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Hearing a lot about Bilt Rewards lately?  That’s because Bilt points have become very valuable and easy to earn!  Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a Bilt credit card to earn Bilt points.  Here’s why you should pay attention to earning Bilt points, even if you don’t rent, and especially if you shop online. […]

Umrah can definitely be an expensive trip and journey.  But in come points and miles for the win

“Chasing” hotel status is not for everyone.  I get it.  For us, award travel is about saving money, being able to travel more (and smarter), and minimizing other travel-related costs as much as we can.  Part of that strategy includes hotel loyalty because it saves our family on costs such as breakfast, taxes/fees, parking, and […]

Holding hotel status isn’t (just) a flex.  Yes, it sounds nice, but it can be a means to save money, and reap additional perks and benefits.  I wasn’t always one who “chased” hotel status.  But once you taste the Globalist life (the highest status you can hold with World of Hyatt), there’s no turning back.  […]

Booking in a bank’s travel portal.  Ahh, such mixed feelings on this one. I recently booked flights through Capital One’s travel booking site, and I had to cancel.  Now, I’m not going to say don’t ever book flights in a bank’s travel portal because sometimes that’s just what works best.  And if you’re using cash, […]

I’ve been fortunate to do Umrah travel for the last 3 years (2022, 2023, & 2024).  Each of those years, I booked Umrah travel differently – cash (mostly), group travel, and then points and miles, respectively.  I don’t take those opportunities lightly, and while I’m sad I don’t have plans to go this year, I’m […]

Flight delays and cancellations seem inevitable these days.  Even when you’re using points and miles to book your award flights, make sure to use a card that comes with trip delay/cancellation insurance.  On our way home from Portland, Maine last month, our flight got delayed.  We were connecting through Baltimore (stopover), and multiple delays turned […]

Umrah can definitely be an expensive journey.  Add in a family, and it can fare anywhere between $7k – $10k.  (And I’m talking DIY, not group travel.)  Using points and miles can help lower those costs significantly – our family went to Umrah in November of 2024

If you’re just getting started in points and miles, also known as award travel,  make sure to check out the The Basics of Points & Miles blog post.  In addition, check out what I call The Three Pillars of Award Travel to build a sustainable card strategy for years to come. Frequently Asked Questions   […]