Point Me To First Class

If you're a business owner who pays payroll for yourself or your employees, you might be sitting on one of the biggest untapped points-earning opportunities in your business—and it doesn't require opening new cards or chasing welcome bonuses.   DeAndre Coke, a financial advisor and points expert, returns to the show to give us a much-needed update on earning credit card points for payroll expenses...

If you've ever wished you could talk about points and miles with people who are just as enthusiastic about it as you are—without worrying about annoying anyone—this episode is for you.   Dr. Andrea Mabry and I are officially announcing the 2027 Point Me to First Class Conference, taking place in Austin, Texas from April 29th through May 2nd at the Hyatt Regency Austin. After the incredible respons...

If you've been holding the same credit cards for years, you might be missing out on one of the most underutilized strategies for building a stronger, more cost-effective rewards card portfolio.   Product changes don't get the same attention as opening new cards for big welcome bonuses or booking aspirational travel. But they offer surprising benefits that can help you lower annual fees, acquire ca...

Have you ever wondered if the advice you're following about credit cards and points is still relevant—or if the landscape has shifted enough that the old "rules" no longer apply?   In this listener Q&A episode, I'm answering your questions on everything from Rakuten rewards strategy and Chase credit card approvals to hotel booking during peak travel times and whether hotel status is worth the spen...

If you've been transferring points to the same airline programs over and over, you might be missing out on one of the most fascinating but overlooked loyalty programs in the points world - Japan Airlines Mileage Bank.   Now that Japan Airlines is a direct transfer partner of Bilt, Capital One, and Rove, accessing this program is easier than ever. But given how new this is to many of us, you may no...

Have you ever seen a points deal that looked too good to be true? 250 Avios per dollar spent. 240 American Airlines miles per dollar. Those kinds of multipliers make you do a double-take and for good reason. Deals like these are as enticing as they are uncertain.    In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. Sujatha Murali to talk about what I call points earning unicorns—rare, outsized opportunities wher...

If you've been focused on earning hotel points, you might be overlooking one of the most powerful strategies for saving money on luxury hotel stays—and it doesn't require hundreds of thousands of points.   In this episode, I'm joined by Jess Field of Points Talk Squad to break down exactly how Hilton free night certificates work and how you can strategically earn and use them for maximum value. Hi...

Over the past decade, Hyatt has had one of the most beloved hotel loyalty programs in the points world—and a big reason for that has been its simple, predictable award chart that made it possible to get incredible value from Hyatt points. That's (potentially) about to change as Hyatt recently announced a major overhaul to its award chart structure that will introduce dozens of new pricing levels a...

If you're planning to pay taxes by credit card this year, now is the time to set up your strategy—not the week before tax day.   Every year, I see posts from people whose tax payment plans went sideways at the last minute. A declined charge, payments that didn't post, a payment that went to the wrong card—these problems are stressful on their own, but they're especially problematic when you're tro...

For the first time in over a decade, I'm actively chasing status in multiple loyalty programs—and it's a major shift from my usual points strategy.   Historically, status hasn't been a focus for me beyond Hyatt Globalist. But this year, I'm pursuing top-tier or near top-tier status in four programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bilt Platinum, Air France Flying Blue Platinum, and American Airlines Platinum Pro...

Today we're picking up where we left off last week with Dr. Alison Curfman—and diving into what happens after the flights are booked.   Part 1 covered how Alison finds award flights and books hotels for her family of six to eight people when they travel. In Part 2, we're talking about execution—the systems and strategies that make those trips actually run smoothly. Listen in as Alison shares her a...

If you've ever thought award travel isn't possible with a large family or group, this episode will change your mind.   In Part 1 of this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Alison Curfman, a pediatric emergency physician, entrepreneur, and relentless optimizer who regularly travels the world with her family—typically six to eight people depending on whether au pairs or grandparents join. After co-fo...

Have you ever wondered what points lessons other travelers learned the hard way—so you don't have to?   Today's episode is a little different. I recently crowdsourced the biggest points lessons learned in 2025 from members of my community, and the responses were so good. Some were tactical, others were mindset-shifting, and more than a few had me laughing because they highlighted mistakes that are...

In a hobby full of rules, Avios prove to be an exception—and understanding how they work can unlock some of the best award flight opportunities available.   In this episode, I'm breaking down everything you need to know about Avios, the points currency used by British Airways, Qatar, Finnair, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and several other airlines. One crucial aspect of Avios that makes them unique among p...

If you've ever wondered what's the difference between just saving money versus creating wealth that actually matters, this conversation is for you.   In this episode, I'm joined by Lauren Oschman, founder of Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors, who grew up watching her interventional cardiologist father work incredibly hard while struggling to balance wealth building with being present at home. That e...

Have you ever wondered if earning points on your mortgage or rent is actually worth the math? Or whether a card that earns two times points on everything can really compete with what you're already holding? Bilt just released three brand new credit cards, and they're more complex than any card launch I've seen in a while. This isn't just about welcome bonuses and bonus categories— there's an entir...

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...

Do you ever wonder what cards other people have, how they use them, and exactly how many points they're earning each year? I'll be honest—I'm nosy when it comes to other people's points, and I love getting a peek inside someone else's points earning strategies. In this first part of a two-part year-in-review series, I've invited Dr. Andrea Mabry back to the show to break down everything that shape...

Have you ever taken a step back and actually evaluated what your points did for you over an entire year? In this episode, I'm inviting you to do your own Year in Points Review—a way to look at how you earned points, how you used them, and whether your approach to earning and redeeming rewards helped you reach your travel goals. I walk through why a year-end points review is worth doing, including...

What really changed in the points and miles world this year—and how should that shape your strategy going forward?   In part two of our 2025 Year in Review, Kelly and I continue breaking down one of the most transformative years we've seen in award travel. Beyond rising annual fees and tightening loyalty programs, this year revealed deeper structural shifts in how airlines price awards, who gets a...

In this episode, we bid farewell to 2025 with a year-in-review analysis of the biggest news, changes, and trends in rewards, credit cards, and award travel over the last 12 months. This episode is part one of a two-part year-in-review series, and I'm joined by Kelly, the Points and Miles Doc, to break down the biggest changes, surprises, and shakeups in the points and award travel world over the l...

Have you ever wondered what exactly goes on behind the scenes in loyalty programs—and what drives executive decisions about what to offer, add, or take away from their members' experience? In this episode, I get to do exactly that. I'm joined by Laurie Blair, Hyatt's Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Loyalty, for a rare behind-the-scenes look at how Hyatt designs a program that travele...

There's a new player in the rewards space, and it's changing what's possible for earning points even if you never open another credit card.  In this episode, I'm joined by Carissa Rawson, Director of Travel and Marketing for Rove, a fast-growing loyalty platform that combines a travel booking portal with an online shopping portal so you can earn transferable miles on hotel stays, flights, and ever...

This week marks the biggest points-earning opportunity of the entire year—especially if you're planning to shop online. While everyone else is focused on Thanksgiving prep, points and miles travelers know this is the week to turn everyday purchases into tens of thousands (or more) of bonus points. In this short and focused episode, I'm sharing my 5-step points-earning prep checklist for holiday sp...

Travel is never just about the destination — it's about what the journey makes possible. In today's episode, we explore how learning to earn and use credit card points isn't just a smart financial decision. It's a pathway to freedom, abundance, and experiences that reflect the life you actually want to live. From upgraded flights to dream hotels, points can turn everyday expenses into extraordinar...