TSA PreCheck Just Got Better!

 

If you have TSA Precheck, security just got even easier! A new Touchless ID option is being offered to those who already have TSA Precheck. With this new option, you don't need to show your ID or boarding pass, security is done with facial recognition. 

There may even be a separate line for those who have opted in. 

So how does it work?

• Enroll: Link your Known Traveler Number (KTN) with a participating airline and opt-in via their app, uploading your passport info. At this point, we are not sure if you have to opt in for each airline or just once. 
• Check-in: Look for the "TSA PreCheck Touchless ID" indicator on your mobile boarding pass
  . The icon will not show up on a printed boarding pass. 
• At the checkpoint: Find the dedicated lane, show your mobile pass, and look into the camera for a facial scan.
• Verification: The system compares your live photo to your passport photo. If it matches, you proceed without showing documents. 

Currently, the program is available in 15 airports and the following airlines Delta, 

United, Alaska, American and Southwest.

According to TSA, the program will expand to 65 airports in 2026. 

Several credit cards offer a Global Entry credit which includes TSA Precheck. 

My favorites are the Capital One Venture X and the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit cards.

Both cards are offering bonuses right now. 

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. 

How You Can Use Your Sapphire Reserve Credits For A Vegas Holiday

Since the refresh of the Chase Sapphire Reserve last year, figuring out how to actually use the card’s growing list of credits has been top of mind. With such a high annual fee, you really don’t want those credits expiring unused—but how do you use them without spending a ton of extra cash?

I kept seeing Las Vegas mentioned as an easy win, so I decided to test it myself. My credits were expiring December 31, 2025, which gave me a perfect excuse to plan a quick midweek escape. I started researching what 48 hours in Las Vegas could realistically look like—and whether the math would actually work in my favor.

Below is exactly how I used the credits, and what the weekend ultimately cost. 🎰✈️

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credits (Current Lineup)

The Chase Sapphire Reserve currently includes the following credits:

• $500 Edit Hotel Credit – $250 per two-night stay booked through the Chase Travel portal

• $300 Restaurant Credit – valid through Chase Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Dining

• $300 StubHub Credit – must be activated in your Chase account before purchase; split into two $150 credits (Jan–June and July–Dec)

• $250 Chase Hotel Credit – valid on select hotel brands (Omni, IHG, Montage, Pendry, Virgin, Minor, Pan Pacific) booked through the portal; two-night stay required

• $300 Annual Travel Credit – automatically applied to eligible travel purchases charged to the card

The credits I specifically needed to use before they expired were:

• $150 Dining Credit

• $250 Edit Hotel Credit

• $150 StubHub Credit

Booking the Hotel 🏨

I logged into the Chase Travel portal and found a solid midweek deal at Park MGM: Tuesday–Thursday in mid-January for about $145 per night, plus a $100 property credit. After booking, the $250 Edit Hotel Credit posted the next day. The hotel was well located, room was large and beds were comfy. Added bonus, there is a tram that connects the hotel to the Bellagio saving your feet from more walking. 

Total out-of-pocket for the hotel: $41

Using the StubHub Credit 🎭

Next stop: StubHub. I noticed The Wizard of Oz was playing at the Sphere—seeing a show there was already on my wish list. Midweek 5:00 pm tickets were about $189 per ticket including fees and taxes.

After activating the StubHub credit, I booked the tickets. The $150 credit posted immediately.

Total out-of-pocket for the show: $229

Dining with Chase Exclusive Tables 🍽️

I checked Chase Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables and snagged a reservation at Hell’s Kitchen. Dinner came to $175 including tax and tip, and the dining credit applied seamlessly. And by the way, dinner was delicious. Highly recommend! 

Total out-of-pocket for dinner: $25

Property Credit Meals & Extras 🥢☕

We used the $100 Park MGM property credit for dinner at La La Noodle and breakfast at Primrose Café. The front desk confirmed the credit only covered food—not tax or tip, but was valid at any of the restaurants inside the hotel except Crack Shack. 

We also split a sandwich from Eataly before the show. 

Total out-of-pocket for additional food, tax and tip: $45

Since that used up the property credit, we picked up breakfast at the airport before our flight home in the Capital One Lounge which is a benefit of the Capital One Venture X credit card. Yum! 

Capital One Lounge Las Vegas

Flights & Transportation 🚗

We flew to Las Vegas on Southwest using points and my Companion Pass. I did park my car at the San Diego airport for $36.

We skipped renting a car in Las Vegas and used Lyft instead. I applied the $10 monthly Chase Sapphire Reserve Lyft credit for the airport ride, and paid for the return trip.

Total out-of-pocket for parking and rides: $51
(If I still had my $300 travel credit available, this would have been fully covered.)

Beautiful light and fountain show in front of the Bellagio Hotel

Final Tally 💸

Was this a completely free Las Vegas trip? No—not technically. But for 48 hours in Vegas, a hotel stay, a Sphere show, multiple restaurant meals, and flights on points, we spent about $250 out of pocket total.

More importantly, I used credits that otherwise would have expired—and turned the Chase Sapphire Reserve “coupon book” into a genuinely fun, low-stress getaway. For me, that’s exactly how these credits should work. If you are interested in applying for the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Preferred credit cards, use this link. 

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. 

How To Make Travel Chaos Easier On You

 Quick flight home

from San Francisco this week turned into travel weather chaos but I learned a few things that helped me navigate the changes more quickly.

I was notified of the changes for my Alaska Airlines flight through email, but there was a serious lag. I was actually sent a free $50 airport voucher for food and drinks BEFORE I found out my flight was delayed. That's when I decided to check the board to confirm the delay and saw my flight was actually cancelled. Hmmmm.

The app and flightaware.com still showed the flight delayed.

The Alaska Lounge rep told me to head to the Alaska service center, but the line was 50 deep so I hopped on the app.

The app immediately offered me several alternative flights to cities within 70 miles of my intended destination. I could check the flight board at the airport to see if those alternative flights were still taking off and I was able to rebook myself on an American Airlines flight leaving in an hour. Alaska even refunded 8,000 points when I booked the new flight.

That American Airlines flight ended up getting delayed as well, but I still departed that night instead of spending the night in San Francisco.

While I was changing flights, I was trying to help a woman in the service center line, but she had not downloaded the app and didn't have her confirmation code or loyalty number so we were not having much success. The Alaska rep ended up rebooking her on a flight leaving the next day and she was forced to pay for a hotel near the SFO airport. Sidenote, she had also checked her bag and could not get it back. Bummer.

I had access to both the Alaska Lounge with the Atmos Summit credit card lounge passes and The Club at SFO through Priority Pass with my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card.

I was disappointed with the food at the Alaska Lounge though the Whiskey Sour welcome drink was pretty tasty!

There was a waiting list for The Club at SFO so I spent the $50 voucher from Alaska on a sandwich, yogurt and protein bar from one of the restaurants. Since I still had a balance available, I bought some chocolate and pretzels. The credit showed up instantly on my credit card.

Then I got off the waitlist at The Club and my flight got delayed again so I went in and found a quiet place to work.

So lessons learned from this experience:

Always download the app for the airline you are traveling with. I was able to rebook myself from a cancelled Alaska flight to an American flight on the app and skip waiting in the huge line. The Alaska rep was surprised! She could only rebook on Alaska flights and Alaska refunded my miles thru the app

Check your credit card benefits, Atmos Summit sent me a $50 voucher to use in the airport during the delay

Lounge access is awesomea welcome drink and free food makes the delay much easier

Be flexible. I ended up flying to LA and renting a car for $32 instead of spending the night in a hotel

Another reason not to check bags. My carryon stayed with me.

The flight cancellation notice from Alaska Airlines eventually came through and cited Air Traffic Control Restrictions as the reason for cancellation. Since I did have to rent a car and pay for a half tank of gas, I filed a claim with Alaska Airlines. Stayed posted to see if I get reimbursed. If I had paid for my flight or just the taxes with my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, I could have filed a claim with Chase under trip delay reimbursement. But since I used my Atmos Summit credit card to pay the $6 taxes for this flight, I was awarded the $50 trip delay voucher to use in the airport.

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. 

The Chase Combo That Changed My Points Game 💳✨

The Chase Freedom Unlimited + Sapphire Combo That Changed My Points Game 💳✨

Want to know a points-earning strategy that actually makes sense? Pair the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited with either a Sapphire Preferred or Reserve card. (I've got a full breakdown of how this duo works )

Here's why this matters: The Freedom Unlimited earns 1.5 points on literally everything, plus 3x at restaurants and drugstores, and 5x on travel booked through Chase. The real magic happens when you transfer those points to your Sapphire card—suddenly they're worth way more when you redeem them for travel.

Right now, there's a $300 bonus after you spend $500 🎉

Since there's no annual fee, this card pays for itself (well, technically it costs nothing). It's one of those rare no-brainer additions to your wallet that keeps working for you year after year.

Use my referral link to get the increased bonus 

Want more personal help planning your next trip? 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. 

Score Big Points: Chase Freedom Q1 2026 Categories Are Here! 💳

Chase just dropped the Q1 2026 rotating bonus categories for the Freedom (no longer available) and Freedom Flex cards, and there's some surprisingly specific earning potential this quarter.

Why These Cards Matter

Both Freedom cards charge zero annual fees and pair beautifully with premium Chase cards like the Sapphire Preferred or Sapphire Reserve. Since all your points pool together in the Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem, you're essentially earning 5x points that can transfer to travel partners or boost redemptions through the Chase portal.

Q1 2026 Categories (Jan 1 - Mar 31)

Here's where you'll earn 5x points:

• Norwegian Cruise Line 🚢
• American Heart Association
• Dining 🍽️

The Cruise Opportunity

Planning a Norwegian cruise in 2026? Here's a pro move: wait until January to book or pay your balance. A $3,000 cruise booking would generate 15,000 Chase points—that's serious value from a no-fee card. Even final payments on existing bookings should qualify if processed during Q1.

Dining Never Gets Old

The dining category remains one of the most practical bonus opportunities. Whether you're grabbing coffee, ordering takeout, or enjoying a nice meal out, those 5x points add up quickly over three months.

Don't Forget to Activate! ⚠️

Activate your card by March 14th to earn bonus points. The good news? Activation is retroactive to January 1st, so you won't miss out on early purchases.

New to Chase Freedom?

The Freedom Flex currently offers a $200 welcome bonus after spending $500 in the first three months. That's a solid return for everyday spending, plus you'll be ready for future rotating categories.

If you don't have a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card yet and these credits sound interesting to you, there is an increased 125,000 point offer right now for a $6,000 minimum spend. You can read more about the benefits of the card here. If that's too steep for you, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is also offering an increased 75,000 point bonus offer for $5,000 minimum spend.

Want more personal help planning your next trip? 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. 

Don't Let Your Chase Sapphire Reserve Credits Expire! Here's Your Game Plan 🎯

Got the Chase Sapphire Reserve? You're probably feeling the December 31st deadline pressure right about now.

Here's the deal: Chase bumped the annual fee to $795 earlier this year (ouch 😬). But they also added some seriously valuable credits to soften the blow. The catch? They all expire on Dec. 31st, and you need to use them to actually justify that hefty fee.

If you're scrambling to figure this out, you're not alone—we're in the same boat! Let me walk you through some strategies that might help. Plus, Chase is rolling out changes on January 1st that should make this less stressful next year 🙌

Your Three Main Expiring Credits:

• $150 StubHub credit
• $150 Restaurant credit
• $250 Edit hotel credit

(There are also monthly credits like Lyft and DashPass, but those don't expire annually, so we're focusing on the big three.)

---

💳 The $150 StubHub Credit

This one's straightforward:

Activate the credit first in your Chase.com account. It's located under benefits. Buy any ticket on StubHub.com using your Chase Sapphire Reserve card. You can purchase for yourself or let someone you trust buy a ticket in their account using your card—as long as the purchase goes through StubHub directly, you're good.

Key detail: You only need to purchase the ticket by Dec. 31st, not attend the event. You need to activate the credit before you make the purchase! 

Pro tip: You could buy a ticket and relist it on StubHub. Even if you resell for the same price, you're up $150 from the credit 💡

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🍽️ The $150 Restaurant Credit

This one confuses people, but it's actually pretty flexible:

1. Go to Chase Sapphire Exclusive Tables on OpenTable
2. Click your city (or wherever you're visiting) to see participating restaurants
3. Book a reservation through OpenTable—you can choose ANY available time, not just the ones marked "Chase Sapphire"

But here's where it gets better—you don't even need a reservation:

• Walk in and dine
• Order takeout
• Get delivery (if the restaurant offers it directly—not through third-party apps)
• Buy a gift card online IF the restaurant uses Toast as their payment system (you'll see "Toast" on the checkout page)

Just make sure you pay with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card to trigger the credit.

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🏨 The $250 Edit Hotel Credit

This one takes a bit more work:

Log into the Chase Travel Portal and search for hotels. Edit properties sometimes appear at the top if they include a points boost, but there's no dedicated filter (annoying, I know).

Since Edit hotels are typically 4-5 star luxury properties, filter for those categories to narrow your search. Some more affordable options include Kimpton hotels and MGM properties in Las Vegas.

What you get with Edit hotels:

• $100 property credit
• Daily breakfast
• Early check-in/late check-out
• Free WiFi

Important notes:

• 2-night minimum required
• Book by Dec. 31st, but your actual stay can be in 2025
• Some people are booking refundable 2026 stays—we're still figuring out what happens if you cancel or modify
• You can use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to cover any remaining balance after the credit

---

My Vegas Plan 🎰

I already have trips booked for next year, but the Edit hotels in those cities were way over budget. So I'm doing a quick midweek Vegas trip instead:

• MGM Grand - only $40 out of pocket after the $250 credit for 2 nights
• Daily breakfast included
• $100 property credit for lunch or dinner
• $150 restaurant credit for another meal out
• $150 StubHub credit for Sphere tickets
• Southwest points + Companion Pass for flights

Total out-of-pocket: $40 for a 2-night Vegas getaway ✈️

I'll report back on how it goes! 

In January, Chase is changing the bi-annual $250 credit to an annual $500 credit, BUT you will still need to book a 2 night minimum for each $250 credit. The theory is you can book back to back reservations to use both credits. You will need to contact the hotel to connect the reservations so you don't need to change rooms. 

If you don't have a Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card yet and these credits sound interesting to you, there is an increased 125,000 point offer right now for a $6,000 minimum spend. You can read more about the benefits of the card here. If that's too steep for you, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is also offering an increased 75,000 point bonus offer for $5,000 minimum spend.

Want more personal help planning your next trip? 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. 

 

Points Ecosystems: A 4-Person Portugal Field Test ✈️

Portugal is absolutely one of those bucket-list destinations! Sun-drenched cities, incredible food, and history around every corner. Even better? With some clever planning, it’s also an incredibly affordable one. Before we dive into what to eat and see in Lisbon and Porto, let's look at the most exciting part: free flights!

I often hear from clients who get stuck at the points-redemption stage. They have the points, they want to book, but they freeze up worrying they aren't getting the best deal or doing it "right."

I’m about to show you that there isn't one "right way." There are many different ways to get to the exact same destination using different combinations of points and miles, and all of them are wins! Hopefully, this case study takes some of the pressure off your next big booking.

The Ultimate Points Challenge

Recently, my family of four headed to Portugal for a much-needed getaway. But this wasn't a simple round-trip for four. Because of different schedules and starting points, we were traveling from four different cities on four different days to converge on Lisbon.

This logistical challenge turned into a perfect, real-life points-and-miles case study, demonstrating how powerful diverse redemptions can be. Here’s a look at the strategy for each traveler:

Traveler 1: The Multi-City Mixer

• LAX → MAD | Nonstop via Iberia Airlines | 18,000 Iberia Avios + $60 | |
• Seville (SVQ) → LIS | Positioning flight (booked via portal) | 8,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) 
• ATH → CDG → LAX | Return via Air France/KLM (Flying Blue) | 20,000 Chase UR (transferred to Flying Blue) + $80 
• Total Cost | | 46,000 points + $140 | The takeaway here is using Avios for low-tax redemptions and then transferring Chase points to a partner (Flying Blue) for the long-haul return.

Traveler 2: The Direct & Diversify

• LAX → LIS | Direct via TAP Portugal (booked via portal) | 22,000 Chase UR 
• OPO → AMS → SAN | Return via KLM (Flying Blue) | 20,000 Chase UR (transferred to Flying Blue) + $80 
• Total Cost | | 42,000 points + $80 | A great reminder that sometimes the easiest redemption is through a portal (Chase) for the outbound, while a partner transfer (Flying Blue) is best for the inbound.

Traveler 3: The Flying Blue Promo Fare Hunter

• SFO → CDG → LIS | Air France Promo Fare | 18,750 Chase UR (transferred to Flying Blue) + $120 
• LIS → AMS → SFO | KLM Promo Fare | 18,750 Chase UR (transferred to Flying Blue) + $177 | | 
• Total Cost | | 37,500 points + $297 | This person shows the magic of Promo Fares. They saved the most points overall by being flexible with connections and leveraging a great monthly transfer bonus.

Traveler 4: The Avios Madrid Hub Master

• ORD → MAD | Iberia Avios Redemption | 20,750 Iberia Avios + $67 
• LIS → MAD | Cheap cash positioning flight | $50 
• MAD → ORD | Iberia Avios Redemption | 16,000 Iberia Avios + $36 
• Total Cost | | 36,750 points + $153 | The Avios sweet spot is real! By routing through Madrid, they used significantly fewer points for a transatlantic trip and spent only a little extra cash on the positioning flight.

The Grand Total & The Earning Strategy

To move four people from four different starting points across the Atlantic, we used:

Total Points and Miles Redeemed

• Chase Ultimate Rewards: Approximately 107,500 points

• Iberia Avios: 45,750 Avios

• Total Cash Paid (Taxes/Fees/Cash Leg): ~$670

That’s four transatlantic flights and two positioning flights for minimal cash! 🤯

How We Earned the Points

Now for the second most-asked question: How do you have so many points?

• Chase Points: My large stash came primarily from my Player 2 (P2) downgrading his Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card earlier this year and immediately reapplying to snag a huge 100,000-point welcome bonus. This is a classic, powerful strategy.

• Iberia Avios: I earned 100,000 Iberia Avios a few years ago when Chase offered a whopping bonus on their co-branded Iberia Visa. I canceled the card after a year, but I kept the points alive by making a small, occasional purchase through the Iberia Shopping Portal—a simple trick to prevent expiration!

That's how it's done! Once you knock the big ticket item—the flights—out of the park for practically free, then you can relax and move on to redeeming for hotels, activities, and rental cars. If you aren't using points yet, focus on earning them for your next big trip. It’s absolutely worth the effort!

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.