How a Nonprofit Executive Uses Business Travel Spending to Earn Points for Premium Trips

Michael Krause is executive director of MK Global Ventures, a nonprofit that has been operating for five years. Because international travel is an important part of the organization’s work, business expenses naturally include many purchases that can generate valuable travel rewards.

Depending on the organization’s travel schedule, monthly spending averages roughly $7,000 to $10,000. Airfare, hotels and restaurants are among its largest expense categories, giving Krause opportunities to earn points while paying for travel the organization already needs.

Building a Business Card Strategy Around Travel

Krause’s card lineup includes the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.

His rewards strategy primarily focuses on Chase Ultimate Rewards, United MileagePlus and Marriott Bonvoy. By concentrating on several programs he can actually use, he avoids unnecessarily spreading his rewards across a large number of unrelated loyalty currencies.

Depending on the organization’s travel activity, Krause estimates earning roughly 5,000 to 15,000 points per month from business spending.

Using Business Spending to Unlock Premium Travel

Krause generally keeps business and personal purchases on separate cards. The rewards generated through business expenses, however, have expanded his opportunities for personal travel.

He occasionally uses points for upgrades during work trips, but one redemption stands above the rest: roundtrip Emirates First Class between Chicago and Dubai.

That’s precisely the type of premium travel where points and miles can create opportunities that would be difficult to justify with cash.

Looking Beyond the Welcome Offer

Krause would like to continue taking advantage of valuable business credit card welcome offers, but his experience has also taught him not to evaluate a card based solely on the size of its bonus.

He wishes he had developed a clearer overall strategy before pursuing attractive offers.

For business owners, that means considering how a new card fits alongside existing rewards balances, preferred airlines and hotels, and normal spending categories before applying.

Maximizing Travel-Heavy Business Expenses

Businesses and organizations that travel frequently have a particularly interesting opportunity because some of their largest expenses may also fall into common credit card bonus categories.

Airfare, hotels and dining can generate meaningful rewards when placed on an appropriate card. Those rewards can then help offset future travel expenses or unlock premium experiences.

The objective is to maximize the return on travel spending that the organization was already going to incur.

The Bottom Line

Krause’s experience shows how a travel-heavy organization can turn necessary business expenses into a substantial source of points and miles.

The most important lesson is to build the strategy before choosing the card. By considering spending patterns, preferred loyalty programs and future redemption goals first, business owners can select cards that remain useful long after the initial welcome offer is gone.

For Krause, that approach has helped turn routine spending on flights, hotels and restaurants into rewards capable of unlocking experiences as aspirational as Emirates First Class.