Our latest reader success story comes from Jessica as she shares her trip to Ireland. Ireland has long been on my “to-do” list. Here is her reader success story to Ireland!   How It Began Early last year, we learned that our nephew’s high school band had been invited to play in the St. Patrick’s […]

Hey there, it’s the Travel Mom Squad is back in action! Today is all about getting your partner in crime, your “player two,” hooked on award travel with you. It’s like getting them on board the thrill ride of free travel using credit cards and points!   Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Watch […]

Do you have a spouse, partner, family member, or friend who is less than thrilled with your newfound interest in credit card points and miles? If so, this post is for you! Today, we are going to share some tips that will help you ease some of the concerns and skepticism your spouse (or other […]

Credit card points and miles are great for paying for our flights and hotels. However, those are not the only vacation costs. There are still rental cars, food, and excursions to pay for. You can certainly book rental cars through a portal and pay for some excursions with the Capital One purchase eraser. To be […]

Aruba is a beautiful island located in the southern Caribbean Sea and is known for its stunning white sandy beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and year-round warm weather.  The island’s economy is primarily based on tourism, with many visitors coming to enjoy its beautiful beaches, water sports, and vibrant nightlife. Aruba is also known for its […]

We know you hear us talk about luxurious hotels, business-class seats, and opening up a dozen credit cards each year and probably freak out a little. Do you have to do all of that to be successful with credit card points and miles? Absolutely not! We have Facebook Group members ask about getting a certain […]

Welcome back to the Travel Mom Squad, your go-to for exhilarating travel exploits using points and miles! This episode sees Jess delve into her recent Hawaiian escapade, comparing the Hyatt Regency Maui and the Andaz Maui in part two of our Hawaiian Hyatt Showdown. If you missed Episode 23, catch up to learn about Alex […]

When it comes to Hawaii, you really can’t go wrong. But on a recent trip to Maui with my 9-year-old daughter, stayed at the Hyatt Regency Maui and the Andaz Maui. We stayed three nights at each of these kid-friendly Maui hotels. I guess Pam is rubbing off on me with her hotel hopping! Here’s […]

Want to know a way to make your credit card miles and points go even further? Plan stopovers on award flights for free and get more mileage out of them. A stopover is when you stay 24 hours or more in a connecting city, and then finish your travel. It’s like a 2-for-1 special! Here […]

We’ve talked about how we keep our hotel credit cards that come with free night certificates each year because we can book a room for at least double the annual fee. Our hotel cards are credit cards for which we don’t mind paying an annual fee. Let’s go over booking with free annual night hotel […]

Last year I visited Monterey, California for a promotional opportunity with IHG. I had never been to the rugged, central California coastal town but I was really excited to check it out as I had only heard great things! Spoiler: It did not disappoint. With so much natural beauty and plenty to explore, Monterey is […]

Usually I book one-way award segments when going somewhere with my points and miles. Here are 3 reasons why this works best for me. If I have many miles with one carrier and that is who I want to fly with, then booking a round-trip flight works just fine.   Wanting to Use a Variety […]

The sweltering London heat brought on one of my favorite points and miles activities—hotel hopping! Luckily, no one was traveling with me since I am probably the only person on earth who loves this activity! I was spending the days at my daughter’s flat but ran to an air-conditioned hotel to sleep well at night. […]

Ever wonder which credit cards you should carry and how to effectively use them to cash in on max rewards? Well today we want to share with you what’s in our wallets and how we decide which cards to use and which ones to keep tucked away.   Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify […]

IHG has dynamic pricing which means that as the cash price increases, so does the points price. While we prefer the predictability of an award chart, the nice thing about IHG is that if the points price decreases, you can modify your booking and get points back! It’s basically like re-booking flights on Southwest Airlines […]

I recently took my first Virgin Atlantic Upper Class flight from London to Boston. I then flew home from Boston to Denver. Basically, I positioned myself to the U.S. and then flew home. I was excited to fly Virgin Atlantic because I had heard that they have a great premium-class product. Here is my Virgin […]

Have you ever returned from your amazing international trip, received your credit card statement, and noticed extra charges in the form of foreign transaction fees? I have, and it is so annoying to realize you paid $30 for nothing. An honest moment —I’ve even done that since starting in the points and miles game! 😜 […]

Join us today as we share our favorite tips for using points and miles to plan a trip to New York City. New York City holds a special place in our hearts, and through traveling on points we’ve discovered incredible ways to explore this vibrant city.   Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Watch […]

This NYC Andaz 5th Avenue Review comes from our friend Julie from Family Trips and Travel.   You can find her on Instagram here.  Be sure and check out her NYC with family posts here.   Andaz 5th Avenue in NYC Overview The Andaz on 5th Avenue is an upscale hotel located in the heart of […]

Today we are talking all about staying at the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport. Jess, Alex, and I stayed there about four nights apart. We had each traveled from Milan to JFK. Our arrival times were at 9:00 at night, and we decided to stay at the TWA Hotel the first night. Jess stayed before […]

I’ve taken a fair amount of business class flights, but one airline I’d never flown on was Air Canada. Recently that changed, and here is my take on Air Canada business class. Did I love it? Would I fly them again? My flight came about because of the need to help my daughter in London. […]