How You Can Snorkel The Great Barrier Reef Using Points and Miles

 

Wow! The Great Barrier Reef is extraordinary. The blue water, the coral, the marine life is absolutely amazing. It is truly a bucket list experience. So the question is can you do this trip with points and miles? The answer is yes. 

The snorkel day trips out to the reef are EXPENSIVE! You can book the tours through our partner Viator.com. But how can you get the tour for FREE? or can you? Yes, you can using the Capital One Venture X travel erase tool or you can use the purchase to reach a minimum spend for future travel. 

• You can use the Capital One Venture X credit card to pay for this tour. Then erase a portion of it with the Capital One points and travel credit. Plus activate the discount offer when you book through Viator.com
• You can also use the purchase to reach the minimum spend on the credit card you are working on. I used it to reach the minimum needed to earn the Southwest Companion Pass. 

How You Can Snorkel The Great Barrier Reef Using Points and Miles 

So yes, I paid for the trip, but I used the purchase to earn FREE flights for the next two years. 

The tours to the reef leave from Cairns and Port Douglas. You can fly on the budget airlines JetStar or you can use American Airlines miles on Qantas. Both great options. We flew on JetStar due to limited award availability on Qantas. I paid for the flights with my Capital One Venture X card and erased the purchase with points. So it was FREE. 

The unique luggage carousel at the Cairns Airport. So cute! By the way, we flew Qantas from Cairns to Darwin, Australia for a mere 10,000 American Airlines miles per person. So that's a good option for travel within Australia. And Australia is huge!

How You Can Snorkel The Great Barrier Reef Using Points and Miles 

It is actually as big as the United States so you will be flying. Something to consider is the Barclays Aviator Red Mastercard which is offering a bonus of 50,000 American Airlines miles with just one purchase and a $99 annual fee. 

This was the view from the balcony at the Doubletree Cairns. The hotel was offering standard rooms for 40,000 Hilton Honors points per night. If you have Gold or Diamond status with Hilton, then the room comes with FREE breakfast at the buffet. 

The buffet includes breakfast pastries, granola, yogurt, salads, meats, cheese and much more. The hotel is located right on the main road and just minutes away from harbor. You can earn 150,000 Hilton Honors points right now by opening the Hilton Honors American Express Business card. You can read all about it here. 

That's how we do it here at almostFREEfamilytravel. 

Empowering Your Teen to Build Credit for a Brighter Future!

 

If you have teens, you need to listen up! In the past few weeks, I have heard from lots of you asking about your teens and building credit. I have created a simple formula and it has worked well for my three children. Not only to build credit, but also to create good financial literacy skills that will last a lifetime. That's not to say there isn't another way to do this, but I found this one successful. 

Let's start with the why. Why should your child build credit?

Empowering Your Teen to Build Credit for a Brighter Future!

The short answer is that unfortunately most big purchases are based on your credit history. So if your teen has no credit history, it will be tough for them to buy a car or house when the time comes.  

So how does a teen build credit? These are the steps that I took for all three of my children and it has worked well for them. 

1. 12-years-old - add teen as an authorized user on one of your credit cards 

2. 16-years-old - teen opens their OWN checking account with a debit card 

3. 18-years-old - teen opens their OWN credit card. Some good credit cards that will approve your teen include Bank of America student travel or cash card, Chase FREEDOM Unlimited, Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards. Avoid the Discover card since it is only accepted on a limited basis outside the United States. The Chase FREEDOM Unlimited is my #1 choice since it offers a $200 bonus when you spend $500 in the first three months and it has no annual fee. I also LOVE Chase Ultimate Rewards points so this would be a card your teen can keep forever. 

4. 20-years-old - teen opens their OWN Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. This card carries a $95 annual fee, but will make the teen's Ultimate Rewards worth more. Currently, it has a 60,000 point bonus which could pay for your teen's trip to Europe or Spring Break! And a $50 hotel credit! You may have to help your teen reach the minimum spend, but it's worth it. 

Empowering Your Teen to Build Credit for a Brighter Future!

After you follow these steps, your teen should have a credit score of approximately 800. Pretty good! 

Remember, you must pay off the balance on these cards every month! The best way to do it is to put the card on autopay immediately. 

Find Out If You Qualify for a Business Credit Card!

 

Chase just dropped the minimum spend for the Ink Business Preferred credit card to $8,000 in the first three months. This sounds high, but it is half of what it was at $15,000. So for business owners, this could be an easy 100,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points. You can read here about why I love these flexible points and how I use them for FREE travel. 

Do I Qualify For A Business Credit Card?

So the question is what qualifies as a business? You might be surprised. 

Obviously a business with lots of employees qualifies, but what about small businesses? 

Actually, most small side businesses can qualify. If you freelance, sell things on Etsy or Ebay, tutor, babysit, consult, blog, those all qualify for businesses. 

Plus Chase does not care if you use the credit card for personal or business expenses.

Do I Qualify For A Business Credit Card?

You can apply for a business credit card with an EIN number OR if you are a sole proprietor, then you can enter your social security number as your tax ID number. You do not need to become an LLC or Corporation. 

But you will need a credit score between 670-850. 

A few tips when filling out the application:

1. if you are a sole proprietor, your business name is your name. 

2. your business address can be your home address

3. type of business - Corporation, LLC or sole proprietorship

4. tax ID number - an EIN number if you have it, otherwise, use your social security number

5. annual business revenue - how much does your company make in a year

6. age of business - how long have you been in business

7. number of employees - you count as one employee

Do I Qualify For A Business Credit Card?

You can hold more than one Chase Ink credit card at a time so even if you already have one, you can still apply. 

This offer is for the Chase Ink Business Preferred credit card with an annual fee of $95. It comes with a few perks including 3x points on shipping, travel, advertising on social media and search engines and internet, cable and phone. CUR points are worth 25% more in the Chase travel portal so it's still better to combine points to your Chase Sapphire Reserve. 

What are 100,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points worth? Approximately $1,250 in the Chase Travel Portal and possibly much more if you transfer the points to an airline or hotel. You can learn more about the value of Chase Ultimate Reward points here. 

If you decide to apply for the Chase Ink Business Preferred, consider applying through my referral link here. You get the same great offer and I get a small bonus for referring you. 

How To Squeeze More Value Out Of Your CUR Points

 

My favorite flexible travel points are the Chase Ultimate Reward points. I used them to fly our family of five to Europe a few years ago. 

You can transfer them to dozens of airlines and a few hotel chains plus use them in the travel portal or just pay yourself back. 

Right now, the Chase Ink Business Preferred is offering 100,000 bonus points with a $8,000 minimum spend. Wow! That's $1,250 worth of travel. 

The secret here is to have the right mix of Chase cards to max the value out of the points. 

The Chase Ink Business Preferred and the Sapphire Preferred gives you 25% more for your points in the pay yourself back and Chase Travel Portal, but the Chase Sapphire Reserve gives you 50% more. 

How To Squeeze More Value Out Of Your CUR Points 

So here's the secret. Chase allows you to combine your points from one credit card to another. So you can easily move your points from your FREEDOM FLEX or Unlimited card to your Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve to get more value. 

 

• Just log into your Chase.com account

• Click on the earn/use points and you'll see this dashboard. It's expanded a lot since the pandemic started. One of the things I love about Chase is how user friendly the site is. You can see exactly how many points you have, how to use them, and how to earn them. 

• Click on combine points and you will see the option to move points from one card to another. You can also move points from one family member to another if your family member only has a no fee card or even a Preferred card. 

Chase will ask you how many points you want to move, review your order and bam, instant transfer. 

How To Squeeze More Value Out Of Your CUR Points 

Now you can use those points for travel or to pay yourself back for any qualified purchases you made in the past 90 days. 

If you decide to apply for the Chase FREEDOM Flex, Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve or Business Ink please consider using my referral link. You get the same bonus and I also get a small bonus for referring you. That's how we do it at almostFREEfamilytravel.com 

Only One Spot Left! Be A Beta Tester for my New FREE Travel Coaching Program!

       Awesome photo from Iceland's Diamond Beach to get your attention! 

Now that I have visited 54 countries and six continents, many of them with points and miles so travel was almost FREE, I'm ready to coach others on how to do this too. 

My goal is for everyone to be able to travel! This exclusive opportunity is perfect for women who love to travel and want to unlock the secrets of exploring the world on a budget.

Exclusive Opportunity: Seeking 5 Women as Beta Testers for my FREE Travel Coaching Program!

As Beta Testers, you'll have the chance to experience my revolutionary Travel Coaching Program before anyone else. Learn insider tips, tricks, and strategies to maximize your travel experiences while saving money. From finding the best deals on flights and accommodations to planning unforgettable itineraries, this personalized program has got you covered.

Are you ready to embark on this adventure? Apply now to secure your spot as one of the lucky 5 Beta Testers. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to transform your travel dreams into reality. Act fast, as spots are limited!

What does this program look like?

• You will get a four-part video series explaining points and miles basics in super simple terms 
• Then you will fill out a tracker with all of your points, miles and current credit cards (just the cards, no numbers LOL) so I can review where you are 
• Then we will meet over zoom for a 30 minute 1:1 coaching session to strategize

From there, you can join the optional monthly zoom coaching session with the cohort where we will support each other and plan a trip together and/or you can choose to continue 1:1 coaching sessions with me. 

In return, I will ask you for feedback on everything. 

Don't wait to sign up because this coaching program is going to be awesome and it will only be FREE for just a few beta testers! 

Unveiling the Money-Saving Magic of Priority Pass Lounge Access: Elevate Your Travel Experience!

 

If you are travelling this summer and it seems like almost everyone is, you may want to get Priority Pass Lounge Access to save money and just make the trip more comfortable. 

On a recent trip cross country, we had a quick layover in St. Louis. Even though it was only about one hour, with my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, we were able to drop into the Priority Pass lounge, Wingtips, in Terminal 2 across from Gate E29. The Priority Pass lounge network features 1,300 lounges around the world and is a free benefit with the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card 

The benefit allows the card holder and two guests to enter. We also hold the Capital One Venture X card so that gets the rest of my family into the lounge. 

I always check to see if there are lounges available in the airports when I fly. Besides snacks, drinks, and a quiet place to charge cell phones, the lounges offer a place to sit down. The pass is good for the holder plus one guest. 

Sometimes the lounge may not be a lounge at all, it could be a credit at a restaurant in the airport. If that's the case, the pass is valid for $28 for the pass holder and their guest. Wow! 

A few years back I flew out of JFK to London Gatwick. There is an amazing restaurant in JFK Terminal 8 Bobby Van's Steakhouse that is on the lounge pass. My daughter and I feasted on a full dinner before boarding our red-eye flight across the pond. Our bill came to $5 and that's only because we ordered a dessert. 

On the way back, we stopped at the Grain Store Cafe and Bar in London Gatwick South Terminal. Whew, we had a hard time spending our $28 credit each. We ended up loading up on croissants and desserts to bring home to the family. 

Lounges vary from airport to airport in quality and offerings, but sometimes you luck out. 

The Priority Pass is a FREE perk with the following credit cards:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Capital One Venture X
• The Platinum Card from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card From American Express 
• Hilton Honors American Express Business Card 

Note that the American Express cards do not have restaurant benefits. My favorite card which you probably know by now is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Right now, that card is offering 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in three months. It carries a $550 annual fee but includes a $300 travel credit, $100 global entry credit, 10x points on Lyft, and complimentary access to Door Dash, Instacart and GoPuff. If the Reserve is too expensive, try the Sapphire Preferred card, it does not include Priority Pass membership, but it is a great card. Though the offer has changed, you can read about why I love this card so much. 

How To Get A FREE Roundtrip Flight on American Airlines

 

Here's a tip on an amazing bonus offer right now! Barclays American Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard is offering 70,000 miles with just one purchase. There is a $99 annual fee. 

What does 70,000 American Airlines miles get you? We went ahead and put in a sample itinerary to New York from Los Angeles. When we entered the round trip, it gave us a flight for 39,000 miles. Not bad, but we wondered what would happen if we looked at one way flights. 

And wow, one way LAX to JFK, it gave us a flight for just 10,500 miles. So we decided to see what the return would be like. 

And wow, we could get a return for 16,500 miles. Total would be 27,000 miles round trip. 

That means the 70,000 miles would get us almost three round trip flights from Los Angeles to New York City. Amazing. 

Even though I have opened quite a few credit cards both personal and business over the past year, I was instantly approved for this Barclays credit card. And a day later, I got an email alerting me that my credit score went UP. 

My husband also applied since we are trying to collect enough American Airlines miles for a big family trip next summer. His application is pending approval so I'll keep you posted. 

If you decide to apply for this credit card, here is the link. We do not have an expiration date yet on this offer.