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Point Me To First Class — Places & Travel
Point Me To First Class

Point Me to First Class is a show for employed professionals, solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and business owners with higher-than-average personal and/or business expenses who want to learn to leverage them into credit card points to spend on travel. Your expenses are your greatest untapped asset – but learning how to use them to travel the world doesn’t have to be confusing or complicated.

Each week, Devon Gimbel shares valuable tips, tools, and strategies to help you uplevel your skills earning and redeeming credit card points and shows you how to spend them on incredible travel experiences.

Interested in learning more about working with Devon? Visit www.pointmetofirstclass.com to learn more.

This podcast is for you if you find yourself asking questions like:
How do I earn credit card points and use them for travel?
How can I make my expenses benefit me?
How can I earn as many credit card points for as little spending as possible?
How to maximize value from credit card points.
How to earn credit card points for travel.
Turn credit card points into travel.

Copyright: © 2024 Devon Gimbel MD LLC All Rights Reserved

Latest Episodes:

80. A Dream Empty Nest Trip to Spain Using Points with Dr. Melissa Parsons Sep 09, 2024

Show notes

Melissa Parsons, MD, is a recently retired Board-Certified Pediatrician and now a life coach who helps amazing women learn to love their lives. Today, however, she's here to talk about how she booked a phenomenal trip just two months in advance, getting amazing deals in the process.

While not everything went perfectly to plan— from a record-breaking heatwave in Barcelona to an uncomfortable train ride— Dr. Melissa and John had the opportunity to enjoy world-renowned cuisine, stunning art, and iconic architecture. Dr. Melissa shares how she made it happen and offers unique travel tips for planning your own dream trip to Spain.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/dream-empty-nest-trip-spain-using-points-dr-melissa-parsons

Get your digital ticket for the Points Made Easy conference here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/PMTFCconference

Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

79. Hotel Award Travel Fundamentals with Ben Komenkul Sep 02, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, I sit down with Ben Komenkul, who knows everything there is to know about leveraging points for hotel stays. Ben is a seasoned expert in the world of Points and Miles, with over a decade of experience mastering the art of travel rewards. As the founder of Ben's Big Deal, he combines his deep understanding of financial services, gained over a 30-year career, with his passion for travel.

Tune in this week to elevate your hotel awards game to the next level. Ben shares his insights on the key differences between using points for flights versus hotels, and reveals the true value of various hotel point currencies. He also provides practical tips on choosing the right hotel brand for your travel needs and style. Ben even shares his secret to getting great treatment from hotels, even without top-tier status.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/hotel-award-travel-fundamentals-ben-komenkul

Get your digital ticket for the Points Made Easy conference here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/PMTFCconference

Eager to learn the secrets of award travel so that you can turn your expenses into unforgettable experiences? Join the Points Made Easy course waitlist here: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

78. Score Bonus Points and Waived Fees: The Art of the Credit Card Retention Call with Dr. Suzy Spadafora Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

Dr. Suzy Spadafora is back on the show this week. She's a points and miles pro who has opened over 30 rewards credit cards since 2016, and her P2 has opened 25. She keeps detailed notes on the retention offers she scores each year when annual fees hit. By employing a few simple strategies, Dr. Suzy often convinces banks to incentivize her to keep her cards open with statement credits, bonus points, or waived annual fees.

Tune in today to hear Dr. Suzy's insider secrets for maximizing credit card retention offers. She shares the exact script she uses when calling credit card providers, the most common mistakes to avoid, and how to decide if an offer is worth taking. With her tips, you'll be racking up extra points and perks on your lesser-used rewards cards in no time.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/credit-card-retention-call-dr-suzy-spadafora

Get the Travel Freely app here: https://my.travelfreely.com/share?bref=dcw

77. Capital One: The Points Sleeper Agent That's Coming to Life with the Points and Miles Doc Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

Kelly, the Points and Miles Doc, is a returning guest on the podcast, and she has a wealth of knowledge to share on the Capital One transferable points currency. I recently started focusing on Capital One in my own points strategy, so we have a ton to discuss.

Tune in this week to learn everything you need to know about the world of Capital One. We give you an overview of all the Capital One rewards cards, who this points system benefits most, some of the shortcomings and limitations of this points currency, and we show you the best ways to put your Capital One credit cards and points to great use.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/capital-one-points-and-miles-doc

Sign up for the Points Made Easy conference taking place September 20 - 22, 2024 in Chicago here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/PMTFCconference

76. Your Mid-Year Points Check-In: How to Evaluate and Recalibrate Your Strategy Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

Doing a points check-in is the best possible way to recalibrate and course correct while there's still plenty of time left in the year. This means getting clear on every aspect of your points world, including your current points balances, credit card welcome bonuses, loyalty program status, and estimating your upcoming spend.

Whether you're brand new to points and miles or a seasoned pro, tune in this week for a comprehensive strategy for evaluating your progress and making the most of your remaining spend for the year. Even if you don't have a points plan in place yet, the strategy I share today will help you get ready for taking a more intentional approach to reaching your points goals in the future!

Get full show notes and more information here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/mid-year-points-check-in-evaluate-recalibrate-your-strategy

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

75. Getting Your P2 Approved, Business Credit Cards for W-2 Employees, and the Future of Points and Miles: Q&A Aug 05, 2024

Show notes

Do you need a profitable business to apply for business credit cards? If your P2 has been repeatedly rejected for new card applications, how do you get them accepted? In this listener Q&A episode, we dive into a variety of topics related to optimizing your credit card strategy, whether you're just getting started in the points and miles game or looking to take your earnings to the next level.

Learn about credit freezes, what they do and don't protect you from, and why it's a good idea to consider freezing your credit reports.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/p2-approved-business-credit-cards-w-2-employees-q-a

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

74. Unlocking Sweet Spot Awards: Scoring Amazing Flight Deals with Allison Tackette Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

One of the most rewarding ways to get the most value from your points is booking sweet spot awards. These awards represent unique opportunities to book incredible flights at points prices that are a steal, but in order to take advantage of these sweet spots, you have to know what you're looking for. That's where award travel expert Allison Tackette comes in. She has been booking points and miles sweet spots for over 10 years and now helps others book their own dream trips.

Hear all about the most enticing award sweet spots and the best ways to fly to Europe, Asia, South America, Africa and more using a fraction of the typical points required. Whether you're a points beginner or already have award travel experience, you'll leave this episode equipped with the knowledge and strategies to start finding your own sweet spot award flights. Get full show notes and more information here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/unlocking-sweet-spot-awards-allison-tackette Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

73. The Secret to Booking Your Dream Safari: Budget, Locations, and Luxury (If You Want It) with Dr. Niki Topp Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

Dr. Niki Topp is a board-certified OB/GYN who is now retired from clinical practice. After moving to South Africa 8 years ago, her career focus switched toward philanthropy and opening her own small business. She is also the founder and director of a non-profit called Ithemba Ngemfundo, which focuses on improving early education in the townships of South Africa.

Through her travel business Wandering Leopard, Dr. Topp plans group trips to South Africa, specifically for female physicians, which is why I have her on the show. Discover Niki's tips for booking your dream safari vacation, learn about your different options, and decide what works best for you.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/dream-safari-budget-locations-luxury-dr-niki-topp

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

72. Horses, Zebras, and Unicorns: Business Class Award Flight Edition (Part 2) Jul 15, 2024

Show notes

Is it possible to book four or more business class award tickets on the same flight? You might think it's outright impossible to get a deal like this, but in my experience, you have more options than you think. When you know what you're looking for and you have a strategy for getting it, you increase your chances of finding what you want. That's exactly what we're covering in part two of this series.

Discover the specific business class award flights that are considered zebras and unicorns. I dive into the specific challenges you'll face when trying to get your hands on a zebra or a unicorn, and you'll learn what your award-booking game plans need to include if you don't want to come away from your awards search empty-handed.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/horses-zebras-unicorns-business-class-award-flight-edition-part-2

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

71. Horses, Zebras, and Unicorns: Business Class Award Flight Edition (Part 1) Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

In the world of points travel, you're probably familiar with the concept of a unicorn award. These are flights so rare they might as well be magical, mythical creatures because your chances of seeing one are slim to non-existent. Award flights, especially long-haul business class award flights, are not all created equal in terms of how easy they are to find and book. Premium cabin award flights are like horses, zebras, and unicorns. Some are common, easy to find, and easy to book. Others are unicorns that are rarely seen and impossible to predict but beautiful and magical nonetheless.

When people try to redeem their points for the first time, they have expectations that leave them feeling discouraged when they can't find the flights they want. Sometimes you want a unicorn, but you're better off trying to find a horse or even a zebra. So by the end of this two-part podcast series, you'll be able to identify which award flights are horses, which are zebras, which are unicorns, and which you can get your hands on.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/blog/horses-zebras-unicorns-business-class-award-flight-edition-part-1

Join the waitlist for Points Made Easy here: https://www.pointmetofirstclass.com/pointsmadeeasy

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