gold Card: This is your primary tool for earning. The tiered welcome bonus offers up to 50,000-55,000 points (20k after €3k spend, +30k after €5k spend; Gold Rosé adds 5k more). This is your first big win.
• American Express Platinum Card: For maximum earning, add the Platinum for up to 85,000 points (40k after €6k spend, +45k after €10k spend). Combined with Gold, that’s 135,000-140,000 points from welcome bonuses alone!
• Miles & More Blue Credit Card: This card is optional but useful. Holding it prevents your Miles & More miles from expiring (with the new Deutsche Bank cards this is unconditional — no minimum spend needed). Get this card if you plan to accumulate M&M miles.

Step 2: The “Double Dip” Shopping Trip

This is how you turn everyday spending into a torrent of miles.

• Activate Coupons: Before you shop at stores like EDEKA, DM, or Amazon, open the Payback app and activate any available coupons (e.g., 10x points).
• Pay with a Premium Card: Make your purchase and pay with your Amex Gold, Amex Platinum, or M&M Blue Card to maximize on your points per € spent.
• The Result: You earn Payback points (multiplied by the coupon) AND you earn miles/points from your credit card. This “stacking” is the most powerful part of the strategy.

Step 3: The Payback Transfer

From July 1 through 31, 2026, Payback offers a 10% bonus on transfers to Miles & More. You must transfer at least 4,000 points in one transaction; 10,000 points become 11,000 miles. Check the current terms before every transfer. Since June 2025’s dynamic pricing, M&M awards vary—compare against direct Amex transfers to British Airways or Singapore for your route.

Step 4: The Card-Cycling and Referral Loop

This is the advanced hack to keep the big bonuses coming.

• Year 1: You get the Amex Gold with a bonus. After a few months, you refer your partner. You get a referral bonus, and they get a welcome bonus.
• Year 2: After a year, you cancel your Amex Gold (transfer the points first!). Your partner then refers you to a new Amex card.
• Rinse and Repeat: By cycling cards and referring each other, you generate a steady stream of massive bonus points, enough for yearly premium flights.