Point Me To First Class

Amena Bakali is an award travel educator, travel blogger, and family travel enthusiast. While many of us use our points for leisure travel, points can also help with booking travel that is of religious or cultural significance. One example of that is how she used points to book a trip to observe Umrah, the Islamic pilgrimage to their Holy City: Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Discover her tips for booking a culturally significant trip like Umrah using points. She is walking us through how she chose her hotels, flights, and experiences during this pilgrimage, and she's sharing her tips for planning a trip like this for you and your family.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/umrah-travel-booking-amena-bakali

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Curious what it’s like to fly some of the best business and first class award products in the world? I was too! So I booked a bunch of them back-to-back and am inviting you to follow along to see just what these products are like.   Join me for live updates over on Instagram the next 5 days to get an inside look at flying:  

• Business class on Turkish airlines and exploring the world renowned Turkish business class lounge at Istanbul airport
• Etihad’s famous first class “apartment” from London to Abu Dhabi
• The “game changer” first class suite aboard Emirates Airlines from Dubai to Brussels
• United airlines Polaris business class from Brussels to Chicago

 

All these flights were booked using points, which means they’re accessible to you too! Follow my real-time updates on these flights, exploring some of the best business and first class airport lounges, and trying to get the most out of a day and half to explore Dubai.    Find me on Instagram @pointmeto_firstclass and check out my Stories to join me on this points adventure.

I'm back with part two of my episode with Kelly, the Points and Miles Doc. In this episode, we're divulging how we decided to spend the treasure trove of points we earned last year. We're letting you see behind the scenes of our points wallets and travel plans, comparing the really fun part of the points hobby: how we used these points to book incredible travel experiences.

Tune in this week as we discuss our most memorable points travels in 2023, our highest-value redemptions last year, and we're sharing all the points travel we've already booked for 2024! We're highlighting the programs that we got the most value out of, and get a new perspective on what your own points journey could look like this year.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/points-spending-review-part-2

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Today, I'm joined by my points friend Kelly (The Points and Miles Doc) and we're taking a look back at 2023, breaking down all the points we earned last year, how we earned them, and we're analyzing some current trends in the points and miles world.

Tune in this week as we discuss the highs and lows of the points world in 2023. Kelly and I are sharing our favorite cards, points currencies, and sign-up bonuses from the past 12 months. We're diving deep into what's changed over the past year, and we're looking at the landscape of points travel as we kick off 2024.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/points-earning-review-part-1

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

What can you expect from the Point Me to First Class Podcast in 2024? Instead of taking a deep dive into a points earning topic, I'm just bringing you a short and sweet episode about what's to come over the next 12 months.

Discover what the next year has in store for the Point Me to First Class podcast and how I'm diversifying the types of travel inspiration and advice offered here.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/coming-2024-podcast

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

If you love earning Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, you're in the right place. Chase has a promotional offer right now that just might be the best points earning gift that you receive all year. Today, we're looking at how you can get double cash-back or double points using your Chase Freedom Unlimited card.

Discover how to get double points with your Chase Freedom Unlimited card. Learn what this specific promotion offers, who is eligible for it, and I'm breaking down who stands to benefit the most from this offer, and who would be better off taking a pass on this one.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/double-rewards-dive-chase-freedom

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Today, I'm joined by Dr. Erin Casey, a retired hematologist-oncologist turned hospitalist. As a solo points earner without high expenses, Erin wasn't sure if she could earn as many points as those who play the points game with a spouse or friend. Yet, she implemented a strategy to maximize her points, and if you're in a similar situation, you can too.

Tune in this week to discover how Dr. Erin Casey earned over one million points in 2023 without having a two-player strategy. Erin is sharing the specific challenges she faced with minimal expenses. Learn how to start identifying the highest-yield points strategies for you and your specific needs.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/solo-points-earners-dr-erin-casey

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

How do you end 2023 strong and ensure you aren't missing out on any valuable benefits from your rewards credit cards? We're fast approaching the end of the year, so it's time to do some points housekeeping. I'm reviewing five things I do to ensure I'm on track to hit my points and travel goals for the year.

Tune in this week to discover how to round out 2023 while staying on track with your rewards points. I'm showing you three ways to make sure you're taking advantage of your use-or-lose offers, and I'm discussing everything you need to consider about points transfers, purchasing points, and maintaining your status in your loyalty programs.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/year-end-checklist

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

A LOT has changed in the rewards card world since I got my first points earning credit card in 2012. Join me today to discover the first five rewards credit cards I got when I started my points journey, why I wouldn't recommend most of those cards to people now, and what I would do differently if I was starting all over again. While the cards I'm sharing today may not be perfect for you, this episode is packed with considerations you need to make when choosing your first rewards cards and starting your own points journey.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/credit-journey-started-now

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

Today, I'm joined by another physician-entrepreneur who is taking her travel experiences to the next level by leveraging her business expenses: Dr. Amita Kumar. Dr. Kumar is a primary care physician in San Antonio, Texas. Recently, she decided to take a sabbatical from her clinical practice and since one of her passions is traveling with her family, she has found a more economical way to do so by utilizing credit card points.

She is discussing her love of planning, the kind of planning drama that comes up for her clients, and she's sharing how she helps people overcome their planning blocks so they can start making the most of the points they earn and the time they spend traveling.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/travel-planning-amita-kumar

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy