Point Me To First Class

What do you do with cards once you’ve had them for a while and you’ve already earned the welcome bonus? How many cards is too many for you? What strategy will allow you to accumulate millions of points over one year? These are just some of the questions I’m covering in today's Q&A episode. I’m discussing specific cards, points currencies, and strategies that will help you achieve your points travel goals, as well as covering some redemption opportunities and cards that will help you leverage the money you’re already spending.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/transferable-points-card-canceling   Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

My guest this week is points expert Traci Siegel, a non-practicing attorney who has been using miles and points to travel around the US and the world with her family of four since 2011. She's been teaching friends how to hack their families' travel for years, and now she's teaching even more new friends how to expand their travel budgets through her Instagram.   Discover the recent announcements that are changing the face of points travel and learn whether earning points is still worth it. Traci and I are discussing how we plan to keep getting value from points and awards programs, even as the points landscape changes, sometimes dramatically, over the years.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/points-travel-worth-traci-siegel   Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Looking to plan your next warm weather vacation? Tune in today to hear a comparison of three tropical Hyatt hotel properties where you can use points for vacation. I’m putting each of these properties head-to-head to give you an idea of what you can expect in each, and which one might be the best fit for your travel plans.   I break down the basics of each of these three resorts including the accommodation I booked, how much they cost in points, how much cash you can save by using points to book, and how they stack up against each other in terms of facilities. Listen to the end to hear how I rank these three popular Hyatt hotels - the results might surprise you!   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/comparison-3-tropical-hyatt-properties   Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Have you ever wondered what it would look like to take your career on the road and live location independent as a digital nomad? Did you know that you can you use your travel points to make this dream a reality? My guest this week has done just that and is here to tell you all about it.   Dr. Kristine Goins is a Board-Certified Integrative Adult and Pediatric Psychiatrist, physician coach, and world traveler. As a digital nomad physician who has witnessed firsthand the impact that burnout and work imbalance can have on physicians’ lives, she now empowers doctors to break the chains of traditional medicine to achieve location freedom and create their ideal nomadic lifestyle. She’s sharing the obstacles to applying for cards while abroad, detailing her favorite cards, and discussing what her points strategy actually looks like as a digital nomad.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/work-travel-dr-kristine-goins   Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy  

Dr. Chandani DeZure, a Board Certified Physician living in California, shares practical tips for maximizing credit card points while traveling with kids. She discusses the challenges of traveling with children, the importance of lounge access and hotel benefits, and the benefits of diversifying points ecosystems. The speaker emphasizes the need for flexibility and more points when traveling with kids and highlights the importance of value when redeeming points.

Amena Bakali is an award travel educator, travel blogger, and family travel enthusiast. While many of us use our points for leisure travel, points can also help with booking travel that is of religious or cultural significance. One example of that is how she used points to book a trip to observe Umrah, the Islamic pilgrimage to their Holy City: Makkah, Saudi Arabia.   Discover her tips for booking a culturally significant trip like Umrah using points. She is walking us through how she chose her hotels, flights, and experiences during this pilgrimage, and she’s sharing her tips for planning a trip like this for you and your family.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/umrah-travel-booking-amena-bakali   Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

I’m back with part two of my episode with Kelly, the Points and Miles Doc. In this episode, we’re divulging how we decided to spend the treasure trove of points we earned last year. We’re letting you see behind the scenes of our points wallets and travel plans, comparing the really fun part of the points hobby: how we used these points to book incredible travel experiences.    Tune in this week as we discuss our most memorable points travels in 2023, our highest-value redemptions last year, and we’re sharing all the points travel we’ve already booked for 2024! We’re highlighting the programs that we got the most value out of, and get a new perspective on what your own points journey could look like this year.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/points-spending-review-part-2   Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Today, I’m joined by my points friend Kelly (The Points and Miles Doc) and we’re taking a look back at 2023, breaking down all the points we earned last year, how we earned them, and we’re analyzing some current trends in the points and miles world.   Tune in this week as we discuss the highs and lows of the points world in 2023. Kelly and I are sharing our favorite cards, points currencies, and sign-up bonuses from the past 12 months. We're diving deep into what’s changed over the past year, and we’re looking at the landscape of points travel as we kick off 2024.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/points-earning-review-part-1   Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

What can you expect from the Point Me to First Class Podcast in 2024? Instead of taking a deep dive into a points earning topic, I’m just bringing you a short and sweet episode about what’s to come over the next 12 months. Discover what the next year has in store for the Point Me to First Class podcast and how I’m diversifying the types of travel inspiration and advice offered here.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/coming-2024-podcast   Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

If you love earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, you’re in the right place. Chase has a promotional offer right now that just might be the best points earning gift that you receive all year. Today, we’re looking at how you can get double cash-back or double points using your Chase Freedom Unlimited card.   Discover how to get double points with your Chase Freedom Unlimited card. Learn what this specific promotion offers, who is eligible for it, and I’m breaking down who stands to benefit the most from this offer, and who would be better off taking a pass on this one.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/double-rewards-dive-chase-freedom   Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy