Ryan Smith Latest Posts

Former Senior Editor
Distance Traveled in 2025
Visited in 2025

Ryan is a writer and editor who first wrote for AwardWallet team in 2021 but has been around points and miles for several years. He has written at Forbes Advisor, CNBC Select, Miles to Memories, The Points Guy, and USA Today Blueprint.

After someone at his hostel in China said “I flew here for free using points,” Ryan was hooked. In December 2023, he finished his goal of visiting every country and now plans to return to those that merit another visit.

His wife joins him on many of his trips, and they enjoy snowboarding, diving, and seeing animals in the wild. When not traveling, Ryan is probably answering questions from his family about how he travels so much and whether all of this is illegal.

100K+ Welcome Bonuses: The Biggest Credit Card Offers Right Now

Big welcome bonuses can supercharge your travel rewards — and this post rounds up the best offers currently available, each offering 100,000 points or more. Whether you're eyeing flexible points, airline miles, or hotel rewards, these standout deals could be your ticket to a luxury trip or bucket-list experience. Bookmark this page to stay updated on the biggest bonuses in the market.

Save on JetBlue, Lyft, Turo, Caesars, and Other Travel Through Current Citi Merchant Offers

Like Amex Offers and Chase Offers, Citi Merchant Offers can provide great rebates on travel purchases. They're available on most personal credit cards, and Citi Merchant Offers provide cash back as a flat amount or a percentage of your purchase. Current offers include cash back with JetBlue, Caesars, Lyft, Priority Pass, and other travel services. Here's a look at the current travel-related Citi Merchant Offers you might find.

Hyatt’s Partnership With Mr & Mrs Smith: Perks You’ll Get & Point Redemptions at 1,000+ Integrated Hotels

Hyatt has integrated over 1,000 Mr & Mrs Smith hotels into the World of Hyatt program. You can now earn and redeem Hyatt points at boutique luxury properties around the globe, including some in locations where Hyatt previously had no presence. Here’s what to know about elite perks (or the lack thereof), how dynamic pricing works, and what to expect when booking these unique properties.

Free FoundersCard Membership for CLEAR Plus Members – Here’s How to Claim This Offer

It's not every day that I check my email and find a free one-year trial of something that normally costs a few hundred dollars. But that's the magic happening today. CLEAR Plus members are receiving emails to activate a free one-year trial membership for FoundersCard, the travel-meets-business luxury card that normally carries a steep membership fee. What is FoundersCard, and how do you enroll for the free 12 months of it? Read on.