I had an interesting thought today, “Do I spend more money with this points/miles hobby?” Of course, I save thousands yearly on travel using credit card points and miles. But as I pondered this question, the answer was, “Maybe.”    Spending Money on Travel While points and miles typically cover my flights and lodging, I […]

Before our recent African Safari on credit card points and miles (that didn’t happen), we were supposed to spend a couple of nights at the JW Marriott Nairobi. We used 37K Marriott points/night for this hotel, which has an average cash price of about $300-$350/night. We still stayed at this hotel before we left Africa […]

This post about traveling to Sardinia, Italy on credit card points and miles, was not something I expected to write about today. I was supposed to be on an African Safari instead. If you’ve been following my adventures, you know how well that turned out. Sardinia is an enchanting island in the Mediterranean Sea, off […]

Amanda sent in our latest reader success story to Sedona and Scottsdale. The impressive thing is that she has only been in the points and miles hobby for about a year! Here’s her story: It’s been almost 11 months since I started following Travel Mom Squad, listening to the podcasts from episode 1, and joining […]

The trip I planned for my birthday was not the one I ended up taking. I had planned a safari in Kenya for my birthday in May. First, we went to Mauritius, and on our second to last night, we got an email at dinner that changed everything. This post is about when your safari […]

When we decided to use credit card points and miles to book an African safari in Kenya, I knew I wanted to go to another country or island since we had traveled so far. I considered the Seychelles and Mauritius and settled on Mauritius on credit card points and miles.  Mauritius is a small island […]

Last year, shortly after the  JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge opened, I heard that rooms could be booked for about 75K Marriott Bonvoy Rewards per night, including a safari. Having previously been on a safari, I was anxious to see if I could book this with my stash of Marriott Bonvoy points. The 75k/night deal […]

We met Beth a couple of years ago before she knew anything about points and miles. Here is her first-year reader success story, and it is a doozy—congrats, Beth, on all your success!   For the past 27 years, I have focused on raising my three boys and working full-time for a nonprofit. I never […]

It’s no secret that we love Hyatt Hotels. We also love the Park Hyatt brand of Hyatt Hotels. Jess has raved about the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, California, so when Alex was looking for a Spring Break location, this was a no-brainer. Luckily, she often invites my husband and me along for those trips. […]

I’m about to make a pretty definitive statement: Air France to Europe might be the best deal there is—at least consistently. I seem to find great deals on the Air France site repeatedly. I also find a lot of Air France flights on other sites like Virgin Atlantic, both in economy class and business class. […]

I love Southern California. My family always traveled there when I was younger, so I have wonderful memories of the beaches, amusement parks, and great weather. When Alex invited my husband and I to join them on their Spring Break vacation to Southern California, we were all in. Carlsbad, California, on points and miles, was […]

Our latest reader success story: Spring Break EuroTrip, comes from Elise. We love hearing from our readers about how they use credit card points and miles to create lasting memories with their families.   Getting Started with Credit Card Points and Miles I’d been lurking in the travel communities for a while, but I had […]

We enjoy our elite status through different hotels, particularly our Hyatt Globalist status. But did you know that there is an elite status you can buy instead of earning it? If you have ever stayed at an Intercontinental Hotel, IHG’s luxury brand, you know they are very luxurious. Think marble, elegant furniture, and chandeliers; you […]

We often get asked this question, “Do we use points/miles for ALL travel?” The answer is no. While credit card points and miles cover most of our travel, it does not cover all of it. If you are trying to cover every single expense for your own travel, you might end up frustrated. Or, at […]

Using credit cards has its rewards when you follow the Ten Commandments of Points and Miles.  Follow these rules, and you will rack up more points and be able to travel more often!   1.  Pay Off Credit Cards Monthly Travel is not free if you are paying interest.  Not paying off your credit cards […]

What is a waitlisted flight, and is it a viable option? Recently, I had an experience with one on Singapore Airlines. Alex, Jess, and I decided to book a trip to Singapore, and Jess did an outstanding job of convincing us that the Premium Economy on Singapore would be “just fine.” There was this incredible […]

Our latest success story is a blast from the past for Alex and I. Shannon sends her reader success story to Bali on points and miles, where she used a mix of points/miles and cash for an unforgettable trip!   Shannon’s Story I know Pam and Alex from California, and I feel like I know […]

On my recent trip to Roatan, Honduras, I had pizza at Pizzarama. This restaurant is located at Bananarama, a Dive and Beach Resort less than half a mile from the Kimpton Roatan, where I was staying. While the pizza was good, the resort was not somewhere that I would ever want to stay. Once again, […]

Our most recent reader’s success story comes from Jess’ husband, Ted. Originally, the whole family had planned to go to San Antonio to watch the eclipse. Circumstances changed for Jess and Molly, but Ted went anyway and wrote us a reader success story: Hyatt Place and the Eclipse. (Yay, for Ted)! Here’s his story: I […]

Earlier this year, Hyatt announced the end of its partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World as of May 15, 2024 (😢). They also announced their partnership with Mr. and Mrs. Smith Hotels. For those unfamiliar with these brands, let’s talk about Hyatt and Mr. and Mrs. Smith Hotels.   Mr. and Mrs. Smith […]

Generally, hotels attached to airport terminals don’t excite me. There are a few exceptions. One is the Westin at Denver International and, more recently, the Grand Hyatt at SFO. I was pleasantly surprised by my recent stay at the Grand Hyatt at SFO. Alex, Jess, and I arrived at SFO too late to continue to our […]