Bonus Points

A Beginner’s Guide to Building a Credit Card Application Strategy

U.S banks play a huge role in the travel rewards ecosystem. Learning about credit card application rules won’t be the most exciting part of your points-and-miles education, but it’s hard to overstate the importance of building a healthy relationship with the banks for your credit card application strategy. In this post, we explain how to build a sustainable, long-term strategy.

Bad Flight or Subpar Stay? Here’s How To Get Fair Compensation From Airlines and Hotels

Exploring the beauty of a foreign country, flying to exotic locales in luxury, sampling outlandish foods, and opening yourself up to new experiences are the best parts of travel. However, reality can sometimes fall short of our expectations, and there are valid situations when travelers need reimbursement. If you've wondered how to get fair compensation for a bad hotel stay or a problematic flight, follow these nine steps.

How Far in Advance Can You Book Airline Award Tickets? Our Full Guide With Data Points for 50 Airlines.

Finding award availability can be a challenge on its own, but knowing how far in advance award space becomes available and which miles can book at what time can make things even more confusing. We address all that here, including strategies to maximize the likelihood of snagging the seat you want. We provide the booking window for all major carriers' loyalty programs as a great reference.

Is Your Wallet Working for You? Here’s How To Evaluate Your Credit Card Portfolio

Whether you've got one credit card or a wallet with cards in every slot, it's important to take the time at least once a year to revaluate which credit cards are worth keeping. Your spending habits, travel goals, and ability to utilize credit card perks will change over time—and so will the benefits that come with your cards. Here's our guide to managing the cards in your wallet like a pro.

How To Meet Minimum Spending Requirements on New Credit Cards

There's a hesitation I see regularly about applying for travel rewards credit cards is about the minimum spending requirement to earn a welcome bonus. Some people feel the spending requirements are too high for their income levels. Others think that much spending sounds rash — as if it's a surefire way to get into credit card debt. Thankfully, there are ways to put spending on a new credit card without increasing your overall spending. Here are our tips on how to meet minimum spending requirements to earn a new bonus without busting your budget.