How to Build a Long-Term Promotion Calendar to Maximize Points

Most people treat promotions in loyalty programs as isolated opportunities — something to take advantage of when they happen to appear. But those who consistently travel more, earn more miles, and extract more value from their points are doing something different: they’re planning ahead.

If you want to get the most out of your rewards, you need a promotion calendar strategy — a way to anticipate, organize, and act on deals before they happen. In this article, you’ll learn how to build a long-term promotion calendar to maximize points, how to spot cycles in promo behavior, and how to time your transfers, redemptions, and club upgrades with confidence.

Why You Need a Promotion Calendar

Loyalty programs — whether airline, hotel, or bank-based — follow predictable promotional cycles. If you can anticipate these patterns, you can:

• Transfer points when bonuses are highest
• Redeem awards when prices are lowest
• Avoid unnecessary spend outside promo windows
• Stack multiple offers together
• Maximize club benefits and annual perks

Instead of chasing scattered offers, you build a system where the promotions work for you, not the other way around.

The Core Elements of a Good Promotion Calendar

To set up a reliable calendar, you need to track several recurring promo types and their typical timing:

1. Transfer Bonuses

These are temporary offers where bank points (Livelo, Esfera, Amex, etc.) earn extra miles when transferred to a travel partner.

What to track:

• Which airline received a bonus
• Bonus % (e.g., 80%, 100%)
• Club-only bonus tiers
• Required minimums
• Validity dates

Example:
Livelo → Smiles
100% bonus in January, May, and November (Black Friday)

2. Award Ticket Sales

Airlines periodically offer redemption discounts — often as flash sales or seasonal offers.

What to track:

• Domestic vs. international promos
• Discount % (e.g., 30% off)
• Travel windows and blackout dates
• Taxes and fees

Example:
LATAM Pass promo in March: 40% off flights to Chile

3. Loyalty Club Promotions

Programs like Clube Smiles, TudoAzul, or Clube LATAM often run:

• Discounted sign-up offers
• Bonus miles for subscription
• Exclusive transfer or booking access
• Upgrade incentives to higher tiers

What to track:

• Club price vs. bonus value
• Timing of recurring offers
• Membership start and renewal dates
• Minimum stay period before canceling

4. Shopping and Partner Campaigns

Point marketplaces (Livelo Compras, Esfera Shopping, Smiles Store) often offer 10x–20x points per dollar on certain merchants.

What to track:

• Retailer name
• Earning multiplier
• Payment method restrictions
• Stacking eligibility (e.g., cashback + miles)
• Validity window (often 24–72h)

5. Status Match and Fast Track Campaigns

Programs occasionally offer elite status accelerators — fly or spend within a set period and unlock elite status for the year.

What to track:

• Programs involved
• Minimum requirements
• Challenge deadlines
• Route restrictions (e.g., only GOL-operated flights)

6. Black Friday and Holiday-Specific Promotions

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the month of November usually bring the biggest promotions of the year, including:

• Record transfer bonuses
• Club membership discounts
• Massive flash sales on redemptions
• “Stack everything” opportunities

Other notable dates:

• Valentine’s Day (travel-themed promos)
• Mother’s Day and Father’s Day (retail + travel combos)
• Back to school (August/September deals)
• End-of-year (loyalty club retention and rollover bonuses)

How to Build Your Promotion Calendar Step-by-Step

Step 1: Use a Digital Calendar or Spreadsheet

Choose a format that works for you:

• Google Calendar: great for setting reminders and alerts
• Google Sheets: excellent for tracking dates, values, and links
• Notion or Trello: good for visual dashboards and timelines

Create columns like:

• Date
• Promo Type
• Program
• Bonus Details
• Required Action
• Status (Planned / Active / Used)

Step 2: Start Logging Historical Data

Look back at the last 6–12 months. Search your email inbox, loyalty program sites, and blogs like:

• Passageiro de Primeira
• Melhores Destinos
• Promoções de Milhas (Telegram)
• The Points Guy (for U.S. promos)

Log the start and end dates of promotions and their details. Patterns will emerge quickly.

Step 3: Identify Recurring Promo Windows

You’ll start noticing rhythms like:

• Livelo → Smiles 100% bonuses = Jan, May, Nov
• Clube LATAM sign-up bonus = March, June, October
• TAP award sales = April, August
• Esfera retail promos = around Mother’s Day and Black Friday

Block these dates in your calendar in advance and label them by priority.

Step 4: Align Your Travel and Spending Plans

Use your promo calendar to plan trips, point transfers, and purchases.

Examples:

• Need 60,000 miles to go to Europe in October?
  → Transfer in May when 100% bonus is likely
  → Book in August when TAP launches award sales
• Want to join Clube Smiles?
  → Wait until January promo offers bonus + discount
• Planning to buy electronics?
  → Wait for 15x Livelo at Magalu or Ponto during seasonal promos

Step 5: Set Up Alerts and Notifications

Use:

• Google Calendar notifications
• Gmail filters to label promo emails
• App notifications from Smiles, LATAM, Livelo, etc.
• RSS or Telegram feeds for real-time updates

You don’t have to check every day — but you should get notified when important promo windows open.

Step 6: Create a Yearly Strategy Summary

At the top of your spreadsheet or calendar, define:

• Travel goals (destinations, dates, class of service)
• Points needed
• Expected earning sources (credit cards, shopping, transfers)
• Best promo windows to act

This ensures every promo you pursue has a purpose, not just a good percentage.

Tips to Keep Your Promotion Calendar Efficient

• Keep it simple and color-coded for quick access
• Use conditional formatting to highlight time-sensitive promos
• Archive expired offers but keep them for reference
• Don’t overtrack—focus only on programs you actively use
• Review your calendar monthly and adjust as needed

Real-Life Example: Turning a Calendar Into Free Flights

Lucas, a frequent flyer from Rio, wanted to fly to Portugal in business class by November.

He planned his year like this:

• January: Joined Clube Smiles with a bonus
• May: Transferred Livelo to TAP during a 100% bonus
• August: Used TAP award sale to book Lisbon flight for 110,000 miles
• November: Took advantage of Black Friday promo to top up points for a return flight

Total savings: Over US$2,000 in airfare
Total effort: A few calendar reminders and two strategic transfers

Final Thoughts: Plan the Promo, Own the Trip

Learning how to build a long-term promotion calendar to maximize points is one of the smartest moves you can make if you’re serious about loyalty programs. You don’t need to chase every deal — just the right ones at the right time.

Once your calendar is set up, you’ll fly better, book faster, and earn more — all while avoiding rushed redemptions or wasted points.

In this game, it’s not about who earns the most. It’s about who plans best.