Many people think they don’t have enough points to travel. But when we actually sit down and walk through everything… They almost always have more than they think. Not from one place—but from a bunch of small places that add up. This is one of the first things we do when helping someone plan a…
Most people think of points the same way: Flights.Hotels.Maybe an upgrade if you’re lucky. But there’s an entire category of rewards that many people never even look at — and in some cases, they can create the most memorable parts of a trip. We’re talking about experiences. From VIP event access to once-in-a-lifetime activities, programs…
Most people use their hotel points for one big, luxury stay. And honestly? If that’s how you’re using your points… this might hurt a little. Because in real life? We almost never do that. Some of the best value we’ve ever gotten from points came from the exact opposite: And that’s where points can stretch…
Most people assume you need a ton of points—or a specific airline—to book a good flight. That’s not always true. In this example, we’re using Alaska Airlines miles to book an American Airlines flight… even though we don’t really fly Alaska at all. And the result? A simple, repeatable redemption that can work for a…
Update: This trip is still on the books, and we would hate to miss it after it has become one of our favorite travel traditions. But with us looking at a potential cross-country move and gas prices being what they are, we are reconsidering whether this is the right trip to keep this year. Time…
Most people assume travel points have to be complicated before they become useful. Multiple credit cards.Transfer partners.Award charts.Perfect redemptions. But you do not need a complicated system to get real value from points. You need a simple strategy that helps you turn the points you already have, or the points you are working toward, into…
Many people already have travel points. They’re sitting in credit card accounts, airline programs, hotel loyalty programs, or shopping rewards programs — often quietly building up in the background. But a surprising number of travelers never actually use them. Not because they aren’t valuable. Because they’re not sure how to use them. In the first…
Using points for travel sounds simple in theory. But when it comes to cruises, it gets a lot more complicated. In fact, for a long time, we actually resisted cruising for one main reason: It’s difficult to use points for cruises — and when you can, the value often isn’t great. Coming from a points-and-rewards…
In the first episode of Points in Real Life, we talked about something many travelers don’t realize: Many people already have travel points sitting in credit card accounts, airline programs, or hotel loyalty programs — but they’re not sure how to use them. One of the biggest misconceptions about travel rewards is that you need…
Many people already have travel points. They’re sitting in credit card accounts, airline programs, hotel programs, or shopping rewards programs — often quietly accumulating in the background. But a surprising number of travelers never actually use them. Not because the points aren’t valuable. Because they’re not sure how to use them. Points can feel confusing…
