Almost FREE travel is the name of the game! And as the year winds down to a close, there are some things you may want to do before Dec. 31st. And if you are working on your Southwest Companion Pass along with me, keep using that card for all your purchases, but watch that minimum spend threshold. 

Here are my top 5 recommendations: 

• The number 1 thing is to use up any benefits that may be ending at the end of the year. 
• At this point, we believe that Chase is ending the pay yourself back program benefit to erase Airbnb purchases, dining and the annual fee with points. You may want to check to see if you have any eligible charges that you can "erase" or make some purchases that you can "erase" before the end of the year. 
• When I went to erase my Airbnb purchases this morning, I saw the grocery purchases were listed again, but at 25% value instead of 50%. So I would recommend erasing those dining and Airbnb purchases immediately to get more value out of your points. 
• Remember to move any points over from your freebie cards like the FREEDOM or INK cards to your higher redemption value cards like the Sapphire Preferred or Reserve. 

Top 5 Things To Do This Week Re: Points And Miles 

• Number 2 - Did you use your travel credits? Check to make sure any credit card travel credits, vouchers, points or miles do not expire at the end of the year. You should be tracking this on a spreadsheet so it's easy to see. 
• Number 3 - I use the end of the year or the beginning of the new year as a time to do a review of all my cards. I decide which ones I would like to keep for another year and which ones I would like to cancel. Remember Southwest allows you to get the bonus once every 24 months and Chase Sapphire once every four years. Capital One is a once in a lifetime bonus. 

Top 5 Things To Do This Week Re: Points And Miles 

• Number 4 - I always use the end of the year or beginning of the new year to set some travel goals for the year and for the following year. Will you travel mostly domestic or international? Do you anticipate some special travel events in the coming year? What are your travel goals for this year and next? What points or miles do you need to accumulate to reach those goals? Now is the time to plan. 

• Number 5 - Before you cancel any cards, be sure to check the benefits. Do you have a Global Entry credit to use before you cancel? How about those Southwest early boarding passes or upgrades? 

The end of the year or January are great times to review strategy and goals. The key to this game is planning early and taking advantage of opportunities. 

Enjoy the holiday season!