When it comes to travel rewards, learning how to earn airline miles and hotel points often evokes images of hefty credit card bills and lots of strategic spending. However, there are lesser-known avenues to travel with points by accumulating airline miles and hotel points. In most cases, it only requires that you open a free rewards account with the airline or hotel group that you plan to use, an opportunity to begin earning rewards credit with every transaction. To help you get the most miles and points, we've gathered some of the uncommon yet simple methods that can help you bolster your rewards balance without relying solely on traditional approaches.