You’ve built up a stash of transferable credit card points. Maybe you’ve been working hard to optimize your cards, your categories, and your spending. But when it comes time to actually book the flights you’ve been dreaming about, you hit a wall.

You’re not alone. For most points travelers, the hardest part isn’t earning points — it’s redeeming them for the best value. That’s why in this episode, I’m sharing the seven keys that make the difference between endlessly searching without results, and booking award flights that let you travel better, more often, and for less.

I’ll walk you through how to identify your transfer partners, understand transfer ratios and timelines, leverage alliances and partnerships, and master booking calendars so you can finally unlock the outsized value your points hold.

Whether you’ve only booked through your credit card’s portal or you’ve tried transferring points before and got stuck, these seven keys will change the way you approach award flights.

Turn your expenses into points and save tens of thousands of dollars a year on your wishlist travel. Don’t miss out! Click here http://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy to know more about my comprehensive online program, Points Made Easy. Enrollment opens on September 20, 2025 to September 27, 2025.

What does it really look like to transform your travel with credit card points?

In this special episode, you’ll hear directly from Dr. Faryal Michaud, a past Points Made Easy student who went from feeling confused and frustrated by points to booking over $150,000 worth of award travel. From Qsuites to the Maldives, South Africa, Tahiti, and beyond, she shares the exact turning points that changed how she approached earning and redeeming points.

You’ll hear how she overcame the frustrations so many people face in the beginning, the first redemptions that boosted her confidence, and how points have since emboldened her to experience life-changing trips she never thought possible. Faryal’s story is proof of how powerful this skillset can be—not just for one trip, but for a lifetime of travel.

Turn your expenses into points and save tens of thousands of dollars a year on your wishlist travel. Don’t miss out! Click here http://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy to know more about my comprehensive online program, Points Made Easy. Enrollment opens on September 20, 2025 to September 27, 2025.

Think booking through your credit card travel portal is always a mistake? Not so fast.

Last week, I shared five reasons why you’ll want to avoid making travel bookings through your credit card portal. But that’s not the whole story. There are also situations where using your card’s travel portal can be the smarter move.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the five most compelling reasons to consider booking flights, hotels, or car rentals through your credit card’s portal — from points-earning opportunities to unlocking annual credits and even finding better award pricing than transfer partners. I’ll share the key tradeoffs, what this means for real-world bookings, and my own approach to when portal bookings actually make sense in my travel strategy.

Turn your expenses into points and save tens of thousands of dollars a year on your wishlist travel. Don’t miss out! Click here http://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy to know more about my comprehensive online program, Points Made Easy. Enrollment opens on September 20, 2025 to September 27, 2025.

Want to know what’s really possible with your points? Don’t just take it from me—hear from members who’ve used Points Made Easy to completely change the way they travel. From business class flights to dream vacations, their results speak for themselves. Watch their stories here - https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/points-made-easy-success-stories

If there’s one thing nearly every points traveler has done at least once, it’s book a flight, hotel, or car rental directly through their credit card’s online travel portal. With promises of 5x, 8x, even 12x bonus points, it can feel like the obvious choice. But as I share in today’s episode, those tempting multipliers often come at a serious cost—and the reasons why may surprise you.

In this episode, I walk through the top five reasons you should avoid booking through credit card travel portals like Chase, Amex, Citi, and Capital One. From losing out on elite status perks and upgrades to paying more for the same flights or hotel rooms, I reveal the hidden downsides that don’t show up until it’s too late. You’ll also hear real-world stories from travelers who faced everything from missing reservations to costly rebookings—all because they used a portal instead of booking direct.

Even more importantly, I’ll explain how using your points through a portal can devalue them by 2–10x compared to transferring to partners. I share specific examples, including how I used Chase points with Hyatt for a $65,000+ stay that would have cost 3.6 million points through the portal. Whether you’re new to points or have been booking this way for years, this episode will help you avoid costly mistakes and make smarter choices with your rewards.

Turn your expenses into points and save tens of thousands of dollars a year on your wishlist travel. Don’t miss out! Click here http://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy to know more about my comprehensive online program, Points Made Easy. Enrollment opens on September 20, 2025 to September 27, 2025.

Want to know what’s really possible with your points? Don’t just take it from me—hear from members who’ve used Points Made Easy to completely change the way they travel. From business class flights to dream vacations, their results speak for themselves. Watch their stories here - https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/points-made-easy-success-stories

In this week’s episode, we’re re-airing a fan favorite that so many listeners have loved and revisited. If you missed it the first time, or just need a refresher, this is one you don’t want to skip.

I love discussing discrete award travel topics like individual rewards credit cards and how best to leverage them, or the specific airlines and hotels that offer the best value for points. But today, I’m covering something that never gets talked about in the points travel world and yet is one of the secrets to becoming more proficient when it comes to points travel: The Dunning-Kruger Effect and how it relates to award travel competency and success.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a type of cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate their knowledge or abilities, particularly in areas where they have little to no experience. While this may be an unfamiliar concept, you can probably already see why having some background on the Dunning-Kruger Effect makes all the difference when you’re learning something new, like points travel.

Tune in to discover how the Dunning-Kruger Effect is impacting how you approach the hobby of points travel. I’m showing you the different stages of the journey when learning the ins and outs of points travel, and how to keep moving through the stages until you reach a point of confidence and competence.

On September 20th, 2025, I’m opening up enrollment for Points Made Easy. Enrollment will only be open for one week and this is your last opportunity to join the course this year, so get on the waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/psycholoy-points-travel/

Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAPfb3wIaphMn_NoQzm_fljydsivTELQwh7pYoxrI2uTFoKQ/viewform?usp=header

If a $595 annual fee premium credit card hits the market, should it automatically earn a place in your wallet?

In this episode, I take a detailed look at Citi’s newest addition to the transferable points landscape: the Citi Strata Elite Card. From its standard 80,000-point welcome bonus to the elevated 100,000-point offer available through certain channels, we’ll walk through exactly what you get when you open this card. You’ll hear how its bonus categories actually work, why the time-restricted “Citi Nights” dining perk is so unusual, and what makes its non-category 1.5x earning stand out—or not—compared to other cards.

We’ll also dig into the real value of the credits, including the split Blacklane credit, the merchant-specific Splurge credit, and the 2-night minimum hotel portal credit—plus where this card shines with American Airlines lounge passes and where it falls flat next to Citi’s own mid-tier options and the retired Prestige card. Before you sign up for the welcome bonus, I’ll share the points expiration rules that can cost you big if you cancel after a year, and what I think this launch reveals about the next wave of premium rewards cards.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/citi-strata-elite-card-review/

Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAPfb3wIaphMn_NoQzm_fljydsivTELQwh7pYoxrI2uTFoKQ/viewform?usp=header 

Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

If you’ve ever been confused about airport lounge access—what counts, what’s changed, and what’s still worth it—you’re not alone.

In this episode, I welcome back guest Traci Siegel for an updated look at lounge access using rewards credit cards in 2025. We unpack the biggest changes to credit card lounge access this year, including new restrictions on who gets in and when.

From premium travel cards like the Amex Platinum and Capital One Venture X to underrated options and family-friendly picks, we’re breaking down which cards actually deliver on their lounge promises—and which ones have quietly downgraded their perks.

If you’re trying to figure out which card is best for your personal travel style, or you’ve ever been turned away at a lounge counter and thought, “Wait, I thought this card included access,” this episode is for you.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/airport-lounge-access/

Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAPfb3wIaphMn_NoQzm_fljydsivTELQwh7pYoxrI2uTFoKQ/viewform?usp=header

Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

If you’ve ever hesitated before transferring points—or wondered if a redemption was “good enough”—this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.

In this conversation with Greg Davis-Kean (a.k.a. Frequent Miler), we unpack how to think more strategically about the value of your points. Whether you’re sitting on a big stash or navigating your first transfer, you’ll hear expert insight into when to redeem, when to wait, and how to use point valuations as a guide—not a rule. We also dive into the psychology behind redemption pressure, real examples of high-value bookings, and why your goals should always shape your strategy.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/point-worth-frequent-miler/

Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAPfb3wIaphMn_NoQzm_fljydsivTELQwh7pYoxrI2uTFoKQ/viewform?usp=header 

Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Ever feel like Citi cards get overlooked in points conversations?

If you’ve written off Citi’s ecosystem—or just haven’t known how to make it work for your travel goals—this episode is full of smart, real-life strategy.

Dr. Suzy Spadafora returns to discuss the strengths (and limitations) of the Citi points ecosystem. From the points earning cards Citi offers to putting their transfer partner menu to the test, we cover everything you need to know to decide if Citi cards deserve a spot in your wallet and discuss how to maximize these valuable points.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/citi-points-asia-travel-strategy/

Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAPfb3wIaphMn_NoQzm_fljydsivTELQwh7pYoxrI2uTFoKQ/viewform?usp=header

Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Ever wonder what’s actually possible with points? In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of how I’ve already booked and taken 5 international trips in 2025—spending 2.9 million points on award flights and hotels, and saving over $150,000 in travel costs.

From a spring break family trip to Paris to a spontaneous 2-day Tokyo adventure, I’m walking you through exactly how I planned, booked, and flew these points-funded getaways. You’ll hear the real numbers—how many points each trip required, what the taxes and fees cost me, and the redemption value I got for each flight and hotel. I’ll break down my favorite award bookings of the year so far (including Emirates First Class, ANA “The Suite,” Lufthansa’s brand new Allegris First Class, and more), share what I loved—and what wasn’t worth it—and give you the key trends I’m seeing in award availability and program changes.

Whether you’re a solo traveler who loves premium cabins, a parent planning school break trips, or someone building toward their next dream redemption, this episode will give you the insights and strategy you need to make your next booking your best one yet.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/award-travel-review-2025/

Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAPfb3wIaphMn_NoQzm_fljydsivTELQwh7pYoxrI2uTFoKQ/viewform?usp=header 

Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy