Are you ready to learn how to plan your first rewards trip using points and miles? In this episode, I'm sharing practical tips and lessons from my family's journey into rewards travel.
We'll cover everything from choosing your first rewards card to booking your flights and accommodations, all designed to help you maximize travel opportunities while keeping costs down.
Whether you're new to credit card rewards or want to maximize your points and miles, this episode breaks down the steps for planning a trip without breaking the bank.
Takeaways
In this episode, you'll learn:
Factors to consider when choosing your first rewards credit card
How to strategically earn and redeem points for a family trip
Practical tips for maximizing travel rewards and staying organized
Episode Summary
In this episode, I walk you through the essential steps for planning your first rewards trip with points and miles. We start by discussing how to choose a rewards credit card that aligns with your travel goals, covering factors like earning rates, welcome bonuses, and card perks. You'll hear how I approached this process when I first got started and the types of rewards cards that have been most valuable to my family.
We'll discuss researching and booking your trip. Learn how to calculate how many points you'll need, choose flexible travel dates for better deals, and find flights and hotels using Google Flights and award availability tools. For our family, planning ahead and staying flexible has been key to stretching our points and making travel more affordable.
I also share best practices for rewards card use, such as paying your balance in full, strategically using transfer partners, and avoiding fees. This episode is packed with actionable advice to help you make the most of your rewards for a memorable, cost-effective family trip.
✈️ Award Availability Tools For Flights
Point.me
Point.me is a powerful tool for comparing award flight availability across multiple frequent flyer programs. Its easy-to-navigate interface helps you find the best redemption options for your points.
Roame
Roame is a tool that simplifies award flight searches by helping you find the best points and miles redemptions based on your preferences. It offers detailed searches across different airlines and loyalty programs.
Seats.aero
Seats.aero offers fast searches for award flight availability, allowing you to view results across multiple airlines instantly. It's a useful tool for travelers looking to snag last-minute award seats.
PointsYeah
PointsYeah is an award travel search engine that helps you find available seats using points and miles across different airlines and alliances. It also offers insights on the best redemptions for your travel dates.
Points Path
Points Path simplifies the process of finding the best award travel options based on your point balances and destination preferences. You can enter your desired travel dates and see a range of redemption possibilities.
ExpertFlyer
ExpertFlyer is a premium service offering advanced tools for tracking flight availability, seat upgrades, and award seats. It's ideal for frequent travelers who want to set up alerts for specific routes.
SeatSpy
SeatSpy is designed to help you monitor and track award seat availability across several airlines, including major international carriers. It also allows you to set up alerts for specific flights and dates.
Award Availability Tools For Hotels
Max My Point
Max My Point helps you find award availability for major hotel chains. It provides real-time data to help you book your stay using points. It simplifies the search process by showing which hotels offer point redemptions for your chosen dates.
Stay With Points
Stay With Points offers a comprehensive search across hotel loyalty programs, helping you find the best value for your points. It's a great tool for determining how far your points can stretch for different stays. Note: Premium features are available for paid accounts.
Awayz
Awayz helps travelers quickly find hotel award availability, even during peak travel times. It's an easy-to-use tool for securing hotel stays with your points. Note: Free users can access limited searches, with full access through a paid subscription.
Rooms.aero
Rooms.aero allows you to search for award-night availability across multiple hotel programs in one place. It's a useful tool for comparing redemption options for different hotel brands and finding the best value.
Note: Some of these tools cost money or offer free access, but reserve their most useful features for paid accounts. If you're serious about finding the best awards for flights or hotels, investing in a premium version may be worth it to access features like alerts or advanced search filters.
🎧 Resources & Links from This Episode
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🧳 Travel Tools I Love
Packing Cubes & Travel Backpacks – Tripped Travel Gear Hotels – Booking.com Vacation Rentals – Vrbo Attractions & Tours – Viator Attractions & Tours – Get Your Guide Theme Park Tickets – Undercover Tourist City Passes – CityPASS Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus Tours – Big Bus Tours Travel Insurance – InsureMyTrip RV Rentals – RVShare
💸 Money Tools I Recommend
Rewards Credit Cards – Explore My Favorites Budgeting Apps for Families – See Our Top Picks High-Yield Savings – CIT Bank Savings Connect High-Yield Savings & CDs – Raisin Kids' Banking – Greenlight Micro-Investing – Acorns
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