No secret here—we love booking vacations with points and miles! (See what I did there?) Secrets® Resorts & Spas, part of the World of Hyatt hotel group, are luxurious, adults-only, all-inclusive properties perfect for a romantic getaway. With stunning locations across Mexico, the Caribbean, and even Europe, there’s a Secrets® resort to check every box […]

Once again, I recently found myself on the brink of missing a positioning flight.  Cue the adrenaline rush! There’s nothing worse than that panicked, sinking feeling that your hard-earned business-class redemption, booked with precious points and miles, might slip through your fingers. Or worse—that your trip itself might be at risk.  So when you’re scheduling […]

St. George, Utah, is a gorgeous destination spot in the southwest corner of Utah, known for its warm climate, stunning red rock landscapes, and endless outdoor adventures. With its close proximity to Zion National Park, it’s a perfect addition to any National Parks road trip or just an escape from cold winter weather. So when […]

We all love a tropical beach vacation, traveling in business class, or staying at a luxury hotel. However, one of the less-talked-about features of credit card points and miles may be the unsexy award redemptions we can make that are just convenient or emergency lifesavers. Let’s talk about a few of these.   Family Emergencies […]

Aruba is famous for being “one happy island,” and the best way to maximize your happiness while visiting this stunning Caribbean destination is by booking your stay using points and miles! As a top-tier vacation spot, Aruba naturally sparks a lot of questions about how to book an amazing stay without breaking the bank. So, […]

Once again, a reader shares her love of one of our favorite hotels in Mexico! Paige shares her reader success story to Hyatt Ziva Cancun with us. All made possible with credit card points and miles—and it was her first time not using a travel agent! Here is her story! I have loved your courses, […]

There’s nothing quite like checking into a luxury hotel knowing you booked it entirely with points and miles. Using points strategically can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. But finding the best redemption rates isn’t always straightforward, as award availability fluctuates, and hotel programs have different pricing models. That’s where the right search […]

We are the first to admit that we love a nice luxury hotel on credit card points and miles. But that’s not always the case when we are doing family travel. Those types of hotels usually won’t fit an entire family, they cost a lot of points, and having to pay for breakfast for an […]

Mulled wine, thoughtful gifts, and delicious food are all part of the iconic European Christmas market experience. And with some points, miles, and planning, you could do your holiday shopping this year at a charming European Christmas market.  Here’s some inspiration for planning your trip to European Christmas markets in 2025 on points and miles. […]

I love Air France and KLM for getting to Europe on points and miles! One reason is the Flying Blue Promo Rewards that come out on the first day of every month. Check out my post detailing the four reasons I love Air France. These are such good deals, so I will update this post […]

From Broadway to museums to world-class food, the Big Apple has something for everyone–but it’s certainly not cheap! That’s why we love traveling to New York City on points and miles, and why many of our readers and Facebook Group members do, too. The high hotel prices mean this city can be a great place […]

Today we’re talking all about some of our favorite family hotel stays with points.  There are a few repeats in this list as we tend to create FOMO with each other when we talk about our favorite stays!   Alex’s Favorites Hyatt Ziva Cancun (all-inclusive): all the food, drinks, and treats they could want! Two […]

Hyatt has announced their award chart changes for 2025. Before we get into some of the not-so-good news, here’s the GREAT news—the Hyatt award chart is still around. Hyatt is our favorite brand because of the oversized value it offers, and the award chart is a huge part of that. There has been some speculation […]

Where in Europe do you want to go? Greece, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Croatia? There are so many fabulous European destinations, and most beginner points-and-miles users start off their points-earning journeys earning Chase Ultimate Rewards®, so let’s talk about using Chase Ultimate Rewards® for European flights. First, there are 11 airline transfer partners that you can […]

Currently, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has an elevated offer. But . . . what can I do with the welcome offer from card_name? Does it make sense to get it now? Here are our thoughts and some ideas for using the welcome offer!   Learn How to Apply bonus_miles_full   For Capital […]

I don’t often fly American Airlines, but get ready for my American Airlines business-class flight review from DFW-AKL. This flight was a last-minute flight to bookend with a mistake-fare flight I booked from AKL-DFW. The mistake fare was only $1,000 in business class on United Airlines, which was fantastic—but I had to get to New […]

Nothing causes more analysis paralysis than this question, “Are you getting your best points/miles redemption?” You’ve done the work of earning all those credit card points and miles for that nearly free trip, and now you worry if you are doing it “right.” We see many messages in our Facebook group where people panic about […]

Nicole sent us her reader success story to Hawaii in 2024. This was a family trip with four generations in Hawaii, and we love it so much! Here is her story: About a year into my points and miles journey, I took my family of four to Hawaii. I fell in love with Maui’s natural […]

In 2024, many hotels in the luxurious Mr. & Mrs. Smith collection became bookable with Hyatt points through an exciting new partnership. Staying at a Mr. & Mrs. Smith hotel is an experience unlike any other, as each property is uniquely designed, brimming with character, and exudes an air of exclusivity. With locations spanning the […]

Kimberly shares her reader success story to Vancouver and Whistler with us today. Kimberly took her two boys and their friend on a winter vacation that included snowboarding, snowshoeing, and bobsledding. Here is her story:   I’m writing today to share my first BIG redemption story. My oldest son is a Wildland Firefighter. His work […]

We just received this reader success story about Chelsea’s European Christmas Adventure and want to publish it now in case you’d like to do this next year! It can take some strategic earning of credit card points, some cash, and some planning to pull this off, but it sounds like an amazing trip. Thanks, Chelsea, […]