Points for Normal People by Katie&#8217;s Travel Tricks

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Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the card links and other products that appear on this podcast are from companies which Katie's Travel Tricks will earn an affiliate commission. Katie's Travel Tricks is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. The content in this podcast is accurate as of the posting date. Some of the offers mentioned may no longer be available. Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone...

S1E14: Avoid These Mistakes Booking Flights with Points Jul 10, 2024

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7/10/24 Click MORE to see Ad disclosures

Welcome to Points for Normal People!

Today I’m going to take the complicated topic of booking flights with points and give you ways to keep it simple, save you time, and help you use your points for the things you value most.

In addition to helping you understand the world of booking flights with points, I also have lots of free resources to tell you about that will do a lot of the work for you.

ACTION STEPS:

If you have a trip goal, take some time to make notes of your options.
- TIP: If it is one of the areas we have a guide on, our guides will make it a lot easier for you. Check out our guides here: https://katiestraveltricks.com/category/redeeming-points/flightswithpoints/
- Run a few searches on PointsYeah.com or Google Flights.
- Try searching for different seasons to see if there are any major differences.
Download my free Travel 201 Guide for more information on transferring points from a bank to airlines or hotels: https://katiestraveltricks.com/travel-points-201-all-about-transfer-partners/
For more in depth information, check out my free course at learn.katiestraveltricks.com.

MORE RESOURCES:

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S1E13: Best (and most underrated) Ways to Use Ultimate Rewards to Book Any Flight, Hotel, or Cruise Jul 03, 2024

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7/3/24 Click MORE to see Ad disclosures

Welcome to Points for Normal People!

Today I’m going to cover some of the best and most underrated ways to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points. The exciting news is that there is a lot of flexibility, allowing you to book all kinds of travel options including, flights, hotels, cruises, Disney tickets, or Airbnb.

If trying to get the most cents per point and navigating your way through content that only promotes using your points for luxury travel feels exhausting, you’ve come to the right place. I’m here to show you how to get the most out of your points for what you value.

ACTION STEPS:

Offset a big upcoming travel expense by doing one of the following:
- See if the Aeroplan card will fit into your card strategy: https://katiestraveltricks.com/aeroplan-pay-yourself-back/
- Venture X may also be a good option: https://katiestraveltricks.com/venturex/
- Consider other Venture cards
Take some time to set a few goals:
- How do you want to use your points in the next one to two years?
- Would offsetting some more of these general travel expenses help you lower your travel line item on your budget and free up money for other things?

MORE RESOURCES:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/tips/travel-credit-card-rewards-points-tiktok/
Best Bank Account Bonuses: https://www.doctorofcredit.com/best-bank-account-bonuses/

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S1E12: Strategy Tips to Keep Earning Chase Points Forever Jun 26, 2024

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6/26/24 Click MORE to see Ad disclosures

All information was accurate at time of recording, however benefits and credit card details can and do change. Please always review the links in the show notes and check our blog for the most up-to-date info.
Welcome to Points for Normal People!
Today I’m going to introduce you to the three different families of cards within the Chase Ultimate Rewards universe. I’ll show you how to earn the most points over the long run and how to do this in single player or two player households.
There are a lot of Chase cards available, but don’t worry, I’m going to give you thoughts on how to manage your cards and points in a way that keeps it simple.
ACTION STEPS:
Take stock of all the Chase cards that you currently have.
If you have a Sapphire card, find out when you last earned a bonus so that you know when you’ll become eligible again. (If you signed up for Travel Freely, you should be able to easily view the information).
Write down in your calendar or in a note when you’re eligible to earn each bonus.
Review this guide with helpful screenshots on Chase Ultimate Rewards, going over all the cards we covered today: https://katiestraveltricks.com/chase-ultimate-rewards-guide/
MORE RESOURCES:
Business Cards: https://katiestraveltricks.com/businesscards/
YouTube Playlist for Unlocking More Points with Business Cards: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOsrZ9n0VdHxpjr8Ahv3o_PX3I_OJQdtI
Complete Guide to Chase Sapphire Preferred: https://katiestraveltricks.com/sapphirepreferred/

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S1E11: Tips to Use Your Points for Hyatt (our favorite use for Chase points) May 22, 2024

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5/22/24 Click MORE to see Ad disclosures

Welcome to Points for Normal People!

Today I want to show you how I use my Chase Ultimate Rewards for Hyatt. I book Hyatt regularly to simplify my decision making process and to save me a lot of time! So let me introduce you to all the ways you can make the most of your points with Hyatt.

If you’re worried about Hyatt reservations that don’t seem to be available with points, I also want to show you some special tips on how to book those hard-to-get reservations. Be sure to stay tuned for the action steps at the end!

UPDATE: Please listen to a new episode on updates to Chase Sapphire Preferred: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343124/episodes/19312394

ACTION STEPS:

Download my free Hyatt guide as a reference: https://katiestraveltricks.ck.page/hyattguide
Sign up for a free World of Hyatt Account: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/member/enroll

MORE RESOURCES:

Max My Points: https://maxmypoint.com/ref?code=pvhu2

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S1E10: Best and Worst Ways to Use Ultimate Rewards Points for Hotels May 15, 2024

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5/15/24 Click MORE to see Ad disclosures

Welcome to Points for Normal People!

Today I’ll be introducing you to the easiest way to use your Ultimate Rewards points! I’ll be talking about how to use points for hotels, how my family has used it, and how you can get the most out of your points.

Remember that using points is most rewarding when you get to use it for things that you value. Be sure to subscribe and join me next week, when we cover part 2 of how to use points for hotels.

UPDATE: Please listen to a new episode on updates to Chase Sapphire Preferred: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343124/episodes/19312394

ACTION STEPS:

Set a goal for how you want to use your points. If you don’t have a specific goal for how you would like to use points in the next year, begin to think about that today.
Check out the Trip Reports from my blog for inspiration: https://katiestraveltricks.com/category/redeeming-points/trip_reports/

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S1E9: Don't Ignore These Chase Sapphire Preferred Benefits (Part 2: Travel Benefits) May 08, 2024

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5/8/24 Click MORE to see Ad disclosures

Welcome to Points for Normal People!

All information was accurate at time of recording, however benefits and credit card details can and do change. Please always review the links in the show notes and check our blog for the most up-to-date info.
Thanks for joining me again for Part 2 as I share about all of the great travel benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. I’ve read all of the details so that you don’t have to! Let me fill you in and help you get the most out of your card.
If you missed Part 1, be sure to subscribe and then go back to hear all of the shopping benefits of Chase Sapphire Preferred.
ACTION STEPS:
- Take advantage of the $50 hotel credit. And remember, if you cancel a refundable hotel reservation, generally the hotel credit toward your bill will still apply. Log into your Chase account to check the date that yours will reset. You can make a reminder in your calendar for about two months before this date, to remind yourself to use this benefit.
- In order to be covered by travel protections, make sure you’re paying taxes and fees for airline tickets with your Sapphire Preferred. Remember: The person going on the trip, needs to be the one with the card.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Check out my best offers if you are looking for a credit card to earn more points: katiestraveltricks.com/bestoffers/
- Sapphire Benefits Guide: https://static.chasecdn.com/content/services/structured-document/document.en.pdf/card/benefits-center/product-benefits-guide-pdf/BGC10979_SapphirePreferred_VisaSignature.pdf
- Cardpointers — https://cardpointers.com/partner/katiestravel/

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S1E8: Don't Ignore These Chase Sapphire Preferred Benefits! (Part 1: Shopping Benefits) May 01, 2024

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5/1/24 Click MORE to see Ad disclosures

Join me today for a conversation about the shopping and purchase benefits of the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. It offers so much more than points, and I have all the details to help you make the most of your card.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss out on next week’s episode, where I cover the travel benefits of Chase Sapphire Preferred.

ACTION STEPS:

Decide on a time that you will begin checking for Chase offers every week. If it will help you, reach out on Facebook or Instagram to let me know when you’ll be checking each week.
Pick one card that you’re going to use for extended warranty and purchase protection. You can start an email or file folder for receipts to make it easy if you ever need to file a claim.
If you’re listening before Jul 31, 2024, you can still get two more Instacart $15 credit benefits. If you’ve never used Instacart before, you can use my referral link here and should receive $10 off your first purchase: https://inst.cr/t/f9bcc87a5 or use code KFB0412132 at check out

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Sapphire Benefits Guide: https://static.chasecdn.com/content/services/structured-document/document.en.pdf/card/benefits-center/product-benefits-guide-pdf/BGC10979_SapphirePreferred_VisaSignature.pdf

Cardpointers — https://cardpointers.com/partner/katiestravel/

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S1E7: Mistake: Not staying organized (these tools help!) Apr 24, 2024

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4/24/24 Click MORE to see Ad Disclosures

Welcome to Points for Normal People!

In this episode, I’ll share mistakes I’ve made when I didn’t have a system to track my credit cards and points. Then I’ll give you the information and resources you need to stay organized, getting the most out of your points.

ACTION STEPS:

Set up a system to track your credit cards. To do this best, you'll need to know every credit card you’ve opened in the last 24 to 48 months. List the card name, open date, and close date (if applicable).
Set up a system to track your points, including hotel, airline, and bank programs.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Travel Freely: https://my.travelfreely.net/signup?bref=ktw
Award Wallet: https://awardwallet.com/?refCode=ksck3elvjg
My Simple Credit Card Tracking Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1F7vX5in26_BNG4IiYGbIwMaEjZJcMybByTvqiArP23M/edit?usp=sharing

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