Summer is officially here and that means many people are probably already planning for some much-needed vacation time.

But did you know the airlines’ frequent flyer credit cards are not always the best way to land free plane tickets?

Turn to Tara has some tips on how to maximize reward programs.

Cindy Greenstein, The Points Mom, has been addicted to earning points and miles.

Since the 90s, the Chappaqua mom of three, has turned her expertise with rewards programs into a career, helping vacation-craving families snag five-figure trips all across the globe - simply by using the right credit cards to pay for household expenses.

Greenstein says Capitol One's newest credit card debuted with a 100,000-mile bonus, and offers two miles for every dollar you spend, so she uses it on everything except her dining and grocery expenses.

The American Express Gold Card offers four times Amex points on restaurants and grocery stores.

And YES parents - Greenstein says to go ahead and get your children involved. Give them credit cards so they can contribute to the family of points in miles.

Common errors that people can make when using points miles is they may not compare redeeming points versus the websites royalty program versus transferring miles or points.

Here's an example:

A $500 ticket on Delta might cost 50,000 American Express points, but on Delta's rewards site it may cost 40,000 miles. So instead of redeeming the points on American Express, Greenstein says to just transfer 40,000 of those points to the Delta rewards program.

Greenstein also says it's a mistake to redeem points on Amazon. And when it comes to new cards, be sure to hit the minimum charge amount within the given time period, or you risk canceling your sign-up.

  Got a problem? You should Turn to Tara. HERE'S HOW.