2025 was another year full of earning and redeeming points and miles for nearly free travel! This year we took more family trips than we have ever before. It was a great year full of making great memories. Here’s Alex’s 2025 points and miles recap!

 

Alex’s 2025 Points and Miles Recap

January

We spent the first day of the New Year at the Hyatt Regency Maui! We wrapped up the last part of our holiday break with a surprise trip to Hawaii. It was definitely the best gift the kids unwrapped on Christmas morning. (I had them open a box of leis.) We flew out just a couple of days after Christmas.

We used Hyatt points for our stay and Southwest points, plus some discounted gift cards I had purchased earlier, to pay for our flights. One of the highlights of this trip was meeting so many people in the PTS community who were visiting on points as well!

 

 

February 

In February, my family went to St. George, Utah, for my older three boys’ soccer tournament. We used some Marriott free-night certificates to stay at the SpringHill Suites for four nights. I keep my Marriott cards for this very purpose. The annual fee is much less than what I would have to pay for these hotel nights. One of the best parts of this trip was having my parents join us.

 

 

Later that month, my sister and I took a last-minute trip to the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal. She used two Hilton free-night awards, and I used one to book our three-night stay. This was the perfect quick winter escape.

 

 

March

March started with a trip to Roatán with my mom. We stayed at the Kimpton Grand Roatán, which did not disappoint. The hotel’s location is excellent, and the area is beautiful. I didn’t know what to expect, and I knew little about Roatán before this trip, but I became a big fan once I got there. I’d love to come back and bring my kids.

 

 

April

For spring break, my family, along with my parents, took our first-ever trip to Costa Rica. We stayed four nights at the Andaz Papagayo using Hyatt points and then drove to La Fortuna, where we stayed at Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa for three nights. We used Hilton free-night certificates for one room and paid cash for the other. My parents also used free-night certificates for their room.

 

May

We left on our annual PTS trip at the tail end of April, so let’s count this trip in May. This year we visited Spain. This was a new country to cross off the list for both Jess and me. We stayed at the Thompson Madrid and loved this hotel. It’s so nice, and the location is fantastic. We also visited Barcelona, where we stayed at the Kimpton Vividora and the Grand Hyatt Barcelona. While the Kimpton location was great, we much preferred the Grand Hyatt for its service and rooms.

Getting there was a bit of a mess. After realizing I wouldn’t make my positioning flight due to weather delays, I rebooked to Madrid on Air France, then went to the ticket counter and paid cash to upgrade to business class. Luckily, it all worked out!

 

 

Right after school let out, my family (and, once again, my parents) headed to Maui. We did a Marriott timeshare presentation to get a discounted stay at the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas. After five nights there, we headed to the Andaz Maui for two nights.

 

June

In June, Mitch and I visited Bora Bora. We flew from LAX to Tahiti on Air France in premium economy, then back to LAX on Air Tahiti Nui in premium economy, using a mix of Alaska and American Airlines miles. We stayed five nights at the Conrad Bora Bora and paid cash to upgrade to an overwater villa. We loved our stay, and a highlight was our day trip where we rode ATVs and jet skis around the island.

 

July

In July, we spent a couple of nights at the Hyatt Place Park City. We used Hyatt free-night certificates. Two of my boys were playing in Park City for a soccer tournament, so we made a trip of it.

We also visited family in Colorado. Mitch drove out with us, but then he had to get back to work, so we stayed longer and flew home using Southwest points. Even after all the incredible trips we have taken, visiting family is still a favorite.

 

 

August

In August, Jess and I visited the Hyatt Miraval in Arizona. This was our first time visiting this property, and I loved it more than I expected. I’m looking forward to returning again sometime!

 

 

September

In September, my mom, three sisters, and I took an epic trip to Morocco! We flew round-trip in business class on Air France and used points for two nights at the Park Hyatt Marrakech and one night at the Hyatt Regency Casablanca. We paid cash for the rest of the trip. We saw so much of the country, but my favorites were riding camels in the desert and visiting Fes and Chefchaouen.

 

 

 

October

We usually like to go somewhere for fall break, but this year, my second oldest started his first year of tackle football, and his team advanced to the semifinals, so we had to cancel our fall break plans (visiting Zion National Park). Instead, we booked a night at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley. This hotel has been on my radar since it opened, so I was really excited to explore it. Mitch and I each have The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, so we used the $300 Fine Hotels & Resorts credit and booked two rooms. We loved this hotel, and we all had a great time!

 

November

This month, three friends and I flew to NYC to see Leslie Odom Jr. reprise his role as Aaron Burr in Hamilton. This was a huge bucket-list wish (seeing him play Aaron Burr) that I figured would never happen. So once he announced he was coming back, I purchased four tickets and then invited my Hamilton-loving friends. We stayed one night at the IHG Hotel Indigo Flushing – LaGuardia using my IHG annual free night, and the next morning we headed to the Thompson Central Park, where we spent three nights. We had the best time and are already thinking about what we can do next year!

 

 

December

The last month of the year, my mom and I headed to Houston to meet up with Jess at the Thompson Houston for our annual retreat where we recap the last year and make goals for the new year. We were supposed to go to the Park Hyatt Cabo del Sol, but the hotel’s opening kept getting delayed, so we switched to Houston since we were going to be working the whole time anyway.

Finally, my family headed back to Costa Rica to spend the holidays with my side of the family. My parents rented a house as their Christmas gift to everyone, and then we used Southwest® points for our flights. Prices were insane, but having points and two companion passes came in clutch!

 

Cards Applied For

In 2025, I opened eight cards, and Mitch opened six cards.

Alex’s Cards:

• Atmos™ Rewards Visa Signature® Business Card (previously Alaska Business)
• Capital One Spark Cash Plus
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Barclays Hawaii Airlines MasterCard (no longer available to new applicants)
• Sapphire Reserve for Business℠
• Business Platinum Card® from American Express 
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
• Citi Strata Elite℠ Card

 

Mitch’s Cards:

• Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Business Mastercard® (no longer available to new applicants)
• Barclays Hawaiian Airlines MasterCard (no longer available to new applicants)
• Ink Business Unlimited® Card

Altogether, we will have earned 1.43 million points from welcome offers on the cards we opened in 2025. That does not include points earned for meeting the minimum spend or for referring each other to cards.

 

Plans for 2026

Here are the trips I have booked for 2026 so far:

• Alila Maldives (Mitch and me)
• Park Hyatt NYC (Birthday trip for my soon to be 10 -year-old)
• Oahu (spring break with the fam)
• Budapest and Istanbul (PTS trip!)
• Boston (family trip)
• Portugal (family trip)
• Grand Hotel Victoria and Park Hyatt Milan (mom and me!)

 

Bottom Line

I hope 2025 was a wonderful year for you as well, and that you enjoyed reading about my 2025 points and miles recap. Let me know in the comments how you used points this year or what you have planned for 2026. We can’t wait to see where points and miles take you.

 

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