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How I Saved $866 in One Week by Tracking my Reservations
By Sarah Cash

Key Takeaways
- Track and rebook regularly: Monitoring your existing hotel reservations using tools like PointsYeah Hotel Collection Calendar view can lead to significant savings through better rates or award availability.
- Optimize free night certificates: Use hotel loyalty program benefits and credit card perks at higher-value properties for maximum return.
- Consider unique accommodations: Alternative lodging like capsule hotels can offer local experiences while saving money. Search for this with PointsYeah Hotel Collection.
- Leverage flexible cancellation policies: Airlines like United offer free award flight cancellations, making rebooking risk-free.
- Set price alerts: Use tools like PointsYeah Points Price Alerts, Explorer Alerts, and Hotel Alerts to automatically monitor award flight prices.
- Strategic point usage: Reserve cash for expensive award periods and use points when rates are favorable.
The Digital Nomad Advantage

As a digital nomad with no home base, I book flights and accommodation almost every week of my life. That might sound exhausting to some, but it also means I have booked, canceled, and rebooked hundreds of reservations to maximize savings and discover new experiences. Here’s how I strategically manage my reservations and saved $866 in just one week.

Capsule Hotel Stay: Saving $196 on Tokyo Accommodation

The Opportunity

A fellow nomad recently reminded me about Tokyo’s famous capsule hotels – known for being clean, comfortable, and offering premium amenities like hot tubs, and complimentary breakfast. I discovered a capsule hotel featuring free champagne and a traditional sauna for approximately $50 per night. You can do this by searching for Unique Hotels when searching PointsYeah’s Hotel Collection.

The Decision

I had already booked a two-night stay at an Intercontinental Hotel, leveraging my Ambassador status to receive one free weekend night. However, I decided to cancel this reservation for two reasons:
1. The cost was relatively high compared to other Intercontinental properties worldwide.
2. I genuinely wanted to experience Japan’s capsule hotel culture.
The Savings
- Original IHG cost: $452 for two nights
- Capsule hotel cost: $256 for five nights
- Total savings: $196
The Intercontinental would certainly have been more luxurious, but the capsule hotel provided a cultural experience while allowing me to save my Ambassador Weekend Free Night certificate for a higher-value property.

Searching by Hotel Type
1. Navigate to PointsYeah Hotel Collection, which you can select from the left sidebar on the main page.
2. Search for the desired category of hotels on PointsYeah by clicking the relevant circle underneath the search bar.
3. Click “Unique Hotels” for local accommodations that you won’t find elsewhere.
Key Lesson: Always evaluate whether unique local accommodations might offer better value than luxury hotels, and reserve your loyalty program benefits for maximum impact. To do this, search for “Unique Hotels” in PointsYeah’s Hotel Collection.

United Award Flight Optimization: $670 in TravelBank Savings

The Situation

I had originally booked two United business class flights in the South Pacific using United TravelBank funds. While monitoring award availability using Points Price Alerts, I discovered these flights were available in economy for just 15,000 miles plus $13 in taxes.

The Analysis

Both flights were overnight routes under two hours – short enough that business class wouldn’t significantly enhance comfort compared to longer routes where lie-flat seats provide real value.

The Rebooking Strategy

Thanks to United MileagePlus’s free cancellation policy, I was able to:
1. Cancel the original TravelBank bookings (refunding $833).
2. Rebook using 15,000 miles + $13 in taxes for both flights, a value of over 5 cents per point!
3. Preserve TravelBank funds for future premium cabin flights on longer routes.
Key Lesson: Regularly monitor award availability using PointsYeah Points Price Alerts for existing bookings, especially with airlines offering free cancellations. Short flights may not justify premium cabin costs that could be better used on long-haul routes.

Hyatt Taipei Strategy: Mixed Bookings for Optimal Value

The Challenge

While attempting to optimize a Hyatt reservation in Taipei, I discovered that three of my eight planned nights were only bookable with cash, not points. I had originally planned on booking my stay solely with points.

The Current Booking
- Total cost: $448 cash + 25,000 Hyatt points for 8 nights
- Expected earnings: 16,000 points through a Hyatt promotion
- Net point usage: 9,000 points (25,000 redeemed – 16,000 earned)
Searching by Hotel Collection Calendar
1. Navigate to PointsYeah Hotel Collection, which you can select from the left sidebar on the main page.
2. Search for desired hotels on PointsYeah.
3. Click “Award Calendar” on the tile for the hotel you want to stay at.
Key Lesson: Even when you can’t immediately optimize an award booking, continue monitoring for improvements in award space using the Hotel Collection Calendar view. Mixed cash-and-points bookings can still provide excellent value.

Future Planning: New Zealand Award Alerts

The Strategy

Looking ahead to my trip to New Zealand next year, premium cabin award flights are currently expensive. Rather than booking immediately, I’m using PointsYeah Points Price Alerts and Explorer Alerts to monitor fare changes.

Setting Up Points Price Alerts for my exact route
1. Search for desired flights on PointsYeah.
2. Click “Create Alerts” in the top right corner.
3. Receive notifications when award prices drop or availability improves.
Setting Up Explorer Alerts for a broader search
1. Navigate to PointsYeah Daydream Explorer, which you can select at the top or from the left sidebar on the main page.
2. Search for flights from anywhere in the US to New Zealand over your desired period of time to find more flights for your trip.
3. Click the “Create Explorer Alerts” toggle at the top of the search.
4. Receive notifications when award prices drop or availability improves.
Key Lesson: For future travel, especially to expensive destinations, set up automated price monitoring with PointsYeah Points Price and Explorer Alerts rather than settling for current high rates.

Essential Strategies for Travel Savings
- Maximize Credit Card Benefits
- Embrace Unique Experiences
- Master Flexible Booking Policies
- Implement Systematic Monitoring
Conclusion: The Power of Strategic Rebooking

This single week of tracking my reservations underscores how significant savings are possible through strategic rebooking. The $866 I saved is money that I can spend on travel experiences or invest elsewhere.

I’m so grateful to live my life on the road. While this digital nomad lifestyle can be expensive, points and miles save me tens of thousands annually on flights and accommodations. The key is developing a routine for consistent monitoring and optimization.

Your action items:
1. Review your existing reservations this week.
2. Set up price alerts for future travel with PointsYeah Points Price Alerts, Explorer Alerts, and Hotel Alerts.
3. Understand the cancellation policies of your preferred airlines and hotels.
4. Consider local accommodations by using PointsYeah’s Hotel Collection for your next destination.
What could strategic rebooking save you on your upcoming travels?
August 5, 2025
5,000 Aeroplan points for Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders
By Manny Estrada

If you are a Chase Sapphire Reserve primary cardholder, Aeroplan is offering you an easy way to save points on your next award flight. For a limited time, you can claim a Flight Reward Certificate worth 5,000 Aeroplan points simply by registering. There is no spending requirement and no need to book right away, but you must act before the deadline.

The registration window is open from August 5, 2025, at 12:01 AM EST through August 18, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST. Once you register, Aeroplan will deposit the certificate into your account within 14 days, and it will be valid for 365 days from the date it is issued.

Register for the Aeroplan Offer →

What the certificate offers

The Flight Reward Certificate will reduce the base fare in points for a single Aeroplan flight reward ticket by up to 5,000 points. It can be applied to flights on Air Canada or partner airlines, as long as the booking is made directly through Aeroplan’s website, mobile app, or call center.

Key details:
- One certificate per Aeroplan account and per Chase Sapphire Reserve account
- Only primary cardholders qualify (authorized users are not eligible)
- The first and last name on your Aeroplan account must match your Chase Sapphire Reserve account exactly
- Certificate cannot be split between travelers or combined with other points-based discount certificates
- Taxes, government fees, partner booking fees, and other applicable charges still apply and must be paid separately
If the award ticket costs more than 5,000 points, you simply pay the difference from your Aeroplan balance. If it costs less, there is no residual value to carry over.

How to register and use it

The process is quick:
1. If you are not an Aeroplan member, enroll for free.
2. Go to the registration page during the promotional period.
3. Enter your first and last name, Aeroplan number, and the last four digits of your Chase Sapphire Reserve card.
4. Accept the Terms and Conditions and click “Register now.”
Once in your account, you have a full year to decide when to use the certificate. If you cancel your ticket, the certificate can be re-deposited with its original expiration date as long as your account is in good standing. If any part of the ticket is flown, the certificate is considered fully used.

Register Now →

Why you should claim it now

This is a no-cost way to get more value from your Aeroplan points. Even if you do not know when you will travel, registering now locks in the benefit for the next 12 months. Since Aeroplan partners with many global airlines, you will have options for both short and long-haul flights.

Only primary Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders are eligible for this promotion. The card also allows you to transfer points to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio, which can help you boost your balance for future bookings.

Why the Chase Sapphire Reserve Stands Out

Beyond this Aeroplan promotion, the Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a premium set of travel and lifestyle perks that add value year-round. Chase values the current Sapphire Reserve benefits package at more than $2,700 a year, based on the full range of credits, perks, and rewards available. Cardholders earn high points on travel and dining, enjoy access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club network, and can transfer points to Aeroplan and other partners at a 1:1 ratio.

Notable benefits include:
- 8x points on Chase Travel purchases and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct
- $300 annual travel credit and $300 annual dining credit
- Access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide, including Sapphire Lounges and select Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges when flying Star Alliance
- Comprehensive travel protections including primary rental car coverage and trip cancellation
- New Points Boost program that can make points worth up to 2x on select flights and hotels booked through Chase Travel
These benefits, combined with its strong earning rates and transfer options, make the Chase Sapphire Reserve a powerful card for travelers who want both premium perks and flexible rewards.

Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve →

The Bottom line

If you are a primary Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholder, this 5,000-point Aeroplan Flight Reward Certificate is an easy win. Registration takes less than a minute, costs nothing, and gives you a full year to put the savings toward your next award flight. Make sure you register before August 18, 2025 so you do not miss out.

Register for the Aeroplan Offer →
August 5, 2025
Breaking: Citi ThankYou Points now transferrable to American Airlines

We’ve been waiting for this, and it’s finally here. With the launch of Citi’s newest travel card, ThankYou Points are now transferable to American Airlines AAdvantage at a 1:1 ratio.

Until now, AAdvantage was the only one of the big four U.S. airlines without a major points transfer partner. Delta? Transfer from Amex. United and Southwest? Chase. But American had no option, until now. This opens the door to far more flexibility in finding high-value award seats.

AAdvantage has many low cost redemptions starting at 5k miles as of the time of this search. A quick browse through daydream explorer found over 100 nonstop flights priced at that 5k mile mark.

Looking to stretch out?

We’re currently seeing First Class seats to Tokyo for around 80,000 AAdvantage miles, on top-tier carriers like Japan Airlines.

Most recent news regarding transfer partners has been negative. This however is great news for users of PointsYeah who now have even more flexibility to book their next trip. Be sure to update your filters, adjust your strategy, and explore the latest tools (and cards) that can help you take advantage of this change.. Learn more about the featured cards this month.

July 27, 2025
How to use Points and Miles within Europe
By Sarah Cash

Key Takeaways for European Flight & Hotel Redemptions
- Low-cost redemptions beat budget airlines: Some European routes cost as little as 4,000-7,500 miles plus minimal taxes
- Orphaned miles find perfect use: Stranded airline miles and hotel points are an excellent use for short European stays
- Business class flights offer exceptional value: Premium cabin flights can cost much less using points vs. paying cash
- Transfer bonuses maximize value: Strategic transfers from credit card programs can slash redemption costs
- Flexible routing creates adventures: Use search tools to discover unexpected destinations at low mileage rates
- Hotel program perks: Know specific hotel loyalty program discounts, like getting a fifth night free when you book with Marriott Bonvoy points.
Ryanair, easyJet, and other low-cost carriers abound in Europe, setting low prices for intra-European flights. While you can typically only redeem miles for flights on more full-service airlines like Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, that may seem like a waste of points in comparison to the cash cost. However, there are many cases and reasons why using points for flights and hotel stays within Europe may actually be the wise decision.

When Points Beat Budget Airlines on European Routes

Let’s examine a flight from Bologna to Paris. This flight costs 4,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles and $21 in taxes—an extremely low cost, even compared to the cash price of $114. Because this is such a low-cost point redemption, it makes perfect sense to use points here rather than cash.

Summer Olympics in Paris

Orphaned Airline Miles

Use Air Canada Aeroplan to fly nonstop intra-Europe

This flight from Krakow to Istanbul costs 7,500 Air Canada Aeroplan miles and $44 in taxes, compared to $138 in cash. Whether you should pay cash or use points becomes less clear-cut here. Though you come out slightly ahead when you use points, the cash cost may be low enough that you prefer saving your points for higher-value redemptions. Make sure you consider the cost of cancelling or changing the flight as well, since that is typically easy to do with an award flight, but much more costly with a cash ticket.

This scenario perfectly illustrates when you might want to use “orphaned” miles—those stranded in your airline or hotel loyalty account that cannot be transferred back to credit card programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards. These orphaned points remain in your account until they expire or are used, making intra-European flights an excellent redemption opportunity since they often cost fewer points. In short, if you have orphaned miles, or plans that may change, using points for your ticket will be more cost effective. If not, spending cash may be the smarter option if you have the money.

Maximizing Business Class Value on European Routes

Within Europe, business class journeys offer good award redemptions with much more convenience and flexibility. Take this example from Milan to Paris, which costs 8,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles and $28 in taxes, compared to $413 in cash for business class one-way.

Flying business class for your journey will help ease travel stress, especially when you’re not paying much cash. Keep in mind that European business class typically won’t include wider seats, though you will receive increased baggage allowance, plus a more premium check-in and airport experience. For example, on an economy ticket, Air France lets you take one bag up to 50 lbs, and the ticket costs $111 in cash. But for the above business class ticket, you can take two bags at up to 71 lbs each, for just 8k points + $28 in taxes. If you’re on a longer trip and are carrying more luggage, this can be a great way to alleviate travel worries, and save time and cash.

Building Flexible European Adventures with Miles

Use Daydream Explorer to help you find these hidden gems

If you’re planning a European vacation, consider building your trip around cheap flight redemptions. Daydream Explorer serves as the best flight search tool when you have date and destination flexibility. Searching from Eastern to Northern Europe over the next couple months reveals opportunities like a nonstop flight from Warsaw, Poland to Riga, Latvia for just 6,000 United MileagePlus miles and $25 in taxes—compared to $150 cash. This highlights a super low-cost way to build an adventure while making your points and miles work efficiently for your travels.

Strategic Hotel Point Redemptions

Complement your flight strategy by leveraging points for European hotel stays to create an almost entirely free vacation. Transferring Citi ThankYou points to Choice Hotels at a 1:2 transfer ratio delivers exceptional value—4,000 Citi points becomes 8,000 Choice points for a free night in Paris. Even when cash rates are relatively low, using only 4,000 points for accommodations in a major European city is difficult to beat.

Transfer bonuses apply to hotel programs just like airline loyalty programs. Through August 15, 2025, Chase is offering a 50% transfer bonus to Marriott, enabling luxury stays in Belgrade, Serbia, for 37,000 points per night at a St. Regis property. While substantial, you can optimize this redemption by combining it with Marriott’s “Fifth Night Free” benefit—stay five nights for the cost of four when booking with points. This strategy stretches your point balance while potentially accessing luxury properties that might otherwise exceed your budget.

Bottom Line: European Points & Miles Strategy

When searching for flights and hotels within Europe, follow these essential strategies: always compare cash rates against points redemptions, prioritize using orphaned points from your loyalty accounts, take advantage of credit card transfer bonuses, evaluate business class rates, maintain flexibility with both destinations and travel dates, and utilize hotel program perks like getting an extra free night.

These optimization tips help you save cash for on-the-ground adventures throughout Europe. After all, it’s a lot harder to use points and miles for your crepes and concerts than for your flights and hotels!
July 24, 2025
How Repositioning Flights Can Unlock More Award Travel
By Manny Estrada | Published on July 23rd, 2025

You’ve run the search. You picked your home airport, adjusted the filters, checked a few dates, and the results are disappointing. Maybe nothing matches your travel window. Maybe the flights that do show up cost way more points than expected. You refresh, tweak the inputs, try again… and still come up short.

At this point, most travelers assume they’re out of luck. They either settle for something mediocre or give up entirely.

But experienced points travelers know there is another move to make. It doesn’t require changing your destination, switching programs, or altering your travel dates. It starts with one question:

What if the problem isn’t the destination… but where you’re starting from?

This is where repositioning flights come into play. By flying from a different departure city, often just a short domestic hop away, you can unlock far more award space, better itineraries, and lower points pricing. With PointsYeah, spotting these opportunities is easier than ever.

Why Your Home Airport Isn’t Always the Best Starting Point

Award availability is affected by dozens of factors, including partner networks, route demand, time of year, and airline-specific patterns. Even at major hubs like Los Angeles, Dallas–Fort Worth, Chicago, or New york, the flight you want might not show up in your search or it may cost significantly more points.

Meanwhile, another major city like Seattle or Washington D.C. might offer the exact same flight, on the same airline, at a far better redemption rate.

This is what makes repositioning so powerful. Instead of waiting for the perfect award to appear from your home airport, you take a proactive step to fly out of a city with better availability. It only takes a bit of flexibility and the right search tools.

How to Find These Opportunities with PointsYeah

PointsYeah makes this strategy easy with a tool called Daydream Explorer.

Instead of running one airport at a time, you can search by entire departure regions like United States West, United States Northeast, or United States Midwest, all in a single click. It is the fastest way to scan dozens of departure points without opening dozens of tabs or repeating the same search over and over.

Let’s say you’re based in Los Angeles. You run a standard search from LAX and find limited options. But when you search using the United States West region, you suddenly see better availability from cities like San Francisco or Seattle. You add a quick positioning flight, and now the award trip becomes possible.

This approach works across all types of travel. Whether you are flying internationally, booking domestic redemptions, or trying to match a partner program’s sweet spot, starting in the right region can make all the difference.

Washington D.C. to Madrid, Repositioning to New York

Let’s say you’re based in the Washington D.C. area and planning a Thanksgiving trip to Europe. You’re hoping to find a lie-flat business class seat using points, but every flight from D.C. is pricing well above 60,000 points each way. Nothing lines up with your dates, and none of the results feel like a good deal.

So you open Daydream Explorer and switch your departure region to United States Northeast.

That’s when it appears:

New York (JFK) to Madrid (MAD) – 43,000 points + $33

This matches your ideal departure window, and the price is better than anything you saw from D.C.

All it takes to make this trip happen is a short repositioning flight from DCA to JFK. That flight costs just $65 one-way, as shown in Google Flights, and gets you to New York in under 90 minutes.

By adjusting your starting region and adding a quick hop, you’ve gone from overpriced or unavailable options to a perfectly timed, lie-flat seat to Europe, right in time for the holidays.

San Francisco to Tokyo, Repositioning to Seattle

A traveler in San Francisco is planning a trip to Japan in early August. They want to fly in comfort, ideally in business class, but searches from SFO are either too expensive or unavailable on the dates they need.

So they open Daydream Explorer, switch the departure region to United States West, and the picture changes completely.

There it is:

Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) – 60,000 points + $18

Not only does the pricing beat anything found from San Francisco, but it’s on Japan Airlines, known for its exceptional business class experience, with lie-flat seating, elegant service, and a refined in-flight meal program.

To catch the flight, all they need is a quick positioning hop from San Francisco to Seattle. That flight costs just $69, takes just over two hours, and runs frequently.

With one small change to their departure city, they’ve gone from stuck to soaring, landing a high-end seat to Tokyo at a fraction of the points.

How to Use This Strategy the Smart Way
- Use Daydream Explorer’s region filters
  Don’t waste time guessing which airport might have better pricing. Use the regional filters to scan a wide range of departure cities at once. You can search any of the following:
  - United States West
  - United States Northeast
  - United States Midwest
  - United States Southeast
  - United States South
- Set alerts for multiple cities
  You can set up to four free alerts with PointsYeah, and even more if you’re a Premium member. These will notify you when award prices drop or new seats open up, even if it’s not from your home airport.
- Keep positioning simple
  Focus on nonstop or single-hop routes when booking your domestic flight. Use cash or miles, and leave enough time between flights to protect yourself from delays.
- Be flexible on direction
  Sometimes it makes sense to reposition only on the outbound or return leg. You might fly out of Seattle and return directly to your home city, or vice versa.
The Takeaway

Repositioning flights are one of the easiest ways to stretch your points and find better availability. All it takes is a shift in strategy.

Instead of asking, “Where can I go from here?”

Ask, “Where else could I start this trip?”

With tools like Daydream Explorer and flight alerts, PointsYeah makes this kind of flexible searching faster and smarter. You don’t need to live near the perfect airport. You just need to be willing to take one extra step, and the rewards can be huge.

Start exploring more departure regions today on PointsYeah.

A better award flight could be just one airport away.
July 22, 2025
Points in Action: July 2025

At PointsYeah, we believe that travel dreams shouldn’t stay dreams — and our users prove it every day. In this new series, Points in Action, we’re sharing real stories from the PointsYeah community about how smart searches, strategic alerts, and one powerful tool helped make big trips happen.

Tyler “Dublin” His Way Home from Europe

“When flights to Seattle were expensive in July 2025, PointsYeah’s Explorer Alerts found me a 27k American Airlines miles flight from Amsterdam. Then, Price Point Alerts discovered an even better 27.5k Alaska miles flight from Brussels that included a free Dublin stopover. The real win came when another Price Point Alert caught the same Brussels route in business class for just 55k Alaska miles – doubling my miles for a luxury experience home.

Tyler used PointsYeah’s Explorer Alerts and Price Point Alerts to make his trip home from Europe incredibly memorable. The power of the Explorer Alert allowed him to find his original availability before the Price Point Alert yielded even better opportunities. With PointsYeah watching all the programs at once, he didn’t have to manually check every day.

Rahul Jetsetting Across the Globe Through Alliance Partners

“I got an alert for Singapore Airlines nonstop business class Singapore to New York for only about 75k Air Canada points that I was able to book and will be doing later this year. I also booked a first class ticket from Dubai to Bangkok on Qatar Airways for only 50k American Airlines miles.”

Never underestimate the power of the transfer partners. Rahul found an incredible value traveling from Southeast Asia to the US through Air Canada and yet another trip from the Middle East to Southeast Asia through American Airlines. PointsYeah does the work for you, connecting you with the best redemption possible through partners you may not have even thought of.

Laura Bags First Redemption With Live Search

“It was exciting to do a live search for our Switzerland trip and receive an alert that met our criteria. We booked using points for the first time, so we were nervous, but now we are excited to go!”

Everyone remembers their first points and miles redemption and how nervewracking it can be. PointsYeah makes it simple with a straightforward, easy-to-follow search tool that can get you on your way to your next destination.

Your Story Could Be Next

Have you used PointsYeah to book an epic trip, unlock a hidden redemption, or stretch your points further than you thought possible? We want to hear about it!

Send your story to yeah@pointsyeah.com with a photo, your trip details, and how PointsYeah helped. We can’t wait to feature your story in a future edition of Points in Action!

July 21, 2025
How PointsYeah Makes United Airlines Upgrades Way Easier
Upgrades are one of the best ways to turn your miles into luxury, but tracking them on United Airlines can be a hassle. Whether you’re using PlusPoints, miles, or miles with a copay, the process often feels like crossing your fingers and hoping for the best.

Introducing PointsYeah’s United Upgrade Alerts, a Premium-exclusive feature that simplifies the process completely.

What Are United Upgrade Alerts?

United Airlines Upgrade Alerts let you track availability for upgrades from Economy or Premium Economy into Business Class or First on flights operated by United. This includes:
- ✅ Upgrades using PlusPoints
- ✅ Upgrades using miles
- ✅ Upgrades using miles with a copay
- ❌ Codeshare and partner airlines are not included
Whether you’re aiming for a flat-bed seat to Europe or a domestic first class upgrade, PointsYeah watches availability for you and sends an alert as soon as something opens up.

How It Works:

Here’s how simple it is to set an alert:
1. Select Your Route: Choose your departure and destination cities.
2. Pick Your Travel Date or Range: You can monitor a single day or a broader date range.
3. Optional: Enter a specific United flight number if you only want nonstop tracking.
4. Confirm and Track: That’s it. We take care of the monitoring and send you updates.
Each day you track counts as one alert and can set up to 32 active alerts at once.

Scanning Frequency: We start monitoring upgrade availability once per day when your departure is more than a month away. As your travel date approaches, the frequency increases. In the final days before departure, we scan every hour, helping you catch last-minute upgrade openings as soon as they appear.

What Makes This Feature Special?

Unlike other platforms that focus on cash fares or general award space, PointsYeah’s Upgrade Alerts are built specifically for travelers using miles, PlusPoints, or miles and a copay. The feature lets you monitor all United-operated flights between your selected cities, giving you the flexibility to track either a specific flight number or an entire route.

Once your alert is set, we’ll keep an eye on availability for you and send you a notification the moment an upgrade opens up. It’s designed for frequent flyers who value their time and don’t want to miss an opportunity to sit up front.

Premium-Only, and Worth Every Point

United Upgrade Alerts aren’t just useful. They’re powerful, and they’re only available to PointsYeah Premium Members. This feature alone can be worth the upgrade for anyone who flies United regularly or wants to travel more comfortably without wasting time hunting for upgrade space.

But the value doesn’t stop there. Premium gives you access to the full suite of advanced tools designed to help you find better flights, faster, and make the most of every single point you have.

As a Premium member, you’ll also get:
- 32 active flight alerts instead of just 4
- 8-day flexible searches instead for 4 days for both one-way and round-trip itineraries
- Hotel point alerts with up to 15 active alerts
- Tools to sort results by your custom point valuation
- Additional travel features designed to help you book the best deals faster
If you’re serious about maximizing your points and securing the best award flights, Premium is the way to do it.
July 19, 2025
Cardpointers: The app we are using to maximize our points earning strategy

Most Users Save $750+ a Year with Cardpointers

Most travelers are missing out on hundreds of dollars in rewards—not because they lack the right cards, but because they’re using them wrong.

It happens every day:
🕓 Forgetting an expiring credit
🍽️ Using the wrong card at a restaurant
💸 Overlooking a limited-time offer

These slip-ups cost you real value.

CardPointers fixes all of it.
It shows you the right card to use—right when you need it.
Tracks your offers and credits automatically.
So every perk, bonus, and credit actually gets used..

No guesswork. No spreadsheets. No missed points.

Get 30% off → CardPointers.com/PointsYeah

This app is sleek, fast and built to work with you everywhere. Dont believe us? They just won App of the Day from the Apple App Store on July 24th 2025.

CardPointers helps users earn more points everywhere they shop for free. With CardPointers+, most users save $750+ every year — and for a limited time you can save 30% off the normal price.

July 17, 2025
How I am Booking my 2025 Dream Trips using Avianca LifeMiles
By Sarah Cash

When planning to book your next award flight, Avianca LifeMiles may not be the first airline loyalty program that comes to mind. But Colombia’s largest airline program has some quirks that absolutely work in your favor. In that vein, I’ve planned a few dream trips I want to take in the second half of 2025, and they’re all bookable using Avianca LifeMiles.

Key Points:
- Mixed-cabin bookings can significantly reduce award costs by factoring economy airtime into pricing
- Business class flights to Europe from the US start at 69,000 miles each way with low taxes and fees
- Many domestic US flights start at 6,500 miles one-way in economy.
- US to Central America flights can be found under 3,000 miles one way!
- African destinations like Cairo and Kenya offer excellent business class value at 78,000-80,000 miles
- Buy miles during sales at 1.2-1.4 cents per point for maximum value
Getting Started with Avianca LifeMiles

There are a few things you should know about Avianca LifeMiles before we dive in. The easiest way to accumulate LifeMiles would be to transfer points from most US credit card programs, like American Express, Citi and Capital One, to Avianca LifeMiles, especially during a transfer bonus. Avianca also regularly sells its miles at a large discount, often from 1.2 – 1.4 cents per point. If you find a premium cabin ticket for an overseas flight, it may be worth it to buy the miles rather than transferring your hard-earned points. There’s no wrong answer here; simply do the math and see what makes the most sense for you before purchasing your ticket!

The Mixed-Cabin Booking Strategy

Another way to reduce the total cost of an Avianca LifeMiles award booking is to book one leg in economy, and one leg in business class. Essentially, by booking a mixed-cabin ticket- where all the flights are not in the same cabin- you lower the total cost of the ticket because Avianca discounts the award rate by factoring in how much of the airtime is spent in economy. So as long as you’re fine with one leg in economy, this could be a great way to experience premium seats for fewer points.

Stroll through London: Concerts and Business Class

London has incredible concerts and festivals. From Stevie Wonder to Sabrina Carpenter, you can rock out to artists from every genre. And London in particular is a great place to use points and miles, since you have so many options. If you book through LifeMiles, you can fly to London for 69,000 miles in business class each way. While there are cheaper award options out there via Air France/KLM’s Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, the taxes and fees are generally low when you book with Avianca. For example,Virgin Atlantic charges upwards of $585 in taxes for a business class flight to London, while Avianca is charging $46 – $56 for the same route. And if you bought LifeMiles during a sale, this could be a great way to spend fewer miles and taxes.

Domestic US Flights

Avianca LifeMiles is not only a great program to book international flights, but has strong pricing for certain regional and domestic routes as well. For example, I could fly to North Carolina for an upcoming bachelorette party for 10,000 miles in economy one-way. If you wanted to check out Detroit’s evolving art scene, you could also fly there for 10,000 miles one-way. Thankfully, these flights will typically have low fees as well, though Avianca does charge a $25 booking fee, as well as change and cancellation fees. You should also compare these award rates to the cash cost of these tickets to ensure you’re getting the most from your points. Often, I will set a cash limit for what I’m willing to spend on tickets, and if the price rises above that threshold, I’ll book using points as long as it makes sense.

African Adventures: Cairo and Kenya

For Thanksgiving, let’s fly to the impressive new Grand Egyptian Museum, or GEM, in Cairo with views of Giza and the pyramids. You can get to and from Cairo in business class seats for 80,000 LifeMiles each way. But why stop there? From Cairo, you can take a short flight to another country in Africa and return home, all using Avianca LifeMiles. You could hop over to Kenya and go on a safari in the capital of Nairobi, or drive to other Kenyan hotspots like coastal Mombasa or the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve. And your return home comes to a cool 78,000 miles in business class. It really doesn’t get better than that for a premium experience in the sky!

The Bottom Line: Your Multi-Continent Adventure

Let’s pause for a moment and see how we’ve fared. For the first trip to London, your total cost comes to 138k miles for roundtrip business class. Both domestic economy tickets were 20k miles roundtrip, which adds up to 40k miles total. The trip to Cairo and return from Kenya in business class costs 158k miles. That means, for 336k miles, you’ve visited 3 continents, with all overseas flights in business class. And all your domestic flights add up to roughly the cost of one economy ticket to Europe. Not too shabby! The takeaway: when you go to book your next trip, check out Avianca LifeMiles for great award rates for partner flights.

Booking tip

Find the perfect flight on PointsYeah but cant seem to find it on the LifeMiles website? Try adjusting the dropdown menu shown below.

Typically we see this needed when booking partner award flights. The Smart Search will cover most searches but in the rare case you dont see your flight, try manually adjusting this dropdown to the operating carrier you want to fly.
July 15, 2025
Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business
Introducing Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business

Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business, Chase’s first premium travel-focused credit card for businesses, brings the best Sapphire Reserve benefits to business owners who expect hard-working rewards. The card unlocks over $2,500 in annual value, more business and travel value than any other premium business card, including high-value partner services and merchant credits that help owners streamline operations.

Business Travel Reinvented

Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business cardmembers have access to travel and rewards such as:

• 8x points on Chase Travel purchases as well as 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct

• $300 annual travel credit – the most flexible travel credit available

• $120 Global Entry, TSA Precheck or Nexus credit every four years

• $500 annual The Edit credit – Chase Travel’s collection of over 1,100 hand-picked hotels and resorts

• Points Boost, the new points redemption accelerator
- With Points Boost offers, cardmembers’ points will be worth up to 2x on thousands of both top booked hotels and flights with select airlines and hotels through Chase Travel
• Complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status

• Access to the Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club network of airport lounges and entry to over 1,300 lounges with Priority Pass Select. The primary Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business cardmember can also bring two guests per visit.

• The most comprehensive suite of travel protections available through built-in benefits that cover a wider range of travel setbacks than any other card including primary car insurance and trip cancellation

Credits to Keep Businesses Running

The card features additional rewards earned on advertising expenses and annual partner credits on business services, selected to meet the needs of businesses at scale:

• 3x points on advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines

• $400 ZipRecruiter credit to discover new talent

• $200 Google Workspace credit toward AI tools for business

• $100 Giftcards.com credit for flexible employee appreciation

• $300 annually in monthly DoorDash promos and complimentary DashPass membership worth $120 annually

• $120 in annual Lyft in-app credits, up to $10 monthly, plus 5x total points on eligible Lyft rides

Premium Benefits Unlocked

Cardmembers can earn loyalty program status and additional credits with leading travel and shopping brands after spending $120,000 each calendar year:

• IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite Status

• Southwest Airlines A-List Status and a $500 Southwest Airlines credit when booked through Chase Travel

• $500 credit to The Shops at Chase, a new online shopping experience designed exclusively for cardmembers allowing them to shop for brands including Dyson, Sony, Therabody and Tumi, with rotating promotions, using their ultimate rewards points or their card to pay

Sapphire Reserve for Business cardmembers have access to a high spending pay-in-full limit and Flex for Business, a credit line which allows payments over time with interest. There is a $795 annual fee with employee cards at $0, and no foreign transaction fees.

Learn more about the card today!
June 26, 2025