If Chicago is on your bucket list, then this post has everything you need to book an unforgettable vacation using points and miles. Chicago is so much more than meets the eye; the city is full of artsy boutique stays, incredible food, and a never-ending list of activities. Let’s build your Windy City escape the […]

Are you getting all the points you could when shopping online? In this episode, the Points Talk Squad breaks down how to use online shopping portals to earn more rewards, including tips for popular portals like Rakuten. They also explain how tools like Savewise can alert you to points and cashback opportunities, so you never […]

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply. Travel rewards credit cards can do a lot more than earn points and miles. Some cards also come […]

In my opinion, there’s nothing better than summer—except for maybe some summer travel points promotions! And right now there are several great ones when it comes to hotels. Here are some of the best hotel promotions currently available. Wyndham Rewards: Earn up to 30,000 Bonus Points Wyndham Rewards is offering one of the strongest hotel […]

Jessica used points and miles to fund a trip to Paris to celebrate her 20th anniversary. Here is her story: My husband and I recently went to Paris for 10 days to celebrate our 20-year wedding anniversary. It was a dreamy trip that we paid for mostly using points. We love traveling on points, and […]

If you’ve ever heard someone talk about flying to Europe in business class for basically free, there’s a good chance they booked an award flight. Award flights let you redeem airline miles or credit card points for airfare instead of paying cash. Depending on how you redeem your rewards, you can sometimes save hundreds or […]

Let’s just rip the Band-Aid off, because flights to Australia are, quite frankly, aggressively expensive. We’re talking, you could fly to Europe twice for the same price, which is already relatively expensive. But here’s the important part: this is exactly the kind of trip where points stop being a nice bonus and start pulling serious […]

What happens if your flight gets canceled, your luggage disappears, or you need medical care in another country? In this episode, the Points Talk Squad is joined by Lisa Jarvis, who specializes in travel insurance, passenger rights, and travel safety. Together, they break down what travelers actually need to know about travel insurance and credit […]

Just when many Hyatt loyalists were feeling disappointed about the 2026 award chart changes, Hyatt slipped in a piece of good news that could be valuable for travelers who like to plan ahead. Starting June 30, 2026, World of Hyatt will offer exclusive early access to award-night availability for certain members. That means some travelers […]

Cara sent us this heartwarming story that you will love!! Points and miles helped her return to some cities with special meaning to her family.     Hey Pam!  I shared a bit about this in the Facebook group when I got back, but there is so much more to the story.  I hope this […]

One of the most common concerns we hear is, “What happens when I run out of credit card options?” Trust us, you won’t. The credit card world is constantly evolving with offers changing, rules shifting, and new cards being introduced all the time. We’ve been at this for a decade, and we were just approved […]

Alex, Jess, and I recently returned from our annual squad trip. After our stay in Budapest, we went to Istanbul. Jess and I had been there separately before, but it was Alex’s first trip. We were there on a holiday weekend, so sadly, it meant a lot of time in taxis getting around.  Flights from […]

Every year, Alex, Jess, and I take two trips together. One is in December, when we plan for the upcoming year. The other is in April, when we just go somewhere fun and celebrate the joy that points and miles have brought into our lives. This year we chose Budapest and Istanbul!   Flights to […]

Some hotels impress you. Others make you stop in your tracks. Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest falls firmly into the second category. Right in the center of Budapest, it feels less like a hotel and more like a movie set. We mentioned The Great Gatsby on occasion. When I first walked in after traveling for over […]

When Hyatt first announced its 2026 award category changes, many of us immediately braced for the worst. If you’ve been in the points and miles world long enough, you dread hearing anything about a change to this wonderful hobby. And yes, there are definitely some losses this year. But after digging through the changes, we […]

What was it really like traveling through Budapest and Istanbul on points and miles? In this episode, the Points Talk Squad shares highlights from their latest trip, including how they booked their flights with points, the hotels they stayed at, and the experiences that surprised them most. The Squad breaks down the full travel experience, […]

Karen sent us her reader success story of taking multiple trips to Hawaii—something she never thought was possible! Here’s her story: In 2023, my husband and I did something we once thought was impossible: we went to Hawaii. Stepping off the plane in Kona, HI, we were in awe of being in Hawaii. We even […]

JetBlue and United have officially launched reciprocal elite benefits as part of their “Blue Sky” partnership, giving loyal travelers more perks when flying on either airline. The new benefits began rolling out this week and expand on the partnership the airlines first announced last year. Now, United MileagePlus Premier members and JetBlue Mosaic members can […]

At first glance, card_name seems out of reach for the average person because of the high annual fee of annual_fees. Ouch, right? But I’ll share my review of the Business Platinum Card® from American Express and tell you why this card works for me—and might work for you, too.     Learn How to Apply […]

Chase cardholders have an all-new way to earn a huge stash of bonus Ultimate Rewards®, and it involves a digital wallet you’ve probably never heard of before. Through Dec. 31, 2026, eligible Chase cardholders can earn an additional 10 points per dollar spent, on up to $1,500 in purchases each month, when checking out online […]

Six weeks in Europe with kids sounds expensive, and it definitely can be. Flights alone could easily run a few thousand dollars per person, and that’s before you even think about hotels, trains or the inevitable “we need snacks right now” moments. But this is exactly the kind of trip points and miles were made […]