The elevated offer you’ve been waiting for on the #1 card for traveling with points

Note: If you feel like you are in the tenth week of June and can barely keep up with all the end of year stuff and the camp lists, etc, but also want to be able to take advantage of point earning opportunities so you can book trips with your family, this is for you!

There have been a lot of “elevated offers” lately — those high welcome bonuses that are around for a limited time. It can be dizzying to keep up with them. When there are a bunch back to back, I know how it feels for your eyes to glaze over. But, resist that feeling!

With each new welcome bonus, you're earning points you’ll be able to turn into future trips.

Even when life gets busy, it’s worth making time for a 3 minute card application that can earn you thousands of dollars in nearly free travel by spending money you have to spend anyway.

Stay the course!

So, now I am about to tell you about an elevated offer that is arguably the biggest one of the year.

Don’t let the sea of recent elevated offers distract or water down this news for you!

The #1 BEST starter card for points travel now has a highest ever 100,000 point welcome bonus.

If you don’t have this card, this is the time.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

🏆 Highest ever limited time offer! 🏆

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Learn how to apply here!

Why this card is the #1 best starter card for points travel?

• Earns transferable, flexible points that can be transferred to hotels and airlines to book travel directly. This is the key to points travel! Skip the portal.

• Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel

• Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance

• No foreign transaction fees (I always take this card on trips!)

• Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.

• Strong multipliers 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

• Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.

• Combine points with other Chase cards and unlock the ability to transfer all of your Chase Ultimate Rewards out to partners.

What 100K points can potentially get you:

• 4 round trip tickets on Virgin for a family of four (booked as one ways because…have we met?)

• Multiple nights at a hotel in the hippest part of Mexico City, a hotel just outside the walled city in Cartagena or an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean this winter

• 2 premium economy seats to Paris or one way in business class with points left over (this is how I find these fares)

• Note: Remember that Hyatt is no longer is a 1:1 transfer for new applicants of the Sapphire Preferred. Someone in your household will need to have the premium or business card in order to retain the 1:1 transfer ratio!

FAQ

If I already have The Chase Sapphire Reserve® am I eligible for this card?

Yep! If you have never earned the bonus on the Sapphire Preferred, you should be eligible to receive the bonus, even if you already hold The Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

To get approved for any Chase cards, you’ll need to be “under 5/24” meaning that you have not opened more than 5 personal cards from ANY bank in the last 24 months.

What if I am already an authorized user on this card?

You should be good to go to apply for your own!

I recently applied for this card and it’s still in review. Will I get 100K points?

You will get the offer available to you when you applied, so in theory no. However, sending a secure message to the bank and asking them to match this offer once approved has proven to be successful in the past for many. It’s always worth a try!

I applied recently for this card and it was approved, can I still get the 100K points?

If you recently applied for this card, you may be able to try the above tip. Secure message and see if they’ll match the current offer. You never know!

I feel like I already have enough cards - is it really worth getting this one?

Yep! 100,000 points with such a low fee is excellent. This is the time to get it if you do not already have this card. This is a foundational card for points travel. If you don’t have it, you need it.

Which link should I use when I’m ready to go for it?

Using my link in this post is the best way to support The Point and doesn’t cost you a thing :) As a mom and small business owner, I can’t thank you all enough for using my links whenever you’re ready to go for a new card. Thank you.

Last year, we used points from cards like this to book family trips that would have otherwise cost thousands of dollars. That's why I get so excited about offers like this one — they make it possible to travel the world for next to nothing.

Have any questions about this card? Want to see how this fits in with your overall card and points strategy? Reach out anytime.

Already have this card and feeling FOMO (I get it)? Here are three super high offers that just dropped last week:

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Earn $750 $1,000 when you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first four months after account opening. No annual fee. Read more here.

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Earn $750 $1,000 bonus cash back after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening. No annual fee. Earns 1.5% cash back (or 1.5x points on every purchase). Read more here.

Sapphire Reserve for Business℠

Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from account opening. Read more here.

Remember! While the Chase Ink Cash and Chase Ink Unlimited are advertised as cash back cards, the rewards come to you as points!

You can earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® instead of $1,000 (which is better because the points can be worth much more!) if you transfer the points to a card such as The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, The Chase Sapphire Reserve®, The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card or The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠.

A recap!

Here are a few cards with current elevated offers:

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Sapphire Reserve for Business℠

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

If this card makes sense for you, using my link is one of the easiest ways to support The Point. It doesn't cost you anything and it helps me keep creating guides, itineraries and resources that help you travel better for less.

Thank you!

Some extra credit reading:

• See more about how much points are worth here!

• And a little more about how I book flights here

• And how it can help your credit to have more cards here.

Thanks for being here!

Message me anytime with questions and thank you again to all who have used my links to apply for cards.

Your support means a ton.

Please like this post and leave a comment here so more people see my work.

Leave a comment

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Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

What To Do When Your Points Are Running Out

I have been home for a stretch now and booking trips like crazy — which means I’m starting to see some of my points dwindling. I try to save my Chase points for hotels since they transfer to Hyatt (more on the drama around that here) and use most of the other points I earn for flights.

I aim to always have a fair amount of points from this bank and a couple other banks at all times and weave in some airline and hotel points and miles as well. Having points in each of these forms means when I find a good deal, I can jump on it.

Points are a currency. You have dollars in the bank and you have points. The points can be redeemed for incredible travel and bucket-list experiences so you’re not forced to choose between saving money or taking a trip.

The 3 ways to earn points

1. Using an everyday card: The slow way to earn points (the way most people do it) is to just put spend on cards you have and wait for those points to add up over time. With this strategy, you can expect your points will cover a trip every couple of years.

2. Maximizing multipliers: The medium speed way to earn points is to have various cards that maximize spending in different categories. Using this card for the 4x on dining, this one for the 4x on flights and hotels booked direct, this one on groceries, this one for everyday purchases that don’t fall into any particular category.

3. Welcome bonuses: The fastest way (by far!) to earn points is through the welcome bonuses on credit cards. Putting $5K spend on a card you already have will earn you around 5,000 points. If you put that same spend on a new card that earns tens of thousands of points (or more) in the first few months of opening the account, you’ll earn a ton of points.

Three super high offers that just dropped today that you’ll want to know about.

Today, Chase announced three new elevated offers (a couple are the highest we’ve ever seen) that I want to make sure you stay in the know about.

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Earn $750 $1,000 when you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first four months after account opening. No annual fee. Read more here.

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Earn $750 $1,000 bonus cash back after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 4 months from account opening. No annual fee. Earns 1.5% cash back (or 1.5x points on every purchase). Read more here.

Sapphire Reserve for Business℠

Earn 200,000 bonus points after you spend $30,000 on purchases in your first 6 months from account opening. Read more here.

Important note! While the Chase Ink Cash and Chase Ink Unlimited are advertised as cash back cards, the rewards come to you as points!

You can earn 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® instead of $1000 (which is better because the points can be worth much more!) if you transfer the points to a card such as The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, The Chase Sapphire Reserve®, The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card or The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠.

FAQ:

These are business cards, but I don’t think I have a business!

99% of people qualify for business cards and many don’t realize it. Read this here for more info on qualifying. The answer might surprise you.

These say cash back. Shouldn’t I be focusing on points?

The two cards that mention cash back actually have rewards that come to you as points. I know it’s confusing! It’s just how they are marketed. The bonus will come to you as points that you can use in the valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards ecosystem by combining them with a card such as the Sapphire Preferred or Reserve.

I already have one of the no annual fee business cards, can I earn the bonus on the other?

Unfortunately, most likely not due to recent rule changes.

I have the Sapphire Reserve personal card. Is it worth getting the business card as well?

The business version also has a $300 travel credit meaning the annual fee is effectively much less than advertised. If you have the spend to get this card, the 200,000 points are worth a ton and very much worth it for at least the first year.

If I already have The Ink Business Preferred, can I apply for these no fee cards?

Yep! You should be able to earn the welcome bonus on both.

I opened a personal card from Chase within the last 30 days. Can I still apply for these?

I recommend waiting 60-90 days between card applications with the same bank but you must wait at least 30 days to open a business card after opening a personal card (note that you CAN open a personal card after opening a business card so if you are trying to do both at once, you’ll want to open the business card first).

Do the points from various Chase cards combine with one another?

Yes! You can combine points within your Chase account (and within your household) onto a card that allows points to transfer out to airlines and hotels such as this one or this one.

Why do you talk about Chase so much?

Well, they have had a lot of updates lately for one!!

Different banks have different rules about how and when affiliates can use their names in newsletters and socials. I can say some and can’t say others so that’s why you hear the name Chase more. That said, because of Chase’s 5/24 rule and the fantastic travel partners (including Hyatt), I recommend starting with Chase cards before branching out to other banks’ cards. I have links to almost all cards. You can find them here!

Why do you talk about cards so much?

Because the cards are how you can earn points to travel. And my job is to make sure you have as much intel as possible to make the best choices! Without the cards, you won’t have the points, without the points, you can’t take trips for nearly free. The rest of the pieces I publish are centered around how to use points and traveling well. The cards earn the points and the points are the way in.

A recap!

Here are the cards with current elevated offers:

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® (until 8am ET on 6/15/26)

Sapphire Reserve for Business℠

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

If you decide to apply, please use the links in this article! It doesn’t cost you anything to use them and helps my small business grow.

Thank you!

Some extra credit reading:

• See more about how much points are worth here!

• And a little more about how I book flights here

• And how it can help your credit to have more cards here.

Thanks for being here!

Message me anytime with questions and thank you again to all who have used my links to apply for cards.

Your support means a ton.

Please like this post and leave a comment here so more people see my work.

Leave a comment

Share

Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

Hyatt stop breaking our hearts

If you’ve been here a while, you know how amazing Hyatt can be when it comes to booking hotels on points. Many of us stay at hotels that would have cost thousands of dollars per night for under 40,000 points.

This is a big deal as many other programs have devalued their programs significantly and often require tens of thousands of points more to book a hotel of the same price.

Well, I’ve got some bad news (please don’t shoot the messenger!):

Chase just announced a major change to the value of their Hyatt transfers.

Starting June 15, 2026 (Monday!) for new applicants (and October 1, 2026, for existing cardholders), points earned on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card will no longer transfer to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.

The transfers will drop to 4:3.

This means that if you transfer 100,000 Chase points from either of these cards, you’ll only get 75,000 Hyatt points.

For years, the ability to transfer Chase points 1:1 to Hyatt has been one of the simplest and easiest strategies in the points world. It’s hard to watch this change!

But, as promised there’s a solution. It’s not necessarily cheap, but it’s worth it.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ will continue to transfer to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.

That means if you have one of these two cards, you will still be able to transfer your points to Hyatt as you always have.

If you’ve don’t already have one of these cards, the timing here is something to keep in mind because Chase’s highest-ever offer on the Sapphire Reserve is still available, but only for a few more days. It ends Monday, June 15th at 9am ET.

Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in the first three months from account opening.

Click here to learn more about this card

Yes, the annual fee is steep and I get that it feels crazy that Chase is asking you to pay this in order to preserve the 1:1 transfer but remember a couple things:

• The 150,000 point bonus makes the annual fee worth it for the first year (at which point you can downgrade to a free card if you don’t want to pay it again).

• There is a $300 travel credit which effectively reduces the annual fee to $495

• There are a lot of perks and benefits on this card that far outweigh the fee (including lounge access).

• You only have until 9am ET on Monday 6/15 to get the current elevated offer.

• You can apply for the Reserve even if you already have the Preferred.

• If you upgrade your card you’ll miss out on the welcome bonus! Make sure to apply outright vs. upgrading.

Please use the link here to apply for The Chase Sapphire Reserve® 🖤

I know how it feels to read this kind of news and want to give up on points. But don’t let it get to you!

There are always changes in the points world — always! We pivot, learn, adapt and travel for nearly free. And we do it together.

Even with all the changes, I’ve managed to take multiple international trips this year for a small fraction of what they would have cost with cash. Stay the course! I promise, it’s worth it.

What questions/thoughts do you have? Let me know how you’re feeling in the comments.

Leave a comment

Copying info from an earlier newsletter here on the premium card so you can check it all out in one place:

The Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Earn 150,000 Bonus Points

After spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Learn how to apply

Thank you as always for clicking through my links to apply! It helps to support my work and I appreciate it so much.

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What these points can get you:

• Round trip economy flights abroad for a family of 4

• Round trip business class flight to Paris

• Multiple nights at a 5 star hotel

• Economy flights and a domestic hotel stay for my whole family

• Other amazing travel :)

Why this card matters:

• It’s 150,000 of some of the very best points!

• A $300 annual travel credit (no need to activate or use the portal!)

• Complimentary lounge access

• 4x points earned on hotels and flights booked direct

• 3x points on dining

• Preserves the 1:1 Hyatt transfer

Why this card is so universally loved:

• It currently offers a 150,000 welcome bonus after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. This is the highest ever offer on this card.

• There is no foreign transaction fee

• It’s a personal card! Most people qualify!

• It earns transferable points. These are points that can be transferred directly to hotels and airlines to book travel directly. It’s a fantastic way to get exceptional value out of your points and the key to a smart redemption strategy (aka the best way to use your points!).

• One of the transfer partners is Hyatt (which still has my very favorite redemption options for points stays!)

• This card makes other Chase rewards points even more valuable by allowing you to combine all of your Ultimate Rewards points onto a Sapphire and then transfer them out to hotels and airlines. Without this card (or a card with these capabilities) the option to transfer points to airlines and hotels will not be available to you.

• It’s the best card to take up a 5/24 spot (a good thing!)

Are you eligible?

• The rules recently changed. If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can still get the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and earn both bonuses!

• Chase has added a pop-up for those who are not eligible for the welcome offer. This way, there’s no harm in applying. You can exit the application if you’re not eligible.

• While the annual fee may feel steep, it’s more than worth it for the perks and welcome bonus. Read more on that here.

• After a year, you can always downgrade your card to a free version to avoid paying the annual fee more than once.

Why a new card?

Whether you have a stockpile of points, have exhausted your stash or are just starting out, the most important thing to remember is that welcome bonuses are the single most efficient way to earn points on everyday spending.

Read on for all the details on this highest ever elevated offer!

Some benefits of this premium card:

• Up to $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.

• Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.

• Earn 8x points per dollar on all Chase Travel℠ purchases

• Earn 4x points per dollar on flights and hotels booked directly

• Earn 3x points per dollar spent on dining purchases worldwide

• Earn 1x points per dollar spent on all other purchases

• $500 credit for The Edit, Chase’s curated collection of luxury hotels and resorts annually (use toward pre-paid bookings of two nights or more)

• Biannual $150 dining credit to use with Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables; $300 annually

• Chase Sapphire lounge access

• Priority Pass Select membership

• Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.

• $795 annual fee

FAQ:

The annual fee is $795 (omg). How can this possibly be worth it?

While it can feel intimidating to have a card with a high annual fee (I get it!), it is always worth it for the first year because of the value of the welcome bonus.

Since there is a statement credit of up to $300 for travel purchases each account anniversary year, this effectively can lower the annual fee (in your mind) to $495 before even taking into account any other perks or benefits from the card. And since the travel credit will automatically come off your statement, it’s not a credit that you have to use brain power to remember to use.

Some of the other credits will also offset the annual fee. The way I look at annual fees? You are fronting the money to pay for it when getting the card, but much of it can come back to you as credits and perks throughout the year.

I value the welcome bonus at $3,000+ which more than makes up for the annual fee in the first year even if you don’t use a single credit.

I already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Can I get the Reserve too?

Good news! Chase recently changed the rules and now allows cardholders to have both cards at the same time! If you’ve never held the Reserve before, this means you should be able to qualify for the welcome bonus even if you have the Preferred already.

I am confused by lounge access! What kind of lounge access will this card get me?

The Reserve offers lounge access via Priority Pass and access to the Sapphire Lounges. The network of Priority Pass lounges is large — especially abroad. For international trips, these lounges can be a total game-changer.

How much are 150,000 Chase points actually worth?

I value this at $3,000+.

If you use them for a statement credit or within Chase Travel℠, they are typically worth around $1,500. If, instead, you transfer the points out to airlines and hotels, they can be worth significantly more.

For example:

You could spend $2,000 a night at the Park Hyatt in Paris (swoon, it’s my favorite!) OR you could transfer 45,000 points to Hyatt and book it direct.

With this transfer, if you booked 5 nights at the Park Hyatt Paris, the value from this welcome bonus alone could be over $10,000.

Learn how to apply here

Can I apply for this card if I’m over “5/24”?

5/24 status refers to a Chase rule — to potentially qualify for a card, you’ll need to have opened no more than 5 personal cards from any bank in the last 24 months. If you’ve opened 5 or more, you’ll need to wait to apply for this (or if you have a partner, perhaps they can - send them this link).

Learn how to apply here

Some extra credit reading:

• See more about how much points are worth here!

• And a little more about how I book flights here

• And how it can help your credit to have more cards here.

Thanks for being here!

Message me anytime with questions and thank you again to all who have used my links to apply for cards.

Your support means a ton.

Share

Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

Get a free mini-wallet edit.

This is the best and easiest way to know you’re going in the right direction with points. Click here, it’s free. Use this form and get in touch as many times as you’d like!

Get a free mini-Wallet Edit

---

Our next Point Salon live Q&A is coming up!

➡ June 25th 1pm ET ⬅

Save your spot

Please join! Open to all — free for paid subscribers 🖤

Behind the paywall you will find:

• A cheat sheet for how to book flights with points that you can follow each and every time you book a flight ANYWHERE in the world.

• The shortcut I find most helpful when I want to save time and money

• How we booked flights to Paris (using this method) in business class for less than the cost of economy

• The code to attend this month’s live Point Salon Q&A for free. Bring your questions or just come hang and meet other members of The Point (and me!).

The 5 steps savvy travelers take to book flights with points

You’ve worked hard to earn points. You’ve taken advantage of welcome bonus offers, maximized earning categories and put time and energy into learning how this all works. It wasn’t easy, but you did it!

And now, you have another currency besides dollars (points!) just sitting there waiting to be spent. But, when you go to use those points, it’s hard to know when you’re getting a good deal and the thought of wasting them makes you feel sick to your stomach.

Sound familiar?

Here are the steps I take every time I book flights with points to make sure I’m finding the lowest fares possible and spending my hard-earned points wisely.

Want to know how the experts do it? Read on!

Read more

• The Hyatt devaluation was somehow not THAT bad. If you booked trips in advance and any rates went down, you should see the refund in your account. If the rates went up (many did but just not by as much as we thought!) then you’re lucky to have booked ahead. This was a good reminder that things change but we can always adapt!

• We launched a new series called Good Points to give paid subscribers (thank you!) easy to follow, digestible points and miles tips — and answer readers’ questions. More to come — I love this series because I think short easy to read newsletters (of which the one you are reading is not) are very helpful ;) I hope you do too!

• Many of you used my links to apply for cards this month and I just want to say thank you. Each time you click the card links and get approved for a card, you’re not only earning yourself welcome bonus points, but you’re helping a small business grow. It means a lot. You can always find card links here - or DM/email me for any you don’t see. Thank you!

• The premium version of the #1 card for travel has an elevated offer of 150,000 welcome bonus points that is ending soon. Remember, the annual fee is always worth it for the first year. If you’ve been waiting for a high welcome bonus to justify getting this premium card, the time is now. You can read more about it here. Don’t miss this!

• This is one of the top business cards I’m recommending right now. Even if you have other cards from this bank, you are likely still eligible for this bonus. Please use this link here to apply and feel free to reach out to me if you need any help! This card can earn you 100,000 of my favorite points with a very low annual fee. Enough said!

• Rove (not a credit card!) is a great way to earn points. Click here and sign up to earn 1,500 transferable points (for new sign-ups). Do it today — takes 3 seconds.

• Get a free mini-wallet edit. New here? Ready to level up? This is the best and easiest way to know you’re going in the right direction with points. Click here, it’s free. Use this form and get in touch as many times as you’d like!

Get a Wallet Edit

Some past features…

• Condé Nast asked how we booked our spring break trip for our family of four to Eastern Europe on points. I broke it all down in a full feature! Read it here.

• The New York Times: It was such an honor to speak with the New York Times about loyalty and credit cards!

• Bloomberg Travel: I talked to Bloomberg News about home swapping — one of my favorite ways to travel!

• New York Magazine: I shared my thoughts with New York Magazine on how to save on travel.

  Last year, I saved more than $140,000 by using points to travel. How much will you save this year? Now is the best time to start. Join the hundreds of paid subscribers traveling smarter on points.

• My friend wrote a beautiful piece for Time Magazine about the end of the Late Show as well as this beautiful piece for her newsletter Modern Loss ❤️

• I convinced my friend Brenda Bergen | Wink Design to join substack and I am obsessed with her travel color pallettes.

• Check out this article Finding beauty in the everyday by Blue Balloon Songwriting (my first baby) and Six Pics I Clicked.

• The answer to You really want to raise a kid in New York? by Alexis Benveniste is YES!

  

• Air France Promo fares: If you’re heading to Europe, check out the promo fares on Air France! Look for 18,750 economy fares one way — and don’t forget kids 11 and under get 25% off award fares! Here’s a bunch of available flights from NY to Copenhagen (as of the time of publishing). This article will tell you how to find these fares!

  

• There is also a 25% transfer bonus from this bank which means you can potentially fly to Europe for 15,000 points with this bonus + the promo fare. A tip: to figure out how many points to transfer, take the points needed and divide by 1.25!

• May started with a trip to the Berkshires for a business and wellness retreat hosted by Shira Gill. Things didn’t go as planned back at home (a story for another day) but I met so many amazing women and it was nice to get out of the city!

• I got to hang in Nolita with some other substack friends and I will say it again that it is truly the best that Substack friends can actually turn into real life friends.

• Afterwards, I headed to The Knockdown Center in Bushwick/Ridgewood to see Bill Callahan of Smog! He was one of my favorites growing up and it was amazing to see him perform after all these years.

• and had a beautiful luncheon at 12 Chairs Café in Williamsburg. We all got to leave with the prettiest bodega flowers. The best.

• I couldn’t do my usual staycation this year for Mother’s Day but I did get away for a few hours to see The Devil Wears Prada with of Mom Friend followed by drinks at Hotel Delmano (reliving the early 2000s in every way).

• invited me to a talk at ’s Books are Magic to see the incredible and . Very inspiring!

• I saw Bruce Springsteen for the first time. WHAT A SHOW that guy can still put on. At 76 he can still put his whole self into a three hour show meanwhile I had to sit a few times just watching!

  

• My 10 year old flew to Detroit on his own to spend a long weekend with my parents. I am so blown away by his independence and bravery! The flight was delayed over 5 hours coming home and he handled it like a total champ (while I was sweating the whole time).

• I got to try out the new Bathhouse on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn with my friend Lesley. I will go anywhere there are thermal baths. I’ve already gone back twice!

• I did an enneagram session with my friend Ali Dunn and I learned so much about myself and my natural tendencies. It turns out, I am a perfectionist, creative AND visionary! Apparently it’s a rare combo but maybe explains a lot about my life choices?!

• Kamali and I saw Belle and Sebastian at Pier 17 for their 30 year reunion show that made us feel old and young at the same time. I saw so many old friends and somehow still knew all the words to their songs!

  

• My brother in law and his family came to town and we had the best weekend. wish we lived closer to family!

• We had such a lovely evening hosting friends for drinks and conversation over Memorial Day weekend. It was the kind of night I didn’t know I needed.

  

• My birthday came and went with a night at the Park Hyatt New York that needs a redo! We got a call at the end of watching Ragtime on Broadway that one of the kids broke out in hives and we headed home that night to make sure he was ok (he’s ok but they are not totally gone - tips??).

• Henry’s baseball coach surprised the team with a stretch limo to take them from practice to a Cyclone’s game. The parents all chipped in and it was one of those core memories I don’t think he’ll ever forget.

• My songwriting school had our 17th annual showcase at City Winery next to Little Island with over 120 kids performing over the course of the weekend. I am still recovering from the two day event but wow was it amazing. took so many gorgeous photos of the show. Thank you Ana!

Love reading your messages 🖤

Ps - The Costa Rica edit is here and here!

The most popular posts in April

Some past popular posts

Thanks for being here, for supporting my small business and for being a part of this special community! It means so much.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Learn how to apply

Thank you as always for clicking through my links to apply! It helps to support my work and I appreciate it so much.

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What these points can get you:

• Round trip economy flights abroad for a family of 4

• Round trip business class flight to Paris

• Multiple nights at a 5 star hotel

• Economy flights and a domestic hotel stay for my whole family

• Other amazing travel :)

Why this card matters:

• A $300 annual travel credit (no need to activate or use the portal!)

• Complimentary lounge access

• 4x points earned on hotels and flights booked direct

• 3x points on dining

Why this card is so universally loved:

• There is no foreign transaction fee

• It’s a personal card! Most people qualify!

• It earns transferable points. These are points that can be transferred directly to hotels and airlines to book travel directly. It’s a fantastic way to get exceptional value out of your points and the key to a smart redemption strategy (aka the best way to use your points!).

• One of the transfer partners is Hyatt (which still has my very favorite redemption options for points stays!)

• This card makes other Chase rewards points even more valuable by allowing you to combine all of your Ultimate Rewards points onto a Sapphire and then transfer them out to hotels and airlines. Without this card (or a card with these capabilities) the option to transfer points to airlines and hotels will not be available to you.

• It’s the best card to take up a 5/24 spot (a good thing!)

Are you eligible?

• The rules recently changed. If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can still get the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and earn both bonuses!

• Chase has added a pop-up for those who are not eligible for the welcome offer. This way, there’s no harm in applying. You can exit the application if you’re not eligible.

• While the annual fee may feel steep, it’s more than worth it for the perks and welcome bonus. Read more on that here.

• After a year, you can always downgrade your card to a free version to avoid paying the annual fee more than once.

Why a new card?

Whether you have a stockpile of points, have exhausted your stash or are just starting out, the most important thing to remember is that welcome bonuses are the single most efficient way to earn points on everyday spending.

Read on for all the details on this highest ever elevated offer!

Some benefits of this premium card:

• Up to $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.

• Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.

• Earn 8x points per dollar on all Chase Travel℠ purchases

• Earn 4x points per dollar on flights and hotels booked directly

• Earn 3x points per dollar spent on dining purchases worldwide

• Earn 1x points per dollar spent on all other purchases

• $500 credit for The Edit, Chase’s curated collection of luxury hotels and resorts annually (use toward pre-paid bookings of two nights or more)

• Biannual $150 dining credit to use with Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables; $300 annually

• Chase Sapphire lounge access

• Priority Pass Select membership

• Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.

• $795 annual fee

FAQ:

The annual fee is $795 (omg). How can this possibly be worth it?

While it can feel intimidating to have a card with a high annual fee (I get it!), it is always worth it for the first year because of the value of the welcome bonus.

Since there is a statement credit of up to $300 for travel purchases each account anniversary year, this effectively can lower the annual fee (in your mind) to $495 before even taking into account any other perks or benefits from the card. And since the travel credit will automatically come off your statement, it’s not a credit that you have to use brain power to remember to use.

Some of the other credits will also offset the annual fee. The way I look at annual fees? You are fronting the money to pay for it when getting the card, but much of it can come back to you as credits and perks throughout the year.

The welcome bonus more than makes up for the annual fee in the first year even if you don’t use a single credit.

I already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Can I get the Reserve too?

Good news! Chase recently changed the rules and now allows card holders to have both cards at the same time! If you’ve never held the Reserve before, this means you should be able to qualify for the welcome bonus even if you have the Preferred already.

I am confused by lounge access! What kind of lounge access will this card get me?

The Reserve offers lounge access via Priority Pass and access to the Sapphire Lounges. The network of Priority Pass lounges is large — especially abroad. For international trips, these lounges can be a total game-changer.

How much are ~100,000 Chase points actually worth?

A lot!

If you use them for a statement credit or within Chase Travel℠, they are typically worth around $1,000. If, instead, you transfer the points out to airlines and hotels, they can be worth significantly more.

For example:

You could spend $2,000 a night at the Park Hyatt in Paris (swoon, it’s my favorite!) OR you could transfer 45,000 points to Hyatt and book it direct.

With this transfer, if you booked 5 nights at the Park Hyatt Paris, the value from this welcome bonus alone could be over $10,000.

Learn how to apply here

Can I apply for this card if I’m over “5/24”?

5/24 status refers to a Chase rule — to potentially qualify for a card, you’ll need to have opened no more than 5 personal cards from any bank in the last 24 months. If you’ve opened 5 or more, you’ll need to wait to apply for this (or if you have a partner, perhaps they can - send them this link).

Learn how to apply here

Already have this card and feeling FOMO?

Here are some other options:

• The lower fee card.

• This card which earns 4x on groceries (not typically recommended if you are under 5/24)

• A business card! This one and this one have all time high offers right now and this one is great too if you want to stay in the Chase family.

Some extra credit reading:

• See more about how much points are worth here!

• And a little more about how I book flights here

• And how it can help your credit to have more cards here.

Thanks for being here!

Message me anytime with questions and thank you again to all who have used my links to apply for cards.

Your support means a ton.

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Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

A very happy Sunday to you and your family and thanks for all of your birthday messages!

We checked into the Park Hyatt New York (swoon) for my birthday. Kamali got us tickets to see Ragtime and a dinner reservation overlooking Lincoln Center, but just as we were about to leave the theater we got a call that my son had hives all over his body (tips welcome, it’s been days of this now, poor kid!) and we had to pack up and head home. At least we booked the stay before the big Hyatt devaluation. #birthdayfail

I was relieved to be close by and able to turn around and go home but guys, we can’t catch a break over here!

The Blue Balloon showcase (iykyk) was yesterday and today (10am and 12:30pm). If you are in NYC and want to see some of the quirkiest, coolest, cutest little songwriters perform original songs on stage at City Winery, come say hi! DM me for a guest list spot.

Yes, I know it’s crazy that I am the founder of two companies. No, I don’t know how I do both! ;)

I had planned to send postcards from Malta this week but everything is delayed a few days. It’s coming soon!

Today is the last day to upgrade your subscription with a discount for my birthday month.

Next week we’re back to publishing as planned on my self-imposed ~2x/week schedule that I feel terribly guilty about if ever I miss!

The Monthly Rewind, Postcards from Malta, The Athens Edit and my thoughts on all the Hyatt changes are just some of the articles planned in the coming days/weeks.

We’ll also have a June Point Salon live zoom Q&A just for paid subscribers. More info on that this week.

Thanks for being a special part of this incredible community of travelers. I’m honored you’re here 🖤

See you next week!

X

Rachel

It’s a place to learn short, to the point tips and tricks, an opportunity to dispel myths and teach you how to use your points wisely.

Thanks for being here, reading along and asking questions!

Here’s the fourth edition of Good Points! Usually they are paywalled but today it’s free as a birthday gift from me to you.

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Point earning notes:

• The elevated offer on my very favorite personal premium card is going strong at 150,000 points! Don’t miss this - it’s a big deal and can earn you enough points to stay at amazing hotels, or even fly round trip to Europe in business class. Read more about it here and please use this link to apply!

• For big spenders: Do you spend more than $5-$10K/month on cards? DM me for info on the best cards that can earn you 150K+ in welcome bonus points (or simply reply if you’re receiving this via email).

• If you’re new here (hi!) this is the card you want if you don’t yet have it!

• Click here for a wallet edit (free!) to learn which cards might be best for you. Or browse the link below! Using any of my links to apply for cards rather than applying directly on the bank site is the best way to support my small business 🖤

Favorite cards

Point spending notes:

• Look for saver fares when booking flights! If you skip the portal, you’ll have the opportunity to find lower point fares on the airline website.

• The great Hyatt devaluation was not as bad as we thought it would be! When booking hotel stays with points, Hyatt is still the front runner. I usually combine all my points from the bank on this card and then transfer them over to Hyatt when I’m ready to book a stay.

• Rather than booking round trip fares, try booking one way! You will have a better chance of finding a saver fare AND will have more flexibility if anything changes with your trip.

By the time you’re reading this, I’m hopefully at one of my favorite local hotels in Manhattan having a staycation for my birthday! I can’t wait to fill you in on the details of where I stayed and how I booked it once I’m back home.

If you have never booked a hotel staycation in your town or city, I highly recommend it! Check in somewhere with a jacuzzi and room service and enjoy waking up in a different neighborhood outside of your usual routine (ideally without your kids if possible).

A quick note: the discounted annual subscriptions I’ve offered this month are coming to an end in just a few days! If you’re ready to visit the coolest places for a fraction of the cost, you’ll want to upgrade here to learn my ways.

I saved $140,000+ in travel last year. I know a few things!

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When cards feel overwhelming — a reader Q&A

Reader: “I'm deep in trip planning and I got overwhelmed again. It's so silly because I am spending SO MUCH right now and could have been hitting all of my minimum spends! I'm finding it so tricky tracking four cards of spending!”

The Point (err me): Which parts exactly are you finding tricky?

Reader:

• Tracking the spending is overwhelming. I wish all of the payment days would sync up.

• Planning a big trip has been a learning experience. So much trial and error and sometimes I get it wrong.

• One time, I wasn’t thinking and I booked a hotel through this card thinking I’d get more points that way, only to realize that then I had to pay a foreign transaction fee.

• I’m using Rakuten and trying to figure out which card to use.

• I messed up a car rental I used this card, only to miss out on the extra points and the great rental car coverage from this card!

9 ways to make credit cards feel less overwhelming

1. How to not get overwhelmed by different statement dates

Call the bank and have them sync each of your card’s statement dates. Have every statement close on the 1st or 15th to simplify.

2. How to not miss a payment

Set every card you have to autopay. This way you don’t accidentally miss a payment.

3. How to know when a card has a foreign transaction fee

Cards without annual fees tend to have foreign transaction fees. If this is your everyday card, use this one or this one when you’re abroad. Most cards with annual feels do not have foreign transaction fees.

4. Which card to use when paying with Rakuten

If you have Rakuten set to pay out in points, you can pay with any card! You’ll earn points through Rakuten on top of your regular credit card points. If you don’t have Rakuten, get it! Use this link.

5. Can I use Rakuten to book travel?

For travel, I prefer to book direct rather than using portals. For 4x on flights and hotels booked direct, I love using this card (or this business version).

6. How to not miss out on all of the credits and benefits of a premium card?

Give yourself some grace! If you think about every single granular decision you will drive yourself nuts. Try to look at the big picture. You may not always earn a ton of points on every purchase and may make mistakes from time to time. If you look at the actual value of one individual purchase, it can be a really small amount. The overall trend of making good decisions with points will help you earn more over time.

7. Do I need to book trips a year in advance?

Does it make you feel better to know I have not booked my winter break flights yet? Sometimes last minute is best! Don’t beat yourself up! Do what you can.

8. I know I should use my points but I am worried and have only used them for parts of trips.

Look at the big picture and try to let some of the bigger stuff go. If you get one trip you would have had to pay for - or even part of one for free - think of how much you’re saving overall.

9. I have so much travel lust! Will I have enough points to do it all?

Remember that more points equals more opportunities. Let go of some of the pressure, consolidate your statement dates, set up autopays and you’ll be able to open more cards and have more points to work with!

Anything you’d like to see covered on Good Points? Please share your questions or points woes in the comments.

And please share this post to help others travel better with points!

Thanks for being here 🖤

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Point earning tips:

The elevated offer on my very favorite personal premium card is going strong at 150,000 points! Don’t miss this - it’s a big deal and can earn you enough points to stay at amazing hotels, or even fly round trip to Europe in business class. Read more about it here and please use this link to apply!

If you are worried about the annual fee, read this.

If you already have it, here are a few other cards you want to make sure you have:

• The #1 card for points travel (the basic version - you can have both!)

• The card that earns 50% more points than a basic 1x card

• The business card everyone should have (Low fee! Lots of points!)

  ---

Point spending tips:

• Hyatt’s devaluation was brutal news but it actually wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Many rates stayed the same and some even dropped. If the point values on your reservations look incorrect, don’t panic. They are still honoring the points prices you booked with!

• Book flights asap for upcoming trips. Flight calendars typically open 330 days in advance. With fuel costs surging, travel is getting even more expensive. Start searching for future travel now.

• Read up on how to value your points, book flights and find saver fares here!

The Hydra Edit

About 1.5 hours by ferry off the coast of Athens, sits the car-free, picturesque Saronic island of Hydra in the Aegean Sea. The ferry docks in Hydra port, a crescent shaped touristy harbor full of restaurants and shops. Up steep stone steps from the harbor there are streets full of homes, hotels, wildflowers, cypress and olive trees and paths that lead to tall overlooks — and the island’s gorgeous beaches.

In the 1960s, the Canadian Songwriter (then author) Leonard Cohen had been living in London and, in search of a peaceful, warm escape, found the island of Hydra and put down $1,500 for a home on the island. There he met his muse Marianne and wrote some of his best songs, “So Long, Marianne”, “Bird on a Wire” and others.

I was a kid when I heard Leonard Cohen’s beautiful poetic songs for the first time. Songs from a Room was one of the first records I bought and when I started writing my own songs in my teens and twenties, I would stay up late crafting song lyrics that I hoped would be at least a fraction as good as Leonard Cohen’s.

I remember listening to “So Long Marianne” and “Famous Blue Raincoat” on repeat in the fall of 1999 when I had just broken up with my boyfriend and moved to New York, one thousand miles from anyone I knew.

I listened to songs like “Bird on a Wire” and “The Stranger Song” in college while taking the subway from Williamsburg to Westchester for classes and back again. When I closed on my first house, there were the records. When I had my first kid and we got separated for days after he was born, the songs kept me company and consoled me and made me feel a little less alone in the world.

When we made it to Greece this year for the first time as part of a long spring break adventure to Milan, Athens and Malta — I was counting down the days for our day trip to Hydra.

If you are interested in taking a day trip from Athens and want to explore a beautiful island— and/or are eager to learn more about the home of one of the greatest poets and songwriters that ever lived, read on.

Here’s everything we did on the island:

• Where to walk, eat, drink and explore

• Where I’d stay if we went back

• Booking tips

• Directions to Leonard Cohen’s old house and haunts

• Photos and inspiration

But first, a video of me performing the song I wrote while on the boat to and from Hydra. I made this quick video yesterday just for you all.

Can you tell which parts I wrote on the way there and which on the way back?

Press play and listen to the words of my newest song: “Song for LC” 🖤

©️Rachel Lipson 2026

We booked the ferry from Athens on…

Read more

While part of me wanted to crawl into a whole and give up when I heard the news, I also know that change is the only constant when it comes to points and miles (or really anything). Hyatt will still have a ton of value and likely much more than the other hotel brands when booking on points.

My strategy right now is to book as many stays over the next thirteen months as possible now (that’s how far in advance Hyatt will allow you to book) so that I’m shielded from some of the immediate changes over the next year.

Any bookings confirmed before the 20th, will be honored at the current rate as long as no changes to the reservation are made later.

Read more about the devaluation here with tips on how to get ahead of the changes.

One note: some of the most dramatic changes will be happening with the higher end properties during high season. If like me, you need to travel during school breaks and like staying at really nice hotels, you’re really going to want to get ahead of this as much as you can. You’ll still be able to book these hotels with points later but it will just cost more.

In this post are the hotels we loved that I recommend booking before the big day comes.

Bookmark this post, share it with anyone who travels and start booking your trips!

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The Hyatt stays I’d book before they get more expensive

Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest

I have never stayed at such a cool hotel in my life. This is the lobby. It’s in an old arcade that lived many lives before becoming this grand hotel. There are tours available to have tea and learn the history of the hotel — and visit the esteemed presidential suite complete with a sound-proof meeting room on the roof. We checked in and were upgraded to a two bedroom, two bathroom suite. They treat loyalists amazingly well. I would never stay anywhere else in Budapest.

The Park Hyatt Chicago

Arguably, my favorite brand within the Hyatt portfolio is Park Hyatt. I love the residential, high-end feel and excellent service. I always feel like I’m staying in a fancy full-service building rather than a hotel when I’m staying at Park Hyatts. They are typically beautiful, discreet and luxurious. The Park Hyatt Chicago is the OG! We had a great stay there a couple years ago and will be heading back this fall when we visit my sister.

Hyatt Regency Cartagena

Cartagena was one of the best mid-winter break trips we’ve ever taken. It’s a fascinating and beautiful city with a ton of history. The walled city is where you want to be and this hotel is just outside of it. Cabs into the walled city were only a few dollars when we visited. This is a great option if you’re looking to stay on points! Here’s why we love Cartagena!

Andaz Mexico City

Mexico City is one of my favorite cities in the entire world and the Andaz is in the best location in Condesa. Here’s more on my obsession with Mexico City. We’ve stayed at this hotel twice and between the cool lobby, rooftop pool and location, it’s one of my favorites.

The Park Hyatt Vienna

Condé Nast featured my trip to the Golden Triangle on points back in 2025 (thanks ! This was our vacation staycation for a night (we stayed in a home swap in Vienna but checked into this gorgeous hotel for a night so the kids could use the pool). The hotel is an old savings bank and the pool is in the vault!

Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht

This hotel is quirky design-wise and slightly tricky for a family stay due to the layout of the rooms, but the location is ideal, right on the canals and blocks from the 9 streets and the Anne Frank House. Amsterdam is one of the best cities in the world to visit with kids and this hotel truly made my kids feel at home. I talked to Bloomberg News about how this hotel went out of its way to make my family comfortable here.

Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico

We haven’t stayed here (full disclosure) but we did book it for 2026! The points price is typically quite reasonable and it looks beautiful! I’ve heard mostly good things and can’t wait to see it for myself. When we head in this direction, we are usually visiting family in St. Thomas or Virgin Gorda, so this will be a new destination for us!

IL Tornabuoni Hotel, Florence

We’ve already booked this again for this summer and cannot wait to go back. A hot tip: if you are able to book a two king suite, ask for room 321. It’s a true two bedroom suite and was absolutely perfect for our family of 4! Not many properties in Europe readily allow four in a room, but this hotel has suites that are bookable with points available!

Park Hyatt Milano

This is one of my favorite hotels anywhere. The service is impeccable, the hotel is gorgeous and beautifully renovated and you’re basically inside the Galleria, one of the most incredible structures I’ve ever seen. I love the spa, breakfast and literally everything about this hotel. Milan wasn’t ever high on our list but now it’s one of our favorite cities (more on that here). This hotel will likely become very expensive after the devaluation. Book it now!

Andaz Papagayo, Costa Rica

We’ve been back twice in two years and are going back next year which says a lot since we usually like to visit new places. This hotel gives you access to the entire Papagayo Peninsula which is polished, beautiful and full of monkeys. Sunset dinner at the Ritz, a day pass at the Four Seasons, a visit to Papagayo Park — it’s not the adventure side of Costa Rica, it’s the chill, put your feet up side. With monkeys. We love it. Read about our first trip to Costa Rica here and my write up on Papagayo here.

Grand Hyatt Berlin

The rooms are spacious, the hotel is centrally located and this is the rooftop pool complete with a jacuzzi and spa. The cash rates can sometimes be affordable so check the cents per point calculation before booking this one!

Park Hyatt Paris

Teleport me any day to this hotel and I will be happy. In the center of the 1st arrondissement, right on Place Vendôme and walkable to so many places in Paris. The breakfast is fabulous, the spa is heaven and the service is perfect. I’ve already booked this again for the fourth time this summer! This one will go way up in price as soon as the 20th hits, so book it now if you have Paris plans.

Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill

My kids will tell you that even after visiting 25 countries in 4 years, their favorite place is London. We had to book two rooms at The Churchill for our family of four which made it pricey but the location in Marylebone is perfect. Walkable to so many places and easy to get anywhere from on the tube.

Park Hyatt DC

We have family in DC so it’s a place we head back to a couple times a year. We always stay at this hotel and wouldn’t stay anywhere else. The location is central, the breakfast at Blue Duck Tavern is exceptional (if it was good enough for Obama it’s good enough for us) and the pool and hot tub are wonderful. It’s a bit in need of a renovation but the rooms are spacious, the service is good and it’s such a beautiful hotel that feels like home each time we return.

Keep the faith! Points are incredible — that hasn’t changed. There are always new strategies and we will all continue to take amazing trips we never thought possible 🖤

What are you booking this week? Let us know in the comments!

xo

Rachel

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P.S. Moments like these are exactly why strategy and having a trust voice in your corner matters. Things change, but we pivot together.

If what you’re reading here feels valuable, please consider upgrading to paid. The Point has helped so many families travel more for less, and I would love for you to have access to all of it. Here is a link to get 10% off for my birthday month!

If you love The Point, now is the best time to show your support. Appreciate you all!

The elevated offer on my very favorite personal premium card is going strong at 150,000 points! Don’t miss this - it’s a big deal and can earn you enough points to stay at amazing hotels, or even fly round trip to Europe in business class. Read more about it here and please use this link to apply!

If you are worried about the annual fee, read this.

If you already have it, here are a few other cards you want to make sure you have:

• The #1 card for points travel (the basic version - you can have both!)

• The card that earns 50% more points than a basic 1x card

• The business card everyone should have (Low fee! Lots of points!)

Subscribe now

It’s a place to share short, to the point tips and tricks, an opportunity to dispel myths and teach you how to use your points wisely.

Thanks for being here, reading along and asking questions!

Here’s the third edition of Good Points!

Subscribe now

• The elevated offer on my very favorite personal premium card is going strong at 150,000 points! Don’t miss this - it’s a big deal and can earn you enough points to stay at amazing hotels, or even fly round trip to Europe in business class. Read more about it here and please use this link to apply!

• For big spenders: Do you spend more than $5-$10K/month on cards? DM me for info on the best cards that can earn you 150K+ in welcome bonus points.

Good Points:

The question (from a reader):

“I’m really hesitating the headache of a new card. The “coupon book” part sounds so overwhelming - DoorDash credits, stubhub, open table dining credits (vs Resy credits) - it seems very time consuming to track these to offset the fee. I’m confident many people don’t use them because of the headache of tracking them… Have you had a different experience?”

My thoughts:

Let’s use the example of the premium card that’s out now with the 150,000 point elevated bonus. The annual fee is $795 which is steep! For many people, this feels like a non-starter which I get!

But let’s break down how I look at annual fees and the value of the bonus to determine if it’s worth it for you.

First, how I value the welcome bonus points:

I value transferable points (such as the points earned from this card above) at 2 cents per point or more. That means that a 150,000 point sign up bonus is worth at a minimum, $3,000 (150,000 x.02).

$3,000!

To get this kind of value from your points, you’ll want to focus on transferring points out to airlines and hotels — finding saver flights and booking hotel programs that have good point prices.

But, even if you can rationally see that $3,000 in points is worth more than $795 from the annual fee, it can still feel like A LOT to shell out the cash so let’s talk about how to look at the different factors that make up the decision.

Here are three things to look for to see if the card and annual fee make sense for you…

1. Does the card have any automatic credits that you’re guaranteed to use?

This particular card has a $300 travel credit that comes off automatically after spending $300 in travel. It doesn’t require using their travel portal or even activation. Since you’re here on this travel newsletter, it’s likely that you’ll spend at least $300 on travel in the next year, so this credit effectively brings your annual fee down to $495.

2. Does the card have any perks that will be easy to take advantage of?

When we visit airports and get lounge access from a credit card, we save at least $50-$100 each visit (waters, drinks, snacks, meals etc!). If you know you’ll use the lounge at least a couple times a year, this can easily offset a large portion of the annual fee. This particular card includes Priority Pass lounge access which is excellent when traveling abroad as well as lounge access at some of the bank’s lounges in various airports.

3. Is there an option to downgrade or cancel the card after a year?

The annual fee is nearly always worth it for the first year due to the welcome bonus even if you can’t use ANY of the benefits of the card. Read that again!

You must keep any card open for a year (that’s part of the terms and conditions that you agree to when you sign up for a card) but after that, you have options.

After the first year, check to see if there is an option to downgrade or cancel the card — if holding the card long term won’t be valuable for you.

For example, with this card, I recommend you downgrade to an old version of this card (ask me for info on this!) which has no fee. This preserves your credit history but allows you to get out of paying the annual fee more than once.

If the card you open is a business card, after a year you’ll be able to cancel the card without any impact on your personal credit! Business cards don’t report to your personal credit report so it’s a non-issue. Canceling a whole bunch of cards with any bank quickly isn’t great but closing a business card here and there should be fine.

Would I get a card with a $795 annual fee?

Yes. My husband and I are each going to apply for this card during the elevated offer and here’s why:

The $795 effectively becomes $495 due to the $300 travel credit that just comes off when we use it for travel. Even if I never used a single credit or benefit otherwise, I’m happy to pay $495 for 150,000 points (worth $3k+!) any day. And then we’ll likely downgrade at the one year mark since we have lounge access and some of the benefits through other cards.

If I have time for the coupon book part and can take advantage of some of the credits, I look at that as an added bonus. I try to focus on higher ticket credits like the hotel credit or Resy but also allow myself some grace if I just don’t want have time to think about them! I know it can seem a little wasteful but time is our most valuable resource.

We just booked 3 nights at the Park Hyatt Paris at 45,000 points each, which would have been $2,000 a night. The bonus alone from this card will pay for the 3 night stay with some points left over. I’ll effectively be paying a $495 annual fee for one year for a $6,000 hotel stay in Paris.

Sign me up.

Below the fold:

Read about three cards I carry around in my wallet and how I track and manage the fees/credits and benefits to make it all worthwhile!

Reminder: this month we have a special for new annual subscribers to celebrate my Birthday :)

Become an annual subscriber and get three months of membership free.

Use this link!

Read more

I didn’t get on a plane until I was 16.

Trips in my teens and twenties were fraught — I felt compelled at times to travel but had paralyzing anxiety around each trip clouding every experience.

As time went on, my anxiety shifted. I got married and had kids and was able to move around more freely in the world without such enveloping terror.

Then the world shut down. I was a recovered agoraphobic actually trapped inside my house.

As an entrepreneur, the pandemic changed everything and I shifted my role within my company to be more hands-off and I finally after many years of working 15+ hour days, had more time for my family.

All I suddenly wanted to do was travel. I had day dreams instead of nightmares of new places. Everything felt different.

The kids were 6 and 8 when things opened back up again — and off we went to explore the world.

I scoured the calendar for every long weekend, holiday and summer break and planned trip after trip. Each destination more invigorating than the last — booking home swaps and flights and hotels on points, chasing that travel high and experiencing the world in ways that have made me feel actually free.

And for someone who grew up afraid of literally everything, this has been no small feat.

How I got from there to here is a story for another day — but on this Mother’s Day, I want to share a few things I’ve learned about parenting along the way.

2 kids, 4 years, 25+ countries and a few lessons learned

Kids are more resilient than you think

We’ve booked the flight that gets to Europe at 3am ET and wondered what we were thinking. The kids may be a mess at first, but they adapt. It can be hard to throw your family off their routine, but getting on the new schedule quickly and adapting schedules to local norms (siestas, late dinners, etc) can make a trip easier (and more fun!) for everyone.

Leave room for spontaneity

I am a type A planner (are you surprised?) but when we travel, I make lists of all the things we want to do in a new place and aside from dinner reservations and tickets that need to be booked in advance, we typically plan each day the night before. This way we can plan around weather, moods and energy levels rather than having a set schedule that we all have to adhere to. It can make the trips feel busier, but sometimes our best days have been open ended walks through neighborhoods seeing what we find.

Kids are wise. Listen to them.

I always tell my kids that adults aren’t wiser, smarter or more interesting than they are. Adults often equate experience and information with intelligence but that isn’t always the best benchmark. Kids often have a fresh, unique take on things that adults don’t even notice. Ask your kids questions, listen to their answers… and listen to their questions. Kids can show you a perspective you never considered.

Education can come in many forms

As a former teacher and child of educators, education has always been drilled into me as the #1 most important thing. My husband was raised by a family of doctors, academics and scholars so for us, giving the kids the best education possible has always been at the forefront of our minds. Especially when the kids were in elementary school, we often pulled them out of school for travel. While this may look like a disconnect, it’s the opposite. There are a lot of ways to get an education and while school is one obvious way, so is traveling the world. It’s one thing to read about history and another to walk through the places you read about in books.

Nothing ever goes exactly as planned

Nothing! Again, as a type A planner, this has been one of the hardest life lessons. I pictured parenthood would be Sunday morning bagels and art projects and quiet movie nights snuggled up as a family. Have we done these things? Sure. But what it really looks like is a messy bagel spread and everyone talking at the same time, no one interested in the art projects I planned and a mess left to clean up, the kids arguing over which movie to watch and us parents exhausted but the kids unwilling to go upstairs to bed when it’s over, and the list goes on. Are these still happy family memories? Of course. It’s the stuff of life! But putting our preconceived notions of how things should be on the kids and on our family as a whole, has never helped anyone.

Your kids’ favorite memory of a trip may not be what you expected

If I chose our next trips based on the kids’ memories of what they loved most, we’d stay home. They loved the Pizza Hut delivery in Marrakech, a toy store in Lisbon, the giant slide at The Mall of Berlin, the Minions movie we saw at a Theater in London. While this used to upset me, I’ve learned that these are creature comforts that show us they are making themselves at home in the world. It’s not always about the memories and checking off lists of what you’ve done, sometimes it’s just doing the everyday mundane things in a new place that make you feel connected. We try to let the kids experience new places on their terms and not judge them for the things they remember as their favorites.

Ask for help

We get a local babysitter each night when we travel and it’s the best thing ever. They get the rest they need by not staying up late, we get adult time to decompress, unwind and chat about our plans the next day. While points and miles are of course the key to so much of our travel, the babysitter for evenings out is a close second.

Don’t be afraid to pivot

Sometimes things don’t go as planned. We’ve arrived at a hotel that was clearly the wrong fit for our family (the location, the room set up, etc). Sometimes it’s an exercise in acceptance and flexibility, but sometimes it’s a good opportunity to pivot. We’ve left cities days early, moved flights, changed hotels, canceled trips — booked trips last minute. With more travel comes more confidence and sometimes it’s worth shifting things around and taking control of a situation — it has saved us on many trips.

Take the trip

It may feel easier to stay home with everything you’re used to all around you but a weekend at home will blur into the background of your memories. A weekend trip away will stay with you forever. Take photos, write down your experiences, and explore the world. When we have the choice between staying home and taking the trip? I always remind myself that I almost never regret taking the trip. It’s like exercise. You may not want to go to a workout class, but you never regret going after the class. And it sure beats an hour of doomscrolling. Take the trip.

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Postcards on Mother’s Day

12 years of parenting in photos

Happy Mother’s Day! If you are a mom and didn’t get what you want this year, consider taking my advice and booking a hotel room for next year (or gifting one to a mom in your life). Here’s how.

xoxo

Rachel

PS - Please like, comment and share this post. It helps more people find it 🖤

Don’t miss the highest ever offer on the #1 premium travel card! 150,000 points is an incredible offer. I’ve used these points for multi-day stays in gorgeous hotels that would have cost over $2,000 a night. With just this bonus you could even fly business class to Europe with points left over. Even with a high annual fee, it’s very worth it to get this card for at least the first year. You can always downgrade to a free card for year two and on. Read about it here and use the link here to apply.

The elevated offers on business cards are some of the very best. And can earn you enough points to fly your family to and from Europe with points left over. There’s this one and this one. And others! Message me for more info (and of course please use these links if you apply).

Hyatt’s big devaluation is coming soon. I’ve been booking as many of our future dates as possible before May 20th to lock in the current rates. I am working on a post about some properties I’m booking now. This week I booked Puerto Rico for next December! Stay tuned for more.

Thinking about a particular card? Please message me for my affiliate link. It makes such a difference for my little business when you all use my links to apply for cards. I can’t thank you enough!

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I took a few days away from my family to join 23 other women on a business and wellness retreat. I had never really done anything like it and was so excited to take some time to focus on my business (and my self!). I have never been much of a wellness person so it was (supposed to be) a good exercise in slowing down.

But, less than 24 hours in, I got one of those calls that as a parent you never want to get. My son is okay but it’s been A WEEK. I’ve been slow to reply, distracted and just overall in my son’s corner doing everything I can to help him and our family through a difficult time.

He’s okay, thank god ❤️

Remember that those of us who are small business owners and newsletter writers can’t really take personal days or sick days. Your paid subscriptions and clicks on the card links, etc., keep this all chugging along.

If you’ve been on the fence about upgrading your subscription, I’m offering 10% off (three free months!) on paid annual subscriptions for the month of May (my birthday month).

Your support means so much!

We will be okay and appreciate your patience if it takes me a little time to respond or get some of my planned content out to you.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out — I never mind your messages and appreciate any opportunities to help make travel easier for your family.

Sending love from Brooklyn.

Enjoy some memories from Philly (and easier times) below!

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Hotel and airline points can disappear As a former midwesterner who flew Spirit many times when it was the only way I could afford a trip, it was really sad to see them go under. It is also a good reminder if you’re someone with hotel or airline points and miles, that if an airline goes out of business your points or miles disappear. This is one of the reasons it’s so important to focus on transferable points vs points that work with just one brand — and to keep those points as transferable points until you’re ready to transfer them for a specific booking.

Don’t miss the highest ever offer on the #1 premium travel card! 150,000 points is an incredible offer. I’ve used these points for multi-day stays in gorgeous hotels that would have cost over $2,000 a night. With just this bonus you could even fly business class to Europe with points left over. Even with a high annual fee, it’s very worth it to get this card for at least the first year. You can always downgrade to a free card for year two and on. Read about it here and use the link here to apply.

The elevated offers on business cards are some of the very best. And can earn you enough points to fly your family to and from Europe with points left over. There’s this one and this one. And others! Message me for more info (and of course please use these links if you apply).

Hyatt’s big devaluation is coming soon. I’ve been booking as many of our future dates as possible before May 20th to lock in the current rates. I am working on a post about some properties I’m booking now. This week I booked Puerto Rico for next December! Stay tuned for more.

Thinking about a particular card? Please message me for my affiliate link. It makes such a difference for my little business when you all use my links to apply for cards. I can’t thank you enough!

Postcards from Philadelphia

When posted about the Noah Davis show at the Philadelphia Art Museum, I knew we had to go. And to top it off, I got to meet for drinks! Regan is the founder of Saltete and journalist (who has contributed to the list of the best restaurants in Philly in the NYT).

We used an expiring Free Night Award earned from this credit card and had an amazing 24 hours in the city of brotherly love. We weren’t there long enough to make it a full City Edit, but here are some notes and snapshots from the trip that I’ve been excited to share with you.

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The April Rewind

By the time you read this, I will be back from the Berkshires at an incredible business and wellness retreat hosted by . I’ve literally never ever done anything like this — three nights at a hotel and spa with a group of other like-minded women to work on bettering our businesses and ourselves. When the opportunity came around, I couldn’t pass it up. Sometimes the right experiences are worth making time for!

I couldn’t use points for something like this but… you only live once! I put the payment for the retreat on this card to help earn a welcome bonus that I could use towards future family trips — and never looked back.

The kids had two different spring breaks this year so we did something we’ll probably never be able to do again as they are getting older…. we pulled Henry out of school for Max’s spring break. Then, two weeks in, my husband and Max flew home for the start of school — and Henry and I went to Malta!

It was a trip to remember.

I wrote about Milan here and here, and shared postcards from Athens here (full edit to come soon!) and will share my thoughts and photos from Malta ASAP. What is the opposite of not having enough content? 🫠

• With the impending Hyatt devaluation, I’ve been booking as many trips as far out as possible. For paid subscribers (hi and thank you!) I’m planning to put together a post on the properties we’ve booked and how I made all these booking so far in advance. Stay tuned!

• May is my birthday month, and to celebrate, I’m offering a discount of 10% off for paid annual subscriptions for the entire month. That’s 3 MONTHS free when you get an annual subscription! I am working a ton of behind the scenes to grow this newsletter and business and your paid subscriptions help make this all possible. Use this claim your free three months with an annual subscription.

• We launched a new series called Good Points to give paid subscribers (thank you!) easy to follow, digestible points and miles tips — and answer readers’ questions. More to come — I love this series because I think short easy to read newsletters (of which the one you are reading is not) are very helpful ;) I hope you do too!

• Many of you used my links to apply for cards this month and I just want to say thank you. Each time you click the card links and get approved for a card, you’re not only earning yourself welcome bonus points, but you’re helping a small business grow. It means a lot. You can always find card links here - or DM/email me for any you don’t see. Thank you!

This is the #1 travel card and the premium version has an incredible elevated limited time offer of 150,000 welcome bonus points after spending just $6,000 in the first three months. Remember, the annual fee is always worth it for the first year. If you’ve been waiting for a high welcome bonus to justify getting this premium card, the time is now. You can read more about it here.

If you spend $5,000-$10,000+/month, message me and I’ll send you info on three cards with current elevated offers as high as 150,000 (or double that!!) welcome bonus points. Truly exceptional! If you’re getting this as an email, feel free to reply or click below to message me.

This is one of the top business cards I’m recommending right now. Even if you have other cards from this bank, you are likely still eligible for this bonus. Please use this link here to apply and feel free to reach out to me if you need any help! This card can earn you 100,000 of my favorite points with a very low annual fee. Enough said!

Rove (not a credit card!) is a great way to earn points. Click here and sign up to earn 1,500 transferable points (for new sign-ups). Do it today — takes 3 seconds.

Get a free mini-wallet edit. New here? Ready to level up? This is the best and easiest way to know you’re going in the right direction with points. Click here, it’s free. Use this form and get in touch as many times as you’d like!

Recent Press:

• Travel with Toddlers: How to Travel with Toddlers on Points and Miles - How to use points to make travel possible for your family. Thanks for the feature !

• The New York Post: My other company (aka my first baby), Blue Balloon, was featured in The New York Post (in print and online!).

• Traveling Lens Insider: I shared some of my top summer destinations here.

• Bold Moves Podcast: When NOT to Trust Your Gut + Leaving the Safety of Your Comfort Zone

• Yahoo Life: The most common airline seat mistakes travelers regret after boarding

Some past features:

• Condé Nast asked how we booked our spring break trip for our family of four to Eastern Europe on points. I broke it all down in a full feature! Read it here.

• The New York Times: It was such an honor to speak with the New York Times about loyalty and credit cards!

• Bloomberg Travel: I talked to Bloomberg News about home swapping — one of my favorite ways to travel!

• New York Magazine: I shared my thoughts with The Cut (NY Mag) on how to save on travel.

  Last year, I saved more than $140,000 by using points to travel. How much will you save this year? Now is the best time to start. Join the hundreds of paid subscribers traveling smarter on points. Use this link to get 3 free months on an annual subscription!

• This incredible piece on friendship by

• Inspiring hotels by Jessie Randall

• What Travel Is Like for Those Who Can’t See in the New York Times

• Packing Light with Babies and Young Children by our reader (in the New York Times)

• World of Hyatt’s big changes are around the corner

• There’s a fuel shortage and people are getting nervous

  • Hoarding Is Driving Energy Prices Higher Everywhere

  • Lufthansa Cuts 20,000 Flights to Save Fuel as Iran War Fallout Spreads

  • Jet Fuel Shortages Could Make Travel a ‘Total Mess’ This Summer

The real highlight of April was the trip we took! (Here’s Milan and the rest will come soon).

Here are some highlights from the second half of the month back in New York:

• We almost didn’t actually make it back home from our three week European adventure, thanks to a strike in Italy and getting trapped on Malta unable to get off the island for our return flight! But we pivoted and made it work! More on how we did that to come in the Malta edit in the coming weeks.

• But we did make it home just in time for bed and woke up the next morning to spend the entire day watching little league baseball in Prospect Park. The life of a Brooklyn mom!

• Maybe it was the long trip, or the jet lag or the freezing cold weather on that day in Prospect Park, but I promptly came down with a cold that I am STILL recovering from!

• We got to tour my younger son’s new school he’ll be attending this fall. It was a real full circle moment because it’s a school that I love very deeply — and taught at before I had kids!

• There was more baseball.

• My old dear friend Turner Cody was in town playing a show at the beloved venue Pete’s Candy Store. I tried to re-create the photo of us from this article about Williamsburg in the 2000s… and. just this week learned that Olivia Rodrigo popped on stage at last weekend’s open mic! Listen to Turner’s music here, he is amazing.

• I got to hang with a group of paid subscribers at the April Point Salon on zoom! A highlight of my month! I love getting to chat with you guys. Should we have an IRL meet up?? (Y/N - let us know in the comments!)

• Stepped out on a beautiful though chilly Tuesday late afternoon for drinks with a friend at Dante in the West Village. We sat under heat lamps that were so hot I was googling if you can get a sun burn from heat lamps (you can’t) but it was dreamy and perfect to be there and people watch from the sidewalk café.

• A couple business coaching clients had sessions this month that were so special. Including a chat with someone who wants to start a non-profit. I still think coaching may be one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done to date! If this ever interests you, you can see more here!

• Kantor, the NYT investigative journalist had an insightful talk in Park Slope around her new book “How to Start” with and . This is a book to get anyone but especially anyone graduating this year!

• The saga with shingles in my eye continues! It’s horrible. Get that damn shingles vaccine if you can. Do not pass go, do not collect $200! Get the shot.

• I attended my last Arts Party fundraiser at the elementary school my younger son is about to graduate from! It’s my favorite event — hosted in someone’s home and always so beautiful. I believe so deeply that kids should learn through the arts. I may try to crash the party once my kids graduate ;)

• My friend Janna had an incredible birthday celebration complete with a group outing to see Florence and the Machine at the Barclay’s Center! I have never really listened to her music but wow, she puts on an incredible show! She has a beautiful voice and is so graceful. It’s almost as if she’s conducting the audience (IYKYN).

  

• We spent 24 hours in Philly to see the Noah Davis exhibit at the Philadelphia Art Museum and use up an expiring Free Night Award at a Hyatt hotel that came with one of my credit cards! Two highlights: seeing Noah Davis’ painting of Lafayette Park in Detroit and meeting , writer and founder of Saltete. We got to know each other over the past year while I made guides for Saltete on Brooklyn and Mexico City (they are for sale here and here!) and it was a treat to meet in person! Look out for Postcards from Philly in the coming weeks! We had the best time.

• I got married at Frankies 457 in Brooklyn which is also one of my favorite restaurants. Such a treat to get dinner there before heading out to the Berkshires for the retreat!

• After dinner we went to see Aziz Ansari at the Bell House and omg if you haven’t gone to a good comedy show in a while, do it. Laughing with a room of people is the best relief in these trying times.

• The month ended with a business retreat in the Berkshires. For someone who never does stuff like this (traveling without my family/doing something just for myself/paying cash for a stay like this — it’s a business expense!), it was pretty exciting :)

The most popular posts in April

Some past popular posts

Thanks for being here, for supporting my small business and for being a part of this special community! It means so much.

I’m away this week at a business retreat in the Berkshires (!!). I literally never do stuff like this and it’s such a treat to be here and focus on new ways to develop my businesses and bring information, stories, trip inspiration and more to all of you. It’s such an honor to have you here and I don’t take that devotion lightly. I work constantly to make The Point the best it can be — and am working on so much behind the scenes. The best is yet to come!

Today, as I was in mastermind sessions learning, networking and strategizing, I found out some big news you must know! So, I’m interrupting my retreat to share it.

Big news!

If you’ve been here a while, I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about the #1 points card. If not, welcome! There is a #1 points card that everyone who travels with points should have.

It is an essential part of traveling with points due to the bank’s transfer partners — it allows card holders to combine points from other Chase cards and transfer them out to airlines and hotels.

There are two versions, the low fee version and the high fee version.

And due to Chase changing their rules recently, you can now apply for the one even if you already have the other.

As many of us have been scrambling to combat the Hyatt devaluation and rising fuel costs by booking trips in advance, welcome bonuses like this one are a saving grace!

Whether you have a stockpile of points, have exhausted your stash or are just starting out, the most important thing to remember is that welcome bonuses are the single most efficient way to earn points on everyday spending.

Read on for all the details on this #1 premium card for travel.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Learn how to apply

Thank you as always for clicking through my links to apply! It helps to support my work and I appreciate it so much.

Some benefits of this premium card:

• Up to $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.

• Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.

• Earn 8x points per dollar on all Chase Travel℠ purchases

• Earn 4x points per dollar on flights and hotels booked directly

• Earn 3x points per dollar spent on dining purchases worldwide

• Earn 1x points per dollar spent on all other purchases

• $500 credit for The Edit, Chase’s curated collection of luxury hotels and resorts annually (use toward pre-paid bookings of two nights or more)

• Biannual $150 dining credit to use with Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables; $300 annually

• Chase Sapphire lounge access

• Priority Pass Select membership

• Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.

• $795 annual fee

FAQ:

The annual fee is $795 (omg). How can this possibly be worth it?

While it can feel intimidating to have a card with a high annual fee (I get it!), it is always worth it for the first year because of the value of the welcome bonus.

Since there is a statement credit of up to $300 for travel purchases each account anniversary year, this effectively can lower the annual fee (in your mind) to $495 before even taking into account any other perks or benefits from the card. And since the travel credit will automatically come off your statement, it’s not a credit that you have to use brain power to remember to use.

Some of the other credits will also offset the annual fee. The way I look at annual fees? You are fronting the money to pay for it when getting the card, but much of it can come back to you as credits and perks throughout the year.

The welcome bonus more than makes up for the annual fee in the first year even if you don’t use a single credit.

I already have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Can I get the Reserve too?

Good news! Chase recently changed the rules and now allows card holders to have both cards at the same time! If you’ve never held the Reserve before, this means you should be able to qualify for the welcome bonus even if you have the Preferred already.

I am confused by lounge access! What kind of lounge access will this card get me?

The Reserve offers lounge access via Priority Pass and access to the Sapphire Lounges. The network of Priority Pass lounges is large — especially abroad. For international trips, these lounges can be a total game-changer.

How much are ~100,000 Chase points actually worth?

A lot!

If you use them for a statement credit or within Chase Travel℠, they are typically worth around $1,000. If, instead, you transfer the points out to airlines and hotels, they can be worth significantly more.

For example:

You could spend $2,000 a night at the Park Hyatt in Paris (swoon, it’s my favorite!) OR you could transfer 45,000 points to Hyatt and book it direct.

With this transfer, if you booked 5 nights at the Park Hyatt Paris, the value from this welcome bonus alone could be over $10,000.

Learn how to apply here

Want to keep it simple and not go so fancy (I get it, I have kids too and also live in the real world). 100,000 points can get you:

• Round trip tickets to London

• A few nights at a 5 star hotel in Paris

• Round trip business class flights to Europe

• Multiple nights at an all inclusive resort in the Caribbean

Can I apply for this card if I’m “over 5/24”?

5/24 status refers to a Chase rule — to potentially qualify for a card, you’ll need to have opened no more than 5 personal cards from any bank in the last 24 months.

Learn how to apply here

Already have this card and feeling FOMO?

Here are some other options:

• The lower fee card.

• This card which earns 4x on groceries (not typically recommended if you are under 5/24)

• A business card! This one and this one have all time high offers right now and this one is great too if you want to stay in the Chase family.

Some extra credit reading:

• See more about how much points are worth here!

• And a little more about how I book flights here

• And how it can help your credit to have more cards here.

Thanks for being here! Message me anytime with questions and thank you again to all who have used my links to apply for cards. Your support means a ton.

Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

Earn 50x on $500: The card that earns 50% more points than a typical 1x card has an elevated offer that’s ending Thursday 4/30 at 9am ET! Click here to apply. This card doesn’t have a crazy high bonus but don’t let that deter you. It’s one of the best cards you can have in your wallet — and only requires spending $500 to earn the bonus.

The elevated offers on business cards are still going strong! They are really, really good. There’s this one and this one. And others! Message me for more info (and of course please use these links if you apply!).

Hyatt’s big devaluation is coming soon. Make sure to book your stays before May 20th to get the current rates. It will be okay! But it will be better to have as many of your stays booked in advance as possible.

Interested in a particular card? Please message me for my affiliate link. It makes such a difference for my little business when you all use my links to apply for cards. I can’t thank you enough!

Postcards from Athens

Late May, usually coinciding with a long weekend, spring weather, peonies season.

The best.

But then as I got older two things happened:

• My birthday began to coincide with an annual giant showcase I host every year for my songwriting school that for many years took up months of time and energy leading up to the big weekend.

• I had kids. Mother’s day is just a couple weeks before putting pressure on the month to be GREAT!

As the years went on (my kids are 10 & 12 now) Mother’s Day and my birthday have felt like a lot. They’ve become another thing to stress about. Something to become resentful over (how come no one could read my mind and get me the exact thing I wanted — even if I didn’t know what it was)? And full of too many plans — and pressure to make it fun.

And the “mama, open my apple sauce pouch”, “mama I don’t want to go to bed” has turned into endless logistics of soccer and baseball practice and long talks about friends and big life changes.

When May comes around, I’m spent!

So, last year, I did something that felt sacrilegious on the great holiday of Mother’s Day…

I watched the kids’ little league games and took the train into the city for a one night staycation ALONE. I brought my iPad, a small overnight bag, my swimsuit to take a dip in the hotel pool and all the guilt of a mom fully judging herself for choosing to spend the holiday alone without her family.

Until I checked in. The room was silent. Like enveloping silence. I put my phone on do not disturb, took a dip in the jacuzzi on the top floor of the hotel, took a nap, ordered room service and bought a last minute ticket to a Broadway show.

On my way back to the hotel I stopped for ice cream and fell asleep the second I hit the pillow. The next morning, I woke up on my own schedule, had breakfast alone in the restaurant, read half a book in one sitting and checked out at the latest possible time, not ready to re-enter the world of Responsibilities (with a capital r) and already daydreaming of a time I could do this again.

And lest you think this can only happen to me because I write the Point and am well steeped in all the travel tricks, check out this note I got from a reader a couple months ago after she booked a one night staycation at the Park Hyatt New York:

How to book a staycation without spending a fortune:

1. Use points: If you have points from this bank perhaps from this card, you can take the points and transfer them over to Hyatt to book a one night stay. Hyatt award stays (that’s what point bookings are called) have no fees or taxes! So, the grand total can really be $0. If the hotel isn’t showing as available, set an alert on this site to notify you if it comes up! I’ve used this countless times to book in demand hotel stays. Hyatt is the best brand as usual for booking with options.

2. Use a free night award: If you have a credit card that comes with a free night stay once a year, a staycation can be an excellent use! Some have limitations as to how much you can redeem them for, but if you happen to have any Hilton awards, it’s good to know that as long as there is a standard room available, there is no ceiling on the cost of the room with Hilton!

3. Use the luxury hotel credit (and perks) on your premium credit card: If you are paying the steep fee on this card or this card, consider booking the stay with cash and utilizing the benefits on a handful of high-end hotel stays. Early check-in, late check-out, free breakfast, a $100 property credit, potential suite upgrade, etc! This is like having status without having status. It’s not free but if you’re getting a $300 semi-annual credit and all the perks above, it can quickly become worth it.

4. Ask for early check-in/late check-out: Because I have status with this hotel brand, my stay included early check-in, late check-out and breakfast. If you don’t have status, email the hotel in advance and let them know you’re coming and ask if an early check-in or late check-out might be possible.

5. Ask for an upgrade: It can be hard to put yourself out there and ask but literally the worst they can say is no! And the upside is pretty great.

6. Order take-out: My stay included free breakfast thanks to having hotel status but if yours doesn’t, order delivery with GrubHub or Uber Eats and charge your meal to this card for 4x on restaurants. Or head to a local café or diner for breakfast with a book. Sit at the bar. It might feel awkward at first if you’ve never done it, but it may quickly become a favorite pastime.

7. Choose a luxe OR basic hotel: If you are trying to save your points for a family trip and don’t want to burn too many on a solo staycation, don’t be afraid to book a lower priced hotel. Sure, it’s fun to stay somewhere fancy, but if what you’re craving is time alone, this can be accomplished at any price point.

8. Book before May 20th: Hyatt hotels (particularly the higher end hotels) are about to undergo a major price hike. If you book before May 20th, you’ll lock-in current pricing. Remember, as long as there’s a flexible cancellation policy on the reservation, you can always cancel if your plans change. But if you wait to book, you may be disappointed to find the new points pricing is out of reach. NOTE: Hyatt announced more updates to the program today. You can read them here (I will write another post with thoughts on the changes most likely for next week).

9. Open a new card: the name of the game is welcome bonuses. If you wait to earn enough points from your daily everyday spending, you will struggle to afford your family’s travel on points. If instead you open a new card here and there, you’ll boost your points stash by tens of thousands (maybe even hundreds of thousands) of points. Remember, there is strategy behind this. It’s important to open cards in the right order to maximize your point earning potential. If you don’t have this card, you want this one! If you are ready for a card, click here for a recommendation.

10. Room with another mom: Make it a girls’ night. You both want the same thing! Split the cost (in points or cash) and enjoy the time alone to catch up without interruptions. Hyatt allows point transfers between accounts so if you both have points from this bank you can pool them together in one person’s account to book.

11. Book it on an off weekend: If you find that Mother’s Day prices are pricey — or availability is limited, consider celebrating on another day! We always celebrate Valentines’s Day on any day other than Valentine’s Day because we hate pricey pre-fixe menus (anyone else relate?).

If you’re looking for some gifts to take along for this heavenly night, here are some favorites!

• Robe (sometimes you just want a nice robe!)

• Slippers (or these)

• An overnight bag

• Cute sweatpants and sweatshirt set

• Sleep mask (that actually blocks out the light)

• An e-reader

• A portable speaker

• Headphones

• A puzzle for staying in

Looking for other ideas? Here is a series with Etsy finds that are similar to things I’ve brought back from my trips:

Thanks for being here 🖤

Today I’m talking to who writes Lessons From The Flight Deck, a newsletter that helps anxious flyers feel calm, frequent travelers fly smarter, and aviation enthusiasts get the real behind the scenes story. Having Pilot Nick in your corner is like having a pilot friend on the other side of the cockpit door.

Some of you may know that I grew up terrified to fly. I didn’t get on a plane until I was 16! You can read more about that here. So, when I found Lessons from the Flight Deck, I was grateful to know this resource was out there. So many people are afraid to fly and a pilot who understands the inner workings of planes and aviation is the perfect person to calm the nerves of worried travelers.

I reached out to see if he’d be interested in a feature on this newsletter and was thrilled he said yes!

Hi Nick, please tell us about yourself!

I'm Pilot Nick, a pilot with 28+ years in the cockpit and over 10,000 flight hours. I started flying gliders at 15, went solo before I could legally drive, and worked my way up from there, airlines, then corporate aviation with a well-known fractional ownership program, and now a large corporate flight department in the US.

How did you first get into aviation, and what inspired you to become a pilot?

I was 15 when I first flew a glider, no engine, just you and the wind. I was hooked instantly. I went solo before I turned 16, so I could fly before I could drive.

From there it was one step at a time, Cessnas, Pipers, building hours, collecting certificates. There was never a plan B. That teenage kid in a glider eventually became a captain on airliners and corporate jets, but the feeling hasn’t changed. That pull I felt the first time I left the ground? Still there, every flight.

After 28+ years in the cockpit, flying everything from private jets to airliners across the globe, what keeps your passion for flying alive?

The view from the flight deck still stops me in my tracks. Just the other week I descended through a cloud layer at sunset and the whole sky turned amber and gold. After 10,000+ hours, that never gets old.

But the surprise of the last year has been the newsletter. I started Lessons From The Flight Deck purely for fun no strategy, no plan, just a pilot who loves to write sharing stories from the cockpit. I never expected anyone beyond a few friends to read it.

Somehow, it’s grown to nearly 2,000 subscribers in just a few months, and I’m still a little stunned by that. What keeps me hooked is the engagement, readers reply with questions, share their fears, tell me about their upcoming flights.

When a nervous flyer writes back to say they actually enjoyed a flight? Honestly, that might be the most rewarding part of everything I do right now.

Many people feel anxious about flying, what’s the most common misconception that causes fear?

That turbulence is dangerous.

From the cockpit, what feels like a violent drop to passengers shows up as a tiny blip maybe 10 to 20 feet of altitude change. Modern aircraft are built to handle turbulence far beyond anything you’ll ever experience. No commercial jet has been brought down by turbulence in the modern era.

It’s uncomfortable. But it’s not dangerous. It’s weather like a bumpy road.

Are there simple techniques travelers can use to calm themselves before or during a flight?

• Before: Learn what’s actually happening. Fear of flying is almost always fear of the unknown. When you understand why the plane shakes or what that “ding” means, your brain has less to panic about.

• During: The 4-7-8 breathing technique: breathe in for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8. It activates your parasympathetic nervous system. Works on your physiology, not just your mindset.

• Quick mindset shift: Look at the flight attendants during turbulence. If they’re still moving around and serving, everything is routine. And even when we ask them to pause service and take their seats, that’s not a sign something is wrong. That’s us being cautious so nobody gets hurt from a hot coffee spill or a stumble in the aisle. In fact, the most common turbulence injuries aren’t from the plane, they’re from passengers not wearing their seatbelts. Keep yours fastened and you’ve already done the smartest thing you can do.

How do pilots mentally and physically prepare for flights, especially long or challenging trips?

Before every flight we do a detailed briefing: weather, route, fuel, alternates, anything unusual. By the time passengers board, we’ve already made dozens of decisions to keep that flight safe.

Rest is strictly regulated. Mentally, we’re trained to always think two or three steps ahead. It’s calm and methodical very different from the Hollywood version.

Here’s the reassuring part: by the time you’re settling into your seat, your pilots have already thought through every “what if” you’re worried about. That’s literally what we do.

What’s a “pilot secret” you wish every traveler knew before flying?

Book the first flight of the day.

The aircraft is freshly inspected. There’s no cascading delay from earlier flights. Morning weather is calmer (thunderstorms build in the afternoon). The crew is rested. Yes, the alarm hurts but you’ll be at your destination while everyone else is still on the tarmac.

And one more: silence from the cockpit during turbulence is actually the best sign. It means everything is so routine there’s nothing worth announcing. If there were a real problem, you’d hear from us.

Do you have a favorite airport or city to fly into, and what makes it special?

Nice Côte d’Azur. Every time. The approach brings you right along the Mediterranean coastline — turquoise water below, the hills of the French Riviera rising on one side, and you touch down on a runway that practically juts into the sea. It’s one of those moments where you remember your office has the best view in the world.

Two others worth mentioning: London City Airport a short runway in the middle of the city with a steep approach that demands your full attention. And Lugano, a small airport in the Swiss mountains north of Milan.

Do you have a memorable flight story that still makes you smile or laugh today?

This goes back more than 20 years — a different era in aviation.

We had a tradition with brand-new cabin crew. Mid-cruise, at 35,000 feet, we’d call them to the cockpit with a serious expression: “We’ve got a problem. The landing gear won’t extend. We need you to go stand in the middle of the cabin and jump, the impact should shake it loose.”

The reactions were priceless. Some stared at us trying to figure out if we were serious. A few actually started walking toward the cabin before a senior crew member cracked up and let them off the hook.

Harmless, silly, and the kind of thing that bonded a crew instantly. Aviation is serious business but those moments of laughter? They’re what make a 28-year career feel like it flew by. No pun intended.

Thank you so much for being here! Of course everyone should subscribe to your newsletter (please do so here)! How can someone work with you if they are afraid to fly or know someone who is?

I offer 1:1 pre-flight weather briefings on Zoom, along with ebooks for stress-free flying and a Fear-Free Flying Masterclass for nervous travelers.

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A few notes on the points and miles side of things!

Thanks for being here 🖤 See you later this week!

xoRachel

There are the cities everyone talks about: Paris, London, Tokyo, Rome for example — and then the ones that don’t come up as often (like Milan). We planned our trip to Milan nearly a year ago and each time I told someone we were heading there, we were met with skeptical looks: “why Milan?”.

Milan can sometimes get a bad rap. It’s not as charming at first glance as many European cities (due in part to how extensively it was bombed in the second world war) and as a financial hub it’s a place a lot of people end up while on business trips. It’s known for the buzzy fashion week but arguably design week in Milan is an even bigger deal — though many don’t know about it (I didn’t until recently!).

In 2024, we took a month long trip to Italy: Florence, Venice, Rome, Puglia, Matera, Sorrento… and ended with a one night stay in Milan to catch our flight home on the famed Emirates A380 direct to New York.

In our less than 24 hours in Milan, we visited the Duomo, the Sforza Castle, did some window shopping at design stores, had one of our favorite meals in all of Italy and fell in love with the hotel we stayed at.

As a future spring break trip came together to visit Athens, we decided to book our flight through Milan once again and spend a few more days exploring the city we were so enamored with after that short stay.

This tine, our trip got extended! We were supposed to leave after two nights to head to Istanbul, but ultimately decided against a trip so close to the Middle East conflict and opted to lengthen our stays in Milan and Athens instead.

We didn’t expect to love Milan — now we keep going back.

Here’s 5 days in Milan, spring 2026:

• Exactly how we booked flights to Milan using points (including the flight route we’d choose again)

• Where we stayed, why we loved it, and how we made it work as a family of four

• The places we made time for, and what actually felt worth it once we were there

• A few notes on how the city feels (and why it’s different from other Italian cities)

• What we loved and the places we returned to a second time

Emirates isn’t the first airline you might think of when you picture booking flights from New York to Milan. That’s because most airlines offer flights that depart or arrive in their home country — and Emirates does not fit that bill.

But Emirates is one of a few airlines that offers what are called fifth-freedom flights.

Fifth-freedom flights are…

Read more

A few quick point earning tips:

High bonus alert: There are some incredibly high bonuses on a handful of cards right now. This card and this card have offers I don’t think I have ever seen so high. Check them out and please use these links if you go for it. A bonus: sometimes they give you the card number on screen after applying which can be great if you have a tax payment due today!

The #1 Card: Here is the #1 starter card for points! The low fee and premium version are both included there. Just click through that article to apply for either.

Rakuten: Earn points while shopping online. This isn’t a credit card and takes just 10 seconds to sign up and is ridiculously easy to use. Use this link for a special 5K bonus!

1,500 free points: Rove, a new loyalty program that is NOT a credit card, is offering our readers 1,500 miles just for signing up. It takes approximately 5 seconds to sign up. You can do so here while it lasts.

Are you a big spender? If you spend more than $10K/month on credit cards, DM me or reply to this email and I’ll share some info on a card that has a big bonus, excellent earning potential and one of the lowest fees among premium cards (by far!).

How to get out of a points rut

Points can feel overwhelming for the best of us — and at times, you may feel ready to throw in the towel.

There are those trips you try to plan that just aren’t working out. The point balance that never feels like enough even though you’re spending a fortune on… life (on your cards). The hotel stay in the perfect location that is sold out. The flight you need on a specific day to get the kids back to school.

When this starts happening, it’s a sign that it’s time to simplify — not give up.

Here’s the thing: points can’t solve everything all at once but they sure can help.

This newsletter helps thousands of families travel smarter with points. The one thing that those who are successful with points have in common?

They don’t spend more money than you.

They don’t have a more flexible schedule.

They take things one step at a time.

They understand that sometimes points are great for hotels and sometimes for flights. When the trip just isn’t clicking (when the hotel you want isn’t available or the saver fares on flights just aren’t showing up) they pay cash and save their points for the next trip.

Here are the three steps I recommend if you’re in this (familiar) points rut:

Step one: Get a (free) Wallet Edit

Things change quickly in the points and miles world. The card you’re using may not be the best as a daily card. It might be a good time to get a new welcome bonus to add to your stash of points. Perhaps you have too many of one type of points and not enough of another. The right points make redemptions easier. A Wallet Edit will ensure you have the right points for your spending and goals. Get a free wallet edit via email here.

Step two: Focus on hotels (for now)

If you have the right transferable points (these!) you may want to scale things back and focus only on hotels for a bit. Flights can be an excellent way to use your points but they can be overwhelming. With hotels, I suggest focusing on this one brand which typically has the best value — and using transferable points to book the stays.

Instead of comparing flights across multiple programs, you’re focusing on one brand. Hotels become a much easier redemption strategy when you just don’t have time and are feeling frustrated.

If the hotels are showing as sold out, use this website and set alerts for one day at a time. I often book a stay piece by piece until I get the whole thing. Or, set the alert for the whole stay and wait to book until availability pops up.

Note: Many of the Hyatt hotels are about to become a lot more expensive. Book these now while you can — and book ahead. Hyatt will honor any rates booked before they increase the points needed for bookings on May 20th.

And a second note! The Mr & Mrs Smith brand within the Hyatt umbrella tends to be extremely expensive because it doesn’t follow the Hyatt award chart. I’d skip these if you’re booking with points!

Step three: Put some tools to good use

Aggregators sometimes get a bad rap in the points and miles world. They’re not perfect, but they can absolutely beat spending hours searching individual airline websites.

It’s fine to use a tool to do some of the searching for you — as long as you confirm the flight is available on the airline’s website before transferring any points and understand it’s limitations.

Here is the tool I recommend. It doesn’t find everything, and it can sometimes be wrong, but it’s an excellent starting point for your searches. It’s also helpful for setting alerts so as opportunities come up, you can grab them.

One other feature I love about this app? You can enter regions in the search field instead of specific cities! I love putting in “Europe” or “The Caribbean” etc. It’s a great way to search if you have flexibility.

It absolutely beats giving up and using the travel portal.

The Point is here to help reduce overwhelm, make travel attainable and affordable and help you get the most value out of your money and time. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, I hope this helps!

And remember, behind the paywall are tons of articles that can help your family travel with points without the stress.

Here are some articles to check out if you’re new here — or ready to take the leap to paid:

How to book hotels

How to book flights

The tools I use

Saver fares

ICYMI: Our new series Postcards is out now on the newsletter with photos from Milan!

Any trips you’re struggling to book? Any questions you’d love answered? Dm or email me anytime…

Or let us know in the comments!

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Thanks for being here 🖤

Hope to see you at the Point Salon!

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