One strategy for earning points and miles that I’ve long thought about is earning Chase Ultimate Rewards® as an endgame. In other words, I think that concentrating on earning Ultimate Rewards makes a lot of sense. They are by far my favorite points and I am constantly trying to earn more of them. I primarily […]

The Southwest® Companion Pass is among the best deals in the points and miles world.  Either my husband or I have had the Southwest Companion Pass off and on for the last seven years. When you earn the pass, you get to fly someone with you for free (minus taxes and fees starting at $5.60) […]

Emily sent us her reader success story to Puerto Rico, and we had to share it with you. Our readers love beach vacations so we know you will enjoy this one. Here is her story…   Emily Meets the Travel Mom Squad We are a one-income family of six (kids ages 7, 9, 11, and […]

My sister and I travel a lot together internationally. I have Global Entry and she doesn’t. Guess who is always waiting a long time for her to get through customs when we arrive back in the United States? This time, I encouraged her to check out a different way to get through customs, and my […]

Welcome back, Disney lovers! In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most magical places on earth—Disney World—and sharing how you can save big using points and miles. We’re joined by a familiar face (or voice!), Megan, who you may remember from previous episodes where she shared her family’s European adventures and Olympic travel […]

There are a lot of Disney World fans among our readers. At least a few times a week, in our  Facebook Group, we get questions like “How to go to Disney World on the cheap?”, “Best way to use points for Disney World”, and “Best tips for Disney theme park tickets?”. Walt Disney World is […]

I travel to/from JFK quite often due to positioning flights. Today, I had three hours to kill before my flight to Denver after my trip to Italy with my sister. I decided to airline lounge hop and review the airport lounges found here. There were also a couple of Priority Pass lounges I could have […]

Taylor, one of our most successful readers, just sent us another success story. Her reader success story to Bali was with her husband and Player 2. Here’s her story:   Positioning to Dallas We started the trip by positioning out from Charlotte, NC, to Dallas, TX, using a 35k free-night certificate to stay at the […]

This year, our annual mom/daughter trip took us to Portugal on points and miles. Our primary goal was the Azores Islands, with a quick stop in Lisbon.   Flights to Portugal We opted to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic from Boston. Each of us took a positioning flight to Boston, and we met there. […]

Welcome back, everyone! In this episode, Pam and Alex take us on a remarkable journey through Lisbon and the Azores, sharing every detail of their family vacation powered by points. From the charming streets of Lisbon to the breathtaking landscapes of the Azores, they reveal how to travel to these stunning destinations for nearly free! […]

Our recent trip to Portugal gave me the perfect excuse to review the Hyatt Regency Lisbon. This is a Category 4 hotel which means it will cost you between 12,000-18,000 points a night or you can use a Hyatt category 1-4 free night certificate. Occupancy for standard rooms is 2 adults so we opted to […]

Elizabeth took her daughter McKenna on an unbelievable college graduation trip to four countries. Here is her story: My daughter and I took a trip to celebrate her college graduation and relax a bit before she started law school. My objective was a no-stress trip, to see as much as we could and decide where […]

Let’s talk all about Capital One Lounges today. For many people, these are their airport lounges of choice. Luckily, they have opened more of them so that they are more accessible. If you find yourself at any of the following airports, you need to check them out: Dallas – Fort Worth (DFW) – the original […]

Sometimes, a positioning flight allows you to visit or revisit a city before your main objective. In this case, my daughters and I were flying out of Boston on points and miles for our annual girl’s trip. Our primary objective was to visit Lisbon, Portugal, and the Azores Islands. One of my daughters had never […]

Welcome back, everyone! Today, we’re diving into how you can use Southwest and Hyatt points for nearly free vacations. These are the most accessible programs and what we call “the sweet spots” to get the best start in the world of points and miles! Treat this episode as your go-to guide to the world of […]

My favorite way to redeem my Chase Ultimate Rewards® is to transfer them to Hyatt. You might be wondering why, and this post is your answer. Hyatt award stays offer oversized value. Of all the possible chains you can book with points, you’ll get the most value from Hyatt. I will be showing you multiple […]

Michelle sends us her reader success story to London and Edinburgh. We love both cities, so we can’t wait to hear how she did it!   Michelle’s Story I started leveraging credit card welcome offers to redeem flights and hotels in 2021 when my best friend showed my husband and me how to navigate this […]

We recently wrapped up our family of five’s second two-week international trip just this year. This summertime family trip to Italy and the Paris Olympics was a true trip of a lifetime, made possible with the help of points and miles. For two weeks, we visited Rome, Assisi, the Vatican, Florence, San Miniato (Tuscany), Pisa, […]

Welcome back, everyone! Today’s episode is a real treat—we’re catching up with Megan, our amazing digital business manager, who’s here to spill the details about her epic two-week European adventure with her family. And guess what? They even made it to the Paris Olympics! Whether you’re dreaming of a similar journey or just love gathering […]

If you love Switzerland, you will love the Dolomites in Italy! I recently returned from visiting the Italian Dolomites with family. Although we stayed in a rather expensive Airbnb (that was perfection), we used miles to travel to and from Europe. The Dolomites is a stunning mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They are known […]

Next up is a reader success story to Kona, a seaside town on the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii. Here is Michelle’s story: My family and I wanted to go on a weekend getaway to Waikoloa last October with another family to celebrate my friend’s birthday. Everyone knows that the Hilton Waikoloa […]