Using your credit card like a debit card is the way to meet minimum spending and earn a lot of nearly-free travel. Remember when we used to use checks to pay for things? So old school, right? Then we changed over to using a debit card for most of our purchases, and that was such […]

One of the best cards out there is not available to apply to anymore. The Ritz-Carlton card is one of my favorite cards that I keep and have no plans to get rid of. You may not be able to apply for it anymore but you can get it through a product change. These are […]

Recently, I wrote a post entitled, “It’s Not Always About Luxury” so that you could see how points and miles can be used for little family trips, sports events, emergencies, etc. We don’t want anyone to think that this game of points and miles is only about luxury but sometimes, it IS all about luxury! […]

One of the frequent questions we get asked is, “Should I use miles/points or cash to book a trip?” Obviously, this depends a lot on your individual circumstances and what you want to do with your points. Ask yourself some of the following questions: Can I afford to pay for the flight and just get […]

When booking award travel, it’s not always about luxury. You will see each of us book a lot of luxury travel. We like luxury hotels and business class seats of course and spend a fair share of our time with luxury travel. We have been doing this for about 5 years and continually are opening […]

We love apps to help keep us organized with our points and miles. Travel Freely is our #1 favorite free app and it keeps us on track with our 5/24 status, when annual fees are due, and if we are meeting our sign-up bonuses. We also love Award Wallet to keep track of our point […]

Hyatt Globalist is Hyatt’s highest elite status and one that offers great benefits. Previous to 2024, having a family member or friend with Globalist status was a bonus due to the Hyatt Guest of Honor Booking. These guest of honor bookings could be made by someone with Globalist status on your behalf and you could […]

Every year Hyatt seems to have an offer for a fast track to Hyatt Globalist Status. It might be corporate-sponsored like Jess just completed or a public announcement, or you can call and ask for a fast-track challenge like I did. This is how it works. Enroll in the program Stay at a Hyatt and […]

  When I travel, I look forward to the journey to get there almost as much as the destination itself. Well, maybe not THAT much but I do enjoy it. When you travel with points and miles and fly business class and use airport lounges, the journey can be part of the whole experience that […]

Let’s talk about the United Excursionist Perk. What, you’ve never heard of it? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. If you fly United sometimes, it is the way to get a free flight segment, and who isn’t all about that? Basically, the United Excursionist Perk is a free one-way award within select multi-city itineraries. If […]

“Can I use credit card points and miles and book a cruise?” This is a common question we get asked. Cruising to far-off destinations and getting to see multiple places combined with midnight buffets, parties, and entertainment is a dream of many. Let’s talk about using points and miles for cruises. First of all, yes, […]

Without points and miles, I would be reduced to being a budget traveler most of the time. Because of points and miles, I can be bougie on a budget. Points and miles have let me have some experiences I NEVER thought possible!   Lay-flat Seats I remember those days that I walked past people who […]

Have you noticed those “CLEAR” check-in stations near security at the airports? They are a way to make your airport check-in times go even faster and I’m all about that. Get me to my airport lounge! I have both CLEAR and Global Entry (which includes TSA PreCheck). This gets me through an airport security line […]

Booking an Airbnb with points and miles – is it possible? Many of our readers want to know so today we will be talking all about it! There are definitely times I prefer to stay at an Airbnb, VRBO, or another vacation rental. When you are traveling in a larger group and all want to […]

Analysis Paralysis with credit card points and miles. You get it. I get it. We all get it. It’s that feeling that we just aren’t sure what to do, so we do nothing. Or procrastinate doing something. Let’s talk a little about it today.   Getting Started in the Points and Miles Game Who has […]

Our if only… series continues with a frequent reader thought. “If only I could take my family to Hawaii for free or at a reduced cost.”  We get it. Taking a family all the way to Hawaii and then having to get lodging is expensive. Once you get there, you still need a rental car […]

Have you ever walked by an airport lounge and thought, “If only I could go into an airport lounge?” and wondered what they even looked like? I remember that feeling and thinking that only the very richest of people could use them or elite business travelers. I had no idea that very ordinary travelers, even those […]

Time for the annual credit card points and miles year in review! Usually, I do this in an Instagram post this year we are moving it onto the blog so I can go into more detail. Let’s start with the trips I took this year. Then I’ll move onto cards I opened. To finish up […]

Here is my credit card points/miles year in review for 2021. Despite there still being a lot of Covid and variations of it going around, I got in quite a lot of travel. What made 2021 different was all the testing and precautions that took place due to COVID. At this point, I feel like […]

Planning to take your family on a vacation this summer with credit cards and points? I hope you are already working on a plan; if not, it’s time to get going! Do you want to spend the holidays next year somewhere warm, like Hawaii or Mexico? If so, it is important to begin earning on […]

You’ve filled out the credit card application and are holding your breath—will they approve you? It doesn’t matter how many cards I’ve applied for; I still love/hate the anticipation of finding out if I am instantly approved! Here are some things you can do to increase your odds of a credit card approval.   Credit […]