Points Too Paradise

Southwest just changed how the Companion Pass works, and the card bonus route most of us have used for years is going away. In this episode I walk you through what changed on October 15, what to do before December 2, how to check your own Companion Pass points, and what 2027 looks like if you miss the window.

In this episode:

• What Southwest changed and what stops counting toward the pass starting January 1, 2027
• The December 2 date: if you are approved for a Southwest card by then and meet the welcome bonus requirements, those bonus points can still count, even if you finish the spending in early 2027
• Why I am telling my clients to open the business card (80K bonus) and the personal card (50K bonus) now
• How to log in and see your Companion Pass qualifying points, and how to figure out your gap
• What 2027 looks like: the new three-trip pass at 95,000 TQPs and the unlimited pass at 140,000 TQPs
• The new premium Southwest card from Chase and the Icon Lounges coming in late 2027

Resources:

• The Southwest Business card I would grab NOW: Chase Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Business | Travel Freely
• The Southwest Plus card: Chase Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Plus | Travel Freely
• The Southwest Premier Card: Chase Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier | Travel Freely
• The Travel Points Lounge

Join the Lounge: Travel Points Lounge | Points Too Paradise

Follow on Instagram: Instagram

In this episode, I take you inside the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa. I cover exactly how many points my stay cost, what the rooms are like, the pools, where we ate, and how the location works for exploring Tucson.

What we cover:

• How many points I used and how I booked it
• The room
• The pools and the rest of the resort
• Food and drink on property
• The location and what’s nearby

Free Workshop: https://calendly.com/pointstooparadise/how-to-travel-more-without-spending-more-money-clone-1

Chase moved Sapphire Preferred transfers to Hyatt to 4:3 on October 1, and Bilt follows on January 1. I travel 6 to 8 times a year and save over $30,000 every year, and Hyatt used to be the default for a lot of those stays.

In this episode I walk through what changed, what to do before the Bilt deadline if you want those points, and how I'm spreading my points across different programs and what my strategy is going forward.

Resources:

Best Credit Card Offers

Travel Points Lounge

I travel 6 to 8 times a year and save over $30,000 every year with points, but this episode isn't really about the trips. It's about what points make possible for my business. In April I went to Power Table Live, and if I hadn't gone, I wouldn't be speaking at an event in Alabama next week. In this episode I tell the full circle story of how saying yes to events has helped me grow my business, network, and get on stages.

In this episode:

• Why I went to Power Table Live in April
• How that one event led to my speaking opportunity in Alabama
• How points let me say yes to events without the cost holding me back
• What being in the room has done for my business
• What I'd tell you if you're on the fence about going to an event

Connect with me:

• Instagram: @pointstooparadise
• Website: pointstooparadise.com
• Travel Points Lounge: Travel Points Lounge | Points Too Paradise

Got a travel purchase that can't normally be covered by points? In this episode, I'm breaking down how to use Capital One's Purchase Eraser feature to wipe out charges that code as travel, which covers way more than just flights and hotels.

In this episode:

• What "Purchase Eraser" is and how it works with Capital One miles
• Which purchases qualify as travel (the coding matters more than people think)
• Erasing charges from luxury hotels and resorts
• Using it for Airbnb and VRBO stays
• How it applies to cruise bookings
• Yes, even Disney tickets can qualify
• Tours and guided experiences on trips

Resources:

• The Travel Points Lounge — birthday sale details inside
• Follow along in Instagram
• Capital One Venture Link

Capital One just bumped up the welcome offer on the Venture Rewards card, and it's worth stopping to talk about. In this episode I'm walking through exactly what the current offer looks like, why it's better than what's been out there most of the year, and the part people usually skip what you actually do with the miles and the travel credit once you have them.

What's Covered

• The current offer, in plain terms: 75,000 bonus miles after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, plus a $300 Capital One Travel credit for hotel and vacation rental bookings, upon approval. $95 annual fee, no foreign transaction fees.
• Why this counts as "elevated": the $300 credit is new on top of the standard 75,000-mile bonus, and it's the best this card's welcome offer has looked in months.
• The fine print people miss on that $300 credit: it's stays-only (hotels and vacation rentals through Capital One Travel, no flights, no rental cars), it expires one year from account opening, it doesn't renew, and you don't earn miles on the portion of a booking it covers.
• Two ways to use the 75,000 miles: redeem at a flat 1 cent per mile to erase travel purchases on your statement, or transfer to one of Capital One's airline and hotel partners for potentially more value per mile.
• Who this offer actually makes sense for: what to think about before applying, including the $4,000 spend requirement and Capital One's eligibility rule.

Resources Mentioned

• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Follow Megan on Instragram @pointstooparadise

Thirteen days out, no plan, and we still made it to Lake Tahoe using points. In this episode I walk through exactly how I pulled off a last-minute trip: finding hotel availability with MaxMyPoint, why I booked one-way flights on two different airlines instead of a round trip, and how I thought about timing to get the best redemptions when I didn't have months to plan ahead.

What's in this episode

• How I used MaxMyPoint to search hotel award availability, instead of checking each hotel's site one by one
• What I was actually looking for when I searched availability, dates, room types, and how far I was willing to be flexible
• Why I booked one-way flights instead of a round trip, and how flying two different airlines actually got us better flights and better use of points
• How I decided which loyalty program to redeem from for each leg of the trip
• What last-minute redemptions look like compared to booking months out and where I still found good value

Resources:

Join the Travel Points Lounge

Follow along on Instagram to see our lake Tahoe trip!

Delta and Amex just dropped their biggest welcome offers ever and they're only around until November 4. In this episode, I'm breaking down every elevated offer across the Delta card lineup, which card actually fits your travel style (because the "best" card is not the same for everyone), and the benefit most cardholders don't even know they have: 15% off every award flight you book with miles. Plus, I'm sharing exactly how I catch Delta flash sales and how stacking a flash sale with your cardholder discount can turn a good deal into an unbelievable one. In this episode I'm breaking down the new elevated Delta Amex offers, card by card including the record 200,000-mile offer on the business side

Resources Mentioned:

Delta SkyMiles Blue

Delta SkyMiles Gold

Delta SkyMiles Platinum

Delta SkyMiles Reserve

Delta SkyMiles Gold Business

Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business

Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business

A student in the Lounge asked me a question this week "Do I need to open an account with every airline? Air France, JAL, Iberia... all of them?"

Short answer: yes. And in this episode I explain why.

Here's the thing about flight deals. They show up, and then they're gone. Sometimes in hours. And some of the best redemptions run through airline partners that won't let you transfer points in until your account has been open for a while. If you find the deal on Tuesday and open the account on Tuesday, you've already lost it.

So, we talk about:

• Why having your airline accounts set up ahead of time is the difference between booking the deal and watching it pass you by
• Which programs have waiting periods or other hoops you need to clear before points can land
• Why I don't keep all my points in one place, and how spreading across a few card ecosystems gives you more ways to reach the same flight
• A simple way to get this done in one afternoon so you're ready the next time a deal pops

If you've ever seen someone post a wild business class deal and thought "how did they book that so fast," this is how. It wasn't luck. They'd already done the setup.

Come join us in the Travel Points Lounge and I'll help you build this skill so you're the one booking the deal next time.

Join the Travel Points Lounge

We just got back from the Smoky Mountains and I'm taking you along for the whole thing.

In this episode, I'm walking you through exactly how we booked our family trip to Dollywood and Gatlinburg, Tennessee: the resort, the flights, the rental car, and yes even how we handled park tickets. If you've ever wondered what a real points trip looks like from start to finish

In this episode, I cover:

• How we booked our resort [which points/card, how many points, what it would have cost in cash]
• The flight strategy [airline, points currency, routing from ABQ]
• Rental Car
• Our favorite spots in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, where we ate, what we skipped
• A full day at Dollywood

The takeaway: You don't need a huge income or complicated strategy to make trips like this happen. You need a system and the willingness to say yes.

Links & Resources:

• Ready to book your own points trip? Join us inside the Travel Points Lounge
• Follow along → @pointstooparadise
• Capital One Venture X Card