Shannon shares her reader success story to Prague and Madrid with us today. Here is her story:   I spent the fall of 2023 learning about points and miles, and in November 2023, I opened my first credit card (Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, of course!).  In between then and now, my husband and I have […]

Big news for points and miles enthusiasts: several credit cards have just rolled out elevated welcome offers, and that can make a huge difference if you’re considering a new card. An elevated offer simply means the number of points you can earn by meeting a card’s minimum spending requirement is temporarily higher than usual. For […]

Marriott Bonvoy® members have a new way to stretch their free night certificates a little further. As of March 12, 2026, Marriott increased the maximum number of points members can add to a Free Night Award certificate from 15,000 points to 25,000 points. That extra flexibility could help travelers book hotels that previously fell just […]

I hadn’t been in an American Airlines Admirals Club® lounge in, like, forever—but this week, I’ve been in the same one twice! Going to and coming back from St. Kitts, my daughter Kasey and I flew American Airlines for at least part of each trip, and thanks to my newly acquired Citi Strata Elite℠ Card, […]

I just spent a delightful hour at the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club at LaGuardia Airport (LGA). I love flying into LGA when I go to New York City anyway, because it is a closer drive to get into the city, and this lounge makes LGA an even better idea. This lounge is next […]

What if your savings account helped fund your next family trip instead of just earning a little interest each month? That’s the idea behind the Bask Bank Mileage Savings Account. Instead of earning interest, you earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles simply by keeping money in your account. For travelers who actively use miles, it can […]

I was terrified the first time I boarded a plane alone with all four of my kids. My youngest was 16 months old and still breastfeeding. The others were 4, 6 and 9. I stood at the gate with a stroller, multiple passports and a diaper bag, acutely aware that no other adult was coming […]

We have a lot of requests for more content about how to make points and miles work for big families. For some great examples of points-fueled big-family trips, check out our reader success stories! We’ve had lots of readers with big families share the trips they’ve booked, and these can be a great planning template. […]

Many readers want to know more about airline transfer bonuses because these can really help your miles go further. A transfer bonus is when you transfer points from a flexible currency like Chase Ultimate Rewards®, American Express Membership Rewards®, Capital One Venture Miles, or Citi ThankYou® Points to a travel partner, and you receive a […]

What’s your ideal family travel strategy? In today’s fun and lively episode, The Points Talk Squad plays a family edition of “Would You Rather?” with travel-themed dilemmas. Alex and Jess are joined by Traci and Megan, who each share personal experiences and strategies. Tune in to hear their answers to these tough travel choices and […]

Washington, D.C., is a city where history, culture, and cherry blossoms collide most magically. You can spend your mornings wandering the Smithsonian, your afternoons kayaking on the Potomac, and your evenings eating at one of the incredible restaurants there. But if I am being honest, D.C. can drain your wallet faster than you can say […]

Avianca’s Lifemiles program is currently promoting a limited-time “Flights With Miles” sale offering up to 45% off select award flights. If you’ve been considering redeeming Lifemiles, this promotion could be worth a look, especially since there’s also a current American Express Membership Rewards® transfer bonus to Lifemiles. Bookings must be completed by March 9, giving […]

Melissa sent us her reader success story to London and Amsterdam: I’m an ATA and an ATA Next Level student. We’ve just returned from our first points and miles trip, and I’m eager to share it with our community.  We live outside of Washington, D.C., so we flew to London from IAD to CDG to […]

When a credit card welcome offer is high, that’s basically the bank saying, “Here, take the free points and miles now.” If you’re already spending on groceries, bills, or a trip, taking advantage of a welcome offer can turn those normal purchases into a pile of points. It’s one of the easiest wins in the […]

We have countless requests from readers to show how we find business-class seats. I need to find one for my husband to get to Norway this summer, so buckle up: I’m showing you from start to finish how I do it. Suffice it to say, now that he has traveled business class, he won’t go […]

Recently, a granddaughter’s wedding in Sacramento, California, gave me the opportunity to stay at another Kimpton hotel, the Kimpton Sawyer. If I’m not staying at a Park Hyatt (my fave), I am searching for a Thompson (in the Hyatt portfolio) or Kimpton (in the IHG portfolio). I had an Edit credit to use before January […]

Southwest Airlines has launched a new status match challenge that allows travelers with elite status from other airlines to receive Rapid Rewards A-List or A-List Preferred. While Southwest has offered status matches in the past, this version is extra enticing because it allows travelers to match all the way up to A-List Preferred, the airline’s […]

Spending money dining out while traveling in Europe can potentially add a significant amount to your travel budget. Combine that with long sightseeing days, museum marathons, and jet lag, and sometimes what you really need is a comfortable reset button. That’s where Hyatt club lounges come in. Club lounges are less common in Europe than […]

I love Air France and KLM for getting to Europe on points and miles! One reason is the Flying Blue Promo Rewards that come out on the first day of every month. Check out my post detailing the four reasons I love Air France. These are such good deals, so I will update this post […]

Airbnb has completely changed how many families (mine included) travel. Instead of squeezing into a standard hotel room with piles of people and suitcases, we’ve spread out in apartments in Europe, rented homes near national parks, and booked longer stays that make it feel more like we’re living somewhere rather than just visiting. But tragically, […]

With all the great Hilton credit card offers, I wanted to share how to transfer Hilton points and a couple of other Hilton tidbits you should know about. First, here’s how to transfer points. Step 1: Sign in to your account on hilton.com Step 2: Under your name, pick the “points” menu Step 3: Select […]