Recently, I chatted with a reader who found a flight to Amsterdam from the United States on Avianca in business for a good redemption price. This flight would be on a United airplane. She transferred her points and couldn’t book the tickets. She called Avianca only to be told by the agent that what she […]

We just returned from Huntington Beach and Disneyland on points and miles. This time, we took another squad with us—five of the cutest, confident cousins who let us tag along on their adventures and pick up the bill. They range in age from eight to twelve, and all of them remind us that they are […]

Yes, it’s true—SLH (Small Luxury Hotels) and Hyatt are parting ways. And now we have a date for this split—May 15, 2024. Alas, we’ve enjoyed this partnership, but all is not lost as they will be partnering with Hilton soon (date not yet known). What does this mean for each of us? For instance, I […]

Recently there were some Turkish Airline redemption changes and it wasn’t good news. We used to find some absolutely amazing deals to Europe for as little as 45K miles one way in business class. Jess flew to Greece and Istanbul that way and I have a trip for later this summer to Italy for 45K […]

Today, I’m talking about the most expensive trip I’ll take this year, and it’s because I couldn’t use points/miles to book it. Let me explain. My husband and I have old friends (old as long-time friends and old as in age because we are all grandparents!😜). They go to Arizona yearly with their fifth wheels. […]

Do changes in the points and miles world discourage you? We’ve been in this game for about 8 years and have seen a lot of changes. Are they discouraging? At times. Do they make us want to quit redeeming points and miles for nearly free travel? NEVER! There will always be changes to award charts, […]

Booking flights and hotels is definitely more complicated than earning credit card points and miles. Luckily, we have so many search engines to help us book award travel for both.  We have talked about some of them in separate posts, but I wanted to put them all down in one post and link to the […]

We keep most of our hotel-branded credit cards year after year. This is because the benefits of the cards typically outweigh their annual fees (especially those hotel cards that come with an annual free night certificate). Some of our favorites are our Marriott annual free night certificates!  Marriott allows you to “top off” free night […]

Japan is on many people’s travel bucket lists! And for good reason. I loved my recent trip to Japan! Since so many people are interested in traveling there, here is the Ultimate Guide to booking flights to Japan. On points and miles, of course! I like to check out nonstop options for the city I […]

When planning my trip to Japan, I knew I wanted to visit Kyoto and I knew I wanted to stay at the Park Hyatt. How did it stack up? Would I stay again? Keep reading to find out… Quick Rundown How we arrived: Bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, then taxi from Kyoto Station to […]

I recently returned from Japan, and because I wanted a luxurious start to my trip that would get me ready for Japan right away, I chose to book my outbound flight in Japan Airlines business class. So what did I think of Japan Airlines business class? Keep reading to find out….   Quick Rundown U.S. […]

I just returned from my most recent trip planned around an award redemption, Etihad Apartments, first class for only 65K Air Canada miles. While there, my daughter, Lindsey, and I did a little Hyatt hotel-hopping in Abu Dhabi. First, I had NO intention of returning to Abu Dhabi again, but the opportunity to try out […]

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 a ton of messages in our Facebook group where people […]

Recently, Alex, Jess, and I met in Scottsdale for our annual retreat. We make plans for the coming year, enjoy good weather, eat great food, get massages, and have a lot of fun. Of course, we stayed at a Hyatt. Here is our review of the Andaz Scottsdale Resort.   Location of the Andaz Scottsdale […]

One of my favorite ways to fly to London in business class is by positioning to Boston and flying on Virgin Atlantic. Even better, I can get this cheaper by booking it through the Air France site rather than the Virgin Atlantic site. Yes, the surcharges are high at about $700 for a round-trip ticket, […]

Once again, I’ve booked an airplane award redemption without a real trip planned. The option of flying Etihad Apartments for 65K miles (booked on Air Canada’s site) was too good to pass up. Amazingly, many people jumped on this offer in 2023, and many had their trips canceled as Air Canada and Etihad had some […]

I made one last-minute trip for 2023 to NYC. This was a trip that I hadn’t planned on – yay, for credit card points and miles and the ability to travel spontaneously! My daughter, Kasey, invited us on their annual Christmas trip, so we decided to go to New York City on Christmas evening for […]

On my most recent trip to the Maldives, we booked Singapore Airlines from San Francisco to Singapore in business class, but not the flight from Singapore to Male. That flight had to happen in economy class. I even tried to upgrade at the airport but sadly, was told the flight was full. 😢 Jess had […]

Scottsdale, Arizona is known for its beautiful weather, with over 300 days of sunshine each year. This makes it a great destination for outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and golfing. Scottsdale offers a perfect blend of outdoor activities, family-friendly attractions, art and culture, and relaxation options, making it an ideal destination for a family […]

I still can’t even believe 2023 happened. It was my first full year as a business owner/content creator (and without having to adhere to PTO limits like I did when I was at my 9-5). Alex and Pam are great business partners and allow me to travel whenever I want. 😜 I sure did take […]

2023 was an incredibly great year for travel for this grandma of 21! Business-class seats, luxury hotels, and wonderful memories were all made possible with credit card points and miles. Here is Pam’s 2023 points/miles recap!   Pam’s 2023 Points and Miles Recap January I started the year with a multi-country trip to Japan, Australia, […]