Authorized Users: The Most Misunderstood Strategy in Points & Miles

Most people in the points and miles world love to warn you away from adding authorized users… but what if that advice is missing the full picture?

In this episode, Genni sits down with Jackie Swayze (@maximizingmypto) to unpack why authorized users are one of the most misunderstood strategies in travel rewards — and how adding Player Two can actually help you earn faster, simplify your setup, and unlock redemptions you couldn’t book alone.

Jackie also shares the story of her recent trip to Bhutan, including how she used points to fly her dad in Qatar business class, how Avios played into the strategy, and why one-way awards gave her the flexibility she needed.

Whether you’re new to points or ready to level up your strategy, this episode will challenge a lot of the “groupthink” floating around online.

What You’ll Learn

• When adding a Player Two as an Authorized User actually accelerates earning
• Situations where authorized users don’t make sense (fees, trust, 5/24 logistics)
• Point flow tactics across partners so two people can book from one account
• Avios 101: why moving Avios between BA/Qatar/Iberia/Finnair is a superpower
• How one-way award tickets keep your plans flexible
• Bhutan travel basics: sustainable tourism fee, tour operators, timing, vibe

Timestamps

00:00 Intro — Why AU strategies get hate (and why we’re pro in many cases)
 02:00 Jackie’s origin story: Southwest → Companion Pass → flexible currencies
 04:00 Authorized Users 101 (P1/P2, transfers, benefits, pitfalls, trust)
 08:30 When AU doesn’t make sense (fees, 5/24 nuance, behavior risks)
11:30 Perks P2 can get: lounge access, TSA Pre/Global Entry credits, protections
14:45 Real-life use: consolidating points so two seats can be booked together
18:00 Bhutan overview: why go, how to book (local tour operator), daily fee
21:00 Flights: booking Dad in Qatar biz with Avios; reworking plans on points
26:00 Aeroplan + Thai biz, vouchers, and why one-way awards win
31:00 Avios explained: moving points across partner programs for the best price
35:00 Bhutan surprises: hydro power, crypto, cultural preservation
36:30 Takeaways: flexibility > perfection; be strategic about which cards get AUs
37:30 Rapid-fire + where to find Jackie

Follow Jackie

• Jackie on Instagram: @maximizingmypto
• Blog & YouTube: Maximizing My PTO

Transcript

Genni: Hey friends, and welcome back to the Lazy Budget Travel Tips podcast. I'm your host Genni Franklin, 

And today we're talking about something that doesn't always get the love it deserves in the points in Miles world, adding authorized users. Now, I know this topic gets a lot of hate, but if you've been around here for a while, you know, I'm not afraid to go against the grain a little. 

I'm joined by Jackie Swayze, who's also firmly on team authorized users, and together we're breaking down how this underrated strategy can help you earn points faster, simplify your setup, and even strengthen your overall game plan. And because no episode is complete without a little travel inspiration, Jackie's also sharing about her recent trip to Bhutan, including how she used points to fly her dad on Qatar business class and how flexibility made the whole trip [00:01:00] possible. hey Jackie, thanks for being on the podcast. Hi. 

Jackie: Thanks for having me. 

Genni: Thanks for having me. So why don't you tell us a little bit about how you got into Points and Miles. 

Jackie: yeah, absolutely. I got into points of Miles starting with Southwest Airlines. That was, very much the impetus. I was flying them all the time in college. basically that was the only way, that I could really. From Pittsburgh to Austin and then Pittsburgh to San Diego to see my family and my now husband's family. it just made the most sense. It was the cheapest. we were broke college students and I understood how their points worked. You could, you know, use points for any flight. There was no restriction on the number of seats. It just made sense. It was easy. and from there we got, the Southwest co-branded credit card. Earned the companion pass for several years actually. And then somewhere along the way we also got deep into points and miles, the transfer point currencies, all the different banks, all the [00:02:00] different cards, you name it. And now we have a whole repertoire of cards, and a whole strategy that continues to evolve as our. 

Travels have evolved. For example, we've completely ditched Southwest Airlines. I love them to death. They've made some changes I don't agree with, but that wasn't, it was also coincidentally when we moved to London this year, so they don't fly in Europe. It didn't really make sense to keep that loyalty anymore. 

but a lot of our strategy has kind of remained the same, even, you know, now living abroad. 

Genni: Yeah, and I think it's really important for people to hear that your strategy can evolve and it's okay if you started out with co-branded cards. It's not a mistake. Sometimes people think, oh, I was so dumb, I didn't know what I was doing. And I'm like, but that's how you learn. And the fact that you even tried something, you did something that was. 

Easy for you to understand, a way to kind of get your feet wet. I think honestly, that's the best way. because I always say there's no right or wrong way, just the best way that works for [00:03:00] you. And I know on Instagram or you know, in the Points of Miles world, it's like, don't touch code branded cards. You have to go with flexible points. 

And like, yes, I agree in the sense that flexible points to me are the best, especially for. People, you know, who might be a little lazy or people who just really want a lot of options, but starting with the co-branded program that you understand, I think that that's amazing. So. 

Jackie: Yeah, but it's much better to start simple with like a co-branded card that you, you can get through your head versus getting overwhelmed and walking away from points of miles altogether saying it's a scam and all that. Because that happens way too often. I see way too many people being like, I'll never understand it all. 

So then they do nothing. And it's like there is a middle ground. And sometimes for some people, the co-branded card is that middle ground. 

Genni: So why don't you tell us about authorized users. Like what are they? 

Jackie: Yeah, authorized users are simply when you have a credit card in your name and you add another person [00:04:00] onto your account. So usually that other card has the same number on the back of it. It'll have the other person's name on the front. but basically the two cards are tied to your account and both of your credit scores. 

however that other authorized user. Can go open the same card even if there's restrictions. 

For example, if you have the Chase Sapphire card or one of the Chase Sapphire cards, that would normally make you ineligible to open a second one. 

However, if you're an authorized user on a Chase Sapphire card, you are still eligible to go open your own as a primary user of another Sapphire card. So I think that's where a lot of people. think authorized users can't get that card. And if that was the case, yes it would be a big waste, but thankfully that's just not how it works. 

So, it's definitely opens a lot of options when it comes to how points can move from player player one to player two, and also the benefits that you can get as an authorized [00:05:00] user. 

Genni: Yeah, for sure. my husband and I, Brandon, we have done the authorized user thing. and especially for the Chase Sapphire cards, when you are an authorized user, it's, you can transfer points to your account. Like, so I'm an like, well, right. Right now he's an authorized user on my card. But before, when I was authorized user on his, whenever I would go to transfer points from his account, I could transfer it to my Hyatt account as opposed to having to transfer it to his Hyatt account. 

But I also wanted to point out too that like this really works well with a good player one, player two, like if you're in a two player strategy mode. and I actually did a podcast with my husband about. 

how we, do two player mode. So if you are interested in learning about actually what that means, you can go listen to that podcast episode so we don't have to go too deep into what it means to have a P two. 

Jackie: I'll also add that there's a [00:06:00] couple other reasons you could use authorized users. Well, I think most common is, people and their partners, spouses, whoever are, because somebody you trust is really important when it comes to this because they are on your credit and you're on theirs. another way I've seen people do this is, parents for their children and maybe they give them the physical card and allow them to. 

Spend on it and maybe they just shove it in a drawer and it can actually help the child earn credit and build credit. so I actually have a card. My oldest credit is 36 years old and I am not 36 years old. I'm 28. And so my credit history is older than I am because I am an authorized user on one of my dad's credit cards that he has had open. 

For decades, and I've told him he can never close this card because it is helping me, keep my credit score really, really high because credit history is one of the factors. And obviously like he's never had a late payment or missed a payment or anything like that. So it has really, really helped my score. 

And the other example I saw recently was a friend of mine was telling me that her husband, actually was [00:07:00] from, the EU and moved to the us. To when they got married and he didn't have American credit. So by being added as an authorized user on her cards to start with, he was able to build credit in the US pretty quickly. 

So that was just another example I hadn't really thought of. 

Genni: Yeah, no, that's really good. And then something like you, when you mentioned there, your credit is 36 years old, but you're only 28. So when you add someone as an authorized user, their credit history for that card doesn't start when you add them. It starts when the card was originally opened, so. 

For 5 24. If someone has had that credit card for, more than two years, when you get at it as an authorized user, it doesn't count towards your 5 24, but I think we're getting a little bit ahead. So why don't you tell us what your like hot take is on adding, P twos or whoever as authorized users. 

Jackie: Yeah, so overall I'm very pro adding [00:08:00] an authorized user, especially 'cause for most cards it's free. So for most cards it's not. Costing you anything. And there's be, and even if the ones that do cost money, sometimes you can do a cost benefit analysis and sometimes that makes sense too. But for the majority of them, they're free. 

And as we were talking about earlier, it does make transferring points way more seamless. It makes. possible. That wouldn't be possible otherwise. So for example, if I have 50,000, capital One miles, and my husband has 50,000 capital one miles, and I'm looking to book a business class ticket that's 75,000 miles. I'm screwed if I can't get points from both of our accounts. And that's all the points I have. Like we have a hundred thousand points between us, but if they can't get where they need to be into one person's airline account, it's not helpful. So being able to make sure that all the points can flow to at least one person in the partnership is really important. 

So. The way my husband and I have [00:09:00] set it up happens to be that all of the points flow to him, which doesn't really make sense because he's player two, but I have all the login info to all the airlines and all the hotels, so it doesn't really make a difference. but basically like made sure that anytime we have, A bank card with transferrable points that it can flow towards him. And for Chase, it was funny you brought that one up. Chase is the only one where we were less concerned about this. because you can call and have and move points between family members in the 

Genni: True. 

Jackie: however. I still am pro having him as an authorized user on my card because I don't wanna have to make a phone call if I find a 

Genni: Mm-hmm. 

Jackie: The Amex Capital One, like we always try to make [00:10:00] sure that they're all being able to flow where they need to, to make all of our bookings seamless. 

I also prefer to always make bookings when we're flying together. I always prefer both of us are on the same ticket. It really reduces 

Genni: Issues 

Jackie: if they 

Genni: come up 

Jackie: knows that you're together. so 

Genni: So 

Jackie: to rebook one of 

Genni: of you, they're gonna 

Jackie: you 

Genni: you together. 

Jackie: usually, you know, you can make sure you sit together. 

Genni: It's a little easier for all that. Stuff. and that's only really possible if you're flowing enough points to book for two people, into one airline account. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean 

that's one of the reasons why. We recommend having flexible and transferable points so that you don't have a bunch of programs that you're putting points into. 

And then it's like, it's like saying I have a dollar and like a hundred different currencies. That doesn't mean you have a hundred dollars, it means you just have a dollar and a hundred different currencies, I mean, you can't buy anything for a dollar now. 

Jackie: Yeah, I like that analogy. 

Genni: Mm-hmm. All right, [00:11:00] so when doesn't it make sense to add authorized users? 

Jackie: Yeah, so it's definitely like a decisionnot just on a whim, I would say for one, as we kind of touched on, it does take up a 5 24 slot, potentially. So just thinking about that kind of depends which cards you're trying to open, how quickly you're trying to open cards. 

I would say for me, this wasn't a deal breaker in making the. it just was something to keep in mind. also if you can't trust the other person with money, that's a big red flag in general. But you should definitely be really cautious of who you are adding on as an authorized user, because technically it can be anybody. 

You don't have to be related to them. You don't have to be married to them. 

Genni: Mm-hmm. 

Jackie: your neighbor down the street. 

Also for 

Genni: for. 

Jackie: cards there is the additional fee for an authorized user. 

Genni: So making sure that 

Jackie: sure that you're 

Genni: you're thinking through what's worth 

Jackie: not. I 

Genni: it. 

Jackie: the Amex Platinum, for 

Genni: Platinum, for example, there are two version of author 

Jackie: cards. 

One of 

Genni: One of them is for, 

Jackie: and the 

Genni: and the [00:12:00] other one is, 

Jackie: and they 

Genni: and they have different 

Jackie: associated. So really make sure you look through the list, and. See 

Genni: What 

Jackie: sense for you and your 

Genni: Your life. 

Jackie: my 

Genni: my husband is a. 

Jackie: the free authorized user on my Amex Platinum, but then he also has his own Amex Platinum because that made sense for our life and our strategy. 

but some people, maybe the paid one is worth it for the benefits that you get 

and. Obviously don't sign somebody up as an authorized user without their permission. I think that should go without saying. 

Genni: Yeah. 

Jackie: think just making sure that like they're okay with it because it does impact their credit. 

Like all, I think all things with points of miles, like you should only get into if you can be responsible. 

Genni: I will say to that is that my dad added me as an authorized user to like his Costco credit card a long time ago. I don't remember why, but I don't think I knew. And I remember when I started getting into credit cards and stuff pretty young, I [00:13:00] was looking at my credit report and I was like. What is this Costco credit card or whatever it was, and I called him and I'm like, can you remove me from this? 

Which thankfully it worked out. For me, when he removed me, I already had my own credit cards for a pretty good amount of time. It didn't really impact my score too much. I also wasn't liketrying to buy a house or anything. but I would like to caution people, like for you, if the oldest credit card you have is. 

Because you're an authorized user, you know, you wanna be a little bit careful about okay, you're an authorized user on whose card, are they gonna close this card? Is it gonna affect your credit very badly? 

Jackie: Yeah, you need to have that financial communication with whoever it is. Even if you're the P two, you need to be talking to the player one 

Genni: Mm-hmm. 

Jackie: the card is and making sure that, like, there's a lot of transparency, 

Genni: Mm-hmm. 

Jackie: it goes Bo, it's a two-way street. 

Genni: So you know, don't be too hard on yourself. And also, [00:14:00] if you've added someone as an authorized user and for whatever reason you think that that is going to. 

Impact your credit card game. You can just call them. I see in Facebook groups all the time where they're like, oh my gosh, I just learned that adding authorized users is like the worst thing I can do ever. Not true. And how do I fix this? And it's really okay. You can just call your bank, but you may not want to. 

Jackie: Yeah, even for the 5 24 slot thing, I've seen people online talk about how they didn't know that being an authorized user would take up a 5 24 slot, and like it's as simple as giving the credit bureaus a call. And like if you wanna get taken off the card, give 'em a call and then they'll like remove it from your credit. way the slot opens back up. Like there's a lot of work around. Nothing is permanent in 

Genni: Yeah. 

Jackie: like 

Genni: Yeah. 

Jackie: the points of Miles world is permanent at all. Sometimes I wish some of it was, but nothing's permanent, good or bad, 

Genni: Yeah, You could totally fix it.but why don't we also talk about, what other perks and stuff can you [00:15:00] get by adding someone as an authorized user or being an authorized user? 

Jackie: yeah, so some cards, do give offers to add authorized users. so for example, I've seen, I see it in my Amex account a lot, that they are constantly offering not a ton of points, maybe like 10, 15,000. It varies. 10, 15,000 Amex points to add an authorized user. and so sometimes that can be a strategy to earn more points. however, I would say largely the benefits fall on the player two who gets the authorized user card. They're gonna receive most of the benefits of. Having an authorized user. So this 

Genni: This can be 

Jackie: sorts of things. Every card is different, so, and they all are constantly changing. So 

Genni: so make. 

Jackie: you're reading what you're getting for each card. 

But it can include the rental car insurance, hotel and car rental, elite statuses, purchase protections, their own global entry in TSA. Like credit, to cover the cost of those, all sorts of things, really. Lounge access. there's a lot [00:16:00] of different things that you can get and so that can be a really great part of it too, beyond just being able to transfer points. 

Like being able to know that like, oh, my husband's off on a trip without me, but he can still get into all the lounges because he has authorized users on all the cards he needs to get in, everywhere he wants to go. 

Genni: Mm-hmm. 

Jackie: sometimes that's a strategy as well. especially when you aren't. Always going to be traveling with your player too. 

Genni: Yeah, for sure. I have my mom as an authorized user on some of my cards before she started get, actually, even while she also gets her own credit cards and collects her own points because she shops a lot. 

Sorry, mom and so. I love adding her as an authorized user, especially if we have credit cards, like we're applying for a credit card that has a high minimum spend. And I'm like, we cannot meet this on our own. And like I'm not always able to be with her 'cause she's retired. So I'm like giving, adding her as an authorized user so that she can have her own card. 

She's, I don't have to give her my card. She doesn't have to worry about that, can I? It really helps [00:17:00] us anyways. 

Jackie: I, a big one for me is, that card that I'm an authorized user on for my dad. it's 

Genni: It's the same cost 

Jackie: It's, he has an American 

Genni: American Airlines 

Jackie: co-branded 

Genni: credit card, 

Jackie: that's has the really, really old credit history and it is 

Genni: it's the same cost. 

Jackie: to 

Genni: Have one author 

Jackie: user as it is to have three for that card. 

And he. All was from the get go. Going to put my mom as an 

Genni: authorized. 

Jackie: so that she could get lounge access, but since it's really the same price as one person is for three people, it made total sense for him to add my sister and I as the other two authorized users, and then we can each go into the Admirals clubs and bring our own guests. So I rarely travel, with my family anymore, but I often travel with my husband and I can get us both into the Admirals Club. No problem with that co-branded credit card that I have not, I just have it. I don't spend money on it. 

It just exists in my wallet solely to get me into the lounge, and I love that. 

Genni: Very nice. 

Okay. So. We've talked about the benefits of [00:18:00] authorized users. We talked about when it may not be a good idea to add authorized users, but you've got a few real life examples and we're gonna talk about one trip in particular where this type of strategy really paid off, and that was your recent trip to Bhutan. 

So give us a little quick overview of the trip. Yeah. 

Jackie: So I love going to places that most people can't 

Genni: Find, 

Jackie: It just really like something like lights up when 

Genni: I had to find, I had to Google where it was. I was like, where's, I know it's in Asia, but where? 

Jackie: Like truly, like I, like when I went to like Easter Island, the Fareo Islands, Bhutan, like these kind of like more random remote places. don't get me wrong, I go to a lot of mainstream, travel places as well. But When I learned about the famous like Tiger's nest monastery that's like built into the side of a cliff, I was like, 

Genni: Oh. 

Jackie: me up. 

Like, when can we go? 

looks incredible. And yeah, that was kind of what sparked it for me. and then I couldn't think of like anyone else who would in my life who would enjoy it [00:19:00] more than my dad. And so I was really, I kind of pitched like, Hey, would, would you be cool if I took you to Bhutan? 

Like, and he was like, I don't know where that is. And I was like. Trust me. Like, I think you'll like it. and then that kind of sparked the whole thing. That was like a year ago that we planned the trip and then we just got back, like a week or two ago. 

Genni: Oh wow.So tell us how you booked it and how you planned it. 

Jackie: Yeah, so Bhutan is like kind of an interesting country from a tourism perspective. 

they 

are 

Genni: very, they. 

Jackie: have something called the sustainable tourism fee that you have to pay every day. So it's a hundred dollars a person per day. You also have to have a visa, to enter. You also have to have a guide the whole time and, and a driver. 

But you'll be thankful to have a driver 'cause the roads are so crazy. but basically all of that means that like you just can't go on your own like most countries. and it has nothing to do with safety, it's just how they want to make sure that's. To tourism in the country stays sustainable, that places don't get overrun [00:20:00] or ruined by tourists. and so really realistically the best way to book a trip to Bhutan is through a local 

Genni: Tour operator in the country 

Jackie: so we actually booked through Breathe Bhutan had an amazing experience with them. Definitely recommend. but as far as the flights and all that, Our trip 

Genni: started 

Jackie: Bangkok, essentially. 

So 

Genni: so the. 

Jackie: from Bangkok to Bhutan were booked and handled by the tour company. So we just had to get 

Genni: ourselves. 

Jackie: which. You know, sounds simple enough until you're like, well, that's thousands and thousands of miles. How, how expensive are those flights going to be? and so basically I, we were booking over a year out. 

We picked our dates and our dates were very firm. we knew exactly which days we needed to enter and to leave to really, make sure that we were spending as few vacation days as possible. Because I'm all about maximizing PTO 

Genni: And 

Jackie: sure that we 

Genni: You 

Jackie: wasting days 

Genni: in transit, 

Jackie: So I 

Genni: figured out the, 

Jackie: way for 

Genni: for. 

Jackie: was probably going to be a Qatar [00:21:00] business class. and the plan was originally for, me, my husband and my dad to all fly into Bangkok on Qatar business class, my husband and I from London, and then my dad from DFW and. only one of us who ended up taking Qatar business class was my dad. And I'll get into how we ended up changing things. the DFW flight was, I paid 95,000 points each way, from DFW through Doha to Bangkok, and then 95,000 points back. And it was about $315 in taxes on the way there, and 370 in, on taxes on the way back. but the 

Genni: But the way I 

Jackie: booked. 

I was 

Genni: we're essentially book three 

Jackie: trip 

Genni: tickets to begin with. 

Jackie: and I funneled them all, all the points into my husband's Avio account. 

So if I funneled it, from all of our various banks, thankfully British Airways is a transfer partner with. Everybody. And so transferred them all into British, moved everything into Qatar. 'cause it's super easy to transfer once you're in the [00:22:00] Avios network. That's why I love Avios. And 

in the UK, I love them even more because we use them constantly. then from there I made sure to book the flights as soon as they opened. because we were booking over a year out. I knew exactly when the. Flights were going to release and I was able to grab it immediately. I'm a big planner header. I don't think that's a word, but I'm really, 

Genni: Yeah. 

Jackie: a year out because that's realistically, how you get the best deals and how you get the best seats. 

Genni: And being flexible. 

Jackie: being flexible, I'm not a last minute person 

so it's rare for me to book last minute flights, but I've really had a lot of success with the, 11 to 12 month out booking window. Especially knowing that every airline books opens their booking window a little bit differently and how you can use that to your advantage. 

so yeah, that was how we booked, my dad's flight and then. We booked this trip, I was super excited and then I had an opportunity to go to China right [00:23:00] beforehand, and I was like, 

yes, I'm gonna go to China. And that meant reworking my flights, giving up my Qatar flight on the way there. And then Thomas was gonna come in a day earlier to Bangkok than originally planned. 

Jackie: So we canceled our outbound Qatar flights from London.for us, this wasn't a big deal because. we knew we'd use the Avios at some point. So for us canceling and the points, living at Avios isn't the [00:24:00] end of the world. If they had been stranded in some random airline that we 

Genni: Don't usually go through. 

Jackie: I would've been a lot more stressed out. 

Like are a lot of airlines out there, you can transfer points to that I rarely touch. 

Genni: I ended up paying cash for my flight to China and I ended up booking Thomas' flight to Bangkok, with 140,000 United Points that were already sitting in 

Mm-hmm. 

Jackie: which was great because that was kind of a lot.when the business class on Qatar was I think, like 80,000 points from London, 

pay another 60,000 points for Tai Airways business class felt, cruel, but it was United Points. I don't think they're worth nearly as much as transferable points. 

Genni: For sure. 

Jackie: the end of the world. 

And then we were so excited that we were still flying Qatar back, from the trip. And then like a month out we got the final flight info for those, Bhutan to Bangkok flights. And the timing didn't work. we had [00:25:00] a. 30 minute layover, which was never going to work because we were on different airlines with different tickets. 

We had a checked bag, and as it turned out, we were really delayed, so we would've never made the connection. and so I'm like, we canceled. As soon as we saw that it was 30 minutes, we were like, it's a, it's a no go and said goodbye to our Qatar flights on the way back. 

was very sad. you don't have to feel too bad for us. 

I'm flying Qatar in a couple weeks for the first time, and then my husband and I are both flying it next year. We use those avios that we. Got refunded to book ourselves Q Suites to Auckland, from London 

Genni: Okay, I take it back. Not sad. 

Jackie: So we'll, we'll get there. We just have to wait a little longer. It's okay. 

We'll, we'll get there. and so ironically, my dad was the only one of us to fly Q Suites and the first one of us to fly Q Suites at that, which was just hilarious. but we ended up flying Thai Airways business class back Bangkok to London Direct, which I love a direct flight. The fact that we found availability that close in, was pretty lucky. 

I booked it through [00:26:00] Aeroplan and I just so happened to have a 5,000 point voucher in Aeroplan that they had been giving out a like a month before for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders, and I had no intentions of using it, but if they offer it, I'm gonna grab it 

Genni: It. 

Jackie: sure I have it. 

I was able to book for 75,000 points. my seat and then Thomas's ticket was 80,000 points and both of them had like $50 in taxes and fees. but weirdly, the only weird thing with that one was when you have an arrow plan voucher, you can't book two people on the same ticket or it won't let you apply the voucher. 

So I did have to break us into separate tickets. 

Genni: A bummer. 

Jackie: saved 5,000 points, so it's fine. 

Genni: Yeah. 

Jackie: all worked out. but just a weird little glitch in the system, I guess. but yeah, that's how we booked the trip. It was very complicated. it started out so simply and it became very, very complicated. 

Genni: Well, I am guessing that you booked your legs separately as one ways instead of round trip, which is what made it so easy for you [00:27:00] to move and be flexible with stuff. 

Jackie: I will always, always, always book point tickets. As one ways, for this reason because you never know what's gonna happen. it's not even a matter of like, are we taking the trip or are we not? Obviously the trip still happened. It's just little things can adjust whether you need to switch flights, what cities you need to go through. 

Like, you never know what could come up in a good way. Like I think people always think about the bad things that could go wrong when they're like, I do I need to cancel the trip, or do I, is there gonna be a storm that's gonna cause issues? And it's like other things can come up too, like. Other opportunities. 

I had the opportunity to go to China, 

good things can happen that can make you adjust your plans. And so I think it's just like always being as flexible as possible when booking and the one ways are a big part of that and points in general. 

Genni: Right. Yeah. And with points, it's much easier to book the one ways. 'cause it's not like when you're booking with cash, where sometimes, well a lot of times, depending on where you're going and everything, that round trip is [00:28:00] usually cheaper than booking two one ways. with points. It's not the, it's not like that. 

It's the same if you're gonna book a one way or if you're gonna book round trip. 

Jackie: It was so funny when my dad got to Bangkok after flying, Qatar business, he literally said to me, he's like, if the trip ended right now, it was still one of the best trips I've ever taken because Qatar business class was that good. 

And he doesn't have a huge frame of reference. I am lucky enough to fly business class quite a bit. he's flown, I think one other time, like 15 years ago. But he could tell the level of service, the quality of the food. I mean, Q Suites people say is the best business class for a reason. And I think that was pretty obvious, from his experience. 

And he was so excited to collect all the pajamas because he had four, four flight segments. He ended up with four sets of pajamas and now he's like, I never need another pair of PJs. 

Genni: Oh my gosh. 

Jackie: And this was all before 

Genni: That's awesome. 

Jackie: even got. Yeah, this is all before we ever even got to Bhutan. Like he was already starting the trip on like cloud nine, which was just fantastic [00:29:00] and like really, really special to me, that I could use like. hobby I have in the points and miles to gift my dad this like, incredible experience. it really made like the entire trip like that much more worth it and that much more special. because travel's really fun and I'm really grateful for how much I get to travel. But the best trips are the ones that I can like, share with other people. 

I mean, Thomas comes on most of my trips, but it's even more special when like all the people who don't travel as often as we do, and get to experience like some of these really, really special places with us. 

Genni: Oh, that's so nice. You know what since you were mentioning Avio a lot, I did want to ask you if you could explain about that program because we've used Avios before. We flew Iberia from Miami to Madrid on their business class. And you know, it's, if you are a business class aficionado, it probably wouldn't have been up to par with you. 

But we loved it and we thought it was great. So, but. 

Jackie: I will say I've. [00:30:00] Iberia is I on Definitely my least favorite business class I've flown. I think like it, but it's a life flat seat. And so if, if it's a long haul flight and you sleep through the night, like ultimately a win is a win. and they usually have pretty good rates for Iberia. we're flying them in next month, to go down, to Patagonia, so I, as much as I don't love them, they are convenient and good prices. So I 

Genni: Yeah, for sure. 

Jackie: them for sure. But basically the Avios system, all, it's not all of one world, but it's like a subset of the one World Airlines that participate in Avios. and I am not gonna try to list all of them because I'm probably gonna 

Genni: No. 

Jackie: but the big major players are Iberia, British Air Qatar, and thin air. so basically if you have an Avios point, you can move it between. members, and this is relevant because, the award flights shown on say, British Airway's website are not exactly the same seats shown on Qatar's website. And so it's not enough to just have them in British. You may [00:31:00] want to move them to Qatar in order to book, and the fact that they allow that transfer is really unprecedented. 

Don't. See that in the points and miles space and for such big programs, such robust systems that offer so many flights between these airlines, it's pretty incredible that we have this as an option. and I do take full advantage and constantly I'm like looking at the different, anytime I find an award flight, I'll check to see if it's cheaper on a different avios before I like decide which one to book on. 

because sometimes the prices are different, even if the seat is the same. 

Genni: Right. And one thing I wanted to mention for the audience, if they're a little bit confused, is, so we talk about being able to transfer your points from your credit card to these airline programs. And I've spoken on the podcast before about like how points currencies work. So. The airline or the hotel, they have their own loyalty program, but then that loyalty program has its [00:32:00] own points. 

Currency. Right? But what's unique about Avios is that these airlines have their own loyalty program, but their currency is the same, so, 

Jackie: of to tie it to your like world like national currency example 

Genni: mm-hmm. 

Jackie: yen and pesos and dollars, like you can't use them in the other countries. It's kind of like how. For example, the American US dollar is the national currency of other countries too. 

Genni: Mm-hmm. 

Jackie: so, so if you are able to go to one of those countries where they take US dollars, then now your dollars are transferable out of the United States in a way that they wouldn't be to Mexico where they use pesos for examples. 

Genni: I love the example. I was gonna say Euros and you know, and the European Union. 

Jackie: That's probably an easier one to 

Genni: No, no, no. But that, no, that one though, I think drives the point home more what you were saying about being able [00:33:00] to use American dollars in other countries. 

But either way,If you guys needed, something to kind of make that click in your head a little bit more. 

Okay. 

yeah, to just touch on like why Bhutan was so cool, I think Bhutan was unexpectedly a bit of 

a bit of API definitely expect 

Jackie: traditional, rice 

Genni: fields 

Jackie: and traditional way of life. 

Genni: farming 

Jackie: big 

Genni: a big part of their 

Jackie: There's lots of mountains and nature. What I didn't 

Genni: expect 

Jackie: was that they also fully. Powered 

Genni: power. 

Jackie: renewable energy, mostly hydroelectric power, and they actually export extra energy off to India. And then also they're huge into crypto mining. it's like a passion project of the king of Bhutan. And then he has used like the money to help. Fueled the country, economically, and it was 

Genni: it 

Jackie: of a 

Genni: a huge juxtaposition. 

Jackie: like very traditional way of life, very modern, 21st century technology going on at the very same time. 

So it was like 

Genni: That's very cool. 

Jackie: they're balancing both [00:34:00] and how they're really making sure that while they're getting into the 21st century and ahead of. Other countries in terms of, you know, 

Genni: And 

Jackie: and things 

Genni: things like that. 

Jackie: They're also really trying to preserve their culture. So, 

Genni: So example, 

Jackie: a lot of people, depending on what job 

Genni: job they have will 

Jackie: to wear like the national 

Genni: require rest of the country. 

Jackie: required to speak Bhutanese. 

Genni: and so 

Jackie: really working to 

Genni: to make sure that 

Jackie: as 

Genni: as they, 

Jackie: into, As they evolve, 

Genni: they're. 

Jackie: what they have always had. And I think that's a really beautiful thing that didn't happen in most of the world as it developed. and I think that, that they almost have the beauty of watching 

Genni: Watching 

Jackie: other 

Genni: country develop. 

Jackie: and kind of seeing like, oh, that doesn't work. 

We're gonna do it better. We're gonna do take a different route. and they have done a really great job so far. 

Genni: Wow, that's amazing. That's, that makes me want to go there, even though I still don't know where it is. I'm just kidding. I did, I looked it up. 

Jackie: For those who dunno, it borders India to, and China, but it does not touch Nepal. It [00:35:00] is like mountainous and, and kind of in the Himalayas. But India kind of comes up between Nepal and Bhutan so they don't touch each other. 

Genni: Okay. There you go. There you go. All right, so let's talk about some takeaways. So adding authorized user has a lot of benefits including, you know. Giving more perks Also allowing more flexibility and the, the ability to merge and flow your points into one account, which makes things so much easier. 

gives you, more freedom. and I think overall. The big takeaway from this, and all of my episodes is that meaningful memories doesn't mean that you have to overspend. You can be smart with all these different strategies to earn points that'll give you more opportunities for amazing memories like you being able to share [00:36:00] this trip. 

To Bhutan with your dad, and your husband, but you take him on trips, so we don't care about him as much. and then, you know, I would definitely encourage everyone to look into adding authorized users,see if it's something that works for you. I know that it is something that people kind of like poo poo on in the Points of Miles world, but it can benefit you tremendously. 

Jackie: the last thing I'll add on the authorized user's point is that it doesn't have to be every card that has an authorized user. It can 

Genni: Perfect. 

Jackie: one card or three cards. It really depends on your strategy and what you're comfortable with as well. 

Genni: Awesome. that's such a good point not only can this be strategic in the sense adding authorized users in general, but also you can be strategic about which cards you do it with, right. So, okay. So let's dive into some rapid fire [00:37:00] questions. Are you ready? 

Jackie: Absolutely. 

Genni: So airline or hotel program you'd keep forever if you could only pick one. 

Jackie: So I'm a globalist, I'm gonna say Hyatt, but I do wish they'd expand to more properties throughout the world. 

Genni: and favorite lounge or airport experience? 

Jackie: I'm gonna have to give it to the Punta Cana Priority Pass Lounge because they have a pool overlooking the airplanes. and it really doesn't get much better than swimming and plane spotting at the same time. 

Genni: Oh, very nice. And then one redemption you'll never forget. 

Jackie: Yeah, so this one would probably have to be our stay at the allele Ventana Big Sur in California. which for those of you who don't know, is a Hyatt all inclusive property, in Big Sur. however, it can be a little hard to book because, Everyone wants to go there and they have just li really limited availability. 

But we found a weekend that worked. We went, it was amazing. What a beautiful property. The food was great. Really no complaints until we tried to leave the day. We were supposed to check out the day before we were supposed to check out the [00:38:00] road to leave. Big Sur got washed away because there had been like a ton of rain and landslides a really common area. And so they closed the only road out of Big Sur. and so I was at that point kind of panicking and. Honestly kind of convinced we were gonna have to be helicoptered out of Big Sur at some point, and 

Genni: my gosh. 

Jackie: like run out of food if it took too long because like they, there's only so much food in Big Sur and everyone was trapped there. Ultimately they ended up figuring out that the only half the road had washed away, so the side closest to the ocean and the other road, the other lane was barely navigable. So they opened it up and it was like the scariest experience driving like on the one lane while you're seeing the other lane crumbled into the ocean. 

But we made it out safely and it, I'll never forget it. 

Genni: Oh my God. I don't think I'll ever forget that either. 

Jackie: But for most people, I'm sure they have a very, relaxing, beautiful time at the of Ventana [00:39:00] started that way and didn't ended in a little bit of a nightmare. 

Genni: Oh my gosh. Okay. Hopefully these are a little bit easier questions then. aisle or window seat. 

Jackie: Depends on the length of the flight and how badly I'm gonna need to pee. 

Genni: Okay. Yep. I, I agree with that one. Favorite country you visited so far? 

Jackie: So it's not a country, but does Antarctica count 

Genni: Yes, totally. Yes. 

Jackie: Then Antarctica. 

Genni: Okay. Very cool. dream destination still on your list? 

Jackie: So I will say we have a pretty epic list of trips coming up in 2026. So I'll talk about a dream destination that we haven't booked yet. 

and that is Greenland. That one, I don't know when we'll go. I'm hoping maybe 20, 27, but that one's big on my list right now. I love the polar regions, and cold places, so I'm really excited to get there one day. 

Genni: Oh, that's amazing. 

Must have you never travel without? 

Jackie: Portable charger. I am deathly afraid of my phone dying. 

Genni: All right, last one. If you could give new [00:40:00] points, enthusiasts one piece of advice, what would it be? 

Jackie: I would say learn as much as you can, but in a way that makes sense to you. Not everyone learns the same way. So whether that's podcasts, like this one, blogs, YouTube channels, et cetera, like find a method and a person that like you. You understand what they're saying. And also like anytime you come across a term or a word you don't know, like Google it, get it through your head and that'll help. 

It's all like a, any class you take in school, like you have to put the building blocks together to get to the more advanced topics. And then on that same note, there's so much free content out there that's really good, that I would start there before you pay for courses. Like there are great courses out there too. amount of free content in this day and age, like start there. And if you have any questions on like, need a recommendation, like feel free to DM me. I will happily point you to my favorite free resources and that's not even a plug. Like they're not mine. 

Genni: [00:41:00] Nice. Okay, so transitioning to that, where can listeners find you? 

Jackie: Yeah, so 

Genni: So. 

Jackie: Instagram, my handle is maximizing my PTO, and then my blog is maximizing my PT o.com. And then we actually just launched a YouTube channel, a couple months ago under the same handle, maximizing my PTO 

Genni: Nice so you can find her at maximizing my PTO. Everywhere. 

Jackie: everywhere. 

Genni: so I hope this episode gave you a new perspective on authorized user strategies and maybe even permission to question some of the group think, advice floating around out there. And remember, there's no one size that fits all when it comes to points and miles. 

It's about building a strategy that fits your life, your goals, and how you like. To travel. If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean so much if you shared it with a friend who loves to travel smarter or joined the Facebook group, lazy budget, travel tips where we keep the conversation going with tips, strategies, [00:42:00] and real life wins. 

Jackie, thank you so much for being on the podcast. I hope you had a good time and I hope everyone learned. 

Jackie: Yeah. Thanks so much for having me. This was great. 

And as always, there's no right or wrong way to save money on travel. Just the best way that fits your life. All right, see you guys in the next episode,