After opening my first airline credit card a year and a half ago, I can't imagine using my debit card ever again

Liz Knueven/ Business Insider

The author in Ermoupoli, Syros, Greece.

• I'd never been a heavy credit card user, and mainly used debit cards or cash on most of my everyday purchases.
• After I got my first airline credit card, the United Explorer Card from Chase, I can't see the value in using my debit card, or even my cash-back cards, anymore.
• After opening my card, I got to take a whole international vacation's worth of flights for next to nothing. I was hooked on the idea that I could fulfill my love of travel without paying for the biggest expense: flights.
• See Business Insider's list of the best rewards credit cards »

I used a debit card for way too long.

I used my Chase debit card all through college, and didn't get my first credit card, a cash-back card, until well after starting my first job. Truthfully, I didn't even use that credit card all that much - it was reserved for gas stations, online purchases, buying airline tickets, or making hotel reservations, those instances where debit isn't ideal. Outside of those things, most of my purchases went on my debit card.

At the time, I didn't know that was a mistake. But, after opening my first airline credit card, I realized just how much value I was missing out on.

I've always had an itch to travel, but I'll admit that it's not always in the budget. I figured an airline credit card could help, and I was right.

Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which will far outweigh the value of any points or miles. It's important to practice financial discipline when using credit cards by paying your balances in full each month, making payments on time, and only spending what you can afford to pay back.

Why I chose the United Explorer card

I opened a United Explorer card in mid 2018 when I moved across the country to Seattle. I jumped at the opportunity then, since I had a lot of charges that month with moving, and knew I'd spend enough to earn the sign-up bonus. I chose United because I use that airline frequently - United has the best flights on the Seattle-to-Cincinnati route I use often, so it just made sense.

Since I spent quite a bit in that first few months after my move, I had no problem earning the sign-up bonus. The current sign-up bonus for the United Explorer card is 40,000 miles after you spend $2,000 in the first three months and another 25,000 miles after you spend $10,000 total in the first six months.

Between double miles on hotels stays during the move, a United flight home for Thanksgiving, and putting all of my moving expenses on the card and paying it off completely each month, I racked up quite a few miles.

Booking my first award flight

By March, I had enough points to redeem for my first ever miles-only international flight to Greece, and used a United's Excursionist Perk to book a second flight within Europe to extend my trip. After booking that trip, the obsession only got deeper - I wanted to find out more ways to do what I want without paying for it. I took a vacation this year simply because I used a credit card for my move. If I'd used debit for those expenses, I would have stayed at home.

Having an airline credit card just made it simpler to afford the things I want to do, without having to spend more than usual. I couldn't have done that if I'd been using my debit card all along.

I'm constantly asked how I'm able to travel so much, and my first answer is always that I maximize credit card rewards. In some respects, I feel like I don't even deserve those rewards because they're so easy. As long as you don't carry a balance, there are big rewards to be had for no extra effort.

After a year and a half of using my airline credit card for everything I buy, and taking an entire international vacation's worth of flights for next to nothing, I can't see the value in using a debit card again.

Click here to learn more about the United Explorer card »

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