Travel Hack: Get a 'free' vacation worth $5,000 when you buy a Tesla Model 3

When buying yourself a Tesla Model 3 there are lots of great accessories to consider as add-ons — but, unfortunately, none of them are free. What if you could score a ritzy "free" vacation as part of your Model 3 purchase? Sure, a free hat from Tesla would be nice, but, a free vacation would be the ultimate add-on. Is this possible? According to one travel hacker, there is a way to get $5,000 worth of complimentary travel if you're crafty enough... here's how.

Above: The Rossos pose with their new Tesla Model 3 (Source: Million Mile Secrets)

According to Business Insider (via Million Mile Secrets), Keith Rosso purchased a new Model 3 and "was able to walk away with more than a new car. He also scored 180,000 travel rewards points — equal to $1,800 in cash back or $2,250 in airfare, hotels, or car rentals — because he bought the Tesla through an app called Plastiq." But there's more than just a cash back option.

It's reported that, "Rosso put the charge on his Chase Ink Business Preferred Card... [and] he can get even more value through Chase's travel partners. Rosso estimates [accounting for associated fees] he'll get at least $5,000 worth of travel from the points he racked up buying his Tesla."

Above: The Rossos waited 2.5 years for their Model 3 (Source: Million Mile Secrets)

How? Rosso is considering a vacation to the Maldives. One option: "he could use 160,000 points to buy a round-trip business-class award flight on United, which would cost nearly $7,400."

And there's another way he could cash in. According to Rosso, "I can transfer these points to Hyatt at 1:1 ratio to book free nights at top-rated hotels like the Park Hyatt Maldives. A free night at this hotel costs 25,000 Hyatt points. So 180,000 points is more than enough for 7 free nights! Paying cash for a sample 7-night stay I looked at in October 2018 would cost more than $6,100!"

Above: Rosso could use points from his Tesla Model 3 purchase for a week-long vacation in the Maldives (Source: Million Mile Secrets)

However, not everyone can pay their car off in full. Rosso cautions that it could be a "dangerous financial move" to use a credit card for such a large purchase if you don't have the cash on hand. However, he says, "My wife and I had money set aside for the Tesla purchase. And as soon as the Plastiq charge hit my credit card statement, I paid it off in full."

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Source: Business Insider via Million Mile Secrets