Elizabeth sends in today’s reader success story to Maui. Here’s her story:   We recently took our first trip to Maui, all on points and miles!  Since 2017, my husband and I have been doing the “slow burn” credit card points strategy—putting all our household costs on our Southwest card. We’d earn enough points for […]

    TODAY’S THE DAY (1/27)!  Southwest® Airlines’s new seating changes are officially LIVE. If you’ve been hearing all the chatter about Southwest® moving away from the “grab any seat” vibe, it starts today. Here are some facts about this rollout. Here’s what to know before you head to the airport:   Southwest® Airlines seating […]

Airport lounge access is one of my favorite travel benefits, and I get it with some of my credit cards. I usually try to arrive at the airport earlier than I normally would when I fly so I can visit a lounge, have a small meal, and unwind a little. It is such a nice […]

This week’s reader success story to the Grand Cayman Island comes from Christopher, one of the men in the Squad. I particularly love it because it offers the option to replace or extend a visit to Grand Cayman instead of booking the Kimpton Seafire. Here is his story: This past June, my spouse and I […]

A lot of credit cards include something commonly called “lifetime language” in the fine print. That language limits you to earning the welcome offer once in your lifetime, no matter how long it’s been since you closed the card. If you already had it years ago, you’re usually out of luck. When a card that […]

The latest card_name welcome offer is worth considering if you’ve been thinking about getting this card. With this limited-time welcome offer, you’ll earn 75,000 Venture miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months, plus a one-time $250 travel credit when you book travel through Capital One Travel. This travel credit is valid for one […]

One of our favorite resorts is the Kimpton Grand Roatán, and I recently rebooked it for a third visit. Even better, I stacked some credits for the win! I originally hadn’t planned to book this trip (what’s new?), but my husband was going fishing in Argentina (his flights are booked with points and miles, of […]

We left Jenn and her family of four in Istanbul last Friday. Here is the continuation of her story to Christmas markets and Amsterdam:   After an amazing time in Istanbul, we took an inexpensive economy flight (around $100) on Turkish Airlines to Cologne, Germany. At Istanbul Airport, we had access to the IGA lounge […]

My family (25 of 32 people) just got back from a glorious Christmas trip to Costa Rica. We had a blast surfing, snorkeling, going on a catamaran, playing games together, and just enjoying each other’s company. My favorite part? Watching cousins hanging out together! We gifted the Airbnb (expensive at Christmastime) to everyone, and almost […]

Let’s talk all about Chase offers, because I just found a great one. They are a great way to save even more on a purchase you plan to make. A Chase offer is a cash-back or discount deal available to customers who use a Chase credit or debit card issued by JPMorgan Chase. Here’s how […]

We are excited about the increased welcome offer for card_name! (This is a business card, not a personal card.  Now you’ll earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® after spending $8,000 in the first three months. That means lots of nearly free travel for only a $95 annual fee.)  We love business cards because they won’t count […]

One of our faithful readers, Jenn, sent us this reader success story about going to four cities with her family of four. They visited Frankfurt, Istanbul, Cologne, and Amsterdam with their family of four (P1, P2, 18-year-old son, 11-year-old son). Here’s her story:   Flights Our trip began with a flight from Chicago to Frankfurt, […]

Thanks to a Doctor of Credit post, my husband and I each just got a new Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card. Both were NLL (No Lifetime Language) offers. Here’s how it went.  I logged on to my Delta account and saw the following:     When I hit “continue to offer”, this showed […]

I was lucky to get several The Business Platinum Card® from American Express with NLL (no lifetime language) offers a couple of years ago. I have slowly cancelled them (in hopes of getting new offers and also not wanting to pay that high annual fee). Today I went down to just one such card. But […]

It’s January first while I’m writing this, and I’m not sitting in front of the TV watching football games like most people. Nope, not me. I’m burning through every credit card credit that I can today. Annual credits, semi-annual, quarterly, monthly. All of them. Not because it’s exciting, but because it clears the slate. Handle […]

We often get questions about whether or not someone who doesn’t spend much can get value from this hobby. Can low spenders travel with points and miles? Absolutely! Ideally, you want to be spending at least $1,000 a month on things you can put on a credit card to meet your minimum spending requirement, depending […]

I know many of you wonder how we travel so often and acquire so many credit card points and miles. First of all, this is our job, so we definitely are more intense about points and miles than you need to be. We also prioritize a LOT of travel so that we can show you […]

Gabb sent us this recent reader success story to sunny Puerto Rico!    I have been using points and miles for about three years now. I live on the East Coast & have taken flights to Paris, Italy, Florida, and California using points and miles, but this trip, we used points and miles not only […]

Rakuten has officially rolled out what appears to be its best referral offer ever, and it’s a big one. New users can earn $50 cash back after making qualifying purchases, and that’s real money you can cash out, not points or store credit. If you’ve been around for a while, you know Rakuten bonuses usually […]

Every year reshapes the points-and-miles landscape, and 2025 delivered some of the biggest swings we’ve seen in recent memory. From amazing earning opportunities to painful devaluations, the hobby reminded us why it’s exciting—and why it can be frustrating. Here’s a full look at the good, the bad, and the truly ugly in the points-and-miles world. […]

I’ve long had Marriott Bonvoy® status with my credit cards and the status that comes with them.  I also love flying Singapore Airlines, so I appreciated it when Traci (our compliance editor) sent me this link. Got Marriott status, like me? If so, you can status match to KrisFlyer, and it’s super easy! Here’s the […]