Why The New Southwest Business 120,000 Bonus Points Offer Is Amazing

 

Southwest Airlines just dropped a whopper big bonus offer that gets you so close to earning the Southwest Companion pass. It's crazy! 

If you follow my blog, you know that the Southwest Companion Pass is the most valuable travel perk out there. It is a BOGO pass on any Southwest flight for up to two years and you can change your companion up to three times per year. If you  were planning to earn the pass, you may have applied for the Southwest Personal Credit Card 100,000 bonus offer that ended recently. 

And you are now slowly working towards your minimum spend since you have four months to do that instead of the usual three. So you strategically reach the minimum at just the right time to earn the companion pass for nearly two years. 

The Southwest Companion Pass has saved my family thousands of dollars on cross country trips, college trips, family weekends, events and more! Plus Southwest will be starting flights to the Caribbean in 2026! 

And usually the second step in this plan is to apply for a Southwest Business Credit Card to reach the 135,000 points that you need in a single calendar year to earn the pass. 

Whew! It's a lot of strategy and that's why I help people like you keep it all straight and on track. 

With this new offer, if you do it right, you will end up with 235,000 Southwest points plus a BOGO companion pass good through December 2027. Wow! 

Now if you were not eligible for the Southwest Personal Credit Card 100,000 bonus point offer, don't worry. This new offer includes almost enough points to earn the Southwest Companion pass on its own.

 

Here's the offer:

• $10,000 minimum spend in 3 months 
• 120,000 bonus points 
• Offer ends 10/22/2025
• $299 annual fee

The minimum spend is a bit hefty, but remember to use this card for all of your purchases for the next three months. It is a business credit card, but many businesses qualify, you can read about that here.

Just as an fyi, the Southwest Personal Credit Cards dropped back to their traditional offer of 50,000 bonus points for $1,000 minimum spend. Remember when you fly, you may have access to a better offer. 

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. 

Why My New Fave Is Riding Amtrak

Recently I hopped on Amtrak from Washington DC to New York and wow, I was impressed. From start to finish, the process was easy, clear and affordable. Plus I could get some work done on the train. 

The Amtrak website is very user friendly and I booked my ticket about a month before my travel date for just $38 one way. Trains ran frequently on that route even though I was traveling on a Thursday. After I purchased online, the system immediately sent me an email with my electronic ticket. In fact, the system followed up with a series of emails asking me if I would like to upgrade my ticket, reminding me that my trip was just a few days away, giving me helpful tips and finally giving me my gate information. So helpful. 

At Union Station which was beautiful by the way and full of shops, restaurants and even a Starbucks, I easily found my gate. There was a staff member directing the crowd to line up. And 15 minutes before departure time, the staff member opened the doors and directed the crowd towards the train. There was another staff member closer to the train directing the crowd to the cars. 

With my coach ticket, I was able to choose any seat in the front cars. I noticed there were some quiet cars, a cafe car and business class cars. Inside the car, the seats were plush, there were electrical outlets in each seat, luggage racks and most importantly, air conditioning. 

The train left on time and arrived three hours later at Penn Station in New York City. Amtrak offers a rewards program and though I probably won't ride enough to rack up many points, it's always a good idea to join and take the rewards. Also  use your Capital One Venture X card to buy your Amtrak ticket and then erase it with points. Yay! 

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. 

Not ready to dive into the coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  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. 

My FREE Gift To You: 1,000 Airline Miles

My Go-To Strategy for Affordable European Adventures ✈️

When it comes to crossing the Atlantic without breaking the bank, I keep coming back to Flying Blue, the loyalty program that powers both Air France and KLM. Here's why this program has become my secret weapon for European travel.

The Sweet Spot for Award Flights

Flying Blue offers some genuinely solid redemption rates:

• Economy seats: 25,000 points one way (or just 18,750 during their regular promotions)
• Business class with lie-flat seats: 50,000 points each way 🛏️

What really sets them apart? Both airlines include free stopovers in their hub cities (Paris for Air France, Amsterdam for KLM). This means you can essentially visit two destinations for the price of one award ticket.

A Recent Win That Made My Day

Earlier this year, I snagged a flight from Athens to Los Angeles for only 20,000 points plus $50 in taxes. The cherry on top? When I missed my connection in Paris due to delays, Air France stepped up big time – covering my hotel, meals, and even sending me an $800 compensation check. Sometimes travel hiccups work out better than expected! 🎉

Easy Ways to Earn Flying Blue Miles

The beauty of Flying Blue lies in its flexibility. You can transfer points from all the major credit card programs:

• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Points
• Capital One Miles
• Bilt Rewards
• American Express Membership Rewards

The New Player Worth Watching

Here's where things get interesting – Rove Miles just entered the scene as a shopping portal meets flexible points program. They've partnered with over 12,000 online merchants, letting you earn miles on everyday purchases that you can then transfer to Flying Blue and other airlines.

Their airline partners include Flying Blue, Finnair, Aeromexico, and Turkish Airlines, giving you plenty of redemption options.

Limited-Time Opportunity 🎯

I've got something special for you – 1,000 free Rove miles just for signing up (no purchase required). The signup process takes under a minute, and you can transfer those miles to Flying Blue if that's your preference once you have earned 2,000 Rove miles.

Important: This offer expires September 17th, so don't let it slip by if you're interested in building your points balance.

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. Not ready to dive into the coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  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.  

Alaska Airlines Brand New Loyalty Rewards Program

Big news today! Alaska Airlines is launching its new loyalty rewards program rebranded as Atmos Rewards. 

Here's what we know so far and an amazing 100,000 bonus point offer:

• Current Alaska loyalty members will keep their current loyalty account number. Hawaiian Air members who linked to their account to an Alaska loyalty account will keep their current number.  
• Atmos rewards are now points instead of miles 
• Ability to use Atmos rewards to book flights on 30 different airline partners including American, Iberia, British Airways, Japan Airlines and Finnair. 
• Ability to transfer Atmos rewards to 5 hotel brands including Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards, Wyndham Rewards, I Prefer Hotel Rewards and Shangri La Circle. 
• Three ways to earn points, you pick which one you prefer: distance, revenue or segment (you can change your preference once per year)

In honor of the new loyalty rewards program, Alaska also announced three new credit card bonus offers. All three cards are co branded with Bank of America. 

ATMOS REWARDS™ ASCENT VISA SIGNATURE® CARD

• $95 annual fee
• $4,000 minimum spend in 120 days 
• 80,000 bonus offer
• Use points only to book on Alaska and Hawaiian Air
• $99 companion certificate good on Alaska and Hawaiian air
• free checked bag

Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card

• $395 Annual Fee
• $6,000 Minimum Spend in 90 days
• 100,000 Point Bonus Offer 
• 25,000 Point Companion Certificate
• Ability to use points to book on any partner airline 
• Global Companion certificate 
• 8 Alaska Air Lounge Passes 
• Free checked bag
• Free onboard WIFI
• $120 Global Entry credit 

Atmos Rewards Visa Business 

• $70 Annual Fee
• $5,000 minimum spend in 90 days 
• 80,000 Point Bonus Offer 
• $99 companion certificate good on Alaska and Hawaiian Air if you spend $6,000 on the card during the year
• Free checked bag

My recommendation with these offers is to apply for the Summit Visa Infinite Credit Card because the points can be used on any partner airline which makes the points almost transferable. 

Plus you get the Global Companion Certificate. Alaska Airlines points are usually very valuable and easy to use. Since the program is distance based, you can get some good deals. 

It's exciting to see how this program develops and grows. 

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. 

Not ready to dive into the coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  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. 

Lounge Full? Visit Multiple Airport Lounges During Your Layover

Lounge capacity issues are real and incredibly frustrating! But here's something you might not know: you can visit multiple lounges on the same day, or even enjoy one while you're on the waitlist for another. Several credit cards offer free membership in the Priority Pass Lounge network which offers entry for you and up to two guests into more than 1,700 lounges around the world. 

Recently, I had a three-hour layover at JFK in New York. I wanted to check out the Chase Sapphire lounge, but the line stretched on forever. I decided to add my name to the waitlist anyway. The agent estimated a 20-40 minute wait, which operates through text notifications—and you only have 10 minutes to reach the lounge once they text you. While some lounges let you join waitlists through the Priority Pass app, this particular Sapphire Lounge requires in-person sign-up.

Lounge Full? Visit Multiple Airport Lounges During Your Layover

Ten minutes isn't nearly enough time to switch terminals, but it's plenty of time to visit another lounge within the same terminal. Terminal 4 offers several Priority Pass network options:

• Air India Lounge
• Virgin Atlantic
• Hello Sky
• Chase Sapphire - restricted hours for non Chase Sapphire card members

I headed downstairs to the Hello Sky pop-up lounge. No line whatsoever—I checked in quickly and walked right in. The space is compact but not overcrowded, and I immediately found a comfortable couch with a nearby charging station. An attendant approached within moments and offered me a glass of wine. What a welcome!

The food and drink selection pleasantly surprised me, featuring both hot and cold options plus an impressive variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. A large monitor, computer, and printer were available for business needs. The only downside to this pop-up lounge? No restroom facilities inside.

Lounge Full? Visit Multiple Airport Lounges During Your Layover

After 40 minutes of relaxation, my phone buzzed with the text I'd been waiting for—time to head to the Chase Sapphire Lounge. I gathered my belongings and headed upstairs, passing a Capital One Lounge along the way.

The Chase Sapphire Lounge was busy but manageable when I arrived. An attendant immediately seated me at a spot with charging capabilities. The amenities included hot and cold food buffets, an extensive drink selection, and an espresso machine. There's also a full-service bar with a QR code menu featuring items like hamburgers, grilled cheese, and french fries.

The takeaway? You have numerous options available, so explore them all and don't hesitate to visit multiple lounges during a single layover!

How to Get Access

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card: This remains the best way to access the Priority Pass lounge network. The current offer includes 100,000 points for meeting a $5,000 minimum spend requirement. While the $795 annual fee might seem steep, the credits and benefits provide excellent value. We hear this offer is ending soon! 

Capital One Venture X Credit Card: This alternative offers access as well, currently providing 75,000 points for a $4,000 minimum spend. The $395 annual fee comes with fewer benefits compared to the exceptional Chase Sapphire Reserve offer.

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. Not ready to dive into th coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  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. 

Should You Apply For One Of The New Southwest Credit Cards?

 

Southwest has been making a lot of changes recently, no FREE checked bags, assigned seats and more. And the company just announced a refresh of its five co-branded credit cards. We will take a look at the changes, but the big news is that the refreshed personal credit cards carry a huge 100,000 bonus point offer, FREE checked bags, refundable flights and give you 5 months to spend the minimum $4,000. 

That's huge and gets you most of the way there for the best perk in the travel biz, the Southwest Companion Pass which is a BOGO on any flight anywhere Southwest flies for up to two years. Wow! 

So what's the difference between the five credit cards and which one is best for you? Let's take a look. 

Personal Credit Cards are Plus, Premier and Priority

Some of the differences between the cards include:

• 2x points on groceries or restaurants or gas stations
• Points earned on your anniversary date
• Seat selection 
• Upgrade option for more legroom 
• Qualifying points towards A List 
• Flight discount promo code 

All the cards include one FREE checked bag for you and up to 8 people on your reservation including your companion pass.  Which one is best for you? Depends on the benefits you will use and where you spend the most money, groceries, restaurants or gas stations. 

Southwest offers two business credit cards, one has a 60,000 bonus offer with a minimum spend of $3,000 and the other carries an 80,000 bonus offer with a minimum spend of $5,000. These are the regular offers and both cards only give you 3 months to meet the minimum spend. But in our travel coaching program, we show you how to use these cards to collect enough points to earn the Southwest Companion Pass. 

The business credit cards also underwent a refresh due to the changing rules at Southwest. Some of the differences between these two cards include:

• Preferred seat selection
• Upgrade option for more legroom
• Points earned on your anniversary date
• Flight discount promo code 
• Points earning power on gas stations, restaurants, hotels and flights 
• Global Entry $120 credit 
• Annual fee $149 vs $299 

Here's where it gets a bit tricky, you can hold only one personal Southwest credit card and you are only eligible for the bonus IF you have not earned a bonus in the past 24 months. Your eligibility date is the date that you earned the previous bonus NOT the date you were approved for the credit card. 

So if you earned the bonus on April 25th 2023, then you are not eligible to apply again until April 26th 2025. You can check your Southwest Airlines account points activity to determine your bonus date. 

You can hold both Southwest business credit cards at the same time, but the bonus eligibility rule is the same. Also the personal credit cards fall under the Chase 5/24 rule. 

Bottom line, the new 100,000 point bonus offer is fantastic! Lots of points, checked bags, makes every airline ticket refundable plus it gets you very close to the 135,000 points needed for the Southwest companion pass. Woohoo! 

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. Not ready to dive into the coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  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. 

 

Have You Applied Yet?

Now that summer is in full swing, you might have some fomo watching all your friends go on fab trips or you are enjoying your trip and already planning the next one. 

Either way, the new Chase Sapphire offers could help you make those vacations super affordable. We don't know when this latest offer will end so it's better not to wait. 

Chase announced three whopper deals on its Sapphire line of credit cards. We will detail these for you and help you decide if you should jump on any of these offers. We knew the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card was undergoing a refresh and you can check the details here to see how you will be affected if you already hold the card. It's good! 

 

Now if you don't have a Chase Sapphire Credit Card yet or if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, there are some awesome new benefits on this card too plus a 75,000 bonus offer. Not as good as the 100,000 bonus offer that ended in May, but better than the regular 60,000 point offer. 

The new Reserve business credit card has a crazy high minimum spend of $30,000, but if you can swing it, the 200,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points bonus is outstanding. 

You can read here about why we love Chase Ultimate Reward points and their flexibility. 

Let's break down the offer on each card:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred - Bonus offer 75,000 points (valued at $750) with a $5,000 minimum spend in three months. This is our all time favorite travel credit card. Annual fee of $95 and it comes with a $50 hotel credit when you book through the travel portal. You earn 3x points on dining, 3x on online grocery, 2x on travel, 5x on travel booked in the Chase Travel Portal and 1x on everything else. It also comes with a $120 DoorDash credit and points boost when you book in the Chase Travel Portal. 
• Chase Sapphire Reserve - Bonus offer 100,000 points (valued at $1,000) with a $5,000 minimum spend in three months. This was our all time favorite premium travel credit card, but it now has an increased annual fee of $795. We still think it's a great deal, but you need to make certain that you will use the credits to make the high annual fee worth it. We detailed the credits and benefits of the new refreshed card here. 
• Chase Sapphire Reserve Business - Bonus offer 200,000 points with a $30,000 minimum spend in six months. This is a brand new card and if your business can swing the spend, it's a great deal for you. You can squeeze as much as $4,000 value out of those 200,000 points. Plus annual credits on the Chase Travel Portal, DoorDash, Zip Recruiter, Edit Hotels, Google Workspace, Lyft and more. 

Another big change is the 48 month rule. You are now only eligible for a bonus on a Chase Sapphire card once in a lifetime. Chase will alert you when you apply if you are eligible or not. Even though you can technically hold two Sapphire cards at the same time now, you will not be eligible for a bonus if you already hold one.

And if you have had a Sapphire credit card before, but no longer hold the card, you can only apply for one you have never held before and get the bonus. It's similar to the Southwest credit card strategy with personal cards. Another option is to downgrade your Sapphire card to a non Sapphire and then apply for a Sapphire card you have never had before. 

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. Not ready to dive into th coaching program, download the ebook or custom tracker or book a 1:1 consulting call with me.  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 Does The New Chase "Points Boost" Work

 

Part of the new refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card is the "Points Boost" bonus in the travel portal. The "Points Boost" is replacing the fixed bonus 1:1.5. But we noticed that the points boost is also live in the portal for existing Chase Sapphire Preferred card holders where the fixed bonus was 1:1.25 points. Reserve card holders as of June 22nd 2025 will still have the fixed bonus through October 25th 2025. In theory, you should be offered the better bonus offer.

So how does it work? It went live today and here's what we found. 

When you click on the travel portal and enter your search criteria, the first thing you see is a banner with "Points Boost" offers applied. I entered a search for hotels near Seattle Tacoma Airport in my Chase Sapphire Preferred account. These two hotels were offered to me with the points boost bonus which appears to be approximately  1.5 value of points. 

When you open the map view, you see little rocket icons next to the hotels where the points boost has been applied. I was happy to see that the majority seem to have the rocket icon. I clicked on the $169 to see the offer. The portal points out that the boost has increased this offer to better than the usual 1:1.25 value. 

Then I clicked on the travel portal in my Chase Sapphire Reserve account and entered the same search for hotels near Seattle Tacoma Airport to see the difference. 

Here's what it gave me:

It returned the same banner, but this time with point booster offers on Edit hotels in the area. The Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a $500 credit ($250 every 6 months) for Edit hotels booked in the portal so that makes sense and can help you decide whether to use your credit or points.  

When I open the map, there are less options near the airport, but the $169 hotel is on there. 

But you can see the points boost offers are better than when I accessed the portal with the Sapphire Preferred. The boost does not appear to be a full 2x though. 

Points boost promised up to 2x. 

I also tried searching for flights. The points booster showed up primarily for business and first class flights in a banner across the top. 

On a different search, the banner offered me a variety of fares with the points boost. Again, first or business was offered at a better points boost than the economy plus fare on the same flight and the price difference was only $6. 

If I scrolled down though, some flights had points booster rocket icons next to various fare rates, but I couldn't figure out why some flights were targeted for a boost. Again, you can see on this search that the points needed for the first class fare end up being less than economy even though the flight is priced higher. 

At this point, you might want to check any reservations you already have booked to see if you get a better offer and can rebook. Just be careful if the original reservation is non refundable or offers you a credit. 

We will have to wait and see how the points booster evolves.

If you want to apply for the new refreshed Chase Sapphire Reserve, use this link to get the 100,000 bonus points and $500 travel credit.  

If you want to apply for the 75,000 bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred, use this 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 book a 1:1 consulting call.  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. 

New Chase Sapphire Offers Are Announced And They Are Big!

 

Wow! Chase just announced three whopper deals on its Sapphire line of credit cards. We will detail these for you and help you decide if you should jump on any of these offers. We knew the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card was undergoing a refresh and you can check the details here to see how you will be affected if you already hold the card. It's good! 

 

Now if you don't have a Chase Sapphire Credit Card yet or if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, there are some awesome new benefits on this card too plus a 75,000 bonus offer. Not as good as the 100,000 bonus offer that ended in May, but better than the regular 60,000 point offer. 

The new Reserve business credit card has a crazy high minimum spend of $30,000, but if you can swing it, the 200,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points bonus is outstanding. 

You can read here about why we love Chase Ultimate Reward points and their flexibility. 

Let's break down the offer on each card:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred - Bonus offer 75,000 points (valued at $750) with a $5,000 minimum spend in three months. This is our all time favorite travel credit card. Annual fee of $95 and it comes with a $50 hotel credit when you book through the travel portal. You earn 3x points on dining, 3x on online grocery, 2x on travel, 5x on travel booked in the Chase Travel Portal and 1x on everything else. It also comes with a $120 DoorDash credit and points boost when you book in the Chase Travel Portal. 
• Chase Sapphire Reserve - Bonus offer 100,000 points (valued at $1,000) with a $5,000 minimum spend in three months. This was our all time favorite premium travel credit card, but it now has an increased annual fee of $795. We still think it's a great deal, but you need to make certain that you will use the credits to make the high annual fee worth it. We detailed the credits and benefits of the new refreshed card here. 
• Chase Sapphire Reserve Business - Bonus offer 200,000 points with a $30,000 minimum spend in six months. This is a brand new card and if your business can swing the spend, it's a great deal for you. You can squeeze as much as $4,000 value out of those 200,000 points. Plus annual credits on the Chase Travel Portal, DoorDash, Zip Recruiter, Edit Hotels, Google Workspace, Lyft and more. 

Another big change is the 48 month rule. You now are only eligible for a bonus on a Chase Sapphire card once in a lifetime. Chase will alert you when you apply if you are eligible or not. Even though you can technically hold two Sapphire cards at the same time now, you will not be eligible for a bonus if you already hold one.

And if you have had a Sapphire credit card before, but no longer hold the card, you can only apply for one you have never held before and get the bonus. It's similar to the Southwest credit card strategy with personal cards. Another option is to downgrade your Sapphire card to a non Sapphire and then apply for a Sapphire card you have never had before. 

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 book a 1:1 consulting call.  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. 

Hidden Treasure: How One Client Discovered 275,000 Points She Never Knew She Had

A new client reached out the other day because she wanted to fly across the country to visit her cousins. She had 29,500 United miles, but the flight she was eyeing was charging 15,000 miles each way. Should I buy the extra 500 miles that I need for this trip? And would it be possible to fly premium or business class?

Since this was my first meeting with this client, we needed to find out if she had any other points or miles available. She booked a 1:1 consult through the website. The client said she had a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card, but had never checked the points balance. 

Hidden Treasure: How One Client Discovered 275,000 Points She Never Knew She Had

She logged into her account and guess what? She found that she had 275,000 CUR points, wow! "How much are those worth?" she asked. Those points could be worth as little as $3,000 and as much as thousands more depending on how you spend them. 

Back to the United flight, premium economy was not available and business class would cost a whopping 117,000 points. Though the client had the points, she didn't want to spend so many of them on this flight. 

Another option would be to transfer 1,000 CUR points to United to top off the account and buy the economy flight for 30,000 points and $11.40 taxes. 

But first we checked the Chase Travel Portal. The same flight listed for 27,798 points. Woohoo! That's even less points than using United miles. 

Hidden Treasure: How One Client Discovered 275,000 Points She Never Knew She Had

Done! And she still has 247,000 CUR points to travel where ever she wants to go next and next and next. 

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 book a 1:1 consulting call.  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. 

#1 Way To Prepare For Southwest Changes Coming Wednesday

 

The day is finally arriving this Wednesday, May 28th. The end of Southwest as we know and love it. Starting this Wednesday, the FREE bag policy is ending. We anticipate that the bag charge will be approximately $35 per bag in line with other airlines. 

Starting soon, you will also be choosing your seat when you book your flight. Though assigned seats do not officially start until early 2026. Travel credits will start to expire as well, but since we always fly on points, we are not worried about that. 

You are probably already seeing some strange pricing happening on the Southwest website and app. 

Hopefully you are taking advantage of some of the strange low fares. I snagged a 6,000 point flight from San Diego to Seattle and pair that with my companion pass and wow! 

If you buy a Business Select ticket or have A List Preferred, you will still get two FREE checked bags. If you have a Southwest credit card or A List, you will still get one FREE checked bag. If you follow my blog and have earned the Southwest Companion Pass, then you have at least one Southwest Credit Card. Your companion will also get a FREE checked bag. 

But since you won't get two FREE checked bags, what's the #1 way to prepare for these changes?

#1 is to stop traveling with checked bags. #teamcarryon all the way. Southwest will still allow a FREE carry on and a FREE personal item. 

If you are saying right now, there is no way I can fit all my stuff in just a carry on, I'm here to help you. 

There are a few methods like 5-4-3-2-1 (5 shirts, 4 pants, 3 shoes, 2 dresses, 1 accessory), but I follow the pack for approximately 7-10 days no matter how long you plan to travel. You can always do laundry. 

You can check out this video to see how I pack my carry on. You will note that I take along a French press too. 

I also bought this nifty personal size backpack that fits under the seat, but holds an extraordinary amount of stuff. You can find it on Amazon for $36.99 in all different colors. 

Bottom line, change is part of life, but the challenge is to find the best value. 

As always, if you need more guidance, please join our Travel Coaching Program, you can find out more about our personal coaching here. Use FREETRAVEL for $50 off the cost. Or you can book a 30 minute consult for just $100. We would love to help you!