Points and Postcards

If you've been following our journey, you may know that one of our travel goals is to visit every national park. When we decided to drive to Hilton Head Island as our final destination of 2023, it only made sense to add Congaree National Park to our itinerary. Less than 20 miles southeast of Columbia, it was on our route from Chicago....

What to do at Congaree National Park - Points and Postcards Planning to visit South Carolina's only national park? Read our recommendations of what to do at Congaree National Park!

Part of travel hacking is learning all the lingo. And if you've been doing some research, you may have seen the terms "Player 1" or "Player 2" or "two-player mode" or even "two-player strategy". Simply put, it's having two people in your household work together to earn points and miles for travel. Beyond having two people's spend contributing to earning, you can also refer each other for sign-up bonuses....

What is two-player mode? - Points and Postcards Into travel hacking but unsure what all the lingo means? Here we break down the mystery of the two-player mode and how it can help you.

Who doesn't want a free flight? The price of food increased 5.8% in 2023. And it's estimated that those costs will continue to rise in 2024. We all need to eat, so why not turn those purchases into future travel? For Q1, earning a free flight is well within reach with some strategic spend. Chase Ultimate Rewards If you have a…...

Earn a free flight from buying groceries - Points and Postcards The cost of groceries continues to rise. Learn how to turn those every day purchases into free flights to your dream destinations!

It's no secret that we love to travel. And while points and miles certainly help us travel more, there are certain situations where it makes sense for us to pay for our travel costs rather than using points and miles. Over the last few years, we've gotten discounted hotel stays from 70 - 80% off. How, you ask? Timeshare presentations....

What's the deal with timeshare presentations? - Points and Postcards Timeshare presentations can be a great way to get a significantly discounted stay at a great hotel. But be prepared to say no!

In the world of travel hacking, credit cards are king. You'll find countless travel hackers opening and churning credit cards to attain high sign-up bonuses (SUBs). And, when so many cards are being opened, you might be wondering when (if ever) is the right time to close a credit card. I went on my first travel hacked trip in 2018. My now-husband and I both opened…...

I just closed a credit card. Here's why. - Points and Postcards Wondering when it makes sense to close a credit card rather than keep it open in travel hacking? Read this post to find out our reasons.

The Phoenix metropolitan area, also known as the Valley of the Sun, is home to more than five million people. The capital of Arizona, it's the largest capital (by population) and the fifth largest city in the United States. 19.5 million people visited Phoenix in 2022, with many exploring the surrounding areas like Scottsdale. Over the last few years, we've visited the area several times, enjoying all that Phoenix and Scottsdale have to offer....

Things to do in Phoenix & Scottsdale - Points and Postcards Explore the outdoor adventures, and a few dining options as you discover the top things to do in Phoenix and Scottsdale in this blog guide.

For some travel hackers, cents per point is a critical piece of their strategy when redeeming their hard-earned points and miles. For us, cents per point is not important. We never calculate that metric before redeeming for travel because for us, the most important thing is that points and miles are helping us go somewhere we'd like to visit for less money....

How to calculate cents per point - Points and Postcards Learn how to calculate the value of your travel hacking redemptions with this simple cents per point formula!

Travel hacking allows us to travel more while spending less on our trips. Using points and miles also allows us to consider places that would normally be out of budget for us if we were paying cash (credit card). But, when you can stay for free, those trips become infinitely more attainable. While we don't have a set amount that we're willing to pay for hotel nights, it's safe to say that $600 a night is not an amount we're comfortable paying....

This hotel costs over $600 a night. We paid $0. - Points and Postcards Unlock the secrets to indulgent luxury travel without breaking the bank - discover how to stay for free at a high-end hotel in Madrid!

There are a number of reasons these flights can make your well-earned vacation that much better. Note this applies primarily to domestic travel - we still take overnight flights to Europe like many people do. Even before we were using points and miles frequently, 99% of the time, we decided to take the early flight. Getting up early is not on many people's list of how they want to start their vacation....

Why you should take the early flight - Points and Postcards Taking the earliest flight out of your home airport can have many benefits - financially and otherwise! Read more on why in our latest post.

Send this post to someone who hasn’t started their travel hacking journey!

Travel hacking can be daunting when you start to read about all the credit cards you can open.
If you’re not ready to open a new card, make sure you’ve done these four things to help your travel hacking in the future.

1. Join loyalty programs, especially those of the largest providers
2. Link earnings programs (Delta x Starbucks, Lyft x Hilton, Uber x Marriott, American x Shell)
3. Install shopping portals on your internet browser. We recommend having Rakuten and your preferred airline to compare the miles / cash back
4. Set up auto-pay for the maximum earning categories (streaming is 3x on the Sapphire)

What no-cost ways do you use to up your travel hacking game?

It can be daunting when you want to start earning free or mostly free trips. There is so much information out there but you don't know where to start. And the idea of opening multiple credit cards can be intimidating. If you want to start travel hacking but aren't ready to open a new credit card, we have compiled some easy, free ways to start travel hacking....

Four free ways to start travel hacking - Points and Postcards Want to start travel hacking but not sure where to start? Check out these four easy ways to start your travel hacking journey for free today!

"National parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst" - Wallace Stegner (1983). Over the last few years, people have flocked to U.S. National Parks. To preserve the landscape and beauty of these destinations, the National Park Service is requiring reservations to select national parks in 2024....

National Parks requiring reservations in 2024 - Points and Postcards Planning ahead is critical. Check out this list of national parks requiring reservations in 2024 so you can maximize your visits!

Whether you're a travel hacker or simply someone who enjoys seeing the beauty of the United States, the National Park system is a great way to see the natural wonder of America. And while endless money to travel would certainly be nice, it's likely not a realistic situation for most of us. Curious how to earn maximum points and miles on your national park visits?...

Earn points and miles on national park visits - Points and Postcards Enjoy visiting all that the United States has to offer? Purchase an America the Beautiful pass to save money on your visits!

👆🏼SAVE this post if you visit national parks 👆🏼

The America the Beautiful pass is well worth the investment if you visit at least three parks a year. For just $80 a year, your entry into all national park sites (typically $20-$35 per vehicle) is covered. The pass does not cover specific reservations that have a fee.

The pass is good for one year from the month you buy it. We bought a pass in October 2022 and visited the following parks in the year we had it:
- Guadalupe Mountains
- Carlsbad Caverns
- White Sands
- Biscayne
- Everglades
- Hawaii Volcanoes
- Haleakala
- Death Valley
- Shenandoah
- Saguaro
- Indiana Dunes
- New River Gorge
- Channel Island

Not all of these parks charge an entry fee, but we more than made back our initial investment on the parks that do.

And, as we usually do, we try to maximize the purchase of the pass we bought in December for points and miles. On just an $80 purchase, we earned over 500 points and miles for future travel. Here are a few ways you can earn more than 1 point per dollar on your America the Beautiful pass.

The National Park System is home to the most beautiful spots in the United States and covers over 400 locations in the U.S. Many of these locations charge an entrance fee to protect the preservation of these lands and enhance infrastructure for visitors. There are six days in 2024, however, where all sites that normally charge admission fees will have free entry....

Free entry to national parks - Points and Postcards Chasing the U.S National Parks? Hit the road take advantage of these six days where you can get free entry to national parks in 2024!

As Chicagoans, we frequently fly out of O'Hare, which means United status is something we look at in order to receive the best experience on our flights. This post outlines the requirements to achieve United status in 2024. 2024 Status Requirements United Airlines announced the status requirements for 2024 would be the same as 2023. That's good news and bad news....

Earn United Status in 2024 - Points and Postcards As one of the world's largest airlines, United offers flights across the world. Learn what the 2024 status requirements are in our post!

SAVE this post as you’re booking your 2024 flights

United Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world, with flights across the U.S. and to every continent in the world (except Antarctica). Because of the size of its footprint and its membership in Star Alliance with more than 20 other airlines, it’s a popular choice for travel hackers.

The status levels remain unchanged from 2023, but there is a change from last year.
New in 2024: spend on United credit cards can accrue PQPs (Premier Qualifying Points) towards status.

We don't typically set traditional New Year's resolutions, but in the spirit of our blog, we have set some travel resolutions for 2024. Every year is different. If you read our 2023 travel recap, you know that this was a huge travel year for us both in terms of number of days on trips and in terms of the amount we redeemed....

2024 Travel Resolutions - Points and Postcards Resolutions can be hard to keep - so why not set some fun resolutions around travel? Follow along as we chase our 2024 travel goals!

For Q1, the Freedom and Freedom Flex categories are grocery stores, gyms, and self-care & spa services.
If you aren’t going to hit the $1,500 maximum spend in those categories for 7,500 points, consider buying gift cards at grocery stores.
We plan to stock up on Amazon gift cards as we each have both of these cards for 30,000 points total. 5x on Amazon purchases is hard to beat.

What can you do with 30,000 points?
- Round trip flight from Chicago to Cancun on United for 13,600 miles and $112
- Round trip flight from New York to New Orleans on United for 21,000 miles and $11.20
- Round trip flight on Southwest from Phoenix to Seattle for 10,222 points and $11.20
- Three nights at a Hyatt in London for 27,000 points
- Three nights at a Hyatt in Athens for 27,000 points

Tell us - are you maxing out your Q1 Freedom categories?

With one of the biggest shopping days of the year approaching, we wanted to share some ideas on how to maximize your purchases.

As always, don’t make any purchases just to get points and miles. If you’re already planning on and have budgeted for these purchases, why not capitalize on your return?

Tell us - what are you planning to buy this week and how are you maximizing your points and miles?

Most people are familiar with Amazon Prime Day, but did you know that Amazon has their Prime Big Deal Day coming up on October 10th and 11th?

While you’re shopping for discounts, check out these ways to maximize your points and miles for future travel.

Tell us - how do you earn the most points on Amazon purchases?

Curious about the Drop app that people have been posting about today?

We like the app because you can link your cards and accrue points with no additional effort. We usually redeem these points for Starbucks gift cards to help cover our caffeine habit.

Double tap if you like easily earning rewards!

Drop any questions about the app below - and, if you aren’t already a Drop member, comment “Drop it to me” for our sign-up link for an instant $5 upon joining!

If you're passionate about travel like we are, travel hacking (aka using points and miles) can save you hundreds if not thousands in travel each year. We like to be transparent about what we're redeeming our points for to demonstrate the power of points and miles. Hawaii - January 2023 2 tickets from Chicago (ORD) to Honolulu (HNL) - $928…...

Our travel hacking savings YTD If you’re passionate about travel like we are, travel hacking (aka using points and miles) can save you hundreds if not thousands in travel each year. We like to be transparent about what we&…

We strive to be transparent in what we’ve redeemed our points for and how much we’re saving by doing so.
In 2023, we’ve redeemed over $9,000 in travel. These points and miles were accrued through sign-up bonuses, referral bonuses, regular daily spending, and trips paid for with credit cards to earn rewards points via loyalty programs.

🌺 Hawaii - January 2023
* 2 tickets from Chicago (ORD) to Honolulu (HNL)
* 3 nights in Waikiki at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa
* 2 nights at the Grand Naniloa Hotel Hilo - a Doubletree by Hilton
* 3 nights at the Residence Inn Maui Wailea
* 2 tickets from Kahului (OGG) to Chicago (ORD)

🇺🇸 Washington DC - March 2023
* 1 ticket from Chicago (ORD) to DC (DCA)

🇮🇪 Dublin - May 2023
* 2 tickets from Chicago (ORD) to Dublin (DUB)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Edinburgh - May 2023
* 2 tickets from Edinburgh (EDI) to Chicago (ORD)

🌹 Portland - July 2023
* 1 roundtrip ticket from Chicago (ORD) to Portland (PDX)

For more details on the exact cost of these redemptions, click the link in our bio to read more on the blog.

The United Excursionist Perk allows MileagePlus members to add a one-way flight for no additional cost and / or miles to a multi-city itinerary. The itinerary must start and end in the same region, and the free one-way cannot be in that same region. What does that mean? The free leg cannot be used during a domestic trip. Let's use Europe as the region you are traveling to....

Do you know about this United trick? The United Excursionist Perk allows MileagePlus members to add a one-way flight for no additional cost and / or miles to a multi-city itinerary. The itinerary must start and end in the same region,…

Travel hacking is a great way to spend less and travel more, but you should never go into debt or spend irresponsibly to earn points to do so. As you start your travel hacking journey, here are some things we recommend doing to ensure you are smart with spending: 📌 Use your credit card like a debit card. This one is key - only spend what you can pay for as if you had to pay the amount at the time of purchase....

Do these 5 things when you start travel hacking Travel hacking is a great way to spend less and travel more, but you should never go into debt or spend irresponsibly to earn points to do so. As you start your travel hacking journey, here are som…

As parents of two loving labradors, we are always excited to bring our dogs on the road with us. They love the car and make perfect adventure buddies. With Prime Day coming up, we wanted to share some of our favorite Amazon items for our dogs. *As an Amazon affiliate, we may make a commission from purchases made using our links....

Prime Day Picks for the Pups As parents of two loving labradors, we are always excited to bring our dogs on the road with us. They love the car and make perfect adventure buddies. With Prime Day coming up, we wanted to share s…

SAVE THIS POST TO MAXIMIZE PRIME DAY

Amazon Prime Day can offer tremendous savings on a variety of items.
While Amazon is not known for being the highest points-earning category, you can still earn more than the basic 1x points on your purchases.

Are you planning to participate in Prime Day?
Tell us what you’re going to buy and how you’re earning the most points!

As Chicagoans that fly out of O’Hare, we’re on United flights more often than not.

Because of this, we’re big fans of the MileagePlus X app, which allows us to buy gift cards for regular purchases and earn miles while doing it!

You can use these gift cards in stacks with other rewards programs to maximize earnings.

Even if you aren’t based out of a United hub, United is a member of Star Alliance. MileagePlus miles can be used to fly with partners like Air Canada, Lufthansa, TAP, Turkish Airlines, and more.

Have you used this app?