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    Hyatt Cap Cana Ziva

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    We talk about having Hyatt Globalist status so much that many of you may think you HAVE to get it. Absolutely not! We will be the first to say that it may not be worth the effort for many people. While we love it and always plan to have it, this (and everything we talk […]

    People sitting in busy airport

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    Positioning flights are a huge part of our award redemption strategy. When you can’t find a flight from your home airport (or to your final destination), positioning flights can help make trips happen. They are not without risk, thoughā€”what happens when your positioning flight is delayed (or canceled)? I have taken numerous positioning flights without […]

    Person holding dollars

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    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 […]

    Back of woman's head with hat on at beach

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    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 […]

    Over water houses near turquoise water.

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    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 ā€”I’ve even done that since starting in the points and miles game! šŸ˜œ […]

    London bridges

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    We talk about Hyatt Globalist status A LOT. It works for us. Over and over again. That’s not to say that it’s worth it for you, though. There are times when Globalist status makes a difference. Recently was one of those nights for me. I love being a grandma and love to help my children […]

    Woman working on computer at desk

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    Without a doubt, if you can get a business credit card, you will get more credit card points and miles for travel. When you first think about business credit cards, you may think that only thriving, “real” businesses can get a business credit card. Not so. The question, “can I get a business credit card?” […]

    boat going through water towards large city

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    I may have found my new favorite award flight search engine. Meet seats.aero award booking engineā€”ideal for last-minute award bookings (free) or flights further out. The free version lets you look at last-minute flights (3 months out), but it is only $7.99/month or $79.99/year for the Pro version and completely worth it in my opinion […]

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    On a recent trip to Italy with my husband, I booked a business class round-trip flight on Emirates from JFK to Milan. Emirates operates this as a fifth freedom route, and it’s a popular route with miles and points enthusiasts as it allows you to experience Emirates without flying all the way to Dubai. Throw […]

    Statue of man on horse in city center

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    This airport lounge geek is excited that the first Chase Sapphire Lounge by the Club in the U.S. is open in Boston. Even better, I have an award flight through Boston soon! I can’t wait to check it out! Previously, one opened in Hong Kong. The list of projected Chase Sapphire Lounges includes: Austin-Bergstrom International […]

    Bridge over water

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    Recently, I was trying to book a ticket to London for an upcoming trip to visit my daughter. I travel to London frequently and have used many different carriers and points for my trips. I am traveling at the start of 2024 and ended up using an airlineĀ transfer bonus to reduce my cost in miles […]

    Sand, water, blue skies

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    For years, my husband and I ALWAYS applied jointly for each credit card. Both of our names were on each and every card. That worked fine for years. Then I found how to use credit card points and miles, and we quit that for good. Most major credit card issuers don’t even allow joint accounts […]

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    Let’s talk about credit card minimum spend! This is a GAME CHANGER for racking up those valuable points and miles fast. If you’re new to award travel, this concept may seem a bit daunting, but don’t worry, we’ve got some tips and tricks to help you out. Listen on Apple Podcast Listen on Spotify  Listen […]

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    One of the not-so-glamorous sides of self-employment is taxes. The only silver lining is being able to pay those taxes with a credit card! Here’s how I turned a large tax payment into two free nights at a luxury Hyatt property worth over $1,200…   Options for Paying With a Credit Card You have three […]

    Skyscrapers

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    I just took advantage of the Fine Hotel and Resorts offer that comes with theĀ Platinum Card from American Express. In case you aren’t familiar with this great offer, it is basically that each year you can book a stay at a Fine Hotel and Resort with American Express, and you will get a $200 statement […]

    Large bridge over body of blue water

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    My husband and I just finished a 23-day points and miles trip to three different countries – Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. As you can imagine, we learned a lot about travel on this trip. Here are my successes and failures of a points/miles trip.   Success – Costs I figured out my costs for […]

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    For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by VisaĀ® or MastercardĀ® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply. There are traditional ways to save on a Disney cruiseā€”sail at off-peak times, get an inside or guaranteed […]

    emirates plane

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    You may have heard someone talk about fifth freedom flights and using points and miles to take one. And you may have been totally confused. We’re hear to clear up that confusion as we talk about fifth freedom flights today. A fifth freedom flight or route is flight that operates between two countries that are […]

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    Does the amount of credit card offers out there make your head spin? We have been there too! When you first start the process of award travel, it can feel a little overwhelming, and you can start to question what cards work best for you. In this episode, we go through our top cards and […]

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    Welcome to the FIRST ever episode! Listen on Apple Podcast Listen on Spotify Listen on Youtube  We are Alex, Pam, and Jess! A trio of Moms who love to travel the world for nearly free, thanks to credit card points and miles. Now we are on a mission to help you and your family do […]

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    If you hear ā€œtwo-player modeā€ and ā€œChase 5/24ā€ and think we are talking about video games, you may need to brush up on your points and miles terminology. If you donā€™t know the lingo, it can feel like everyone speaks a different language in the points and miles world. Never fear; we are here to […]

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    Advertiser Disclosure: Travel Mom Squad has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Travel Mom Squad and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. This compensation may impact how or where products appear on this site. Travel Mom Squad has not reviewed all available credit card offers on this site.

    Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.