Stop the FOMO: Here's How to Use Points & Miles to Book Europe Next Year

Stop the FOMO: Here's How to Use Points & Miles to Book Europe Next Year

Deep into summer, the travel envy is real 😅 Your feed is flooded with friends sipping wine in Santorini and wandering cobblestone streets in Rome. If that's you, here's the good news: now is the perfect time to start planning your own European adventure for next year — using points and miles.

So where do you start? Let's break it down.

The 4 Types of Points & Miles You Need to Know

Not all points are created equal. Here's a quick rundown:

1. Airline Miles ✈️
The most familiar of the bunch. Fly with an airline, earn loyalty miles. Many airlines belong to alliances or partnerships, meaning you can fly one carrier and credit the miles to another. You can also rack up miles faster by opening an airline-branded credit card that earns miles on everyday purchases. Once you hit the threshold, redeem them for a free flight or cabin upgrade directly through the airline. Simple enough.

2. Hotel Points 🏨
Same concept, different category. Stay at a hotel, earn loyalty points. Add a hotel-branded credit card to the mix and you'll earn even faster. Stack up enough and you're looking at free nights.

3. Flexible Points 💳
Here's where it gets interesting. These are earned through bank-branded credit cards — think Chase, Capital One, Amex, and Citi — and they're not locked into one airline or hotel. Instead, they can be transferred to more than a dozen different travel partners, giving you serious options. You can also spend them directly in the bank's travel portal on flights, hotels, car rentals, activities, and even cruises. One important note: use them before you cancel the card or they disappear.

4. The Others: Bilt, Rove & Rakuten 🛍️
Bilt functions like flexible bank points, but you earn them by paying rent — yes, really. Rove and Rakuten are shopping portals that layer bonus points on top of your regular credit card earnings when you shop online. Think of them as a rewards multiplier for purchases you're already making. Use my Rove referral link and get 500 points when you sign up. Use my Rakuten referral link and get $50 when you spend $50. 

Why Flexible Points Win

Here's a real example that says it all. A client came to me with nearly two million American Airlines miles — which sounds incredible, and we did manage to book business class flights for her whole family. But when it came to hotels? She had to pay cash 💸

If those had been flexible points instead, we could have covered both the flights and luxury hotels entirely on points.

That's the power of flexibility.

Our Favorite Card Right Now 👑

Now that you understand the difference, you'll have a whole new appreciation for the Chase Sapphire Preferred's current 100,000-point welcome bonus. Those are Chase Ultimate Rewards — flexible points that transfer to dozens of airlines and hotels, including the best sweet spots like Avios, Flying Blue, and World of Hyatt.

The card runs just $95 a year, and a new $100 hotel credit effectively knocks that down to $5 back into your pocket. For what you get in return, that's a no-brainer.

👉 Ready to start earning? Read more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred here — and if you decide to apply, we'd love it if you 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.

How To Use Your Chase Sapphire Preferred $100 Hotel Credit

One of my favorite travel credit cards just did something almost unheard of — it increased its annual hotel credit from $50 to $100. When does that ever happen? Almost never. 🙌

Right now, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is offering a 100,000-point welcome bonus for a $95 annual fee. Factor in the new $100 hotel credit, and you're essentially getting paid to hold this card in year one. The minimum spend to unlock the bonus is $5,000. You can check out the full offer here. And to see what 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points can get you, check it out here. 

---

Already have the card? Here's what to expect 👇

• If you had the card and never used the old $50 credit (or you're a brand-new cardholder): you should see the full $100 credit on your account.
• If you already used the $50 credit: you'll see a $50 credit applied to reflect the upgrade difference.

---

How to find your credit

Log in to your Chase.com account → click on your card → select Benefits and Travel → scroll down until you see a banner showing your available credit amount.

---

How to use your credit

Book any hotel through the Chase Travel Portal, pay with your Chase Sapphire Preferred, and a statement credit should post within a few days. 💳

A few things to keep in mind:

• You can pay partially with points, but you must charge at least the credit amount to your card for it to apply.
• This is a use-it-or-lose-it credit — and no, you can't apply it as a partial credit either, so make sure you're booking a stay that costs at least $100.

---

The hotel credit is just one of the many perks that make the Chase Sapphire Preferred worth keeping year after year. If you're ready to apply, I'd love it if you used my referral link — it helps support this blog at no extra cost to you! 😊

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 to Triple Stack Points on Every Online Purchase

 

💳 How to Triple Stack Points on Every Online Purchase

Every time you shop online, there's a question worth asking: how many points or miles can I earn here?

Earning some points? Nice. Earning double points by layering two sources? Even better. Earning triple points across three sources at once? That's the triple stack — and it's one of the most satisfying moves in the points game.

Here's how it actually works, with a real purchase to show you exactly what's possible.

🌸 The Triple Stack in Action: A Flower Delivery Example

The goal: Buy birthday flowers for a friend ($66 total)

Flower delivery services are basically interchangeable, so the smarter move is choosing the one that earns you the most — not just picking the first result that pops up.

🔍 Step 1: Check for Credit Card Bonus Portals

Chase has an ongoing partnership with the digital payment platform Paze that earns 10x Ultimate Rewards points plus a $10 statement credit on purchases. The first step is checking the Paze merchant directory under flowers and gifts — and sure enough, 1-800-Flowers is listed. Read here about how to link your credit card to Paze.

✅ That locks in Layer 1.

🖥️ Step 2: Check Shopping Portals

Head to CashBackMonitor.com to see every shopping portal where 1-800-Flowers is listed. This is where you decide if a hotel or airline portal makes more sense than a cashback option.

A few things to consider at this step:

• Is any airline or hotel portal running a bonus promotion right now?
• Do you need to top off a specific loyalty account before a trip?
• Are any of your points or miles close to expiring?

In this case, the American Airlines AAdvantage shopping portal made the most sense.

✅ That locks in Layer 2.

💰 Step 3: Pay with the Right Card

Check out using Paze with your linked Chase Freedom Flex or Sapphire credit card.

✅ That locks in Layer 3.

🏆 The Triple Stack Breakdown

Here's what a $66 flower purchase earned:

Source	Reward
American Airlines shopping portal	350 AAdvantage miles
Chase Freedom base earn	66 Ultimate Rewards points
Paze 10x bonus	660 Ultimate Rewards points
Paze statement credit	$10 back

Total: 350 AA miles + 726 Chase points + $10 statement credit — on a $66 purchase you were going to make anyway.

🗺️ The Triple Stack Formula

Whenever you're about to buy something online, run through this quick checklist:

1. Check your credit card bonus offer (Chase Paze, Amex Offers, 5x bonus categories, Rakuten.com etc.)
2. Check shopping portals on CashBackMonitor.com to find the best rate
3. Choose the portal that fills a loyalty gap (expiring points, upcoming trip, bonus promo)
4. Pay with the card that earns the most in that category

The key is always checking before you check out — once the purchase is done, those layers are gone. 🎯

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.

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:

---

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.

---

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. 🏨

---

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.