Point Me To First Class

Is it a good idea to speculatively transfer points from a credit card account to an airline account? This is a particularly relevant question this week because three of the major transferable points currencies (Amex, Chase, and Capital One) are currently offering transfer bonuses when you move points from your credit card accounts to specific airline transfer partners for a limited time.   Discove...

I'm joined by my client and good friend, Dr. Bonnie Koo, a points-travel convert. We're discussing one of our shared loves: the World of Hyatt Loyalty Program .   Discover everything you need to know about the World of Hyatt Loyalty Program. We're discussing why Hyatt's Loyalty Program is our favorite hotel rewards program, some of the amazing upgrades that make Hyatt a great choice for families,...

With the Olympics taking place in Paris next summer, there will be a significant impact on travel to Europe in 2024, and you can expect some unique challenges to arise.   Discover how to navigate the obstacles of planning a family trip to Europe in 2024. Whether you're going for the Olympics, planning to travel all summer long, or just organizing a short getaway with your family, this episode cove...

Do you know the difference between a charge card versus a credit card when it comes to accumulating points? It's possible that you have one, or even a few, without realizing that they're not exactly the same thing as a traditional credit card. So today, we're taking a closer look at what makes a charge card different from a credit card.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www....

I'm welcoming back Kelly, The Points and Miles Doc, to the podcast. We're talking about points strategies when you have a points partner, commonly referred to as a P2 or player two in the points travel world.   Discover how to choose a partner for your points and miles journey. We're discussing some of the common misconceptions around who can be your P2 in the game of credit card points, the advan...

I'm joined by two guests who are here to discuss a points-earning opportunity that could potentially earn you one million or more American Express Membership Rewards Points. Leslie and Demma have recently leveraged the purchase of a home to earn a huge points reward, and they're here today to share their experiences and advice with all of us.   Discover how to get potentially one Amex Point per do...

Earlier this month, United Airlines increased its award prices across the board for economy and business class flights on United and partner-operated international flights without any advanced notice to its frequent flyer program members. After this points devaluation, it now costs roughly 33% to 55% more points for any award flight booked through United. The worst part of this news is that United...

Julia Menez is a points strategy coach, speaker, and host of the  Geobreeze Travel Podcast . Having traveled to more than 30 countries before the age of 30 and saving thousands of dollars using points and miles in the process, Julia has distilled the strategies from top award travelers around the world and shares them with her audience.   Discover some of the amazing things we can learn when we di...

You guys have a lot of questions. So, we're doing something a little bit different this week. Instead of me teaching you about a specific topic within the world of credit card points travel, I'm bringing you a listener Q&A.    I'm talking transfer bonuses, airline-specific cards, business credit cards, and maintaining a good relationship with banks. I'm also providing a framework for understanding...

My guest this week is Dr. Priyanka Venugopal, a physician-turned-coach for high-achieving working moms. Priyanka and I have been working together for a while, and she's here today to tell us about her first trip with her husband and kids all together to visit their extended family in India. Not only was this trip booked using points, but it was Priyanka's first-ever first-class flight.   Discover...

There's a big difference between loving the idea of using points to save thousands of dollars on travel and actually knowing how to earn and redeem points for the travel experiences that matter most to you - listen in on this bonus episode to hear exactly how Points Made Easy can help you bridge that gap and what that has to do with the time Devon got hopelessly lost in the souks in Marrakesh.   T...

My guest this week, Cherie, is a client in my Points Made Easy program who recently sent me a message saying that she had redeemed points worth $20,000 in travel in just one year. I immediately had so many questions and I knew I needed to get her on the podcast.   Cherie is a pediatrician and the founder of Doctor Moms Lounge, a membership designed to help women physicians take the busywork out of...

There are some amazing sign-up bonus offer on the market right now. Even if you utilize several different methods of earning points for your expenses, new card sign-up bonuses are still the easiest way to earn lots of points quickly. However, you want to be absolutely sure that when you get approved for a new rewards credit card, you don't make a mistake that's going to cost you your sign-up bonus...

I'm joined by Kelly, a surgeon and points enthusiast based in Los Angeles, California. At work, she serves as a division director for her surgical field while working on projects regarding sustainability in healthcare. On the side, she loves promoting intentional reward travel to prevent burnout among medical professionals, which I think is an incredible mission.   Discover why rewards travel offe...

I'm joined by Dr. Payal Patel Ghayal, an amazing physician who's here to share her story of points travel with all of us today. Discover the mindset side of points travel and what stops high-achieving professionals from getting started on their points travel journey. Payal is sharing her experience as a Woman of Color sitting in the front of the plane, the fun and play involved with points travel,...

In the second part of the Paying Your Taxes by Credit Card series, I'm sharing everything you need to know about which credit cards are best for paying taxes, how to leverage and maximize the points you can earn, and what you need to keep in mind when choosing which card or cards you want to use to pay them.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/...

If you're a high-earning professional or a self-employed business owner, your tax expenses represent an enormous points-earning opportunity that you may not even be aware of. So, tune in this week to start evaluating whether this doing so is the right decision for you, the fees involved, and the potential payoffs in the form of credit card points. Be sure to come back next week for part two, where...

Is hanging on to these store-specific credit cards and using them despite not earning points and miles from these purchases a good idea?   In part two of my rewards vs. cash-back credit cards showdown, I help you decide whether you could be further ahead by using store-specific cash-back credit cards for certain purchases, or if you'd be better off using your rewards cards for the same purchases....

Discover a framework that will help you evaluate your own personal situation to accurately determine whether cash-back credit cards or rewards credit cards are the best way for you to leverage your expenses. Over the next two episodes, I'm walking you through how I think about comparing the potential returns of cash-back credit cards and points-earning credit cards, so you can make the decision th...

Understand what contributes to your credit score, the short-term and long-term impact that applying for new credit cards has on your score, and how to protect your credit score while continuing to get more rewards credit cards.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/truth-rewards-cards-credit-score

Discover the five most common mistakes people make when they enter the world of credit card points and reward travel, and how you can avoid all of them. I'm sharing how you might be leaving points on the table, costing yourself an astronomical amount in interest, and some places you can utilize and leverage your rewards credit cards that might surprise you.   Get full show notes and more informati...

Discover how you can start having first-class travel experiences without the first-class price tag. I share why I'm so passionate about the opportunity to use credit card points for travel, and I'm showing you how to leverage your most important untapped asset, your expenses, to satisfy your wanderlust without compromising your savings and investments for your future.   Get full show notes and mor...

Are you a business owner, entrepreneur, or employed professional with higher-than-average expenses? Do you ever feel like you have to choose between paying bills or saving for retirement and traveling?  You can actually have both - because your expenses can be turned into currency to help you travel the world. Hi! I'm Devon Gimbel, and over the last 9 years I've taught myself all the tips, tricks,...