The order most people follow is backwards: open the card, then wonder what to do with the rewards. Reverse it. Begin with the trip you actually want, and let that goal shape which card you open and when. Done this way, the rewards almost arrange themselves.
Start with the trip
Decide the destination and the rough shape of the journey first. The goal sets the strategy — it tells you what kind of rewards you need and roughly how many. This is the same starting point as "The welcome bonus is the trip," where the destination drives every later decision.
Then choose the card that serves it
Different cards suit different trips, because their rewards reach different places. Once you know where you want to go, choose the card whose currency and partners can actually get you there. The trip narrows the field for you.
Time the application to your spending
Open the card when you have known expenses ahead, so you can meet any requirement comfortably with spending you were going to do anyway. This connects directly to "How to meet a minimum spend without overspending"— timing is what keeps the requirement painless.
Mind the calendar of the trip
Leave room for the rewards to post to your account and for award space to be located. Booking the kind of travel you want often takes lead time. Starting well before the trip gives you the flexibility that good redemptions depend on.
Don't open without a purpose
A card opened with no plan tends to produce points that sit idle and slowly lose value. A clear goal prevents that, and keeps you from over-buying — the caution at the heart of "Why we recommend the smallest card that does the job."
Plan the trip, then earn the card. Done in that order, the rewards almost arrange themselves
