Travel Planning with Points & Miles

Join Spencer Reese and Jamie as they dive deep into the tactical strategies for planning and booking travel using credit card points and miles. This comprehensive guide walks through the entire process from initial flight searches to hotel bookings, with a focus on maximizing value while avoiding common pitfalls.

Topics Covered

Flight Booking Strategies:

• How to prioritize travel goals (destination, dates, airline, class of service)
• Finding direct flight routes and connections
• Searching for award availability across multiple loyalty programs
• Setting up price and availability alerts
• The importance of booking directly with airlines
• Avoiding third-party booking sites and potential complications
• Understanding partner airlines and fifth freedom routes

Hotel Booking:

• Searching for hotel availability with points
• Using free night certificates effectively
• Maximizing Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) benefits
• Fifth night free promotions
• When to choose hotels vs. short-term rentals

Advanced Tips:

• Transfer partner bonuses and timing
• Combining points between household members
• Seat selection strategies for different aircraft types
• Using expert booking services (when they're worth it)
• Setting realistic expectations for award availability

Resources & Links Mentioned

Free Flight Search Tools:

• Google Flights
• Flight Connections - Route mapping
• Points Path (Chrome extension) - Points comparison on Google Flights

Points Search Platforms:

• PointsYeah.com - Search 22+ loyalty programs (paid version recommended)
• Point.me / Amex.Point.me - Transfer partner search
• Seats.aero - Award availability search (paid)
• ExpertFlyer.com - Seat maps and availability (paid)

Hotel Tools:

• MaxFHR.com - Fine Hotels & Resorts property search
• HigherAspire.com - Hilton Aspire credit usage
• Booking.com - General hotel search
• Hilton.com, Marriott.com, Hyatt.com - Direct hotel searches

Other Resources:

• SeatGuru - Aircraft seat maps and reviews
• Airbnb & VRBO - Alternative accommodations

Credit Cards Discussed:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• American Express Platinum Card
• Delta SkyMiles Reserve (Amex)
• Bilt Credit Card
• Hilton Honors Aspire (Amex)

Key Takeaways

1. Don't let points optimization ruin the vacation - Balance maximizing value with maintaining trip enjoyment and minimizing planning stress
2. Book directly when possible - Avoid third-party sites to ensure better customer service and easier modifications
3. Be flexible - More flexibility with dates, airports, and airlines leads to better redemptions
4. Start searching 6-9 months out - Award availability is typically best well in advance
5. Check for transfer bonuses - Can increase point value by 20-30% or more
6. Set up alerts - For both cash prices and award availability to catch deals
7. Budget for tools if needed - Some paid subscriptions may be worth it for major trips

Spencer and Jamie offer one-on-one Military Money Mentor sessions. Get your personal military money and personal finance questions answered in a confidential coaching call. militarymoneymanual.com/mentor

Over 20,000 military servicemembers and military spouses have graduated from the 100% free course available at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3

In the Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course, you can learn how to apply for the most premium credit cards and get special military protections, including waived annual fees, on elite cards like the American Express Platinum Card® and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card.

• https://militarymoneymanual.com/amex-platinum-military/

• https://militarymoneymanual.com/chase-sapphire-reserve-military/

Learn how active duty military, military spouses, and Guard and Reserves on 30+ day active orders can get your annual fees waived on premium credit cards in the Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course at militarymoneymanual.com/umc3

If you want to maximize your military paycheck, check out Spencer's 5 star rated book The Military Money Manual: A Practical Guide to Financial Freedom on Amazon or at shop.militarymoneymanual.com.

Want to be confident with your TSP investing? Check out the Confident TSP Investing course at militarymoneymanual.com/tsp to learn all about the Thrift Savings Plan and strategies for growing your wealth while in the military. Use promo code "podcast24" for $50 off. Plus, for every course sold, we'll donate one course to an E-4 or below- for FREE!

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