109. Our 2024 Points and Miles Recap—Cards We Opened, Closed, and the Trips We Took
Points Talk with the Travel Mom Squad
Alex, Pam and Jess
4.9 • 734 Ratings
🗓️ 31 December 2024
⏱️ 40 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
As 2024 comes to a close, the Travel Mom Squad is reflecting on an incredible year of points and miles. In this special episode, we’re breaking down the credit cards we opened and closed, the strategies we used to rack up points, and the unforgettable trips we took along the way. If you’re curious how points and miles can transform your travel, this episode is a must-listen!
The Cards That Made 2024 Happen
Jess, Alex, and Pam each opened (and closed) a variety of cards to maximize their points strategies. From Chase Ink cards to the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, the team shares how they targeted cards with elevated welcome offers and leveraged creative strategies to earn millions of points.
Lessons Learned From Closing and Downgrading Cards
A major part of managing a points portfolio is knowing when to say goodbye. The team discusses their approach to closing and downgrading cards, emphasizing the importance of timing to avoid red flags.
A Year of Incredible Travel
From Bora Bora to the Italian Dolomites, 2024 was packed with bucket-list trips. Jess’s travel highlights included following Taylor Swift across the globe, visiting Tokyo, Scotland, and Santorini. Alex took her family on a trip to Amsterdam and London, and Pam reflected on her most cherished moments, from flying Etihad Apartments to enjoying three-generational family getaways. The best part? Nearly all of these adventures were made possible by points and miles.
The Emotional Impact of Points and Miles
Pam ends the episode on a heartfelt note, sharing how compiling her 2024 recap brought her to tears of gratitude. “This is something I never would have been able to do without credit card points and miles,” she says. The team agrees: this hobby is about so much more than just saving money. It’s about creating memories and opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.
Looking Ahead to 2025
The Travel Mom Squad is already planning for another year of unforgettable travel, and this episode is full of inspiration for how you can start planning your own points-powered adventures. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, the lessons and stories shared here will motivate you to dream bigger and travel smarter.
Links:
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Links For All Things Travel Mom Squad: stan.store/travelmomsquad
- How I Got Approved for the Capital One Spark Cash Plus
- How to Get Your Next Vacation for Nearly Free
Episode Minute By Minute:
- 00:30 – Reflecting on an amazing year of points and miles
- 01:15 – Cards opened in 2024 and how they shaped our strategies
- 15:00 – Closing and downgrading cards: Tips and lessons learned
- 25:00 – Highlights from Jess, Alex, and Pam’s 2024 trips
- 35:00 – The emotional impact of creating memories with points and miles
- 38:00 – What’s ahead for 2025 - what’s coming up next on the show!
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | As 2024 comes to an end, we thought you'd like to hear about the cards we opened this year, |
| 0:05.3 | the cards we canceled, and even better the trips we used points of miles for. |
| 0:09.8 | So hold on to your seats. |
| 0:11.2 | 2024 has been a wild ride. |
| 0:14.0 | Welcome to Points Talk with the travel mom squad. |
| 0:16.7 | We are three moms who've discovered how to leverage credit card welcome offers to get hundreds of thousands of dollars of travel expenses for nearly free. |
| 0:25.7 | We've used credit card points of miles to take vacations to places like Hawaii, Paris, Greece, Maldives, Japan, and so much more. |
| 0:33.6 | And the best part, we each still have 800 plus credit scores. |
| 0:39.0 | Imagine being able to take the vacation of your dreams for nearly free. It's totally possible and we're here to show you how. |
| 0:45.3 | Hey, I'm Alex. And I'm Pam, Alex's mom. And I'm Jess. Let's talk points. Today we are talking all |
| 0:53.8 | about 2024 and our adventures on Points and Miles. |
| 0:57.7 | It's been an amazing year with all of our adventures that we've taken. Thanks to Points and Miles, |
| 1:04.6 | never could have done it without them. I have been earning and burning my points and miles on some |
| 1:10.0 | amazing trips this year, as |
| 1:11.6 | have Alex and Pam. |
| 1:12.8 | So we cannot wait to share it all with you. |
| 1:16.1 | We are going to kick it off by talking about the cards that each of us opened, each of us |
| 1:21.9 | and our player two's opened this year. |
| 1:24.9 | So this is just the cards that I and Ted have opened in 2024. So at the beginning of |
| 1:32.2 | 24, we were riding the ink train. And so we both got the Chase Inc. Cash. I got a Chase Inc. |
| 1:41.4 | preferred. And then Ted got a Chase Sapphire preferred. So this is his second |
| 1:47.9 | time having that card. You can get that one every 48 months in between welcome offers. And so |
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