March 28, 2023
Podcast 17. Points & Miles: What’s the Difference and How to Get More of Both
Pam
One of our biggest FAQs is – what’s the difference between points and miles? We will give you the run down and explain why we prefer flexible points and how to find your fastest path to Traveling On Points to your way dream vacations.
To kick things off let’s start with the basics. What’s the difference between points and miles? Honestly, it doesn’t really matter. They’re basically the same thing. Points are usually used by banks and hotels, while airlines use miles. But we often use them interchangeably because they both mean free travel!
Flexible points: These are our absolute favorite because they’re so, well, flexible!
With flexible points, you can transfer them to various airline and hotel partners, which means you have so many more options when it comes to booking your travel. Our favorite flexible points come from the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. You can transfer those points to partners like Hyatt, United, and Southwest, which gives you so much more selection when it comes to booking your flights and hotels.
On the other hand, fixed point cards, like co-branded cards, are more limiting. If you have a Southwest card, you can only redeem those points for Southwest flights. If you have a Hyatt card, you can only use your points to book Hyatt hotel stays. This can be frustrating if you don’t have a lot of options when it comes to redeeming your points. That’s why we prefer flexible points because they give us so much more freedom.
We also recommend that you focus on collecting flexible points and miles, especially if you don’t know what your travel plans are. They give you so much more flexibility and you can transfer them to different partners depending on your needs. However, there are times when fixed-value point cards can come in handy. If you know you’re going to book a flight on United, for example, it might make sense to open a United card so you can save your flexible points for something else.
Overall, we hope this episode helps you understand the difference between points and miles, as well as shows how to find the best deals for your goals. Remember, the key to traveling on points is being flexible and taking advantage of the best deals and offers that come your way…and of course, have fun! Happy Traveling!
Links For All Things Travel Mom Squad:
Links For This Episode:
Episode Minute By Minute:
- 0:02 What’s inside today’s episode
- 0:39 Why points and miles are not created equally
- 2:25 The difference between fixed and flexible cards
- 6:40 Why it’s easier to get Hyatt points with Chase
- 11:30 The reason why flex points may take you further
- 14:45 How Jess finds the best deals online
- 20:43 Alex’s Delta tips and tricks
- 24:00 How to get the most out of Hilton points
- 27:49 The card Pam never plans on signing up for
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. American Express is a Travel Mom Squad advertiser, but we always show the best public offer even when we don’t earn a commission. Terms Apply.
Leave a Reply
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.
be the first to comment
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.