Let’s face it—many of the best reward credit cards come with an annual fee.  While many cards hover around a manageable $95 annual fee, there’s a whole other class of “high-roller” cards with fees ranging up to $895 a year. So, the real question is: are they worth it? My answer: a resounding YES—especially in […]

One of our wonderful readers, Jesse, sent in this success story about her amazing trip to Secrets Cap Cana, in the Dominican Republic.     Our return trip to Secrets Cap Cana was one of the most meaningful points and miles redemptions we’ve made since I started this hobby in March 2023. My husband and I […]

I may never use points and miles for the Maldives again! I’ve been there twice and loved it both times but it is a long, long flight. I just completed my second trip to Bora Bora and am thinking, “Why go to the Maldives, when I can go to Bora Bora?” In fact, I wanted […]

I recently returned from another trip to French Polynesia. The main purpose was to return to the Hilton Conrad Bora Bora Nui and take my sister with me. I also wanted to try another hotel on the trip and decided to stay at the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa. Here’s what I thought about […]

The Squad takes on Bora Bora again! Alex, Jess, and I all had return visits to the Conrad Bora Bora Nui at different times this summer. What were our thoughts the second time? What stood out, and do we have plans to return a third time? Here are the questions we each answered about our […]

Recently, I flew a completely new business class product (for me): Air Tahiti Nui business class from SEA-PPT. I literally had no idea what I was getting into or what to expect. I just knew that the flight to Papeete, Tahiti (the place I had to connect to get to my final destination of Bora […]

Our latest reader success story comes from Kristi, who writes a travel blog called Fairy Tale Travel Guide all about traveling solo with two kids and tells us all about her trip to Portugal with another mom friend and three toddlers.  Kristi is a brave lady 💪! Here is her story:   Travel to Portugal […]

This week’s reader success story comes from Leigha, and shows how points and miles can really save the day when things go wrong! Japan was a bucket list destination for both my husband and me, and we were thrilled to share the experience with our toddler. We had everything meticulously planned—flights booked months in advance, […]

There is a new kid in town. (Well, a new kid in the “Citi.”) The Citi Strata Elite℠Card is alive now for applications with a 75,000 Citi ThankYou® points welcome offer. Even better news is that Citi ThankYou® points now transfer to American Airlines! This means that the new Citi Strata Elite℠ Card transfers to […]

We had a reader mention that she would like to hear how the we travel the world on points and miles and do so safely. I have ALWAYS felt safe, except for one Vietnam taxi story I will share below The three of us often travel without our husbands, so today, I will share some […]

Amanda is a fairly new reader of ours. She followed a prior reader success story that we’d published to Moab, Utah, and replicated it! Here is her Reader Success Story to Moab: Since finding Points Talk Squad a year ago, I  have taken three domestic trips and have the Netherlands and Denmark booked for May! […]

We have noticed a common credit card points and miles misconception among beginners.  Many people think it is about getting that perfect credit card and putting all your spending on that card. That is a great first step. But that is what it is: a first step. With that strategy, you can probably get a […]

If a beach trip isn’t how you want to use your points and miles, that’s okay. Check out our family ski trip reader success story, which could be the best way for you to use points and miles. Remember: You do you! I wish I had the name of the reader who submitted her story, […]

It is the dream of many to fly in business-class seats “someday!” It’s often possible to find business-class award seats between North America and Europe for 70 to 80K miles and up, but what about the real deals that cost even fewer miles than that? Yep, that is possible with some of the best sweet-spot […]

Many of our readers are searching for a warm escape, particularly during the winter. Florida is a popular destination, and Bonita Springs, located on the southwest coast of Florida, is a great family visit. It is a charming city renowned for its stunning beaches, diverse outdoor recreational opportunities, and a laid-back coastal atmosphere. Our reader, […]

While we often recommend the card_name as a beginner-friendly first card for those seeking credit card points and miles, there is a definite time when the card_name might work best. In fact, I just applied for it after years of holding the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.      Learn How to Apply bonus_miles_full     […]

The Standard Hotels brand is Hyatt’s latest acquisition. Standard Hotels is a high-end boutique hotel brand known for its hip, artsy, and nightlife-oriented atmosphere. It’s not “standard” in the generic sense—the name is intentionally ironic, as their hotels are anything but standard. Hyatt’s acquisition of Standard International happened in late 2024 and many of these […]

I just want to assure everyone of one thing: the sky is NOT falling in the world of points and miles. We know there have been changes. There will ALWAYS be changes and we have seen many in the last decade that we have enjoyed this hobby. We keep hearing about people being “devastated” or […]

Chase Sapphire Reserve® Exclusive Tables is a new credit card benefit for the card_name that makes their high annual fees easier to bear. Just when I thought Chase couldn’t impress me any more, they’ve rolled out something that’s a total game-changer for food lovers: Sapphire Reserve® Exclusive Tables.  With my card_name now proudly in my […]

I just completed staying at three well-known Maui hotels this year: the Hyatt Regency Maui, Andaz Maui, and the Marriott Wailea Beach Resort. Jess, Alex, and I have surprisingly different takes on each one. And you all know we love the Grand Hyatt Kauai, but maybe not exactly why we love it, so we added […]

Chase recently introduced a new feature called Points Boost for its Ultimate Rewards® program. It’s a change to how points are redeemed when booking through Chase Travel℠, which may affect the value travelers receive from their points. While Chase is promoting this as an upgrade, the feature comes with some trade-offs worth understanding. We don’t […]