When we think of maximizing points and miles, we generally imagine luxurious vacations in exotic locations around the world. With international travel on hold, using points and miles for these traditional redemptions isn’t an option. So, I took my family of 6 on a road trip around Utah to visit national and state parks. Here’s how we did it for minimal out-of-pocket costs, and you can too.

With everyone stuck at home, the last thing award travelers want is for their hard-earned points to expire while they’re unable to use them. Thankfully, at least 18 loyalty programs have temporarily paused point expirations—at least so far. In this post, we’ve rounded up all of the updated expiration policies to create a one-stop resource.

There’s enough worry about these days without worrying about missing out on a sign-up bonus from a new credit card account. Thanks to Chase’s “New Account Bonus Tracker”, it is easier than ever to track your progress. And that’s as important as ever with bonuses of up to 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points.

Slowly but surely, American Airlines continues its transition toward its refreshed award search tool. However, many travelers prefer the legacy search tool for the options it offers those looking for saver award availability. While it may now require more steps, a workaround remains available for those who prefer the old award search tool.

Points and miles can help you travel for a fraction of what you’d normally pay. But there are several different types of points and miles categories, and these can be hard to understand if you’re just getting started. Here’s an introduction to the different types of reward points and how they can each can play a role in your award wallet.

British Airways offers two lesser-known but valuable benefits for saving on booking flights to Europe, and both were just extended for bookings into 2021! Here’s how you can save up to $200 per person per round-trip for just a $16 annual membership fee. Plus, Chase cardholders can save 10% off the remaining cost of the flight by applying a discount code.

Looking for a new pair of Bose noise-cancelling headphones? You can stack offers to get Bose’s latest and greatest $349 headphones for under $90 while earning over 4,500 Membership Rewards points from doing so.

Earning a huge amount of points is still possible even when shopping from home. By stacking Amex Offers with shopping portal bonuses, I saved $50 and earned 9,700 points in one day! Here’s how I did it and how you can step up your points-earning too.

Flight delays and cancellations can be expensive and stressful. Fortunately, there are some strong consumer protections in place to make sure you don’t get stuck with the bill when irregular operations force you to change your plans. If you know your rights, you can avoid worrying about covering extra costs out of pocket and make sure you extract the full compensation to which you’re entitled.

Dining programs are a great way to earn extra points and miles every time you eat out. While this strategy isn’t likely to make up a huge percentage of the points you earn, you could easily end up with a free domestic flight each year with minimal ongoing effort. Check out our review of the top programs, and watch the points start rolling in.