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hawaii sunset

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Recently, there have been a couple of disappointing redemption changes in the always-evolving world of points and miles. Let’s go over each of these redemption changes and how they will affect us.   Virgin Atlantic Devalues Delta Award Redemptions One of our “go-to” great redemptions for Europe was to book a Delta business class flight […]

Family holding hands on beach

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Using points and miles for families, especially large ones, is a little harder than using them for a couple’s trip or solo travel. You obviously need more points and will use more points. However, it certainly isn’t impossible, as shown by Alex’s Maui trip one year, when she had to find flights and accommodations for […]

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Our latest reader success story is a 10-day European Vacation on points and miles. Andrew and his wife took their adorable 10-month-old on his first transcontinental vacation—here is Andrew’s story.   Getting Started Hello Pam, it took a while to put this together, but my wife and I wanted to share our experience learning about […]

Airplane on runway

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While traveling is exciting and fun, it can have its fair share of uncertainties. Whether you’re planning a girls’ getaway, a family vacation, or a solo adventure, life can sometimes throw unexpected changes your way. And in these times, it’s important to have an understanding of the airline change and cancellation policies.  This Ultimate Guide […]

Large building that says Marriott

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Two credit cards come with a Marriott 35K certificate annually: the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. In our opinion, these cards make the annual fees worth paying year after year. But what are some great ways to use a Marriott 35K certificate? Remember, it is possible to “top […]

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Are you dreaming of your next big adventure but worried about your budget? Buckle up because today, we, the Travel Mom Squad, are diving into each of our bucket list destinations and how we would get there using points and miles. From the bustling markets of Morocco to the northern lights of Iceland, we’re sharing […]

Airport lounge

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One of our readers sent us this review of the American Express Centurion Lounge in Atlanta. Alex writes about Disney World and Disney Cruises over at seconddadtotheright. He discovered an episode of our podcast talking about using points to go to Disney. That sent him down a rabbit hole, and now he has racked up 1.2 […]

Maldives Beach

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Let’s check out some of the best credit card welcome offers that are available now. We will look at each of these offers and see why they are valuable. Evaluating and comparing before deciding what to apply for is always a good idea. Nothing is worse than finally being ready to pull the trigger on […]

City of Rome

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We have a doozy of a points and miles redemption for you today! CJ shares her reader success story: One Month in Italy! Yes, a FULL month! Hello! Since Italy is a popular travel hacking destination, I wanted to share how we booked a one-month summer trip on points. This is for 2 adults and […]

Beach and sand

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One of the things we hear from many readers is their reluctance to pay an annual fee on a credit card. Obviously, it would be cool to have no annual fees or at least waive them all the first year. Sadly, that is not usually the case. This post is a reminder not to let […]

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Curious about keeping your travel rewards game strong over the long haul? Today, we’re diving deep into the world of travel rewards, sharing our top strategies for earning points and miles that keep on giving. We’re Pam, Alex, and Jess, and we’re here to uncover the methods that keep our points balances healthy year after […]

Aerial view of city with large tower

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We see so many people in our Facebook Group asking people about where to go with their points and miles. Last night, on our coaching call with our Award Academy Next Level Group, we helped a woman who had a lot of points but didn’t know where to go. I thought it would be good […]

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We just enjoyed a huge family trip to Costa Rica. There were 16 or us in total! Here’s how we used points and miles to get to Costa Rica – well partially!   Flights to Costa Rica This trip was to celebrate two graduating seniors, and our daughter, Kelly from Colorado Springs, invited us to […]

Red phone booth in front of building of bricks

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Our latest reader success story comes from Cheryl and is all about three European cities on points and miles. Cheryl just started in 2023 and has had some amazing success! Here is her story:   Cheryl’s Story with Credit Card Points and Miles First of all, I wanted to say Thanks!   I started my […]

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I just realized that I am not using all of my credit card benefits 😩 —and I’m supposed to be a pro at this.  There are some credit card benefits you might be missing out on, too. There are so many credit card benefits – here are the ones I use routinely: Annual night certificates […]

Large city with skyscrapers

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New York City is a frequent spot for me to position to for an award flight. I prefer to travel in business class for my international flights, using credit card points and miles. My biggest fear is not making one of those award flights on time. Because of this, I would prefer to arrive in […]

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Ever wonder how some travelers seem to live the dream, jetting off to amazing destinations without breaking the bank? Well, buckle up because today, we’re diving deep into the world of points and miles and how they’ve transformed our travel lives. From the simple joys of taking a family vacation without financial stress, to the […]

Asian building with snow topped mountain in background.

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On our recent family trip to Japan, our family of 5 spent two nights in Osaka. Our family focuses on utilizing points and miles to cut down on travel costs, and we rarely (if ever!) have a trip that is 100% on points. It can be especially tricky and costly in points when, due to […]

Green field with large stones standing up on it

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Kayla shared her 8-day reader success story to the United Kingdom in our Facebook Group and said that we could share it with everyone here. We love, love, love to hear about your successes and know that they inspire all those who read about them.    Flights to the United Kingdom My husband and I […]

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Hilton has a new way to book stays with points—you can now book luxury campsites with Hilton. This includes luxury campsites and custom Airstreams, cabins, and luxury tents in scenic locations near national parks and beaches across America. Billed as AutoCamps, they are a great alternative to hotels and Airbnb. There are mandatory fees with […]

Sandy beach, palm trees, and blue water.

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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 […]

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Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.