Points and Miles Travel Chats
Welcome to the Points and Miles Travel Chats podcast. I'm Michele from Fancy Travel Pointers, and I believe your everyday spend is the secret to extraordinary travel.
If you’ve ever worried that points are too complicated, or wondered if a busy family with public school schedules and competitive sports could really travel with points — I’m here to show you it’s absolutely possible.
Here’s what I know for sure: it’s not about spending more, and keeping my credit score sky-high is always front and center. I’ll give you actionable steps and teach real, repeatable strategies that transform the way you earn points and the value you get from them.
Episodes
13 episodes
Italy at Christmas on Points: Flight Cancellations, Rebookings, and Big Wins
In today’s episode, we’re chatting aboutHow multiple flight cancellations months before departure turned into better flightsVirgin Atlantic vs. Air France/KLM: flexibility differences you must know ...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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33:12
Hyatt Deep Dive – Why Hyatt Is the Best Hotel Program for Award Stays on Points
In today's episode, we're chatting aboutWhy Hyatt is the best hotel program for points (yes, even if you’re a Marriott loyalist)The magic of Hyatt’s award chart — and why it saves you thousands...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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27:46
How We Saved $20,000 on a London & Paris Family Trip Using Points
In today's episode, we're chatting aboutHow our family pulled off London & Paris in peak summer using mostly pointsThe exact business class flights we booked (102K points roundtrip per person!) & hotel award ...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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29:48
How I’m Planning 2026 Travel on Points (Without Overdoing It)
In today's episode, we're chatting aboutWhy 2025 was an “amazing but too much” travel year—and the hard family conversations that forced a reset for 2026The mindset shift from chasing every deal to de...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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29:03
2025 Business Class Flight Recap: How we scored points deals during peak travel multiple times
In today's episode, we're chatting aboutHow I booked three business-class seats to Africa in peak summer — and why I locked in the return flights before even knowing how we’d get thereThe exact search...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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29:43
2025 Hotel Recap: 45 nights using points & free night certificates
In this episode, I unpack the exact mix of free night certificates, points, and card perks that helped us stretch our hotel budget farther than ever. You’ll hear the wins, the surprises, the splurges — and the one stay that just didn’t hit the ...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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27:01
Ask Me Anything: Points & Miles Travel Edition
This episode pulls back the curtain on the real-life systems we use as a family to earn and stretch our points. It’s full of practical answers, honest numbers, and lessons learned the hard way—so you can shortcut your own strategy.In tod...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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24:05
Earn & Use Capital One Miles Like a Pro
In today’s episode, we’re chatting aboutComparing personal Venture cards – which one is actually worth itThe new Capital One welcome offer eligibility rules — and the order they want you to apply inVenture...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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24:14
Thailand & Hong Kong Luxury Vacation with Points
In this episode, we're chatting about...How we planned a Christmas/New Year’s Asia itinerary despite zero date flexibilityThe exact routes we booked—including our long-haul KLM business class flights and how w...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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23:43
We Saved 87K Points with this Award Flight Tip
In this episode, we’re chatting about…Why booking one-way award flights gets you a better deal than round-tripThe key airline alliances — and how to use partner programs like Air Canada or Virgin Atlantic to save t...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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23:37
Using Southwest/Hyatt Points to Visit Hawaii on Repeat + Maui Hotel Reviews
Hawaii is the dream vacation — but that $10K+ price tag? Hard pass.The good news: Hawaii is actually one of the easiest places to use your points.We’ve been using the same Southwest + Hyatt combo points strategy<...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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22:45
Best Strategies for Leveling Up Your Hotel Points Stays
In this episode, we're chatting about...✨ Which hotel brands are best for booking on points (and which luxury brands fall under them)💳 The three ways to earn hotel points — and why “buying” them can actually save ...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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19:25