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Welcome to Points for Normal People!

Today I’m sharing the current best strategies on how to use Avios to book American Airlines domestic flights! With these methods you can book flights to Hawaii from anywhere in the US for 30,000 points round trip – or less! 

It used to be that British Airways offered a great way to do this, but now Qatar, and Finnair are the best option to book those same American Airlines flights, often for fewer points than using American's own miles.

It might sound a little complicated at first, but we’ll take you step by step. Avios are actually some of the easiest airline miles to earn thanks to all the credit card transfer partners out there. We'll break it all down for you so that you understand each step. 

ACTION STEPS

• Check out the Seats.Aero webinar. Video in my free course: learn.katiestraveltricks.com
• Sign up for a Finnair loyalty account
• Consider signing up for a British Airways account

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Using Finnair Avios for US Flights (blog): https://katiestraveltricks.com/using-finnair-avios-to-book-american-alaska-flights/
• Using Qatar Avios for US Flights (blog): https://katiestraveltricks.com/using-qatar-avios-to-book-domestic-us-flights 
• Video Tutorial - Find and Book AA Flights with Finnair Avios: https://katiestraveltricks.com/find-and-book-american-airlines-flights-with-finnair-avios-video-guide/ 
• Your Best Credit Cards transfer bonus notifications signup: https://yourbestcreditcards.com/current-transfer-bonuses/?ccid=katiestravel
• Dan's Deals workaround for regional Qatar bookings: https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/milespoints/book-qatar-avios-award-bargains/
• Booking flights to Europe on points: https://katiestraveltricks.com/guide-to-flying-to-europe-on-points/ 

New Here?

Hi, I’m Katie from Katie’s Travel Tricks! I am here to help you learn the secrets that my family has been using for over a decade, using everyday expenses and welcome offers to supercharge your points earning. When you learn to do this, you can cover entire vacations every year.

Our family has been to Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe — and more — all thanks to strategically earning and redeeming points. We've done this on a limited travel budget and now want to help you do it, too.

More from Katie’s Travel Tricks

🔗 Website

Instagram

💻 Free Course

💳 Best Current Card Offers

🎒 Favorite Travel Gear

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this podcast are from companies which Katie's Travel Tricks will earn an affiliate commission. Katie's Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this podcast is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the autho...

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Welcome to Points for Normal People!

In this episode, we're diving into American Airlines miles. I know a lot of you want to use points for domestic travel, and American is a good option. We'll talk about the best times to use your miles on American flights, and how to earn those miles. I'll cover the pros and cons, and give you some tips to maximize your points. We'll also look at some tools to find the best deals, and I'll share a few tricks I've learned about booking with American.

For a video guide of navigating the American Airlines website, watch here: https://katiestraveltricks.com/navigating-the-american-airlines-website-video-guide/ 

ACTION STEPS

• Consider opening a Barclay Aviator card
• Sign up for Simply Miles: https://www.simplymiles.com 
• Enroll a card in the American Airlines Dining Program
• Get logged into American's eShopping portal
• Consider browsing Loyalty Point Hunters (or joining their Facebook group): https://loyaltypointhunters.com 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• FinnAir article: https://katiestraveltricks.com/using-finnair-avios-to-book-american-alaska-flights 
• American Airlines sales: https://www.aa.com/en-us/spring-deals
• American Airlines miles finder map: https://www.aa.com/en-us/miles-finder-map
• American Airlines Dining Program: https://www.aadvantagedining.com/ 

New Here?

Hi, I’m Katie from Katie’s Travel Tricks! I am here to help you learn the secrets that my family has been using for over a decade, using everyday expenses and welcome offers to supercharge your points earning. When you learn to do this, you can cover entire vacations every year.

Our family has been to Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe — and more — all thanks to strategically earning and redeeming points. We've done this on a limited travel budget and now want to help you do it, too.

More from Katie’s Travel Tricks

🔗 Website

Instagram

💻 Free Course

💳 Best Current Card Offers

🎒 Favorite Travel Gear

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this podcast are from companies which Katie's Travel Tricks will earn an affiliate commission. Katie's Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this podcast is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the autho...

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Welcome to Points for Normal People!

In this episode I'm sharing my exact process to research the best domestic award flights. I’ll walk you through the initial steps I always take before even thinking about searching for award availability. I'll show you why it's so important to understand your routing options and get a feel for cash prices first, and I'll tell you about the tools I use to build a solid foundation for successful award travel planning.

I also cover some outdated advice you might have heard. Plus, I'll touch on the sometimes confusing world of booking partner airline awards and give you a sneak peek into future episodes where I'll be diving into specific sweet spots and strategies to help you get the absolute most out of your points.

ACTION STEPS

1. Do a test run of the initial flight search process for a route you'd like to fly.
2. Go to FlightConnections.com to find nonstop routes for your chosen route.
3. Go to Google Flights to gauge cash prices and check connecting flight options.
4. Make notes on your findings, including nonstop and connecting options, and cash prices.
5. Check the distance of your flight.
6. Save this information for when we look at specific sweet spots in future episodes.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Watch me walk through the process: katiestraveltricks.com/how-to-book-domestic-flights-with-points-video-guide/
• Flight Connections: FlightConnections.com
• Google Flights: https://www.google.com/travel/flights
• Download my free course: learn.katiestraveltricks.com

New Here?

Hi, I’m Katie from Katie’s Travel Tricks! I am here to help you learn the secrets that my family has been using for over a decade, using everyday expenses and welcome offers to supercharge your points earning. When you learn to do this, you can cover entire vacations every year.

Our family has been to Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe — and more — all thanks to strategically earning and redeeming points. We've done this on a limited travel budget and now want to help you do it, too.

More from Katie’s Travel Tricks

🔗 Website

Instagram

💻 Free Course

💳 Best Current Card Offers

🎒 Favorite Travel Gear

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this podcast are from companies which Katie's Travel Tricks will earn an affiliate commission. Katie's Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this podcast is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the autho...

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Welcome to Points for Normal People!

Hey everyone, welcome back to Points for Normal People! I am so excited to kick off Season 3 with you today! We're going to get into all things domestic flights and points this season, which is going to be a bit of a step up, getting into some of those intermediate strategies. 

If you're just joining us, welcome! But if you ever feel lost, definitely pop back to Season 1, Episode 1, because that’s where we build a foundation. Think of Season 3 as your guide to mastering domestic award flights – we're going way beyond Southwest this time!

ACTION STEPS

• Download the free Travel Points 201 Guide.
• Take stock of your points across different programs.
• New to the podcast? Start with Season 1, Episode 1.

New Here?

Hi, I’m Katie from Katie’s Travel Tricks! I am here to help you learn the secrets that my family has been using for over a decade, using everyday expenses and welcome offers to supercharge your points earning. When you learn to do this, you can cover entire vacations every year.

Our family has been to Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe — and more — all thanks to strategically earning and redeeming points. We've done this on a limited travel budget and now want to help you do it, too.

More from Katie’s Travel Tricks

🔗 Website

Instagram

💻 Free Course

💳 Best Current Card Offers

🎒 Favorite Travel Gear

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this podcast are from companies which Katie's Travel Tricks will earn an affiliate commission. Katie's Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this podcast is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the autho...

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Welcome to Points for Normal People!

Today is special because I’ll be sharing the tips and tricks I’ve learned from you. The Points for Normal People community is full of great information and on occasion some of you have reached out to me with resources or information that I wasn’t even aware of. I’m so thankful to each of you who reached out to me and excited to share that information today. 

One CORRECTION: You don’t earn 4 points per dollar with every Southwest card – just with the higher $199 annual fee business card. You earn 3 points per dollar with the other Southwest business card. 

Season three is coming soon and I’d love to hear from you! Do you have any specific topics you’d like to see me cover? Send me an email at [email protected]. 

ACTION STEPS

• If you have a Southwest credit card, use this trick to check Southwest credits:  https://katiestraveltricks.com/southwest-upgraded-boarding/ 
• If you want to try the Southwest schedule change trick, try it with round trip flights for an even better chance at being able to change to a better flight. 
• If you are working toward a Southwest Companion Pass and you need a few extra points, transfer points from your Southwest account to another person – pay the fee with your business card to earn up to $500 in reimbursement – and you’ll earn 2,000 extra points. 
• Verizon customers: To keep your autopay discount, but pay your bill with a credit card that offers cell phone protections, keep your autopay setup, but pay your bill in the store at a kiosk before the due date. 
• Don’t forget to sign up for my free newsletter! Sign up for this beginner’s guide and we’ll also send you our Saturday morning newsletter: https://katiestraveltricks.com/travel-points-101-quick-start-guide/

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Best Credit Card for Lounge Access (by Airport): https://katiestraveltricks.com/best-credit-card-for-lounge-access-by-airport/
• Sign up for my free course: learn.katiestraveltricks.com. 

New Here?

Hi, I’m Katie from Katie’s Travel Tricks! I am here to help you learn the secrets that my family has been using for over a decade, using everyday expenses and welcome offers to supercharge your points earning. When you learn to do this, you can cover entire vacations every year.

Our family has been to Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe — and more — all thanks to strategically earning and redeeming points. We've done this on a limited travel budget and now want to help you do it, too.

More from Katie’s Travel Tricks

🔗 Website

Instagram

💻 Free Course

💳 Best Current Card Offers

🎒 Favorite Travel Gear

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this podcast are from companies which Katie's Travel Tricks will earn an affiliate commission. Katie's Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this podcast is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the autho...

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Welcome to Points for Normal People!

Today in part two about the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, I’ll be showing you a lot of unique ways to use your Venture miles. We’ll cover ways for the average person to get the most out of their miles, and I’ll also show you some tricks for how to boost your earnings of Venture miles. 

We cover a lot in this episode, but don’t worry, you don’t have to remember everything! We have a lot of resources below to help you as you navigate the ways to use your miles that bring the most value to you. 

ACTION STEPS

• Sign up for my newsletter so that you don’t miss out on the best offers and latest resources: https://katiestraveltricks.com/travel-points-101-quick-start-guide/ 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Venture X Card Guide: https://katiestraveltricks.com/venturex/ 
• Travel Points 201 - All About Transfer Partners: https://katiestraveltricks.com/travel-points-201-all-about-transfer-partners/ 
• Best U.S. Choice Privileges Hotels for Families: 1+ Bedroom Suites [Map]: https://katiestraveltricks.com/choiceprivileges/ 
• Best Hotels for Families of 4 in Europe to Book with Points [Map]: https://katiestraveltricks.com/map-best-hotels-for-families-of-4-in-europe/ 
• Preferred Hotels with Choice Points [Map]: https://katiestraveltricks.com/preferred-hotels-with-choice-points-map/ 
• Sweet Spot: Round trip to Europe for 25,000 points (or less!) + $227: https://katiestraveltricks.com/flyingbluesweetspot/ 
• Booking Virgin Voyages on Points: https://katiestraveltricks.com/booking-virgin-voyages-on-points/ 
• Strategy for the 5/24 Rule: https://studio.youtube.com/video/50I7wU0lQqQ/edit 

New Here?

Hi, I’m Katie from Katie’s Travel Tricks! I am here to help you learn the secrets that my family has been using for over a decade, using everyday expenses and welcome offers to supercharge your points earning. When you learn to do this, you can cover entire vacations every year.

Our family has been to Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe — and more — all thanks to strategically earning and redeeming points. We've done this on a limited travel budget and now want to help you do it, too.

More from Katie’s Travel Tricks

🔗 Website

Instagram

💻 Free Course

💳 Best Current Card Offers

🎒 Favorite Travel Gear

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this podcast are from companies which Katie's Travel Tricks will earn an affiliate commission. Katie's Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this podcast is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the autho...

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Welcome to Points for Normal People!

This episode is part one of a deep dive into the perks and benefits of the Venture X credit card from Capital One. There are a lot of reasons this is one of my top two credit cards! Today I’ll show you why I love this card and help you identify if it is a good card for you. If you already have this card, I’ll give you resources for how to get the most value out of it.  

Next week I’ll be back with part two about the Venture X card, so be sure to subscribe. I’m excited to introduce you to all the ways you can use this card to save, upgrade your experience, and give you protections for free!

ACTION STEPS

• If you have a Venture X, download my Venture X checklist here: https://katiestraveltricks.com/credit-card-checklists-landing-page/
• If you have a Venture X, be sure you are signed up for Priority Pass and Hertz Presidents Circle.
• Everyone: Make a plan for which card you’re going to use for shopping benefits. 
• If you have a Venture X, watch this video about how to get on the waiting list for Capital One lounges: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6WInTJOBBA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Hertz Presidents Circle: https://katiestraveltricks.com/hertz_presidents_circle/

New Here?

Hi, I’m Katie from Katie’s Travel Tricks! I am here to help you learn the secrets that my family has been using for over a decade, using everyday expenses and welcome offers to supercharge your points earning. When you learn to do this, you can cover entire vacations every year.

Our family has been to Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe — and more — all thanks to strategically earning and redeeming points. We've done this on a limited travel budget and now want to help you do it, too.

More from Katie’s Travel Tricks

🔗 Website

Instagram

💻 Free Course

💳 Best Current Card Offers

🎒 Favorite Travel Gear

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this podcast are from companies which Katie's Travel Tricks will earn an affiliate commission. Katie's Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this podcast is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the autho...

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Welcome to Points for Normal People!

Have you ever been to an airport lounge? After my first experience, I was hooked! And the best part is, it was a benefit of my credit card! Over the years, I’ve been to a lot of different lounges, learned about the different programs and their restrictions, and have opened various cards with different lounge benefits. Today, I’ll be giving you all of the best information you need to know, to make sure that you get the best credit card lounge experience for you!

If you’ve never been to an airport lounge before, they can offer a variety of experiences, many with free food and drinks, wifi access, and so much more. Whether you’re traveling with a family or traveling solo, stick around for all the details!

ACTION STEPS:

• Figure out which card matches your travel style and patterns. Use our latest blog post to view our card recommendations by airport: https://katiestraveltricks.com/best-credit-card-for-lounge-access-by-airport/ 
• Visit prioritypass.com to see if they have lounges in airports you frequent. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Guide to airport lounge access for families: https://katiestraveltricks.com/guide-to-airport-lounge-access-for-families/ 

New Here?

Hi, I’m Katie from Katie’s Travel Tricks! I am here to help you learn the secrets that my family has been using for over a decade, using everyday expenses and welcome offers to supercharge your points earning. When you learn to do this, you can cover entire vacations every year.

Our family has been to Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe — and more — all thanks to strategically earning and redeeming points. We've done this on a limited travel budget and now want to help you do it, too.

More from Katie’s Travel Tricks

🔗 Website

Instagram

💻 Free Course

💳 Best Current Card Offers

🎒 Favorite Travel Gear

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this podcast are from companies which Katie's Travel Tricks will earn an affiliate commission. Katie's Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this podcast is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the autho...

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Welcome to Points for Normal People!

In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing everything you need to know about how to skip airport lines. We’ll cover security, immigration, food, and rental car lines. You may be surprised how many easy ways there are to save time!

So, if you're tired of waiting in long lines at the airport, tune in to this episode. I’ve also put together a lot of resources below to help you make the most of your airport experience.

ACTION STEPS:

• Check to see if any of your credit cards have a Trusted Traveler credit that you haven’t used. Best card options for this credit: https://katiestraveltricks.com/tsaprecheck/ 
• Bookmark the Reserve by Clear page and check to see if they have any destinations that you might be traveling to: https://www.clearme.com/reserve
• If you will be traveling soon, set up an alert for seven days prior to departure to book your Reserve by Clear appointment for the security line.
• If you have Global Entry and have kids, open accounts for them and get the process started of getting them approved, now that it’s free for them: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry 
• Download the Mobile Passport Control App so that you have another option to skip lines when you arrive back in the US: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/mobile-passport-control 
• If you have any upcoming car rentals, be sure that you have downloaded their app, joined their loyalty program, have added your driver's license and credit card, and have connected your loyalty number to your reservation.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• TSA Cares: https://www.tsa.gov/contact-center/form/cares
• Trusted Traveler Programs: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs 

New Here?

Hi, I’m Katie from Katie’s Travel Tricks! I am here to help you learn the secrets that my family has been using for over a decade, using everyday expenses and welcome offers to supercharge your points earning. When you learn to do this, you can cover entire vacations every year.

Our family has been to Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe — and more — all thanks to strategically earning and redeeming points. We've done this on a limited travel budget and now want to help you do it, too.

More from Katie’s Travel Tricks

🔗 Website

Instagram

💻 Free Course

💳 Best Current Card Offers

🎒 Favorite Travel Gear

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this podcast are from companies which Katie's Travel Tricks will earn an affiliate commission. Katie's Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this podcast is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the autho...

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Welcome to Points for Normal People!

Today I’ll be covering tips that I believe every Southwest Airlines traveler should know. These will save you time, money, and make sure that you’re using all of the credit card benefits available to you. 

If you are new to this podcast and love Southwest Airlines like I do, be sure to check out the first three episodes of season two, for more Southwest tips and tricks!

ACTION STEPS:

• Review the benefits you have on your Southwest cards. Specifically double check to see if you have EarlyBird Check-In or Upgraded Boarding and begin to plan for how you might use them. Here is a guide to review each card: https://katiestraveltricks.com/southwest-card-guide/ 
• If you are new to this podcast, start with Season One for the very best foundation for your credit card points.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• How to change your Southwest flight: https://katiestraveltricks.com/southwest-airlines-change-flight/ 
• How does Southwest boarding work: https://katiestraveltricks.com/southwest-boarding/ 
• Southwest EarlyBird Check-In Guide: https://katiestraveltricks.com/southwest-earlybird-checkin/
• A Guide to Southwest LUV Vouchers: https://katiestraveltricks.com/southwest-luv-vouchers/ 

New Here?

Hi, I’m Katie from Katie’s Travel Tricks! I am here to help you learn the secrets that my family has been using for over a decade, using everyday expenses and welcome offers to supercharge your points earning. When you learn to do this, you can cover entire vacations every year.

Our family has been to Hawaii, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe — and more — all thanks to strategically earning and redeeming points. We've done this on a limited travel budget and now want to help you do it, too.

More from Katie’s Travel Tricks

🔗 Website

Instagram

💻 Free Course

💳 Best Current Card Offers

🎒 Favorite Travel Gear

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this podcast are from companies which Katie's Travel Tricks will earn an affiliate commission. Katie's Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this podcast is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the autho...