Thank you guys so much on the advice! We applied the Aviator Red without having a trip planned. After we acquired the miles, our grandma in China was admitted to the hospital. We were able to book an economy round trip to China with those miles within a day for our dad who flew back to look after her. That had saved us more than $1000. We are glad she is fine now. 😊
Thank you for sharing your story! It means a lot to know points and miles made such a positive impact during a challenging time. Wishing your family all the best! This is the true beauty of points and miles.
Happy friYAY!!!! Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to each of you! Thank you for your vulnerability and sharing your loses. watching and listening to you weekly, changes my travel perspective… much gratitude and thankful for you and this community 🎉♥️🫶🏽
Hi Rhea! Happy FriYAY to you too! We're so glad to hear that our content has positively impacted your travel perspective. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season! Thank you for being a part of this community.
Episode was very relatable, lots of wins in 2024, got to travel to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hungary, Japan and Taiwan, all for the first time. Loss is like Nicole, stuck with a stash of Virgin miles, but now that there’s sweet sports to the UK, will hopefully get to use them next year. Signed up in the Elevate waitlist!
Wow, Gene! It sounds like you had an incredible year of travel! Those experiences will definitely create lasting memories. Fingers crossed you can finally use those Virgin miles soon!
Best episode yet! You guys have such a great chemistry together. Nice camera work too! Biggest win for this year: Got enough points using AmEx Platinum and Business Platinum to book JA: business class tickets for me and my P2 via Qantas round trip in 2025. Biggest loss this year: Not realizing that getting the Platinum first will make me ineligible for welcome offers on AmEx Green and Gold. Oh well... Capital One, here I come!
Thanks for the kind words! We're glad you enjoyed the episode and appreciate your feedback on the camera work. Your travel wins sound amazing-Qantas will be a treat! Those darn Amex family language terms can really bite us!
Great show as always. Catching up on the pod as I just returned from my Christmas 🎄 vacation visiting Singapore 🇸🇬. We stayed at the Conrad Centennial for (4) nights utilizing a mixture of FHR and Hilton Points. Phenomenal stay and Singapore was amazing. From there, we jumped on a Royal Caribbean cruise (Anthem of the Seas) for (4) nights visiting Penang, Malaysia 🇲🇾 and Phuket, Thailand 🇹🇭. The cruise 🚢 was amazing and I think we are considering another one this coming year, MTF. We just got back yesterday, and we booked Hilton Niseko for (5) nights next month stay using points. Booked that via Alaska airlines. Keep in mind transfers from Chitose Airport to Niseko are pricey and although trains are a more economical option, they can take up 2-3 hours; we opted for the shuttle transfer. If Serena or anyone else on the team is out this way in Okinawa in the next (2) years, let me know as I lived on this island a little under (5) years now and know my way around pretty well and Taco Rice is delicious btw. Thank ya’ll for the content you push out week in and week out. I have learned so much from this team and look forward to 2025. I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas 🎄 and hope everyone has an awesome New Years and a blessed 2025.
Hi Carlos! Thank you for sharing your incredible travel experiences! It sounds like you had an amazing time in Singapore and on your cruise with your family! What an incredible adventure. We’re glad you’re enjoying the content and look forward to more in 2025. It sounds like all of us need to try some taco rice! Wishing you and your family a wonderful New Year and the same for a blessed 2025! Here's to more travels!
Great episode! Added The Daily Churn to my podcast list for walks after all of you commented about how good the 4-part series on getting arrested in Tokyo was. • #1 excellent recco; I see why Serena said she listened to all 4 at once! • #2 I will now never drive in another country either lol 🫠
Thank you for sharing! its always nicer to learn form other's mistakes. My biggest loss this year is mistakenly getting the Ink premier as opposed to the Ink preferred. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to turn that into a win. My biggest win is getting my Punta Cana trip for me and my P2 virtually free, receiving a seat upgrade on the flight down and getting to go through the premier access line at the TSA line. I'm not exactly sure how I received the perks but it definitely got me a gold star and a big smile from my hesitant P2.
Thanks for sharing your experiences! Learning from each other's wins and losses is what it's all about. Sounds like you had quite the year! The Ink Premier will still give you cashback which will be useful for offsetting those costs that points can't pay for. It sounds like Punta Cana was a fantastic trip!
Thailand truly is a beautiful destination! Glad to hear you enjoyed it and April sounds like a fun time to visit! It definitely needs to be added to everyone's list.
You guys are so relatable!! I really want more Hyatt points, but I may jump on that Red Aviator card before it disappears!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your prospective on each subject! I love listening and always learn something new. Can’t wait for 2025! Merry Christmas to everyone!!
Thanks for your feedback! We're glad you find our content relatable! Hyatt points are definitely a hot topic, and the Aviator card is a smart move. Here's to more wins in 2025! Merry Christmas!
Mitch totally nailed the question when it comes to being cautious about 5/24! I've been convinced and I guess I will be applying for the Barclays Aviator Red 😂 I’m curious about your thoughts on the Hawaiian Airlines "business" credit card, as I noticed in your newsletter it previously offered a 70K bonus-any thoughts on likely seeing an elevated SUB again before it’s discontinued? Lastly, I'd love a Vegas meetup! Time it with the Venetian/Hyatt and the Chase Sapphire Lounge opening up in LAS 😉CANT WAIT FOR ELEVATE!
Totally agree, Mitch is like the credit card guru we didn’t know we needed! As for the Hawaiian Airlines card, let’s just hope they’re not playing hard to get with those bonuses. It's anyone's guess if we'll see 70k again. And a Vegas meetup? We will add it to the list! Let's ELEVATE our travels together! 🎉
That's awesome to hear! The 60K offer is still a solid win. Every little bit helps. Next time, feel free to reach out to us ad we can point you in the right direction if there is a better offer out there.
biggest win: AF business class, LAX to NCE via CDG, round trip and experiencing their amazing new lounge at TB terminal. Transferred Amex 100k to flying blue. Biggest loss, applied for Barclays AA aviator red card for 60k miles plus 20k for AU making a purchase. Got the 60k but missed the 20k. Called an agent said the link I used didn't have the 20k additional miles. However agent still gave me 10k as a courtesy.
Serena is at TBIT at this very moment in the AF lounge. She loves it! Better than the one at SFO. Nice win for you! Great job advocating for yourself and at least getting 10k from a nice agent.
Happy holidays guys! Can’t believe another year wrapped up. 🎉 I would be interested in a Vegas run. Will be there end of June for Monkey’s dance competition if you guys are debating that date 😉 Loss: not transferring a single point to Hawaiian when it was the 30% bonus from Amex. It was too risky imo and then of course immediately those Hawaiian transferred to Alaska 😂 and now I transferred without the 30% bonus before Hawaiian is taken off as partner. Wins: honestly, I feel like I’m winning all the time with the points and miles game. Traveled to 14 countries in 2024 and will end 2024 with a 15th country. 15th country is influenced by your recent CDMX episode and flights and hotel booked on points for a last minute getaway 🥰
Thank you for sharing your wins and losses! It’s inspiring to hear about your travels and how our content has influenced your adventure to CDMX! Enjoy that 15th country-it sounds like an amazing way to end the year! Great perspective because we are always winning and that more than outweighs the losses.
Hi! Both Miguel and Nicole have kids who turned 18 and they applied for cards. You can get authorized user cards for younger children to start building their credit. Chase and Capital One have no minimum age for authorized user cards.
Oh no Serena, I'm sorry to hear about your experience at the PH Aviara! I was looking into that property for sometime next year. Might have to reassess! Can you elaborate more on the issues you had? Or is there a podcast episode? Merry Christmas to yall!
Hello! You should still go! Serena's experience could be very different from your experience. It's probably the the nicest points property in the area if you can overcome the service issues. Housekeeping never came when requested, wifi didn't work for Apple phones 😳, both TVs in the suite did not work. She felt like she was calling the front desk more than she was enjoying her vacation. Merry Christmas!
@@LetsGetToThePointsWiFi not working for Apple phones?! Holy cow! What day and age 😂 I stayed at the property when it was more new in 2021. What a different experience! Wonder what happened.
Win - going to Europe twice in one year, both my first international redemptions. Loss - booking United through Avianca EDI->RDU, and having the taxes and fees jump up about $200 after transferring points. Ah well. Still a great trip.
Sounds like you had quite the adventure! Traveling to Europe twice is definitely a win, even if the booking hiccup was a bit frustrating. Hope you had an amazing time! Thank you for sharing your wins and losses.
Loss: Paying to transfer Alaska points from my P2’s account to P1, only to later apply for the Hawaiian credit card where we could have transferred them for free 😂 Win: Booking a 2-month Asia trip on points & miles (flying business with Singapore, EVA, & Cathay Pacific + fast-tracking to Globalist).
Thanks for sharing your wins and losses! It sounds like you’ve had quite the journey in the world of points and miles. That Asia trip looked amazing and really shows the beauty of points and miles.
The Barclays terms indicate no. “You may not be eligible for this offer if you currently have or previously had an account with us in this program”. Your mileage may vary if the bank actually monitors this. It may be worth a shot!
Does Mitch work in the film industry? His editing and overall production skills are just *next level*! Since all except Nicole are beyond 5/24, how do you manage to stay at Park Hyatts and maintain Globalist status? I know Mitch did a mattress run at the Rio. Do you do something like that annually or do you usually earn status organically?
Thank you for the kind words about Mitch’s editing! He definitely puts a lot of effort into making our content look great and we are so grateful for him. As for the Park Hyatts, not sure if any of us have any of those booked, except for Nicole in Japan. We do a mix of strategies to maintain that Globalist status-mattress runs, spending, fast track challenges, and organic stays. Please send us a video question if you want to know how each of us plans to tackle this for 2025.
My absolute biggest mistake and biggest regret is not realizing the welcome offers with Amex cards are much bigger than the default. I basically got all the base level SUBs only (40K Green, 60K Gold, 80K Plat). Womp. But on the other spectrum, got decent and great SUBs with the CSR 75K, P2 CSP 70K + $300 Credit, P2 Venture 75K + $250, P2 Venture X 75K, Hilton Biz 175K, Surpass 165K, Marriot Biz 3 FNAs, WF AJ 60K, and some others. Overall pretty satisfied, we're using these for trips in 2025.
Womp womp. We can't win them all. It's great to hear you've made some solid choices despite the early lessons! Those SUBs will definitely come in handy for your trips in 2025. Let us know where you are headed!
Biggest loss - as a visa holder in US, I can't do business credit cards and that pinches me sometimes. If anyone knows anything I don't, please tell me!
We understand how frustrating that can be! Navigating business credit cards can be tricky, especially with visa restrictions. Hopefully, someone in the community can share some insights to help you out!
I'd love to hear how Serena stayed at the Waldorf Astoria for less than $200 when I hear the 20 minute flight to the hotel island is about $700 roundtrip. This hotel feels like the Maldives experience of high final transfer fees to the hotels. We are currently hunting for where to use our 5 Hilton Certificates next year. Currently, we are considering the new Waldorf in Costa Rica that opens up in May. It's a quick point cheap flight to experience a high-end tropical Waldorf. The other contender is the SLH Grand Hotel Victoria in Lake Como. Would love to hear people's thoughts on other Hilton great experiences we should consider!
@@soapa4279 Exactly. We each got an Surpass when the sign-on bonus was a free cert and than spent $15k on each card on taxes which gave us 2 more certs. Then got an Aspire card recently, giving us 5 certs.
@@soapa4279 Exactly. We each got a Surpass card when the sign-on bonus included a Cert. Then we each spent $15k on taxes to get another Cert each. Recently I got the Aspire for the final Cert. I've been only a Hyatt guy until Hilton added some awesome SLH properties. I see HIlton now for aspirational properties is a great play.
It sounds like you’ve got some exciting travel plans on the horizon! The Waldorf in Costa Rica is definitely a great option, and Lake Como is stunning! Can't wait to see where you choose to go! We will choose Costa Rice for you so you can tell us how it is there. 😊. Stay tuned next Friday for Serena's episode on Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island! She will share her folio and how she did it! Hint: In Episode 81, our Hilton show, she revealed how she offset the fee of the plane transfer.
@@LetsGetToThePointsI am leaning towards Costa Rica. Although I read that the Liberia airport is starting to have periods of shutdowns due to a lack of air traffic controllers and the mega resort will have its own startup problems. Looking forward to Serena's big reveal!
We just started digging into points and miles last April, but my kids will be going on their first flight for spring break! I also have a trip to Big Sur for our 20th wedding anniversary in June! We would have NEVER booked these without points and miles! 🫶🏼🫶🏼
Thank you for sharing your journey with us! We're so glad to hear that points and miles have made your travel dreams a reality. Wishing you and your family a fantastic trip! Big Sur will be a sweet treat for your wedding anniversary!
Thank you guys so much on the advice! We applied the Aviator Red without having a trip planned. After we acquired the miles, our grandma in China was admitted to the hospital. We were able to book an economy round trip to China with those miles within a day for our dad who flew back to look after her. That had saved us more than $1000. We are glad she is fine now. 😊
Thank you for sharing your story! It means a lot to know points and miles made such a positive impact during a challenging time. Wishing your family all the best! This is the true beauty of points and miles.
Can you do an episode on buying groups?
We will add it to the list!
Happy friYAY!!!!
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to each of you!
Thank you for your vulnerability and sharing your loses. watching and listening to you weekly, changes my travel perspective…
much gratitude and thankful for you and this community 🎉♥️🫶🏽
Hi Rhea! Happy FriYAY to you too! We're so glad to hear that our content has positively impacted your travel perspective. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season! Thank you for being a part of this community.
Episode was very relatable, lots of wins in 2024, got to travel to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hungary, Japan and Taiwan, all for the first time. Loss is like Nicole, stuck with a stash of Virgin miles, but now that there’s sweet sports to the UK, will hopefully get to use them next year. Signed up in the Elevate waitlist!
Wow, Gene! It sounds like you had an incredible year of travel! Those experiences will definitely create lasting memories. Fingers crossed you can finally use those Virgin miles soon!
Best episode yet! You guys have such a great chemistry together. Nice camera work too!
Biggest win for this year: Got enough points using AmEx Platinum and Business Platinum to book JA: business class tickets for me and my P2 via Qantas round trip in 2025.
Biggest loss this year: Not realizing that getting the Platinum first will make me ineligible for welcome offers on AmEx Green and Gold. Oh well... Capital One, here I come!
Thanks for the kind words! We're glad you enjoyed the episode and appreciate your feedback on the camera work. Your travel wins sound amazing-Qantas will be a treat! Those darn Amex family language terms can really bite us!
Great show as always. Catching up on the pod as I just returned from my Christmas 🎄 vacation visiting Singapore 🇸🇬. We stayed at the Conrad Centennial for (4) nights utilizing a mixture of FHR and Hilton Points. Phenomenal stay and Singapore was amazing.
From there, we jumped on a Royal Caribbean cruise (Anthem of the Seas) for (4) nights visiting Penang, Malaysia 🇲🇾 and Phuket, Thailand 🇹🇭. The cruise 🚢 was amazing and I think we are considering another one this coming year, MTF.
We just got back yesterday, and we booked Hilton Niseko for (5) nights next month stay using points. Booked that via Alaska airlines. Keep in mind transfers from Chitose Airport to Niseko are pricey and although trains are a more economical option, they can take up 2-3 hours; we opted for the shuttle transfer.
If Serena or anyone else on the team is out this way in Okinawa in the next (2) years, let me know as I lived on this island a little under (5) years now and know my way around pretty well and Taco Rice is delicious btw.
Thank ya’ll for the content you push out week in and week out. I have learned so much from this team and look forward to 2025.
I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas 🎄 and hope everyone has an awesome New Years and a blessed 2025.
Hi Carlos! Thank you for sharing your incredible travel experiences! It sounds like you had an amazing time in Singapore and on your cruise with your family! What an incredible adventure. We’re glad you’re enjoying the content and look forward to more in 2025. It sounds like all of us need to try some taco rice!
Wishing you and your family a wonderful New Year and the same for a blessed 2025! Here's to more travels!
Another great show!! You guys are inspirations! Happy holidays!
Happy Holidays! We hope 2025 is even more awesome for you!
Great episode! Added The Daily Churn to my podcast list for walks after all of you commented about how good the 4-part series on getting arrested in Tokyo was.
• #1 excellent recco; I see why Serena said she listened to all 4 at once!
• #2 I will now never drive in another country either lol 🫠
That Tokyo jail series is definitely a wild ride-perfect for those long walks! He made us feel like we were there too!
Thank you for sharing! its always nicer to learn form other's mistakes. My biggest loss this year is mistakenly getting the Ink premier as opposed to the Ink preferred. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to turn that into a win. My biggest win is getting my Punta Cana trip for me and my P2 virtually free, receiving a seat upgrade on the flight down and getting to go through the premier access line at the TSA line. I'm not exactly sure how I received the perks but it definitely got me a gold star and a big smile from my hesitant P2.
Thanks for sharing your experiences! Learning from each other's wins and losses is what it's all about. Sounds like you had quite the year! The Ink Premier will still give you cashback which will be useful for offsetting those costs that points can't pay for. It sounds like Punta Cana was a fantastic trip!
Another awesome show !! Thank you guys for all the great tips ? Happy Holidays !!
Thanks for tuning in! We're glad you found the tips helpful. Happy Holidays to you too!
Would love to hear more about Japan and Asia. On my bucket list.
Our favorite area of the world! More to come!
Amazing Thailand is pretty epic, I'm glad your family had a great time Nicole. Serena, come in April. It'll be HOT, but I'll be there!
Thailand truly is a beautiful destination! Glad to hear you enjoyed it and April sounds like a fun time to visit! It definitely needs to be added to everyone's list.
You guys are so relatable!! I really want more Hyatt points, but I may jump on that Red Aviator card before it disappears!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your prospective on each subject! I love listening and always learn something new.
Can’t wait for 2025! Merry Christmas to everyone!!
Thanks for your feedback! We're glad you find our content relatable! Hyatt points are definitely a hot topic, and the Aviator card is a smart move. Here's to more wins in 2025! Merry Christmas!
Mitch totally nailed the question when it comes to being cautious about 5/24! I've been convinced and I guess I will be applying for the Barclays Aviator Red 😂
I’m curious about your thoughts on the Hawaiian Airlines "business" credit card, as I noticed in your newsletter it previously offered a 70K bonus-any thoughts on likely seeing an elevated SUB again before it’s discontinued?
Lastly, I'd love a Vegas meetup! Time it with the Venetian/Hyatt and the Chase Sapphire Lounge opening up in LAS 😉CANT WAIT FOR ELEVATE!
Totally agree, Mitch is like the credit card guru we didn’t know we needed! As for the Hawaiian Airlines card, let’s just hope they’re not playing hard to get with those bonuses. It's anyone's guess if we'll see 70k again. And a Vegas meetup? We will add it to the list! Let's ELEVATE our travels together! 🎉
Great show as usual . I've learned much more about points and miles watching you guys. Thanks for the info!!
We're glad to hear that you're enjoying the show and finding it helpful! Points and miles can be a game-changer!
Thank you. I got two of the AA cards after watching this.
You are welcome! Those cards are awesome!
Applied for Barclays Aviator Red when listening to you guys. Settled for the 60K offer. Better than nothing. :)
That's awesome to hear! The 60K offer is still a solid win. Every little bit helps. Next time, feel free to reach out to us ad we can point you in the right direction if there is a better offer out there.
You can always get more points is so true🤣Gotta get my P2 with the program!
Get that P2 on board, Jenny! More points = more travel!
biggest win:
AF business class, LAX to NCE via CDG, round trip and experiencing their amazing new lounge at TB terminal. Transferred Amex 100k to flying blue.
Biggest loss, applied for Barclays AA aviator red card for 60k miles plus 20k for AU making a purchase. Got the 60k but missed the 20k. Called an agent said the link I used didn't have the 20k additional miles. However agent still gave me 10k as a courtesy.
Serena is at TBIT at this very moment in the AF lounge. She loves it! Better than the one at SFO. Nice win for you! Great job advocating for yourself and at least getting 10k from a nice agent.
Great episode
Thanks for watching! We're glad you enjoyed the episode!
Happy holidays guys! Can’t believe another year wrapped up. 🎉
I would be interested in a Vegas run. Will be there end of June for Monkey’s dance competition if you guys are debating that date 😉
Loss: not transferring a single point to Hawaiian when it was the 30% bonus from Amex. It was too risky imo and then of course immediately those Hawaiian transferred to Alaska 😂 and now I transferred without the 30% bonus before Hawaiian is taken off as partner.
Wins: honestly, I feel like I’m winning all the time with the points and miles game. Traveled to 14 countries in 2024 and will end 2024 with a 15th country. 15th country is influenced by your recent CDMX episode and flights and hotel booked on points for a last minute getaway 🥰
Thank you for sharing your wins and losses! It’s inspiring to hear about your travels and how our content has influenced your adventure to CDMX! Enjoy that 15th country-it sounds like an amazing way to end the year! Great perspective because we are always winning and that more than outweighs the losses.
Where is the Rio mattress run video that Mitch spoke of?
Hi! See Episode 46: Qsuite to Cape Town. Let us know if it has helpful info!
I heard in a prior episode you’re getting cards for for kids too… if there a certain brand that allows kids to get cards?
Hi! Both Miguel and Nicole have kids who turned 18 and they applied for cards. You can get authorized user cards for younger children to start building their credit. Chase and Capital One have no minimum age for authorized user cards.
Oh no Serena, I'm sorry to hear about your experience at the PH Aviara! I was looking into that property for sometime next year. Might have to reassess! Can you elaborate more on the issues you had? Or is there a podcast episode? Merry Christmas to yall!
Hello! You should still go! Serena's experience could be very different from your experience. It's probably the the nicest points property in the area if you can overcome the service issues. Housekeeping never came when requested, wifi didn't work for Apple phones 😳, both TVs in the suite did not work. She felt like she was calling the front desk more than she was enjoying her vacation. Merry Christmas!
@@LetsGetToThePointsWiFi not working for Apple phones?! Holy cow! What day and age 😂
I stayed at the property when it was more new in 2021. What a different experience! Wonder what happened.
Unfortunately we're accustomed to not having high hopes or expectations with properties in the US. 😂
Great episode! Where is the link for Elevate? Happy holidays :-)
Hi! We just added the link for the waitlist in our show notes. Thank you for watching!
Win - going to Europe twice in one year, both my first international redemptions. Loss - booking United through Avianca EDI->RDU, and having the taxes and fees jump up about $200 after transferring points. Ah well. Still a great trip.
Sounds like you had quite the adventure! Traveling to Europe twice is definitely a win, even if the booking hiccup was a bit frustrating. Hope you had an amazing time! Thank you for sharing your wins and losses.
Loss: Paying to transfer Alaska points from my P2’s account to P1, only to later apply for the Hawaiian credit card where we could have transferred them for free 😂
Win: Booking a 2-month Asia trip on points & miles (flying business with Singapore, EVA, & Cathay Pacific + fast-tracking to Globalist).
Thanks for sharing your wins and losses! It sounds like you’ve had quite the journey in the world of points and miles. That Asia trip looked amazing and really shows the beauty of points and miles.
Thumbs up, does anyone know why the Bilt mastercard does not offer a sign up bonus?
We're just guessing but the likely reason is to detract credit card churners and to remain profitable at the same time.
What’s Nicole’s thoughts on Chase cracking down on the Chase Ink train?
Nicole is very sad about that but she will continue to chug along as long as Chase accepts her.
If we get AA card from Barclays do you think we can get another one from Citi soon?
Hi! You can get both cards! Try for the Barclays card first, then the Citi card. Good luck with your applications!
@@LetsGetToThePoints do you have a link for Barclays? I couldn’t find it on your website.
We don’t. You can go to applyaviator dot com to see the 70k offer.
As always, really enjoyed the video! Can you get more than one Hawaiian cards?
The Barclays terms indicate no. “You may not be eligible for this offer if you currently have or previously had an account with us in this program”. Your mileage may vary if the bank actually monitors this. It may be worth a shot!
Does Mitch work in the film industry? His editing and overall production skills are just *next level*! Since all except Nicole are beyond 5/24, how do you manage to stay at Park Hyatts and maintain Globalist status? I know Mitch did a mattress run at the Rio. Do you do something like that annually or do you usually earn status organically?
Thank you for the kind words about Mitch’s editing! He definitely puts a lot of effort into making our content look great and we are so grateful for him. As for the Park Hyatts, not sure if any of us have any of those booked, except for Nicole in Japan. We do a mix of strategies to maintain that Globalist status-mattress runs, spending, fast track challenges, and organic stays. Please send us a video question if you want to know how each of us plans to tackle this for 2025.
My absolute biggest mistake and biggest regret is not realizing the welcome offers with Amex cards are much bigger than the default. I basically got all the base level SUBs only (40K Green, 60K Gold, 80K Plat). Womp.
But on the other spectrum, got decent and great SUBs with the CSR 75K, P2 CSP 70K + $300 Credit, P2 Venture 75K + $250, P2 Venture X 75K, Hilton Biz 175K, Surpass 165K, Marriot Biz 3 FNAs, WF AJ 60K, and some others. Overall pretty satisfied, we're using these for trips in 2025.
Womp womp. We can't win them all. It's great to hear you've made some solid choices despite the early lessons! Those SUBs will definitely come in handy for your trips in 2025. Let us know where you are headed!
Biggest loss - as a visa holder in US, I can't do business credit cards and that pinches me sometimes. If anyone knows anything I don't, please tell me!
We understand how frustrating that can be! Navigating business credit cards can be tricky, especially with visa restrictions. Hopefully, someone in the community can share some insights to help you out!
I'd love to hear how Serena stayed at the Waldorf Astoria for less than $200 when I hear the 20 minute flight to the hotel island is about $700 roundtrip. This hotel feels like the Maldives experience of high final transfer fees to the hotels. We are currently hunting for where to use our 5 Hilton Certificates next year. Currently, we are considering the new Waldorf in Costa Rica that opens up in May. It's a quick point cheap flight to experience a high-end tropical Waldorf. The other contender is the SLH Grand Hotel Victoria in Lake Como. Would love to hear people's thoughts on other Hilton great experiences we should consider!
Amazing how did you get 5 Hilton Certs. Assuming Aspires and Surpasses?
@@soapa4279 Exactly. We each got an Surpass when the sign-on bonus was a free cert and than spent $15k on each card on taxes which gave us 2 more certs. Then got an Aspire card recently, giving us 5 certs.
@@soapa4279 Exactly. We each got a Surpass card when the sign-on bonus included a Cert. Then we each spent $15k on taxes to get another Cert each. Recently I got the Aspire for the final Cert. I've been only a Hyatt guy until Hilton added some awesome SLH properties. I see HIlton now for aspirational properties is a great play.
It sounds like you’ve got some exciting travel plans on the horizon! The Waldorf in Costa Rica is definitely a great option, and Lake Como is stunning! Can't wait to see where you choose to go! We will choose Costa Rice for you so you can tell us how it is there. 😊. Stay tuned next Friday for Serena's episode on Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island! She will share her folio and how she did it! Hint: In Episode 81, our Hilton show, she revealed how she offset the fee of the plane transfer.
@@LetsGetToThePointsI am leaning towards Costa Rica. Although I read that the Liberia airport is starting to have periods of shutdowns due to a lack of air traffic controllers and the mega resort will have its own startup problems. Looking forward to Serena's big reveal!
Very much relate to you all in this video. Im LOL/24, hadnt applied for any personal cards in yr ( painful) , trying to hit
It sounds like you're making some solid moves with your credit cards! We agree the 70k AA miles are worth it. Good luck getting to
Do you guys have a referral for the Barclays Aviator Red Card 70k offer? All I’m seeing is 60k thanks in advance!
We don’t have a referral link but try applyaviator dot com to see the limited time offer. Let us know if you still can’t find it. Good luck!
@@LetsGetToThePointsthat worked! Thanks!
Nice! Enjoy those easy AA miles!
also alianz pays for itself
Agreed. They have fantastic annual plans for travelers!
We just started digging into points and miles last April, but my kids will be going on their first flight for spring break! I also have a trip to Big Sur for our 20th wedding anniversary in June! We would have NEVER booked these without points and miles! 🫶🏼🫶🏼
Thank you for sharing your journey with us! We're so glad to hear that points and miles have made your travel dreams a reality. Wishing you and your family a fantastic trip! Big Sur will be a sweet treat for your wedding anniversary!
Whats your discord link :)
?
Hello! The waitlist for our ELEVATE community is in the show notes. Stay tuned for more info!
@@LetsGetToThePoints ahh ok signed up ty