150. 2025 Points Year in Review: How We Used Our Points, Chose Programs & Planned 2026 Travel (Part 2)

Today we're picking up where we left off last week in our 2025 points recap. In this second part of our year-in-review series, Dr. Andrea Mabry and I continue to break down the travel we actually booked with all those points we earned in 2025.

We're sharing the total value of travel we booked, our average redemption values, and the specific trips we planned—from family vacations to aspirational first class products. We also reveal what we've already booked for 2026, including trips worth over $300,000 combined.

Andrea and I each share how many points we used to book travel in 2025, what that travel was worth, and what we paid out of pocket in taxes and fees. We talk about booking business class for large groups from non-hub airports, navigating award space challenges and disappointments, and the airline products that delivered exceptional value versus the ones that fell flat.

Listen in as we discuss the strategic decisions behind our redemptions and the lessons we're applying to future travel. Whether you're planning your first award trip or refining your approach to premium cabin bookings, this episode offers real numbers, honest takeaways, and strategies you can apply to your own travel.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/2025-points-redemptions-year-in-review-part-2/

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