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Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Mexico's Most Charming Colonial City 🇲🇽

San Miguel de Allende: Mexico's Most Charming Colonial City 🇲🇽

A UNESCO World Heritage City and consistently ranked among the world's best small cities, San Miguel de Allende is the kind of place that gets under your skin fast. Cobblestone streets wind past art galleries, live music spills out of mezcal bars, flower-draped balconies frame every corner, and somehow it all costs less than you'd expect. Walkable, beautiful, and endlessly interesting — this one belongs on your list.

Getting There ✈️

There's no airport in San Miguel itself, so you'll need to plan your arrival. Three airports serve the city, each with its own trade-offs. You can fly from the US or use the Cross Border Express from San Diego to fly out of Tijuana. If you can't use points in the travel portal to cover your flights or miles, you can always use your Capital One Venture X and "erase" the flights.

1. Del Bajío International Airport (BJX) — León/Guanajuato 🥇 Best for most travelers

About 1.5 hours away (~100 km)
The most direct flights from the US, including nonstops from Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta
Served by United, American, Delta, Volaris, and Aeromexico

2. Querétaro International Airport (QRO) 🥈 Solid alternative

About 1 hour 15 minutes away (~60 km) — actually the closest geographically
Fewer international routes, but the airport is growing quickly
Works well if you connect through Mexico City

3. Mexico City International Airport (MEX) or AIFA (NLU) — Widest selection, longer transfer

About 3 to 3.5 hours by highway (~270 km)
Your best bet if you're flying in from Europe, South America, or Asia
Many travelers tack on a night in CDMX and turn the drive up to SMA into part of the trip

💡 Hot tip: Budget airline Volaris sells an annual unlimited flights pass for around $500 — the catch is you can only book a few days before departure. Worth it if you're flexible.

Getting to Town 🚐

From BJX or QRO, pre-booking a shuttle is the move. We recommend BajioGo Shuttle — shared rides run about $66 per person round-trip. If you plan to use it regularly, their pass drops the cost to just $10 per ride.

Getting Around 👟

San Miguel is small and very walkable, but here's something the Instagram photos won't tell you: it's built on a hillside. When booking accommodation, pay attention to where you land on that slope — your legs will thank you. We stayed a few blocks from the historic center at casaavra.com, which hit the sweet spot of flat location, great price, and genuine comfort.

One more thing: almost every street is cobblestone. Gorgeous? Yes. Forgiving on heels? Absolutely not. Pack good walking shoes — we watched a few brave souls attempt the streets in stilettos and it was not going well. Also worth noting: the city sits at 6,400 feet elevation, so give yourself a day to adjust before going full tourist mode.

What to Do 🎨

Start with a walking tour. It's the fastest way to get your bearings, pick up local recommendations, and discover buildings you'd never find on your own. Our guide took us inside stunning off-the-beaten-path spots, including an incredible mural hidden inside the Arts and Culture Building.

Visit Fabrica La Aurora. A converted 19th-century textile factory turned high-end gallery and studio complex — plan to spend a couple of hours here.

Spend time in the main square. The neo-Gothic pink Parroquia church anchors the plaza and looks different (and frankly better) every hour of the day.

Wander without a plan. Some of the best moments in San Miguel happen when you have nowhere specific to be — ducking into a courtyard, stumbling on a jazz trio, finding a rooftop bar with a view.

Take a cooking class. Learn to make chiles rellenos at Pura Vida Kitchens, pair them with natural wines, and leave with a skill you'll actually use at home. 🍷

Hit the Saturday farmers market. The whole town shows up for this one — live music, local produce, great people-watching. Don't skip it. 🌿

Day Trips. Check out the thermal hot springs just 15 minutes drive from town

The Expat Factor 🏡

San Miguel has a well-established expat community, drawn largely by the low cost of living. Rental rates are reasonable, daily life is affordable, and the quality of life is high. It's not a secret, but it still feels like one.

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process. Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the program.

Or you can book a consulting call with us for just $100. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable.

***In honor of every new paid client, we will make a donation of 10% to one of our favorite charities.

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Score 10,000 Free Miles for Your Fall Europe Trip ✈️

Score 10,000 Free Miles for Your Fall Europe Trip ✈️

Planning a trip to Europe this September? Here's a deal worth knowing about: book a qualifying flight now and you'll pocket a bonus 10,000 Flying Blue miles — no hoops, no tricks.

Here's what you need to qualify:

📅 Book by May 3rd
🗓️ Travel between April 22nd – September 30th, 2026
🛬 Fly at least one segment from the US to Amsterdam or Paris (CDG)
💺 Economy class only
🇺🇸 US residents only
New bookings only — existing reservations don't count

So what can you actually do with 10,000 miles? 🤔

More than you might think. Every month, Flying Blue — the loyalty program shared by KLM and Air France — releases a promotional transatlantic route priced at just 18,750 miles. That means your 10,000 bonus miles put you well over halfway to a completely free flight to Europe. You'd only need to earn (or buy) the remaining 8,750 miles to redeem a one-way award ticket.

Plus Capital One, Bilt and Chase are transfer partners with Flying Blue. 👏

If a fall trip to Paris, Amsterdam or anywhere in Europe is already on your radar 🗼, this is a genuinely solid reason to book sooner rather than later. That May 3rd deadline moves fast.

Or you can book a consulting call with us for just $100. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable.

***In honor of every new paid client, we will make a donation of 10% to one of our favorite charities.

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Atmos Rewards Is Back With a 100,000-Point Bonus 🎉

Atmos Rewards (Alaska Airlines) just brought back its 100,000-point bonus offer — and this one is worth paying attention to.

I usually steer my clients toward flexible point programs like Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Amex. But after jumping on this offer last year, I can confirm that Atmos Rewards holds its own when it comes to flexibility — especially for families.

Why Atmos Points Are More Flexible Than You'd Think ✈️

Alaska Airlines partners with 13 alliance members, including some heavy hitters:

American Airlines
British Airways
Aer Lingus
Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
Cathay Pacific
Fiji Airways
Finnair
Iberia
Japan Airlines
Malaysia Airlines
Qantas
Royal Air Maroc
Royal Jordanian
Sri Lankan Airlines

That's a lot of booking options. To put it to the test, I ran a few searches:

San Francisco → Sydney, Australia — multiple options on Fiji Airways and American Airlines ✅
New York → Madrid, Spain — solid choices on Iberia and American Airlines ✅

Seattle → Tokyo — non stop even business class bookable on Hawaiian Airlines ✅

Could you sometimes find a better deal booking directly, say on Iberia using Avios? Possibly. But Atmos points shine when you need options fast. A client of mine needed a last-minute flight to Austin — cash prices were brutal, but we found a redemption for just 12,500 Atmos points. That's the kind of win that makes keeping a points stash worthwhile. 🙌

The Two Card Offers Right Now 💳

Summit Card — 100,000-point bonus

Spend $6,500 in the first 3 months
$395 annual fee
Perks: 50% flight discount code, 8 lounge passes, and a 25,000-point global companion award

Ascent Card — 80,000-point bonus

Spend $4,000 in 4 months
$95 annual fee
Perks: 50% flight discount code, $99 companion fare, and one free checked bag for you and up to 6 guests

Both are genuinely strong offers. Whether you go big with the Summit or keep it lean with the Ascent, having a healthy Atmos points balance gives you real booking power when you need it most. 🗺️

Or you can book a consulting call with us for just $100. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable.

***In honor of every new paid client, we will make a donation of 10% to one of our favorite charities.

Thursday, April 9, 2026

How to Squeeze Maximum Value Out of 75,000 Capital One Venture Points

How to Squeeze Maximum Value Out of 75,000 Capital One Venture Points 🧳

The Capital One Venture card's welcome offer ends April 13th — that's 75,000 points + a $250 travel credit for a $95 annual fee, worth at least $1,000 in travel. 🤑

But here's the thing — $1,000 is really just the floor. Let's talk about how to do even better.

Two Ways to Use Your Capital One Points

1. 🖥️ Book Through the Capital One Travel Portal

Simple and solid. Your 75,000 points are worth a straight $750 toward flights, hotels, rental cars and more. Great if you want zero fuss.

2. 🔄 Transfer to Airlines & Hotels (This Is Where It Gets Fun)

This is where your points can really take off. Capital One transfers to dozens of loyalty programs, most at a 1:1 ratio:

✈️ Airlines	🏨 Hotels
Japan Airlines	ALL - Accor Live Limitless
Flying Blue (Air France & KLM)	Choice Hotels
Aeromexico	Preferred Hotels
Air Canada Aeroplan	Wyndham
Cathay
Avianca
British Airways
Emirates
Etihad
Eva Air
Finnair
JetBlue
Qantas
Qatar
Singapore KrisFlyer
TAP Miles&Go
Turkish Miles&Smiles
Virgin Atlantic

💡 Pro tip: Keep an eye out for bonus transfer promotions — Japan Airlines has one running right now!

Real-World Sweet Spots Worth Knowing About 🍬

✈️Turkish Miles&Smiles

Book a business class flight from Los Angeles to Athens for just 165,000 points — a ticket that'd otherwise run you $3,500 cash. Yes, really.

🌷 Flying Blue (Air France & KLM) — My Personal Favorite

Flying Blue drops monthly promotions that are hard to beat. Right now you can snag a one-way economy flight from Los Angeles to Amsterdam for just 18,750 points — a ticket worth $750. That's an incredible return on your points.

🏖️ Wyndham — A Sleeper Hit

Wyndham is a newer Capital One transfer partner and it's already delivering. I recently transferred points for two nights at an all-inclusive in Cancun (for a destination wedding, no less 💍). The rooms were going for $450/night cash — I paid 60,000 points. That's the kind of win that makes points nerds do a happy dance. 🕺

The Bottom Line

These are just a handful of ways to stretch 75,000 Capital One points and $250 travel credit well beyond that $1,000 baseline. The right transfer partner for the right trip can dramatically multiply your value.

But you've got to move — this offer ends April 13th. ⏰ Ready to apply? Use our referral link and let's get you traveling! 🙌

Or you can book a consulting call with us for just $100. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable.

***In honor of every new paid client, we will make a donation of 10% to one of our favorite charities.

Tuesday, April 7, 2026

How to Use the $250 Travel Credit from the Capital One Venture Card ✈️

The desert on Gran Canaria

The Capital One Venture credit card dropped a seriously good welcome offer — 75,000 points plus a $250 travel credit, all for a $95 annual fee. We estimate the total value at least $1,000 in travel. 🤑

⏰ Heads up: This offer expires April 13th, so don't sit on this one!

So, What Can You Actually Do With the $250 Travel Credit?

The credit lives inside the Capital One Travel Portal, and honestly, there's a lot to work with. You can book:

✈️ Flights
🏨 Stays
📦 Packages
🚗 Rental Cars
🎭 Activities
💎 Premium Stays

How the Portal Works

Searching is straightforward — it works just like any other third-party travel portal. What sets Capital One's apart are two handy perks:

A price drop guarantee 📉
Optional cancel anytime protection for extra peace of mind 🛡️

When you find something you love and add it to your cart, Capital One will automatically prompt you to apply your $250 travel credit. You can also tap into your 75,000 points to cover any remaining balance.

👉 Want to squeeze maximum value out of those points? Check out our full guide here on the smartest ways to redeem them — we break down exactly how to hit that $1,000+ value threshold.

Ready to Grab This Deal?

Remember, April 13th is the cutoff — after that, this offer is gone. If you're ready to apply, we'd love it if you used our referral link — it helps us keep finding deals like this for you!

Or you can book a consulting call with us for just $100. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable.

***In honor of every new paid client, we will make a donation of 10% to one of our favorite charities.

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

How To Avoid The Long Lines At TSA

Skip the TSA Line With This Facial Recognition Shortcut ✈️

Want to breeze through airport security without the usual wait? A little advance planning is all it takes.

TSA is currently expanding a touchless pilot program at airports across the country — and the timing couldn't be better. With security lines growing longer by the day, this upgrade is a welcome relief for frequent flyers.

It's called the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID program, and it uses facial recognition technology to get you through security without fumbling for your boarding pass or driver's license. Just step up to the camera, and you're on your way. 📸

I got to try it firsthand this week at Charleston International Airport in South Carolina — and the difference was striking. There was a small line for standard TSA PreCheck, a longer one for regular security, and zero wait at the Touchless ID lane.

Here's how to set it up:

Before you fly, head to the profile section of your airline's app or website. Look for the TSA PreCheck Touchless ID option, scan your passport, enter your Known Traveler Number, and hit submit. Note that you'll need to repeat this process for each airline separately — it doesn't carry over automatically.

One important requirement: you must already have TSA PreCheck to use this program. 🔐

Which airlines support it?

All five major U.S. carriers are currently participating: United, Delta, Southwest, Alaska, and American Airlines.

Where is it available?

Not every airport has it yet, but TSA plans to roll out the program to 65 airports by June 2026 — so keep an eye out next time you travel. 🗺️

And if you don't have TSA Precheck yet, a few of our favorite credit cards offer a $120 Global Entry credit like the Capital One Venture X, the Capital One Venture and the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? I can plan your entire trip using your points and miles or offer a 30 minute consult to answer questions or you can download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable.

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities.

Friday, March 13, 2026

Client Success Story! 100,000 Point Bonus Earned

Love getting emails from clients about their wins! This one made my day because it’s the first time this client has used points and miles for a trip—and it’s a big one. 🎉

They’re heading to Europe to celebrate their anniversary. The plan starts in Amsterdam during tulip season 🌷, then a flight to Prague, followed by a train ride to Vienna. Not a bad way to celebrate an anniversary!

Honestly, I wish I could tag along.

They reached out because they had some Chase Ultimate Rewards points but weren’t sure how to use them effectively. They wanted help turning those points into a memorable anniversary trip to Europe.

We talked through the best strategy: how to use their Chase points for flights, how to structure the itinerary, and how to leverage the rest of their travel spending to earn even more points that could offset additional costs.

Here’s what we put together:

✈️ Flights

75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points covered two round-trip flights from LAX to Amsterdam

🏨 Hotels

$300 Capital One Venture X annual travel credit applied toward a hotel stay

💳 Additional travel

100,000+ Capital One bonus points available for hotels and their flight from Amsterdam to Prague

We estimate this client will save approximately $3,000 on their anniversary trip! Woohoo! 😄

And that brings up a great question: What can you do with 100,000 Capital One points?

Quite a lot.

Depending on transfer bonuses and award availability, that balance could potentially cover multiple flights to Europe or several hotel stays.

Here are a few of the ways we like to use Capital One points:

✈️ Transfer to airline partners for award flights
🏨 Transfer to hotel partners for hotel stays
💳 Use the travel purchase eraser to offset travel charges
🌍 Book through the Capital One Travel Portal

You can read here about how I used Capital One points to get a free rental car and Lavatubing tour in Tahiti or how I used Capital One points for a 2 week family trip to Ireland.

One thing we generally don’t recommend: redeeming points for gift cards or statement credits. Those options typically deliver the lowest value for your points.

If this is your first time using points and miles, this is exactly the kind of strategy that can turn a pile of credit card points into a memorable trip. And honestly, there’s nothing better than seeing it all come together. ✈️🌍

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? Book a 1:1 consulting call, download my ebook, custom tracker or Join my Travel Coaching Program and we will design your personal strategy to travel for almost FREE and guide you through the process.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable.

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities.

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

How To Get Thousands of FREE Airline Miles Without Spending Extra $

I talk about shopping portals all the time because they’re one of the easiest ways to earn airline miles and hotel points on spending you’re already doing. 🛍️✈️

Today I want to show you a few real examples — plus some bonus offers that can help you stack even more points and miles.

Rakuten is my current favorite shopping portal 💻✨

Rakuten.com has become my go-to for earning extra rewards on everyday purchases.

For example: I buy cat food from Chewy.com every few months. If I take the extra step of starting at Rakuten and then clicking through to Chewy, I’m still shopping at the exact same website — but now I earn:

2% cash back from Rakuten
Plus 1x–2x points from my credit card

Chewy is listed on a bunch of shopping portals, so it’s always smart to check cashbackmonitor.com before you buy. When I checked, most portals were offering 1x points or miles at Chewy… but the Chase Freedom portal was offering 2x. 👀

The best part: Rakuten can pay out in points 🎯

Rakuten lets you earn rewards as:

Cash back
American Express Membership Rewards points
Bilt points

I linked my Rakuten account to Bilt, so every 4 months my Rakuten rewards automatically transfer into my Bilt account.

Quick Bilt refresher (because these points are legit)

Bilt points are a newer flexible currency — similar to Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex, Citi, and Capital One.

You can transfer Bilt points to airline and hotel partners like:

Southwest
Alaska
Iberia
Virgin
Flying Blue (Air France/KLM)
Hyatt

A huge current Rakuten offer: Kraken 💰

Right now on Rakuten, the crypto platform Kraken is offering:

$150 back on a $225 deposit and purchase

If you’re earning in Bilt points, that’s essentially 15,000 Bilt points (since it transfers 1:1).

To put that into perspective:

My last flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles cost 4,500 Alaska points
The one before that cost 2,500 Southwest points
And yes, I brought a companion along for free 😅

Want to stack the deal even more? 🔥

If you open a Rakuten account using my referral link, you’ll get an extra 5,000 points after you spend $50.

So if you did the Kraken offer, you’d be looking at 20,000 Bilt points total.

And just to show how real this is: transfer those points to FlyingBlue.com and you can potentially book a one-way economy ticket on Air France from Los Angeles to Athens. Seriously.

Not into crypto? Totally fair 😄

If crypto isn’t your thing, you can still use the referral offer and earn the bonus on a normal purchase.

I used it once to send flowers to a friend as a thank-you and earned the 5,000 points that way. You could also use it on something basic like… cat food. 🐾

More bonus offers to earn points on everyday life ✈️🍽️🚗

United + Instacart 🛒

If you link your Instacart account with your United account and make a grocery purchase within 60 days, United will give you:

500 miles for free

If you’re a new Instacart customer and make 4 orders in 8 weeks, United will give you:

5,000 miles

I just did this and added another stack. I clicked on Rakuten.com which was offering 3x points on Instacart then placed an order with my Capital One Venture X to earn 2x points and 500 bonus United miles. Woohoo!

Lyft partnerships 🚙

Link your Hilton, Alaska, Bilt, or United account with Lyft and earn points every time you ride.

Prefer Uber? You can link Uber + United for extra miles too.

Airbnb miles 🏡

Book through Delta Airbnb to earn Delta miles
You can also earn British Airways Avios on Airbnb stays through their earning portal

Rental car miles 🚗

I’ve linked my Budget Rental account to my Southwest Airlines account — so every rental earns me 500 Southwest miles.

VRBO + United 🧳

United also has a partnership with VRBO, so you can earn United miles on stays.

Dining points through IHG + OpenTable 🍷

On the IHG website, you can access OpenTable and earn:

150 IHG points every time you dine out

The takeaway

None of these require extra spending — they just require one extra click or a quick account link. And over time, these little wins can add up to real flights and hotel nights. 😎

There are even more offers like this out there, so check the websites (or social pages) for your favorite brands and see who they partner with for rewards.

Right now, you can use the promo code "FREETRAVEL" to get $50 off the coaching program. I would love to help you make priceless family memories affordable.

*For every new client, we will donate 10% of the proceeds to one of our favorite charities.