AwardWallet’s Roundup of Airline and Hotel Program Sweet Spots by JT Genter November 3, 2025 77 One of the biggest challenges in the points and miles world is how to get more great award redemptions — and avoid fewer bad redemptions. AwardWallet is here to help you solve that challenge. Here's a link to each of our "sweet spot" posts covering the best redemptions for dozens of the most popular loyalty programs and destinations.
AwardTool Review: The Award Search Engine We’ve Been Waiting For? by Carissa Rawson April 12, 2024 5 AwardTool has jumped onto the scene with its unique search system and method of looking for flights. While there's a lot to love about the site (including the ability to search for both flights and hotels), it has some work to do when it comes to beating out competitors.
The Capital One Premier Collection: Everything You Need To Know by Skye Class October 3, 2025 1 The Capital One Premier Collection adds valuable benefits to your hotel bookings — like free breakfast for two people each day and a $100 on-property credit — but who has access and what are the perks you get? And does booking hotels through this portal make sense? Here's everything you should know about the Premier Collection.
When and How You Can Book Award Flights for Friends and Family by Kennedy Miller February 29, 2024 54 Having points and miles are great when it comes time to cash in for your dream trip. Don't forget though that in almost every case you can use your points and miles for friends and family without having to transfer anything to them. Simply book the award in their name.
Here’s How the New Point.Me Explore Tool Works by Tyler Glatt February 17, 2024 1 If you've got a stash of points and miles but aren't quite sure where to go, Point.me — the award search tool — has a solution. The aptly named Explore tool gives you a bird's-eye view of available award flights across multiple cities — an invaluable new resource for travelers who want to make a redemption but don’t have a particular destination in mind. Here's how the Point.me Explore tool works.
Best Airlines for International Lap Infant Award Tickets by Ashley Onadele February 15, 2024 30 A widely known cornerstone in the travel community is that babies under the age of two can travel domestically for free as a lap infant. However, it’s not as simple with lap infants and international award tickets. One would assume that a parent could book an international award ticket and merely add their lap infant to the reservation. However, there are various forms of airline-dependent fees involved. Knowing the pricing structure before you book could save you a pretty penny — or a pile of points.
The Best Ways To Get to South Africa on Points and Miles by Tyler Glatt October 22, 2025 32 Few places on earth evoke a sense of adventure and exploration like South Africa. Unfortunately, it's pretty expensive to get there — especially in the pointy end of the plane. But if you play your cards right, you can get there on points and miles. Here's a look at five frequent flyer programs that offer great value for flights to South Africa.
How To Book Disneyland Paris on Points in Multiple Ways by Samantha Holland February 11, 2024 0 Many people dream of visiting Disneyland Paris, and the right strategy for using points and miles can make that dream an affordable reality. We're covering multiple ways to travel to Paris by plane or train on points, as well as booking award lodging in Paris or at the parks. Finally, we'll explore the unique and significantly discounted tickets Disneyland Paris offers.
Save Points and Miles Using Unpublished Award Sweet Spots by Ross Denkin August 19, 2024 2 From flying business class across the Atlantic for just 35k miles to paying fewer miles for flying further, sometimes awards price out cheaper than they should. Here's a roundup of our favorite unpublished award sweet spots.
When and How To Upgrade Paid Airline Tickets With Points and Miles by Tyler Glatt January 26, 2024 91 One of the best ways to redeem points and miles is for international business-class award tickets. Your points go the furthest this way, and the numbers prove it. Unfortunately, awards in some of the most premium cabins come at...well, a premium. But you also can access business and first class by paying a cash fare and upgrading with miles. And sometimes, it can make a lot of sense. Here's a look at when it does.
How To Avoid Paying High Fuel Surcharges When Booking Flights With Avios by Ian Snyder and Max Prosperi January 25, 2024 39 Few award travel frustrations match that of dealing with carrier-imposed surcharges. Better known as fuel surcharges, it hurts to take years to amass the required miles for a premium cabin redemption, only to be told it will cost $1,000+ in additional fees. Not to fear, there are some ways to use Avios that avoid or reduce fuel surcharges to a tolerable level.
Hotels Near Tokyo Disney Parks You Can Book With Points by Samantha Holland January 18, 2024 0 No need to stay at an expensive Tokyo Disney Resort that only offers 15 minutes of early entry. Official Disney Hotels and other properties near the Tokyo parks offer competitive perks. We'll cover three specific properties to consider for your trip and how can you can book them with points or hotel free night awards.
How To Use Points and Miles for Vacation Home Rentals by Tyler Glatt June 25, 2025 1 Using points and miles to reserve vacation rental properties is a creative way to avoid the status quo of a hotel on your next family vacation. There are plenty of ways to do it and dozens of ways to earn the points required to cover the entire cost of your stay — or a substantial portion of it. Here's how.
How My Family of 5 Took a $9,000 Vacation to Mexico for $790 by Samantha Holland December 21, 2023 1 Family vacations are expensive, and luckily points and miles can cover more than just flights and hotel. Save big by booking transportation and excursions in bank portals. Learn how one family five spent less than $800 on a five-night family vacation to Mexico.
How To Book an Award Flight: A Step-By-Step Guide by Tyler Glatt December 8, 2023 60 Like any skill, booking award flights requires a lot of practice before it becomes second nature. If you've never booked an award flight before — or think you're at risk of missing a step — this post is for you. Here's a step-by-step guide walking you through the entire process of booking an award flight.
Remember To Reprice Your Flights and Hotels To Save Money. Here’s How. by Jenna Hansen December 6, 2023 1 Airline and hotel prices can fluctuate, so it's important to regularly check your current reservations to see if the price has gone down. If it has, you can rebook at the new rate. This article covers everything you need to know about keeping an eye on prices, and how to rebook reservations to get some of your cash or points back.
Avoid Delta’s High Partner Award Rates by Booking With SkyTeam Partner Programs by Tyler Glatt November 9, 2023 89 Delta's frequent SkyMiles devaluations have made award tickets on SkyTeam partner airlines all but unaffordable. Thankfully, there are other, more cost-effective ways to book award flights on SkyTeam airlines. By taking advantage of partner loyalty programs, you can unlock greater value. Here are the partner programs you'll want to know about.
Reader Question: Is My Connection Time Long Enough? by Tyler Glatt November 7, 2023 109 Do you have enough time to make your connection? In today's post, we're covering everything you should know to minimize the risk of getting stranded on a connecting itinerary. We'll also dive into separate (split-ticket) itineraries and when it makes sense to book them.
How To Search for and Book Hyatt and IHG Awards Using Bilt Rewards by Sam Helmy October 25, 2023 0 Awayz powers a handy tool for Bilt Rewards, allowing you to search for hotel awards at the cheapest prices using a calendar feature. While the tool is really nice, it's main drawback is that it only supports two hotel programs at present. That said, the price is perfect: free.
Flying Blue Adds Two New First Class Partner Awards Options by Sam Helmy October 20, 2023 0 Air France–KLM Flying Blue has added the ability to book first-class awards with two Sky Team partners. You can now book Garuda and China Eastern first-class awards. Let's take a closer look.
Hyatt Hotels’ Award Games Unfairly Impact Travelers With Disabilities by Carissa Rawson September 30, 2023 0 Several hotels participating in World of Hyatt have done their best to circumvent the rules for booking award nights. While in the past it's been a nuisance, these days it's overstepped the bounds directly into questionable legality. Blocking out rooms for sale is problematic, no matter how you slice it. But what's happening is extremely unfair for disabled travelers.
Crazy Good Availability for Starlux Flights Using Alaska Miles by Ryan Smith July 26, 2023 9 Alaska Airlines and Starlux (the Taiwan-based airline) launched a partnership earlier this year, and mileage redemptions with Alaska Mileage Plan miles are now live. That means you can book Starlux awards. And I'm not just saying, "In theory, you can book awards." You really can book awards...pretty much any day you want. Let's show you how to take advantage of this award availability for a dream trip to Taiwan or onward to other points in Asia.
Opinion: New IHG Terms Are Part of Anti-Consumer Trends With Award Bookings by Ryan Smith May 18, 2023 4 Few people pay attention to the minutiae of changes in award program terms and conditions. A snippet added here. A deleted phrase there. These often don't matter much. One recent change, however, deserves attention. Here's the growing problem in award travel that I think is unfair to travelers.
Why I’m So Excited About Flexible Point Currencies Right Now by Joe Petrovic November 9, 2020 23 Low cash prices and increased earning opportunities are making flexible points more valuable than ever before. With these points, you have a choice between transferring to airline and hotel partners or redeeming for a fixed, cash value. The conventional wisdom is to transfer points for higher value. Today, I’ll explain why that advice might not be true right now—and how to make the right choice on your next redemption.
The Best Ways to Book Delta’s New Cape Town Route With Miles by Ross Denkin June 21, 2020 16 Staring in October 2020, Delta will begin flying to Cape Town, South Africa! This route was announced in mid-May, but it was just put on sale today. So, we took a look at the cheapest mileage options to fly between the U.S. and South Africa on this newly-modified route — without having to pay 465,000 SkyMiles for business class.
