Wyndham Is Adding a 4th Points Tier — Here's What You Need to Know 👀

Wyndham Is Adding a 4th Points Tier — Here's What You Need to Know 👀

Wyndham just announced a new tier in its points redemption structure, and depending on how you use your points, this could be great news… or not so great. Let me break it down.

First, a Quick Wyndham Refresher 🏨

You might not think of Wyndham as a go-to loyalty program, but it actually covers 25 hotel brands across the full spectrum — from budget roadside stops to legit luxury resorts and all-inclusives. Here's a quick snapshot with some examples of the brands:

Luxury

• Registry Collection
• Dolce Hotels and Resorts
• Esplendor Boutique Hotels
• Tryp

Mid-Range

• La Quinta
• Wingate
• Ramada

Budget

• Days Inn
• Super 8
• Microtel

The Current Setup (Until September 15th) 📅

Right now, Wyndham keeps things simple with three redemption tiers:

• 7,500 points/night
• 15,000 points/night
• 30,000 points/night

Enjoy it while it lasts, because that's all changing on September 15th.

What's Changing: A New 4th Tier 🆕

Starting September 15th, the new redemption structure will look like this:

• 5,000 points/night ← new lower tier
• 15,000 points/night
• 30,000 points/night
• 45,000 points/night ← new top tier

Wyndham says the change is designed to accommodate its growing lineup of luxury and high-end properties. And look, a 5,000-point night sounds exciting on paper — but realistically, that's going to be reserved for a rural Super 8. The properties most of us actually want to book? They're almost certainly moving up to 45,000 points per night.

Case in point: I just locked in an all-inclusive resort in Cancún for 30,000 points per night plus $26 in taxes. 🌴 Once the new tier kicks in, I'd be shocked if that same resort doesn't jump straight to 45,000.

The Move? Book Now ⏰

If you've been eyeing any Wyndham luxury or all-inclusive properties, don't sit on it. Booking before September 15th means locking in current rates before the top tier inflates.

Need more Wyndham points to make it happen? Here are your transfer partner options:

• Capital One ✅
• Chase ✅ — and right now Chase is offering a 30% transfer bonus to Wyndham 🔥How to transfers work, read about it here. 
• Bilt ✅
• Citi ⚠️ — technically a partner, but the transfer ratio isn't great, so use this one as a last resort

That Chase transfer bonus is especially worth paying attention to right now — it can go a long way toward covering a luxury or all-inclusive redemption at today's rates.

Have Wyndham points sitting around or a transfer in mind? Now's the time to put them to work before the math changes.

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 pay a travel planning fee and we will find all the best points and miles deals for your trip! 

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.

💸 Did You Know Southwest May Be Hiding Discount Codes in Your Account?

💸 Did You Know Southwest May Be Hiding Discount Codes in Your Account?

Yep — there may be promo codes sitting in your Southwest Airlines account right now, just waiting to be used. We're talking up to 30% off published fares, whether you're paying cash or points. 🤩

Here's how to find them:

Log in to your Southwest account, head to My Account (in the app or on the website), scroll to the bottom, and look for "My Promo Codes" or "Promo Codes." That's it!

Every code is a little different — some are valid for just one flight, others work on multiple bookings. Discounts can range from 10% to 30% off, so it's absolutely worth a quick check before you book anything.

⚠️ Pro tip: Always check for promo codes before you book. Already have a flight reserved? No problem — you can rebook using the code and then cancel your original flight. Just make sure you secure the new booking first before canceling anything. Better safe than sorry!

🃏 Also: Big Southwest Card Offers Ending Soon

If you've been thinking about picking up a Southwest personal credit card, now is the time to move. The elevated welcome offers on all three personal cards are disappearing on July 1, 2026 — and these deals have been known to get pulled before the deadline, so don't sit on this one. Check out the full details here

The Cards & Current Offers

Southwest Plus — $99/year

• 80,000 bonus points
• $1,000 minimum spend in 3 months
• 1 free checked bag
• Standard seat selection within 48 hours of boarding
• 2x points at gas stations & grocery stores | 1x everywhere else
• 3,000 anniversary points

Southwest Premier — $149/year

• 85,000 bonus points
• $2,000 minimum spend in 3 months
• 1 free checked bag
• Preferred seat selection within 48 hours of boarding
• 2x points at grocery stores & restaurants | 1x everywhere else
• 6,000 anniversary points

Southwest Priority— $229/year

• 90,000 bonus points
• $3,000 minimum spend in 3 months
• 1 free checked bag
• Complimentary preferred seat at booking (no waiting!)
• 2x points at restaurants & gas stations | 1x everywhere else
• 7,500 anniversary points

Any one of these cards paired with a Southwest business credit card gets you enough points to earn the Companion Pass — valid for the rest of 2026 and all of 2027. That means a designated travel companion flies with you for free (just paying taxes and fees) on every flight you book during that window. The value adds up fast.

Before You Apply — Check These Two Things ✅

• You must not have received a Southwest card bonus in the past 24 months
• You can only hold one Southwest personal card at a time

Both rules are firm, so double-check before you apply.

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 pay a travel planning fee and we will find all the best points and miles deals for your trip! 

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.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Cardholders: Your Mid-Year Credits Expire June 30th ⏰

Chase Sapphire Reserve Cardholders: Your Mid-Year Credits Expire June 30th ⏰

If you carry the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you've got a deadline coming up. Several credits reset on July 1st — meaning anything unused from the January–June window disappears. No rollover, no exceptions. 💸

Here's exactly what you need to use before the clock runs out:

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Credits Expiring June 30th 📋

• StubHub Credit — ⚠️ Activate this one before you purchase. Skipping that step means the credit won't apply and there's no getting it back after the fact.
• Dining Credit with Chase Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables 
• Edit Credit (the Edit hotel booking benefit in the travel portal, note this is different than the hotel credit which is specifically valid at certain hotel brands)

All three are issued twice annually — once for January through June, and again for July through December.

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How to Use Them Smartly 💡

You can read about how I used these credits earlier this year for a fun weekend in Las Vegas. 

Dining Credit: Not heading out to dinner before June 30th? You can still put this credit to work. Buy a gift card at any restaurant running on the Toast payment platform — it triggers the dining credit and you've got the gift card ready for a future meal. Easy win.

Edit Credit: Book two nights now before the credit resets, then book another two nights at the same property once your July credit kicks in. Stack them together and you've effectively covered a four-night stay across two credit periods. We've covered the Edit + hotel credit stacking strategy before — if you haven't tried it yet, this is a great time to start. 🏨

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Quick Checklist Before June 30th✅

• Activate and use StubHub credit
• Use or gift card hack your Dining credit
• Book your Edit credit stay (and plan the July stack)

Don't let these expire — the reset is coming fast. 🗓️ Chase estimates that if you use all the credits, the value is more than $5,000. But you have to use them to at least get the value out of paying the $795 annual fee. 

I have created a handy tracker for you to help you keep track. 

And if this all stresses you out, then you may want to look at the 100,000 bonus offer for the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card which is much more straight forward. For a $95 annual fee, you get a $100 hotel credit, $120 Global Entry credit and 100,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000. It's our favorite travel credit card. Please use our referral link if you decide to apply. 

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 pay a travel planning fee and we will find all the best points and miles deals for your trip! 

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.

What Can You Do With 100,000 Chase Points?

 

Right now, one of our favorite travel cards is offering an amazing 100,000 bonus offer! The Chase Sapphire Preferred is offering the increased sign up bonus for a $5,000 minimum spend. This card only carries a $95 annual fee and it includes a $100 hotel credit so it's basically FREE. 

The question is what do you get for 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points? 

Here are some real examples:

1. LA-Hawaii in the Chase Travel Portal for just 13,810 points so 100,000 points gets you 7 one way flights, wow! 

2. Maybe you want to take a cruise to Alaska? You could use your 100,000 points again the Chase Travel Portal to buy 9 one way flights from Los Angeles to Vancouver. Amazing! 

3. Or you could transfer your points to one of the 14 travel partners including our favorite KLM and snag economy flights Los Angeles to Amsterdam for just 25,000 points. So 4 one ways flights! Woohoo! 

4. Maybe you need an all inclusive hotel in Mexico? 100,000 points gets you 4 nights. Hyatt is a transfer partner. Pretty sweet. 

Read more about this offer here. And if you decide to apply, please use our referral link. 

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 pay a travel planning fee and we will find all the best points and miles deals for your trip! 

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.

A Guide To The Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are one of Spain's most underrated treasures, and honestly, they deserve way more attention than they get. Here's why they should be on your radar 🌴

The Weather Is Exceptional — Year Round ☀️

The Canaries sit off the northwest coast of Africa, which means they enjoy a mild, spring-like climate every single month of the year. Average temperatures hover between 20–28°C (68–82°F). No real off-season here — this is a genuine 365-day destination.

Seven Islands, Seven Completely Different Experiences 🗺️

This is what most people don't realize. The islands are wildly different from each other:

• Tenerife — dramatic volcanic landscapes, Spain's highest peak (Mount Teide), and buzzing nightlife
• Lanzarote — otherworldly lunar terrain, UNESCO-protected biosphere, incredible wine region
• Gran Canaria — massive sand dunes at Maspalomas, a cosmopolitan capital in Las Palmas, lush interior mountains
• La Palma — one of the world's best stargazing destinations 🌟, dense laurel forests, seriously off-the-beaten-path
• Fuerteventura — endless white sand beaches and world-class windsurfing
• La Gomera — tiny, lush, and almost entirely unspoiled
• El Hierro — Europe's most remote island, completely solar-powered and utterly peaceful

✈️ Points tip: From Madrid, Iberia flights can be found for as little as 5,000 Avios points each way.

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Two Weeks on Gran Canaria — Here's What It's Actually Like

I spent two weeks based in Las Palmas, the island's capital, and it exceeded every expectation.

Las Palmas 🌊

Las Palmas is a city nestled between two bays, with miles of boardwalk hugging the coastline. What makes it special is how the sea transforms throughout the day — the same bay where surfers catch waves in the morning becomes a calm, shallow playground by afternoon, where you can swim alongside fish and pick your way across rocks as the tide shifts. It's genuinely spectacular to watch.

The boardwalk is lined with cafes, and morning yoga on the beach is a regular thing. The vibe is relaxed without being sleepy. 🧘

Just 15 minutes south by bus is the old town — cobblestone streets, shaded promenades, and plenty of spots to sit and people-watch. We did a three-hour walking tour that covered the neighborhood in real depth and was absolutely worth it. 🚶

Getting Around 🚌

The bus system known as the Guaguas on Gran Canaria is excellent and genuinely affordable — it should get far more credit than it does. That said, for maximum flexibility, renting a car opens up the island considerably.

There are plenty of Airbnb rentals in Las Palmas that are affordable and just a few blocks from the beach. 

Day Trip: Teror 🍯

The mountain town of Teror, known as the spiritual heart of the island, makes for a wonderful day trip by bus. Wander the streets, visit the main basilica, stop for lunch, and before you leave pick up some local honey and fresh-baked goods from one of the small shops. Be sure to check out the beautiful Canarian wood balconies. 

Sunday is market day where the town fills up with fresh produce. Simple, unhurried, and very Gran Canaria.

Day Trip: Maspalomas Dunes + Mogán 🏜️

Heading south to the Maspalomas sand dunes is a must. It's a longer journey — a few hours from Las Palmas — but the dunes are free to enter and completely worth the trip. My strong recommendation: time your visit for just before sunset. The light on the dunes at that hour is something else entirely. 🌅

If you rent a car for this one, make a stop in Mogán on the way — a small seaside town with flower-draped streets that's well worth an hour or two of your afternoon. There are plenty of resorts in the south though not many US brands of hotels where you can use points and miles. But you can use flexible points in the travel portal. You can also use the "erase" tool with Capital One points. 

Hot tip: take lots of before and after photos of your rental car. We hear there are a lot of "damage" claims made against renters here. Remember to use a credit card like your Chase Sapphire Reserve with rental car insurance to make this purchase. 

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 pay a travel planning fee and we will find all the best points and miles deals for your trip! 

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.

How You Can Earn 5x Chase Points On Gas This Summer

If you have to pay $5 per gallon for gas this summer, why not earn 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Chase just announced the 5x bonus categories for Q3 (July 1st - September 30th) for the FREEDOM and FLEX credit cards. 

The other categories for Q3 include:

• EV charging stations 
• transit includes trains, buses, tolls, ferries, highways, parking lots and garages
• select entertainment including concerts, zoos, sporting events and amusement parks 
• United Way  

You must register your credit cards here in order to earn the bonus points. But you have until September 14th to register and it is retroactive. However, I think it's best to register immediately. 

Besides the bonus categories, Chase FREEDOM FLEX earns 3x points on dining and drugstores, 2x points on travel and 1x points on everything else. If you use my referral link, you earn 20,000 points when you spend $500. This card has no annual fee so it's a great card to keep in your wallet. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? We have three different options to choose from:

• 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. 
• Or you can hire us to plan your entire trip using points and miles! 

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.

Wow! Another Huge 100,000 Bonus Offer From Chase

Wow! The huge bonus offers just keep coming! Chase announced an amazing 100,000 bonus offer on its Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card. 

What are 100,000 CUR points worth? If you use them in the portal, they are worth $1,000. But we show people how to use those points to increase their value up to more than $2,000. You can read here how I used CUR points to take my family to Europe. 

Here's the offer 

• 100,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points
• $8,000 minimum spend in three months 
• $95 annual fee 
• 3x points on select business purchases such as travel, shipping, internet, cable, phone and advertising

Watch the fine print here, if you have EVER had this credit card before you may not be eligible for the bonus. 

This is also a business credit card, but many side hustles qualify as businesses. You can read here about how to determine if your business will qualify. 

If you decide to apply for the Ink Preferred credit card, please use my referral link. 

Want more personal help using points and miles for almost FREE travel? We have three different options to choose from:

• 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. 
• Or you can hire us to plan your entire trip using points and miles! 

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.