My Top 5 Mistakes with Points & Miles
All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life
Deep Dive: Cost of Chasing Status
Chris calculates spend thresholds and opportunity costs to reach airline elite tiers across carriers.
#258: The 5 biggest mistakes Chris has made in his points & miles journey. He dives into the hidden cost of status, the math behind point values, the power of opportunity cost, and why hoarding points quietly destroys value.
Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/top-5-points-and-miles-mistakes
Partner Deals
Superhuman: Free month of the fastest and best email with code ALLTHEHACKS
DeleteMe: 20% off removing your personal info from the web
LMNT: Free sample pack of my favorite electrolyte drink mix
Gelt: Skip the waitlist on personalized tax guidance to maximize your wealth
NetSuite: Free KPI checklist to upgrade your business performance
For all the deals, discounts and promo codes from our partners, go to: chrishutchins.com/deals
Resources Mentioned
Credit Cards
- US Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
- Robinhood Gold Card
- The Atmos™ Rewards Visa Summit Card
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
- Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®
Award Search Tools
- Gondola (Get $50 here)
- Points Path Chrome Extension
ATH Podcast
- Ep #245: How Much Are Points and Miles Worth in 2025?
- Leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
- Email for questions, hacks, deals, and feedback: podcast@chrishutchins.com
Full Show Notes
(00:00) Introduction
(00:28) Mistake #1: Not Valuing My Time
(02:09) Setting a Personal Minimum Hourly Rate
(03:51) Step Back and Ask “Is This Worth It?”
(04:23) The Hidden Cost of Mental Overhead
(05:48) Using Daily and Weekly Priorities to Stay Focused
(07:00) Mistake #2: Not Considering the Opportunity Cost
(11:34) Mistake #3: Chasing Status
(16:56) Airline by Airline: The Value of Status in Real Life
(20:52) Reframing the Cost of Status
(24:09) When Milestone Benefits Change the Math
(28:33) Chris’s Status Plan Going Forward
(31:52) How to Decide Whether Status Is Worth Chasing
(32:50) Mistake #4: Overvaluing Points
(34:20) What the Data Actually Shows
(35:43) Why “Retail Value” Is Misleading
(41:22) When Paying Cash Can Be the Better Value
(46:03) Mistake #5: Not Cashing Out Points
(49:27) Chris's Plan for 2026
Connect with Chris
Newsletter | Membership | X | Instagram | LinkedIn
Editor’s Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The AI-powered Podcast Player
