Castello Di Badia in Italy

Susan Fero was destined to join the points game. As a former airline employee who once enjoyed free flights across the globe, finding a solution for her wanderlust when she transitioned her career was a high priority.

“My girlfriends and I used to walk up to the ticket counter and get flights to Vegas if it was snowing or grab tickets to San Diego,” she said. “When I left the airline industry, I hated paying for tickets!”

So two years ago, she started collecting points and miles, first with Southwest Airlines, then branching out to IHG, Chase and United. At first, the point stashes had no real goal, except the far-off hope that she and her husband could take an anniversary trip to Italy.

As she began searching for ways to book a vacation with her points, she found Travel Miles 101 and immediately signed up for the free course. “Finally, I knew how to use the points, and how to search award space,” she said.

So as Susan’s 27^th anniversary approached, she began counting up her points and building the itinerary of a lifetime for her and her husband.

THE FLIGHT

Susan’s flights were booked using both Chase Ultimate Rewards points (from Chase Ink and Chase Sapphire Reserve sign-ups), as well as United points. For 70,000 points each, the Feros secured an open jaw, business class ticket with a free stop-over on Lufthansa.

Mimosas and chocolates before takeoff!

The flight departed the couple’s hometown airport of Orange County, California with a layover in Denver, then on to Barcelona for the free stopover of six nights. Final destination on that one-way ticket was Rome, Italy, where the Feros spent two nights.

Renting a car in Rome, they drove to Tuscany for a five nights stay before ending their vacation with two nights in Venice. The flight home was spent on United Airlines saver business class for 57,000 points from Venice back to Orange County.

Total cost for airline tickets came in at 254,000 points for business class travel, plus $247 in taxes.

List price for the tickets would have been $21,000.

According to Susan, the long international flights of over nine hours each were a perfect opportunity to utilize extra points for upgraded seats.

“Both United and Lufthansa were great in regards to the food, drinks and the pampering from the moment we boarded. Such comfort, champagne toasts, pillows, blankets, lie flat seats and amenity kits,” Susan reported. “I was particularly happy with United’s Polaris experience and took full advantage of the extra padding for the seats – I probably had a full 7-hour nap on that flight!”

THE ACCOMMODATIONS

In late 2016, Susan said IHG ran a Priceless Surprises contest, which involved sending entries to earn points. Susan managed the entries for her, her husband and her daughter, earning each of them 50,000 IHG points.

The Feros upgraded Executive Suite.

They added those points to their sign-up bonuses on the IHG cards and funded six nights in Barcelona at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 30,000 points per night. Susan upgraded the room to a club suite for $75 cash per night (list price was 311 Euros per night).

“The club lounge was very nice, and totally paid for itself as they offered an excellent, huge breakfast buffet with so many options of hot and cold entrees, fruit, breads, eggs, potatoes, cold cuts and cheese. We also had access to complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at any time. We stopped in a few times a day for soda, water, coffee, champagne, wine, beer, and mixed drink options. They had a nice appetizer selection available in the afternoon as well, and coffee and desserts set out daily,” Susan said. “The staff in the club lounge was excellent, and helped us with tours, taxi’s, bus and train options, and even arranged to ship a case of wine home for us.”

In Rome, Susan booked their two nights at Hotel Indigo, very close to the Vatican. List price was 327 Euros per night, but Susan spent 45,000 IHG points so there was no out of pocket expense. The hotel upgraded the anniversary couple and the chef dropped off a plate of assorted desserts and a bottle of Prosecco.

For their 5-night stay in Tuscany, the Feros had enough points to book the Marriott in Tuscany, but Susan found a better offer. On Airbnb, a Tuscan castle available for all five nights at just $722. So she saved her points for another day and pulled out her credit card.

Susan’s favorite stop along the journey – their Airbnb Castle.

“This might have been my favorite part of the entire trip. The property Castello di Badia is amazing! It has history dating back to the 900’s AD, where the castle had been destroyed and rebuilt a few times in wars, the current structure was rebuilt by monks about 200 years ago. After driving across the drawbridge, we were welcomed with a bottle of the estate wine, which we liked so much, we bought and consumed several more bottles during our stay there at a very reasonable price, and even took a couple home in our suitcases. The apartment was comfortable with a bedroom, private bathroom, living area that had a pellet stove for heat, and a kitchen. It had amazing views of the Tuscan countryside.”

The view of Tuscany from their Airbnb Castle.

One night in Modena was spent at a friend’s house, before arriving in Venice for their last two nights of vacation. The Hilton Molino Stucky hosted their final stay. With a list price of $300 per night for a King Room, Susan secured two nights for just under 50,000 points per night. Once again, the couple scored an upgrade to a King Executive Suite with a view of the Grand Canal – retail price of over 700 Euros.

The upgrade gave Susan and her husband club lounge access, and complimentary breakfast in the restaurant including a buffet.

“When we arrived back in our room the last night, there was a chilled bottle of Prosecco for our anniversary waiting for us,” Susan said. “We celebrated the end of our trip while enjoying the lovely view from our room.”

ACTIVITIES

After scoring all of their airfare and nearly all of their lodging on points instead of cash, Susan said the couple didn’t focus on frugality for the rest of the trip. Knowing it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, she looked for opportunities to build memories. Here are some of her favorites:

Wine Tour – in the Priorat region outside Barcelona, Susan used 47,000 Citi Thank You points from an old Sears card to purchase tickets for a wine tour.

At Pasanau Winery in Spain.

“We met our tour guide and another American couple and toured three wineries. The first one was Passanu, and the owner, Ricardo, took us on a tour of the vineyard, his barrel room and more. We tasted four very good wines and his estate grown olive oil with bread, cheese and chocolates. At the second winery, we had a very nice lunch with each course paired with a different wine. At the third winery, we met with the owner Paco, who gave us his vineyard tour, then took us into the former monks wine caves for a private tasting and more bread, olive oil, cheese.”

In addition to the wine and olive oil they brought home from the tour, Susan said she was pleased with the point redemption and the great experience.

Exploring Tuscany – while staying at the Airbnb castle, Susan said they enjoyed taking day trips to explore the surrounding countryside.

Driving through the Italian countryside enjoying Spring flowers.

“We were in a central Tuscany location close to the train and bus station in town and we had a rental car, which I recommend for this area. One day we drove through Greve and the Chianti area, and had an amazing lunch at Ristoro di Lamoli after a crazy drive at the top of a mountain with incredible views. Another day we drove to San Gimingano, an ancient village 11 miles away. One day we hiked about six miles from the property to an old medieval fortress and archeological dig, back to town and then up the long, winding driveway.”

Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus – Susan said they found the tour busses to be a great value, and they utilized them in Barcelona for two days when all of the taxi’s drivers went on strike.

“I recommend using these in any large city. They give you a map and you get a great sense of the layout of the city, plus you can cover many different areas.”

Susan and Dale with their Paella chef.

Paella Class – another use of Susan’s Citi Thank You rewards points was a Paella cooking experience with a local chef, Chef Andrea in Barcelona.

“The Chef took our group through the Ramblas Market buying the fresh fish and items for the Paella, then we walked back to her place where she gave us appetizers and sangria while cooking the paella. We really had a great time with two other couples, and ended up eating the best paella I have ever had.”

Water Taxi – a trip to Venice wouldn’t be complete without a trip on a water taxi! Susan ended her two-week adventure in the back of a water taxi, boating from their Venice hotel to the airport, where they watched the sun rise as they flew home.

The Grand Canal in Venice at sunset.

Your turn! What’s your favorite paid-with-points extravagant travel memory? Tell us all about it!

The post Success Story: Saving $25,000 on Anniversary Trip to Europe appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

If there’s one thing my family and I love, it’s a good vacation!

The sun, beach, food … and especially the time we get to spend together; free of our usual commitments and distractions.

However, if you’re anything like me, then you know that vacations are not cheap.  According to Forbes, the average vacation expense per person in the United States is $1,145, or $4,580 for a family of four.  Between the flights, hotel nights, and food, the price per traveler can add up REALLY quickly.

I can verify this first-hand.  For our family of four to travel to the Dominican Republic last summer, it cost us just over $4,000.  While we had an absolute great time, a cost of $4,000 is definitely nothing to sneeze at.

Fortunately as someone who’s been on the path to financial independence for quite some time, I knew that there had to be a better way.  But it wasn’t until I found out about this site Travel Miles 101 from a Mad Fientist podcast back in 2016 that the answer became clear …

There are a ton of great travel rewards opportunities out there for the taking.  And I needed to do more to capitalize on them!

Thanks to the golden ecourse that Brad and Alexi put together, learning what to do came pretty easy.  And thanks to their strategies, I’m proud to say that we’ve saved over $4,247 on travel over the past 12 months (and still counting)!

Here’s how.

Goal Number 1 – Free Flights

After getting educated on the different rewards programs and credit cards, I immediately set one small, specific goal in mind: Get free flights on our next trip.

In 2016, we had already decided that our next family vacation the following summer would be to Orlando, Florida.  By doing a little bit of browsing, I already knew the retail price of 4 tickets would cost me roughly $1,400 altogether.  I thought to myself: How great would it be to shave $1,400 off our vacation expenses next year!

Plus, Orlando is a pretty popular tourist destination.  If there was ever going to be a good opportunity to try out my new travel rewards skills, this was certainly going to be it.

The first step, of course, was to decide what kind of points system we were going to use to get our free flights.  To do this, I decided we’d use Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points.  My wife and I already had already been using a Chase credit card for some time, and so we had a small bank of UR points saved up.  Plus according to everything I was reading online, it really seemed like Chase UR points were the most valuable ones to accumulate.

We decided that our first credit card would be the Chase Sapphire Preferred.  This card came with a pretty generous intro bonus of 50,000 UR points and no annual fee the first year.  That’s pretty much a $500 bonus with no real investment.  All I had to do was spend the money that I was normally going to spend always using this card.

In a very short amount of time, we met the initial minimum spending requirement and were promptly rewarded our points.  Awesome!

But then I also had read that as a Sapphire Preferred card member if you used Chase’s Ultimate Rewards travel portal, you actually get 25% more value on your points.  So rather than simply cashing out my balance or messing around with frequent flyer miles, I had decided that this was the way to go.

Mission accomplished!  We booked all four of our flights for no money out of pocket.  And all it took was just opening one credit card.

I could smell opportunity, and so I thought: Why stop here?

Goal Number 2 – Free Hotel Nights and Car Rental

I figured if it was that easy to get free flights, then could the same be true for hotel nights too?

I was willing to find out!

And maybe it was serendipity, but it was right around the time that I had created this goal that the Chase Sapphire Reserve card was introduced.

At the time, this one came with an intro bonus of 100,000 UR points plus $300 in travel credit per calendar year.  The only down-side was that it also carried a hefty $450 membership fee that you had to pay within the first month.

Even though the $450 up-front fee was pretty shocking at first, I had to look at the situation objectively like any other investment opportunity.  The points were worth $1,000 cash value, and since we were straddling 2016-2017, we’d actually get two $300 travel credits worth $600 in total. So all in all, applying for this card would equal a net gain of $1,150.  Not a bad return at all!

Again, after meeting the initial spending requirement s, we were awarded the UR points and promptly transferred them to a Hyatt hotel we had been thinking about staying at.  The retail price of the Hyatt was $1,238.  So after our initial $450 credit card fee, we ended up saving $788.  Okay … not quite “free”, but close enough that I’ll take it!

But the fun didn’t stop there!  With our 2016 $300 travel credit, we were also able to book our vehicle rental in advance – for no money out of pocket.

Incredible!  Up to this point, we had saved a net total of $2,465 off the retail price of this vacation.

Again … why stop when you’ve got a good thing going!

Booking a Second Vacation for Almost Free?

This year my wife will turn the big 4-0, and we decide that it was finally time for just the two of us to take a nice trip all by ourselves.

We still had a pretty substantial number of Chase UR points leftover.  And so I figured if we could just go for one more card, we could probably book a nice, short get-away at an all-inclusive in Mexico.

As luck would have it, Chase again had just raised the intro bonus on the Ink Business card to 80,000 UR points ($800 cash value).  With a $95 initial fee, we’d be making $705 in cash value.  We quickly grabbed this one up and were again awarded the points.

My original plan was to book the flight and hotel separate.  But then I remembered that as a Sapphire Reserve card holder, our points were now worth 50% more if we used the Chase Travel portal.  So it was actually cheaper to go this route.

Boom!  Again, we had success!  We booked a 4-night stay at the beautiful Hyatt in Los Cabos, Mexico, with flight included.

Not too shabby!

Saving More Money Than I Ever Thought Possible

All in all, using the strategies I learned from this ecourse has saved us a grand total of $4,247 in just under one year!

That’s an unbelievable sum of money!  This is $4,000+ that I could easily reallocate into tax-deferred retirement savings for an even bigger save on tax avoidance.  Some people purchase rental properties hoping to make an extra $4,000 or $5,000 in a year.  But all it took here was just being little bit savvy with our credit cards and rewards redemptions.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises for me about this whole thing was how easy it all was.  There are travel miles rewards strategies that are way more fancy and complicated than what I did.  I just opened three cards with strategic intentions.  But small or large, that effort translated into thousands of physical dollars saved.

I’m not sure I’ll ever travel anywhere again without first considering what kind of credit cards and points I can use to get there for free.  For sure I’m going to keep this up for as long as the deals are out there.

So what’s next on our agenda?  We’re shooting for Hawaii in 2018.  Wish me luck!

About the author: DJ is the guy behind My Money Design; a blog that is all about achieving financial independence and making your life better. 

In addition to writing on his blog, he also is assembling a collection of easy-to-follow, early retirement strategy books.  Please check them out on Amazon.

The post How We Saved $4,247 By Getting Two Vacations for Nearly Free appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Nicole and Keith DeBickes touring Ireland with their sons.

Last month, we introduced TM101 graduate Nicole DeBickes, her husband, Keith, and their two sons. The family was in final preparation for their 30-month, around-the-world adventure that has been nearly a decade in the making.

When we last checked in, the DeBickes had completed their drive up the East Coast from their home in south Florida, spending time with family and friends before boarding their flight for Europe. Today, we catch up on their first several weeks overseas.

Views from the family’s drive through Ireland.

After rerouting their departure flight from the states to avoid a late-season blizzard in New England, the DeBickes landed in Dublin – a fitting location to kick off the European portion of their trip. And the perfect town in which to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, which arrived just 24 hours later.

Nicole said the event was a bit anticlimactic.

“The weather was terrible. It was very cold, even the Irish people were complaining about it! It rained the whole time for the parade.”

So instead of trying to force merriment out of a miserable rain, the family found their way to Howth, a suburb about 30 minutes east of Dublin where the town was celebrating their annual Dublin Bay Prawn Festival along the shore.

“We ate some excellent seafood and played footgolf. The kids had a blast,” Nicole said.

That kind of adaptability is serving the family well in these early days of their adventure. After three days in Dublin, they packed up their manual transmission rental car and headed to the Irish countryside of Ring of Beary, in southwest Ireland.

The view from their cottage.

Their Airbnb cottage offered a gorgeous view, as well as a full kitchen for preparing meals at home. Nicole said their diet has remained fairly unchanged from their American schedule when eating at home. Grocery store staples include sandwiches, tacos and spaghetti, although she has found grocery prices lower in Ireland than in her home stores in Florida.

“We have been eating a lot of simple foods when eating at home, and then eating the local specialties when we eat out,” Nicole said. The family did enjoy an English pork roast with potatoes and Yorkshire puddings in their cottage…a true English dining experience.

In addition to experiencing their new surroundings through hikes and long drives through the countryside, the family is keeping up with their work and school from the road. Nicole’s sons are staying on track with school through the Florida Virtual School portal, where they are registered for the next two years. Keith is on the road and in the office, thanks to (mostly) good wifi.

Driving through Ring of Kerry, Ireland.

You may remember that Nicole had two major criteria when booking accommodations for the trip – strong wifi and laundry facilities. The laundry facilities have served the family well so far. The wifi has been less reliable.

“We have found that the more rural cottages don’t have great wifi. In one place it was so bad it was impossible to do anything, and this was a cottage listed as having broadband,” Nicole said.

In the future, the family is requesting speed test results from owners before renting their homes, a change they hope will solve the wifi challenge.

Nicole reported that despite very light packing (a carry-on and a backpack for each family traveler), they already feel they over-packed, and are considering shipping some of their clothes back to the states.

Long-sleeved shirts are falling out of favor, especially as the weather warms. These Florida kids don’t love wearing jeans any time of year, so mom will likely return the single pair she packed for each them. And Nicole is returning her back-up pair of walking shoes.

“Every extra thing is just a hassle to transport from place to place,” she said.

Another change the family may make is to their long-term scheduling for the trip. Nicole said they found the short stays in each location to be exhausting.

“Even when you have a short hop to the next point, it really takes a whole day of cleaning up a place, packing up, travel, getting settled again and doing grocery shopping,” she said. “I think we will try and plan for some longer stays in the future around one to three months to break things up a bit.”

To date, Nicole reported that their spending is coming in under projections – by 12.5 percent, to be precise. The daily accommodation breakdown is listed below.

Nicole said the monthly total includes housing, water, electric, gas, internet (sort of), and all bills except food. “How many people pay more than this on a monthly basis at home for these costs?” she asked.

As the family finishes their tour through Ireland and moves on to England, including a month in London, Nicole reflected on their first few weeks in Ireland. After a decade of planning for the adventure and several years of serious preparation, the reality of their dream-come-true trip still sneaks up on her.

“While we were staying in the cottage in Ireland I was watching the weather roll in across the countryside. It was an amazing view and I was thinking that I didn’t have to check email or worry about something at work,” she said. “I can’t believe this is my life!”

In the next blog, we’ll get an update on the family’s time in England, including meeting up with relatives in Liverpool and nearly a month in London. Stay tuned!

The post TM101 Family’s Around-The-World Adventure Continues appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

The wild coastline of Tory Island beckons travelers like Dan Whitcomb to return every year.

Almost six years ago, TM101 graduate Dan Whitcomb took his first trip to Ireland. The country captured his imagination and he has dreamed of it ever since.

“I’ve gone back to Ireland every year since 2011,” Dan said. “I start making plans in February so I have something to look forward to until summer.”

Since learning about Travel Miles 101 and picking up some new tips and tricks, Dan’s trip planning includes accruing points to fund his business class flights from his home airport of Lexington, Kentucky to Dublin, Ireland.

The round-trip flight costs around 100,000 miles (plus $167 in taxes) on Dan’s preferred carrier of American Airlines. List price for this flight is around $3,750 – saving Dan a bundle.

“I had quite a few AA miles already from all those years I flew to Ireland and paid cash. After I learned about using miles, I picked up the American Airlines Red Aviator Card which earned me 50,000 points for a really low spend of $1,000.”

While it costs a bundle of points for that business class seat, Dan said it’s worth every single one. “It’s about a seven hour flight, so the experience is so much better when you can lie down flat and never have to wait in line for the restroom.”

Like many TM101 graduates, Dan has taken a moderate approach to his miles and points game. “I try to be conservative with my credit cards. I’m not an adrenaline junky,” Dan said with a laugh. “I’m not collecting points for the fun of it, I want to earn them and use them.”

And since Ireland is his favorite destination, most of those points find their way to the Emerald Isle.

Instead of exploring popular Irish cities like Dublin or Limerick, Dan lands in the capital city and escapes the traffic and people as fast as he can.

“I don’t care much for big cities, so I’ve been concentrating on the Northwestern parts of Ireland for several years now. I land in Dublin in the morning and head right out to County Donegal to Tory Island. I’ve visited so many times I have my own personal taxi driver who picks me up every time.”

Tory Island is Ireland’s most remote island, Dan reported, located about 9 miles off the Northwest coast of Ireland. A passenger ferry (no cars allowed!) shuttles visitors across the choppy waters of the Atlantic just three times a day during Summer. Upon docking at Tory Island, visitors are greeted by the island’s ruler – King Patsy Dan Rodgers.

Our TM101 alum Dan Whitcomb alongside his friend, King Patsy Dan Rodgers of Tory Island.

The King was appointed to the post by his fellow islanders over 20 years ago. In addition to his duties as unofficial tourism ambassador, King Patsy Dan is an artist in the long tradition of Primitive island artists like James Dixon. Of the 150 island residents, nearly a dozen work as artists.

“I’ve made such good friends in this place. Traveling is more meaningful when you know the locals and spend time in their homes.”

Dan struck up a friendship with a Tory Island native several years ago, and the two are still pen pals, writing letters from halfway across the world and meeting up for tea when Dan visits Tory Island.

Upon landing on Tory last summer, Dan took his usual trek to the island’s only hotel – The Harbor View Hotel, boasting 14 rooms, a restaurant and a pub. “Nothing fancy, but it’s clean and right on the water, the beds are comfortable, the blankets are cozy and there’s always plenty of hot water.”

And at 40 euros a night, it’s hard to beat the price.

“The Northwest part of Ireland is amazing and I’ve found it much less expensive than the rest of the country. I don’t drink alcohol so I always get asked why I like Ireland so much. This is one of the reasons – it’s a great experience for not much money.”

In addition to his time on Tory Island, Dan enjoys Inishbofin Island and Dingle – all located along the western coast of the country.

The hotel on Tory Island offers guests the option of a lobster dinner, which Dan enjoyed on his summer trip. “If you tell them the night before, they’ll send someone out to catch the lobster, and for 25 euros you get a whole fresh lobster and all the sides.”

In addition to the legendary seafood on the island, Dan said the scones with clotted cream and jam are heavenly, along with the Chicken Kiev and garlic potatoes at the hotel’s restaurant, courtesy of Liz, their classically trained chef.

So for about a week every year, Dan wanders the island and visits with his Irish friends and fellow travelers. With just 150 residents on Tory, he calls it the “perfect place to relax.” In addition to reading and relaxing, Dan hits some of the island’s popular sites like the lighthouse, Derek Hills’ artist hut, and the island’s historic Bell Tower.

“People wonder how I can afford to travel internationally for two weeks every year. I may pay more for a comfortable flying experience, but my travels are always very reasonable when it comes to lodging. I travel frugally and earn my points strategically. That’s my secret.”

The Artist Hut on Tory Island.

Your turn! What’s your favorite remote vacation spot? Comment below to share your favorite R&R location with your fellow TM101 travelers!

The post Success Story: Dan’s Trip to Ireland in Business Class appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

The beautiful coastline of Maui.

Kevin Klinkenberg and his wife, Jamie, came to the miles and points game through the Travel Miles 101 free course in summer of 2015. While they had previously kept up with their credit card miles, Kevin says the TM101 course took it to the next level.

“The basics of the course taught me how to apply a system and accomplish much more than we did before,” Kevin said.

Applying systems comes naturally for this city planner from Savannah, Georgia. After taking the course, Kevin said he decided to take Brad’s approach toward miles earning.

“We are always looking for opportunities to earn points. We don’t do anything fancy. As we hit our minimum spend, we open a new card,” he said.

Within a month or so of starting their serious points pursuit, the Klinkenbergs settled on their winter vacation destination – Maui, Hawaii.

Hiking through a bamboo forest in Maui.

“We came to it kind of late, so we didn’t have a year to plan in advance of the trip,” he said.

THE FLIGHTS

The couple had 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points from old credit cards. To that, they added a one Chase Sapphire Preferred and a Hyatt card.

Kevin said their first goal for the flight was to use the Korean Airlines deal flying first class to Hawaii on Delta for 45,000 points per ticket. But by the time they chose their destination, there was no first class availability. So they took advantage of one of the Hawaii sweet spots he learned about on Travel Miles 101, booking two round trip flights to Maui for 25,000 UR points per ticket transferred to Korean Air (plus $11 in taxes, per ticket.)

“Delta is a big airline out of Savannah. We can fly any of the airlines, but flying Delta gives us the most options.”

The flight routed from Savannah to Atlanta, then a 7-hour layover at LAX, before the 6-hour flight to Maui. With their bags checked all the way through to Hawaii, when the Klinkenbergs landed at LAX, they jumped into an Uber and headed to the beach.

“We got to spend a half day at the Santa Monica Pier, just making the best of a long layover,” Kevin said.

THE HOTEL

With their airline tickets booked and hundreds of dollars already saved, Kevin turned his focus to the couple’s accommodations. Their first choice was the Hyatt Regency at Kanaapali Beach, Maui, where they wanted to spend all eight nights – total cost of 120,000 UR points. The backup plan was taking their two free nights from the Hyatt card, then splitting the remaining six nights among UR-compatible Airbnb’s (click here for a discount on your first stay) or cheaper hotels.

As they built up their stash of points, Kevin kept in touch with Hyatt Regency on their room availability. When they finally reached the magic number and transferred the points to Hyatt, the hotel was down to two rooms available to book for their travel dates. The hotel was secured!

The view from the Klinkenberg’s room at the Hyatt Regency.

“Ironically, I’m sure they considered it one of the worst rooms in the hotel, but we had a great view of the ocean and we were just thrilled to get a room.”

In addition to the free hotel rooms, Kevin asked the hotel to comp the parking fees ($15 per day) and the resort fee ($15-18 per day) because he was a Hyatt credit card holder. They obliged on both requests.

“It was amazing. The only money we spent was on restaurants and activities.”

Jamie took the lead on finding the best option for a vehicle for their week-long stay on the island. She used the UR portal to book a mustang convertible for $400 for the full week – scoring a good discount and earning extra points to boot.

“We like to get out and explore a lot, so we knew it would be a good deal for us,” Kevin said.

FUN AND FRUGAL IN PARADISE

Kevin said some of the best advice he received before going to Hawaii was to pick one of the islands and stay there for the whole week. “There’s so much to see on each island, and it’s a bit of a hassle to travel between the islands, so if you’re there for just a week, pick one and stay there.”

Kevin and Jamie shared some of their favorite memories from the trip.

One of the Kevin and Jamie’s favorite memories from the trip – whale watching in the Pacific.

Whale Watching: If you’re traveling to the islands in January and February, in addition to missing the nasty winter weather in most of the lower 48, you have the pleasure of witnessing mating season among the humpback whales of the Pacific. “It’s incredible – they’re jumping out of the water as you cruise by. You can actually see them just sitting on the beach.”

Snorkeling: The Klinkenbergs found remarkable snorkeling across the island. While vacationers often rent gear by the day from their resort at a steep fee, this frugal couple visited a snorkeling store in town. For $20 for the whole week, they picked up all the equipment they needed, storing it in the trunk of their rental car and using it across the island.

Jamie stopped to check out a waterfall on the Road to Hana.

Road to Hana: One of the most popular things to do on the island is taking the 65-mile drive from Kahului to Hana. Kevin reported a winding, narrow road running along the ocean and through the jungle, with ample opportunities to stop for side trips, including hikes to waterfalls, through parks and along bays. Kevin said the town of Hana was not a headline locale, but the drive was legendary.

“It was a classic case where the journey really was more important than the destination.”

Your turn! What’s your favorite island in the Pacific? Tell us where to plan our next tropical vacation!

The Cliff Dive Bar at Ka’anapali Beach.

The post Success Story: Kevin and Jamie’s Trip to Maui on Miles appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Panama’s Frank Gehry designed Biodiversity Museum, or BioMuseo. (Photo by Kay Michaels)

When Kay Michaels began planning vacation for her and her husband, Dean, she had some specific criteria, mostly related to geography.

“Dean gets limited time off work each year, so we can’t spend too much time getting to our destination. When I realized that we could fly from our hometown of Durham, North Carolina and land in Panama within 4-5 hours, I knew Central America could be perfect for us,” she said.

And of course, those Raleigh to Panama City, Panama flights would be purchased with points.

Kay and Dean started collecting points and miles seriously about 14 years ago, stashing a bundle of United miles and Chase Ultimate Rewards points before capping out with the recent 5/24 rule. “We pay everything on our credit card except our mortgage,” she said.

Their points collecting paid off with an unforgettable trip to this vibrant Central American metropolis.

THE FLIGHTS

The Michaels booked their flights to Panama using AA points earned through credit card bonuses. The trip from Raleigh to Panama City cost 37,500 points in economy class. Their trip home cost 65,000 points in business class, for a total of 102,500 points plus $72 tax per person.

“It was a lot of points to use, but we knew where we wanted to go, and it we had the points to spend, so it was a good fit,” Kay said.

THE LODGING

A room with a view at the Country Inn & Suites, Panama Canal. (Photo by Kay Michaels)

The Michaels used their Club Carlson points to book the Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, Panama Canal, for a five-night stay. They exercised the Points and Cash program, using 25,000 points plus $87 per night ($478 total) for a one-bedroom suite with a direct view of the Bridge of the Americas and the continuous parade of cruise and cargo ships in route to the entrance of the canal.

“It wasn’t the fanciest hotel but the view was superb and the staff was incredibly kind,” reported Kay.

The nightly price included a full buffet breakfast each morning, along with amenities like a kitchenette, two balconies, and a hotel swimming pool. The proximity to the Sea Las Perlas ferry to Contadora Island was also a huge bonus.

After five nights, the Michaels packed up and walked to the ferry for their trip to Contadora Island, meaning “counting island.” The Spanish used the island to resupply and count their spoils from the Americas before returning to Spain. The Michaels found the island to be a beautiful escape from city life. Several seasons of Survivor have been filmed there, and no cars are permitted on the island. Golf carts provide transportation to locals and visitors alike.

The pair didn’t use any points on the island, staying instead at The Hibiscus House, a bed & breakfast for $100 per night.

Their final night in Panama was spent at the Crowne Plaza near the airport. The stay cost just $99, so Kay opted for cash over IHG points.

THE SITES

Kay spent meaningful, quality time on Trip Advisor researching the vacation and all potential tour options. The highlights included:

Seeing the canal through the eyes of a captain. (Photo by Kay Michaels)

Panama Canal Tour

The Michaels booked through Barefoot Panama and took the “half-day partial transit” tour. Kay reported an excellent experience and recommended fellow travelers schedule a full day for the tour. At $150 per person, Kay said it was “pricey but totally worth it!”

“The canal is an incredible engineering feat and this tour really lets you experience it as a captain would. We went through three different locks, and when we were inside, we were positioned right next to a luxury yacht from the Bahamas, then right behind us, a huge tanker that got within 15-20 feet of our boat. You’re all wedged into this tiny lock with literally inches between you and the side of the canal. It was truly incredible.”

Private Birding Tour

Our travelers found birding legend Kent Livezey through research and booked his private tour. Including pick-up at their hotel about 45 minutes away, the tour cost $250 for the couple (with the rental of high powered binoculars). The adventure took the Michaels and their guide to Pipeline Road outside Gamboa, Panama, a region famous for its species diversity.

“Neither of us had ever done bird watching before, but we found this recommendation and booked the tour. It ended up being a real highlight of the trip. We spent the morning spotting birds, howler monkeys, and just missed spotting an elusive tayra. He brought great binoculars, which we learned are a must for a good birding experience.”

Fortaleza Walking Tour

Jaffet, a founding member of the Fortalezo Walking tour stops to talk to a neighbor along the tour route in Casco Viejo. Jaffet is now studying to be a lawyer.  (Photo by Kay Michaels)

At just $10 per person, this walking tour of historic Casco Viejo was one of the cheapest, and most meaningful, experiences of the Michael’s trip.

In Kay’s words, “The Casco used to be overrun by gangs. Realizing revitalization was incompatible with gang activity; a developer and other business leaders encouraged and assisted the gang members in swapping gang life for entrepreneurial endeavors. So we went on this tour started by former gang members of their old stomping grounds. One of them had just finished law school and was going to be a civil rights lawyer.”

BioMuseo

The Frank Gehry designed Biodiversity Museum completed construction just two years before the Michael’s visit. The museum highlights history, geography and the culture of Panama throughout its 43,000 square feet of exhibit space.

“It was incredible. We learned so much about Panama and how important this land bridge was to the biodiversity of the Americas.”

Kay also reported the museum features a great little cafe with “stupendous views” of ships cruising towards the canal.

Dean, sporting his Panama hat, next to the work of Panamanian artist Rolo de Sedas.  (Photo by Kay Michaels)

MISCELLANEOUS FRIVOLITY

In addition to eating their weight in papaya and snagging an authentic Panama hat from a local hat maker (fun fact: Panama hats are actually constructed in Ecuador), the Michaels reported that some of their favorite mem

ories from the trip were the people they met along the way.

The walking tour with gang-members-turned-entrepreneurs was a real highlight for this traveling duo. The Michaels also had a memorable evening at Donde José – ranked #1 of 848 restaurants in Panama City.

Sitting at the chef’s table in this 10-seat restaurant, the couple enjoyed a “Breakfast for Dinner” theme, mesmerized by the stories the Chef shared for each course. Their seatmates that night were two brothers from Quito, Ecuador. The Michael’s dining experience was made all the richer learning more about their lives and business in South America

The menu card the evening the Michaels dined at Donde Jose. This dessert is called, “The Yogurt is Drowning.”  (Photo by Kay Michaels)

“It was a great experience getting to know them over these amazing small plates of food,” Kay said.

Another unforgettable moment came on Contadora Island when the Michaels dined at a small Italian restaurant called Casa Tortuga just outside their bed & breakfast. The chef, Piero, came out of the kitchen to welcome the Michaels at their table. He mentioned that his family was from a small Italian town called Forli.

“In 1968, when he was 11, Dean was selected to be a child ambassador from his hometown for the Children’s International Summer Village in Forli, Italy,” Kay said. “Turns out Piero’s aunt still runs that program in Forli.”

The next day, the Michaels returned to the restaurant and met Piero’s uncle – the brother of the woman who still runs CISV in Forli. Dean described his experience in their hometown – the building he stayed in and the surroundings he remembered from his childhood. The pair had a great conversation about their memories in Forli.

“It was amazing that on this speck of an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, you find a family from a small town in Italy you visited when you were 11 years old,” Kay said. “What a small world.”

The Panama Canal.  (Photo by Kay Michaels)

Your turn! What’s your favorite retreat in Central America? Share your experience and help other travelers choose their next vacation destination!

The post Success Story: Spring Trip to Panama City, Panama appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Melissa Plemmons and her family stop for a selfie during their tour of Barcelona, Spain.

Melissa Plemmons has confirmed that news of Travel Miles 101 is spreading beyond the borders of our beloved homeland. Her dad heard about the site from a fellow traveler while hiking the El Camino trail in Europe. As soon as he sent Melissa the link to the free course, a whole new world opened up to the Plemmons family of five.

“I had used points before, but I didn’t know any of the really good tricks. My big secret was flying in the off-season to get better fares,” she said, laughing.

Melissa took the free course in December of 2015 and by January, she and her husband started signing up for credit cards. By June, they had accrued 300,000 points across United, Chase and SPG.

THE FLIGHTS

The family wanted to take a 10-day tour of Spain for Christmas, so Melissa began searching for award availability. With a family of 5, she knew that finding availability might be a challenge. But United (and their partner, Lufthansa) came through for her, and Melissa began transferring her points to the airline as quickly as she could.

“I finally found the award seats I needed but not all of the points had hit my United account. I got on the phone and the agents held the seats for several days until the points showed up.”

Each ticket cost 60,000 miles and routed from the family’s hometown of Charlotte to Madrid on Lufthansa, then a short hop from Madrid to Barcelona mid-trip, then Barcelona to Charlotte for the return.

Those 300,000 frequent flyer miles for the family of five represented a savings of $17,000 off the list price for the tickets.

“The savings were incredible,” Melissa said.

THE ITINERARY

With the airfare booked, Melissa started researching lodging, restaurants and tourist sites for the family to explore. At 19, 15 and 13 years old, the family has a range of tastes and travel personalities to satisfy.

“My kids love Europe. We’ve taken them to Portugal before, so they were so excited to explore Spain.”

MADRID

The family landed in Madrid, where they stayed the first two nights of their trip. Melissa said the city felt like Spain’s version of New York City – artistic and diverse, but with surprisingly few historical sites and adventures. The family did enjoy the Prado Art Museum in Madrid, the National Royal Palace, and more than a few stops for coffee, churros and chocolate.

Lodging in Madrid was an apartment Melissa found through TripAdvisor. The space offered two beds and a sleeper sofa – enough for the whole family. It was centrally located and gave the family access to all the sights and sounds of the city.

On day three of the trip, Melissa rented a car from the train station in Madrid and drove four hours to Granada so the family could tour the Alhambra Palace. Just one word was needed to describe the experience of walking through the Moorish masterpiece, “Amazing,” Melissa said.

She added a few words of wisdom for other travelers – tickets for the historical site must be purchased ahead of time and they are often sold out more than a month in advance. They are also very strict on timing, so if your ticket indicates a 4 p.m. start time, show up early!

RONDA

After the 4-hour tour of Alhambra, the family loaded back into the car and drove another three hours to their hotel in Ronda, where they were scheduled to stay for the next two nights.

What’s that, you say? You’ve never heard of Ronda, Spain? Well, pull up a chair.

“Ronda was actually my kids favorite part of the whole trip,” Melissa reported. “ I read about this little hotel in the Rick Steves book – it’s called EnfrenteArte in this beautiful, small village in the south of Spain. The staff was amazing. Pablo would make gourmet breakfast for us every morning. We had free drinks 24 hours a day. The place had funky decorations in every room and the most beautiful views. The kids favorite part was probably the big fish tank area where you could get a fish pedicure – hang your feet into the fish tank and they will eat the dead skin off your feet.”

The entire experience, including two rooms for their family of five, cost around 100 euros per night.

The Plemmons kids during their stay in Ronda, Spain.

The family spent their Christmas in Ronda, which is also renowned for its flamenco performances, and Melissa scored tickets for a flamenco show on Christmas Eve – an unforgettable experience for the family.

“The hotel is what drew us to Ronda, and this stop was the most relaxed part of our trip. We saw old gardens and palaces and spent hours walking around town, stopping at bakeries and people watching.”

On Day 5 of their trip, the family left their gourmet breakfasts and fish pedicures behind and drove from Ronda to Madrid. That night, they stayed at the Crowne Plaza Madrid using 25,000 IHG points to ensure they were close to the airport for their flight to Barcelona the next morning.

BARCELONA

For the last four nights of their trip, Melissa and her family stayed at Barcelona Go, a budget hotel she found through research. Nothing fancy, the hotel offered updated, clean and affordable rooms, and it was a welcome option in a city full of high-end and high-priced rooms.

It was a good thing the family had a relaxing stay in Ronda, because Barcelona kept them hopping – Melissa reported they walked 10-13 miles a day as they criss-crossed this magical city.

The highlight for Melissa was the famous cathedral, La Sagrada Familia. She said construction on the building began in 1882 and they are hoping to finish sometime in the next 10-15 years. (and you thought your bathroom remodel was behind schedule…)

“Barcelona is a city full of cathedrals but this place was unlike any cathedral I’ve ever seen – it was truly amazing. The interior was constructed like a rain forest where the columns were tree trunks and they branch out at the top in stained glass.”

They also enjoyed the Picasso Museum and the many parks and green spaces dotted throughout the city.

FRUGAL TIPS AND TRICKS

Spain isn’t considered a budget traveler’s paradise, but Melissa said she found a few money-saving tips along the way.

Student Discounts – Melissa found many discounts and sometimes free passes for college students during her research. At the Alhambra Palace, her two younger children enjoyed a significant discount off the hefty entrance fee. Be aware, the organization will likely require the students’ passports to prove their age.

Free Nights – much like museums across the States, Melissa found that the Prado Art Museum in Madrid offered free entrance one evening a week. This little find saved the family 60 euros. “It was great seeing it at night when it’s all lit up.”

Homework – Melissa reported that she took many months researching lodging options, restaurants, and tourist sites. That time investment paid off with a economical hotels and unforgettable experiences across Spain.

Family Travel – when Melissa and her husband take a trip, they run nonstop. But she new her teens wouldn’t enjoy the high octane schedule. “We really embraced the Spanish philosophy of moving slower through our days, taking a siesta in the afternoon, and not getting overloaded.” The lighter schedule created a better experience for the kids, as well as the parents. “It was so much fun seeing the country through their eyes for the first time.”

Melissa Plemmons and her children during their tour of the Alhambra Palace in Madrid, Spain.

Your turn! Have you toured Spain in the last few years? Comment below with your favorite experience to help new travelers build a dream itinerary!

The post Success Story: Family of Five Saves $17,000 on Tour of Spain appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Connie Tao’s journey to Tokyo started when the 27-year-old travel enthusiast first learned of Travel Miles 101 through the Mad Fientist podcast.

“I needed a new hobby,” Connie said. “And I thought this one sounded like fun.”

After completing the Free Travel Course, she said her early efforts were enthusiastic but not well planned, as Connie signed up for anything that sounded good. But as she began planning to attend her cousin’s wedding in Tokyo, Connie knew she needed a strategy.

“I decided I wanted to use these miles I had accrued to be able to fly either first class or business class to Tokyo – something I wouldn’t have been able to do without the points.”

Attending a wedding removes one of the keys for simplifying travel redemptions – flexibility. With a date certain for her family’s nuptials, Connie tried to create flexibility around that date – so her arrival and departure dates could move to accommodate the best reward redemptions and availability.

She had a large stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, as well as British Airways Avios and even some United points. Connie’s first move was to start looking through MileValue learning about the different route options into Asia, and deciphering the options around premium class seats – she found The Points Guy’s post on “aspirational first class redemptions” particularly helpful.

THE FLIGHTS

Her return flight from Tokyo to her hometown of New York City was an easy booking win, using United points for a flight on Asiana in Business Class, overnighting in Seoul, Korea. Total cost – 70,000 United points, plus $40 taxes and fees.

Through her research, Connie had her heart set on flying Japan Airlines. So she signed up for one last card bonus on American Airlines. Small problem – she was approved for the card in October 2015, and the wedding was in April of 2016.

“It was way more stressful than it needed to be because of the short timeline on meeting my minimum spend, waiting for the points to post and then securing an award seat.”

Connie earned her bonus on January 15. Three days later she found business class availability from Dallas to Tokyo. So she would only need to add a low-cost one-way ticket from JFK to Dallas. Eager to ensure she had at least one flight option confirmed, Connie snapped it up, but kept looking, knowing she could take advantage of AA’s generous award flight change policy.

On February 5, she found one seat in business class flying directly from her home airport of JFK – no extra flight required. So she changed her ticket. “I was perfectly happy with business class out of NYC, but I kept checking, just in case I could find a first class seat come available.”

Lay flat bed in first class cabin.

On March 6, just 14 days before her departure, Connie was performing her usual morning check of award seat availability and found one first class seat on Japan Airlines from JFK to Tokyo. So she got on the phone with American Airlines and 30 minutes later, she had scored the upgrade for a total of just 56,000 points plus $5.60 in taxes. (which includes the Citi Advantage Platinum 10 percent refund for point redemptions).

Dinner is served!

Connie said her 14+ hours in first class on Japan Airlines was worth the wait and anxiety of searching for a seat. “It really was amazing. I slept so well on the flight. You still have a slightly dehydrated feeling but the fat bed and great food make such a difference. When I got to Tokyo I didn’t feel jetlagged at all.”

Her return flight in business class was almost equally enjoyable. “First class is a little more over the top, with the food and the champagne, but as far as comfort, I found them identical.”

THE CITY OF TOKYO

Her jetlag-free arrival in Tokyo served her well as she hit the ground running on a grand, self-guided tour of the city. “My whole tour plan was to look on Google Map and find what looked interesting. Then walk from place to place and see what it looked like on street level.”

Tokyo’s public transportation system made her plan easy. “The subway in Tokyo is amazing, so fast and always on time. After buying the subway pass, I didn’t worry about working with their maps and boards to find my way, I just used Google maps on my phone. I rented a pocket wifi online and picked it up in the airport. Kept it in my pocket and had my own personal wifi cloud around me everywhere I traveled.”

Connie said she found almost every green space in the city. As luck or planning would have it, her cousin’s wedding fell in the midst of cherry blossom season, covering the skies over the city in pale pink petals.

Ueno Park is perhaps the most popular spot in all of Tokyo to enjoy the cherry blossoms. Families gather with tarps and blankets covered with traditional Japanese picnic cuisine, reminiscent of an American football tailgating experience.

Family picnic time under the cherry blossoms.

“The Japanese take their picnics very seriously,” Connie reported. “People cook up home meals and bring out real china and silver and sake glasses and they stay for hours. This was no American picnic with a sandwich and soda!”

Connie’s walking-and-subway-tour of the city made her feel at home. “Living in New York City, Tokyo felt very similar. When I go on vacation I’m usually looking for some peace and quiet, which is why I hit up every green space I could find.”

LODGING

Lodging was a simple affair for Connie’s 2-week trip to Tokyo. Her first night was spent in a hostel, where she paid a staggering $25. “Japan as a whole is so clean and safe. Hostel’s definitely recommended for those (travelers) on a budget.”

Connie also spent over a week staying with her new in-laws. “It was such a gift to be able to experience the city from the local’s perspective.”

Her last five nights in Japan were spent at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel which Connie booked using her Citi Prestige card, receiving the 4^th night free. Total price just over $600 with a $140 rebate for that 4^th night’s stay.

Authentic ramen at a memorable hole-in-the-wall establishment in Tokyo.

FOOD

“The food. Oh my god, the food. It was so, so amazing,” Connie said breathlessly. “I couldn’t eat sushi for six months after I got home because everywhere I went was so bad compared to my experience in Tokyo.”

From ramen to sashimi to traditional sushi, Connie’s food tour of the city touched on all the traditional high points. Surprisingly, she found prices for her indulgences quite reasonable. “Food and alcohol seemed quite a bit cheaper than I anticipated. Our group went to an Izakaya one night and enjoyed a 10 course meal for $40 per person. For $5 more, we added all we could drink.”

Sashimi platter in Tokyo.

Connie said it’s important for travelers to know that most restaurants and shops in Tokyo do not accept credit cards. Having learned of this potential challenge before her departure, Connie opened a high yield investors checking account with no foreign exchange fees, no annual fees, and even refunds ATM fees.

“It was invaluable during the trip because it let me take out cash more frequently in smaller denominations rather than carrying a ton of cash around with me all the time. They do place a couple days hold on cash that is transferred, so I now keep it stocked with a couple hundred dollars at all times, just in case I ever need some quick cash while traveling.”

All told, Connie spent $930 on her 14-day trip to Tokyo. “A typical economy flight to Tokyo would have cost about what I spent on the whole trip,” she said, noting her flights both included premium class seating.

Her only regret, she said, was staying in Tokyo every day. “I really wanted to get out into the countryside, visit Mt. Fuji, stay in a traditional Ryokan, experience life outside the city in Japan.”

Next time, Connie. There will surely be a next time. And we can’t wait to hear of your next adventure.

The post Connie’s 14 Day Trip to Tokyo With Miles and Points appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

The adventure begins…

We are launching a special series here in Success Stories. One of our own, Travel Miles 101 Member Nicole DeBickes and her family, are starting a 30-month world travel adventure. We will introduce the family today, and check in with updates on their latest escapades and how they’re using their points and miles to make this trip-of-a-lifetime a reality.

Nicole DeBickes first contemplated a serious family travel adventure a decade ago. On maternity leave after the birth of her first son, Nicole read the book “A Year Off” and began to dream about the possibility of taking a year off to travel the world with her husband and son. Not everyone in the house embraced the idea.

“My husband thought I was crazy,” Nicole said with a laugh.

But she was not to be dissuaded so easily. Every couple of years she would raise the idea again, and over time, her husband Keith caught the excitement. Now with two boys – 9 and 11, the DeBickes are all on the same page.

“We have always loved traveling and would take the boys everywhere – they have already been to Europe several times, Costa Rica and Mexico. They love traveling almost as much as we do.”

So how does a family of four from south Florida transition from a very traditional “We love to travel!” mindset, to leaving their jobs and their families for 30 months and traveling the world?

It really all comes down to a spreadsheet. A magical spreadsheet.

Nicole and Keith are both software engineers. As their careers progressed and family grew, Nicole said they became frustrated with the lack of time they had to spend together. So, in true engineer form, she started a spreadsheet to begin cataloging all the places they wanted to go some day, and how many days or weeks she wanted to spend there.

And of course, how much each day would cost in that location.

“As it turns out, a day in London costs about three times more than a day in Thailand,” Nicole reported.

As they began to realize their dream trip could one day become a reality, the family started cutting back on eating out and other luxuries, as well as accelerating payoff of their mortgage. Their home will be rented for the 30 months they are out of the country, and that income is a big part of their financial plan to fund the adventure.

Several years into their serious planning, Nicole found Travel Miles 101 and took the free course.

“All of our big trips up until then had been possible by finding crazy fare specials. We hadn’t really used miles or points. But after taking the course, I realized how much money it would save to get the big ticket, long-haul flights for free on our big trip.”

So 2016 brought a steady stream of credit card sign-up bonuses to the DeBickes – United, Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Barclays and Hilton all poured into the family’s coffers of points. Nicole said they didn’t have a problem hitting spending requirements, as they were able to cycle through their regular expenses like summer camp, insurance premiums and taxes in lump sums.

We will take a deep dive into how the DeBickes will be spending all of those accrued points in future stories.

But this week, their overseas adventure begins. On the DeBickes’ 15^th anniversary, March 15, 2017 the family is flying from Hartford, Connecticut bound for Dublin, Ireland. Their four one-way tickets cost 80,000 Avios points on British Airways (and $137 in taxes).

The points were earned through a British Airways credit card bonus, as well as some old AmEx points they transferred to BA.

As their 30-month trip begins, Nicole says her sons are excited about the adventure. Their return to the States will coincide with their oldest son’s start of high school. “It was important to us for our kids to have a normal high school experience, so we’ll be back.”

While they are on the road (and in the skies), the boys will continue their studies through Florida Virtual School as registered homeschoolers. “It’s a good program that allows them to work at their own pace, really giving us great flexibility as we travel,” Nicole said.

This schooling arrangement is driving their housing plans as the family trots across the globe. “Every time I look for accommodations I have to confirm strong wi-fi,” Nicole reports. “Well, and washing machines. We’re each bringing a carry-on size suitcase and a backpack. So there will be a lot of laundry in our future!”

Over the last year as the family began preparing to leave and packing up their belongings, word spread of their plans. “People think we’re certifiably insane,” Nicole said, laughing. “We really get two reactions. Some people say it’s amazing and they wish they could do it, too. And then there’s people who look at us in abject horror because it sounds like their worst nightmare.”

For the DeBickes, it is truly a dream come true. One that has been a decade in the making.

That magic spreadsheet born 10 years ago comes alive as they wing their way across the Atlantic tonight!

The post Success Story: TM101 Family Launches Around-the-World Adventure appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

As I approach the 1^st anniversary of my graduation from the Travel Miles 101 free travel rewards course, I stop to ponder an appropriate gift to commemorate the occasion.

An Egyptian cotton cover for my travel pillow?

A stainless steel travel water bottle?

A leather passport cover?

Wait a second. Paper. You’re supposed to give paper on a first anniversary.

Well how about this little number?

Yes, that will do nicely.

12 months into this amazing journey of rewards travel, I’ve secured the holy grail of the game, the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass, and I have over 110,000 Rapid Reward miles for travel, and a companion of my choice (the hubs) flies free on all my flights.

Because I reached the required 110,000 miles earned on February 1, 2017, we have the Companion Pass for 23 months – through December 31, 2018.

Here’s how we did it.

In November 2016, I applied for the Southwest Plus and the Southwest Premier cards in one day. Both went pending.

Bummer.

That day, I called the Chase reconsideration line. The phone agent couldn’t have been more accommodating. She immediately offered to move $15,000 from my existing Hyatt credit line to open the Southwest Plus card. I accepted.

When I asked about the Premier application, she checked and said the card she just approved was the only pending application in the system. She said not to worry, that there may have been a computer glitch, and to call back tomorrow.

The next day there still was still no record of my second application. So instead of re-applying for the Premier card, I decided to try for the Southwest Business card.

My husband and I own rental properties so we have an LLC, EIN and actual cash flow to show for it, so I thought this was the smartest move.

But when I hit “submit” on my application, I received a message saying, “Please call to discuss further” with a specific phone number between the hours of 8-5 Monday through Friday.

At 8:05 a.m. on Monday morning, I called the reconsideration number I had been given. Again, the phone agent was uber considerate and we spent 28 minutes chatting and then holding while she input new information.

I fielded numerous follow up questions, including:

• What type of business?
• How much revenue this year?
• Overall profit or loss?
• How much revenue projected next year?
• How many business credit cards did I hold?
• What kind of day job was I working?
• How much income from that job?

After inputting all of the details I gave, she came back on the line and said I had been denied for too many recent applications. The agent calmly said that once I was officially denied, she could now go back through the reconsideration process.

Once again, I was put on hold. She came back and asked if she could move $9,000 from my Chase Ink to open the new Southwest Premier Business card. I tried to act super casual when I said, “I think that should work.”

Two minutes later….Approved!

We were so excited when we got the approval because it felt like half the battle was won. But I had read enough stories to know that there were still plenty of opportunities for me to screw it up, so I remained on high alert.

Making Sure I Hit the Spending Requirements in 2017

I used the cards a couple of times in December to show activity, but waited until January 1 to begin the heavy spending.

Because we had several large business expenses, we were able to achieve the minimum spend quite easily. My statement close date was January 9. On January 7, I recalculated my spend and saw that I still needed around $1,500 on the business card. I had two additional purchases to make, which I did that day.

One of those purchases posted on January 9. The other took nearly 72 hours to post, which left me several hundred points shy of my target in January.

I called Chase to see if anything could be done, and they were very kind, but said they did not control when items posted to the account, that was the store’s decision.

The agent was able to move my statement closing date to February 1, though. Guaranteeing that I would earn the coveted CP nine days earlier than my previous statement date. Since I had already spent the required amount, January was spent mostly strumming my fingers on my desk waiting for the month to close and my points to post.

On February 2 I received the glorious news:

Sweet victory is mine!

Tips on Earning the Companion Pass

If you’re working towards the Companion Pass, complete your spend at least four days early – I had read so many stories that warned against getting too close to the minimum spend before January 1, that I did the majority of my spending after January 1. But I had no idea it could take up to 72 hours for a vendor to post to my Chase account. Don’t make the same mistake. Save yourself some gray hair and finish your spend early.

If a business card is plausible for you, I highly recommend going for one Southwest consumer card and one business card to earn the Companion Pass.

I’m 40 days into Companion Pass ownership and we’ve already taken an emergency trip to Chicago for a family health emergency (happy ending, no worries) and we’ve booked a second Chicago trip, a long weekend in Denver for a race, and July 4^th in San Francisco.

Need Your Help

What’s next? Tell me where I should go with my Companion Pass – your favorite long weekend, out-of-the-way, unforgettable place. I’m looking for adventure and I want your advice! Give me your ideas and I’ll share all our escapades. Thanks, friends!

The post Success Story: Scoring the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass appeared first on Travel Miles 101.