Delta and Southwest mile no longer expire either.

Part of the question is just how much you enjoy going down the rabbit hole in terms of trying to figure out angles to get free tickets. If you want to keep it pretty simple, using the 2% back you get from a Citi double cash card as your travel fund can be a sensible way to go. If you like puzzles, then something like the American Express Everyday no annual fee card can be useful because it lets you get Member Rewards points in a number of different ways (they have a partnership with the Rakuten shopping web site that can be pretty lucrative depending on your sho[ping habits) and then transfer to 10 different airlines and 3 different hotel programs.

Does the phrase- "I took advantage of the 40% transfer bonus for Member Rewards to Iberia Avios and then used my Iberia Avios to book a first class ticket on American airlines to California" intrigue you or sound like something like it would be too much to bother with? Either answer is perfectly acceptable- if the answer is 'mo' go the cash back card route, but if you want to learn more, then a lot of folks around here can explain how to execute the sentence above and get you that nice plane ride for the cost of a few taxes and fees.