If you've been eyeing one of Hyatt's newer Mexico resorts and wondering whether it's actually worth your points, you're not alone.

I'm joined this week by Michele from Fancy Travel Pointers, and the two of us have both separately stayed at Park Hyatt Los Cabos at Cabo del Sol and Alila Mayakoba within the last six months. Instead of each doing a solo review, we decided to sit down and compare notes, since we booked, stayed, and experienced both properties independently and didn't come away agreeing on everything.

We walk through exactly how we each booked these stays in points, what room categories and upgrades we landed, and how the two resorts stack up on rooms, pools, dining, and service. I talk about the exceptional pool service and an unexpected ear-piercing emergency at Park Hyatt Cabo, and Michele shares why the lagoon side sold her on Alila Mayakoba over the beach. We also get into the dining misses at both properties, whether either one has a kids' club, and how Hyatt's newly changed award chart is reshaping whether a category 8 redemption like Park Hyatt Cabo still makes sense going forward. Michele also weighs in on how both properties compare to the neighboring Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, long considered the pinnacle points redemption in the area.

Whether you've got one of these resorts on your wish list or you're just trying to figure out where your Hyatt points go furthest right now, this conversation should help you decide.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/park-hyatt-cabo-vs-alila-mayakoba

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

Have you ever transferred miles into a program and then realized you only ever use it to book the same handful of flights everyone else does?

Air Canada Aeroplan might be the most useful airline program that US travelers consistently overlook, and after this conversation I think you'll see why so many experienced points and miles enthusiasts treat it as a core part of their strategy. Today I'm talking with Anshul Singh of Points, Miles, and Bling, who has spent years inside the Aeroplan ecosystem and has used it to book everything from business class to Europe to trips most people never imagine points can unlock.

Anshul and I get into why Aeroplan hits a rare balance between being easy to use and deep enough to reward the people who dig in, and why its network of close to 50 airline partners is where the real opportunity lives. Listen as we talk about the overlooked partner bookings most travelers walk right past, like Brussels Airlines business class out of Washington Dulles and Emirates and Air Mauritius routes you would never expect through a Star Alliance program, how Aeroplan's stopover rules let you build a single ticket that visits more than one place, and the Hotel Savers chart that points airline miles at high-end hotels like Six Senses and Fairmont.

We also cover the smart way to think about buying Aeroplan points around a promotion, and my favorite part of the whole conversation, how the same program that flies you to Europe can take you to see polar bears in Churchill, the northern lights over the Canadian Arctic, and whale pods up and down both coasts. Whether you're brand new to Aeroplan or you've transferred miles into it before and never looked past the obvious flights, this episode will change how you see the whole program.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/air-canada-aeroplan-strategy

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

If you've ever looked at United Polaris business class prices and thought they were completely out of reach, you're not alone. They can be outrageously expensive to book whether you're eyeing paying cash or points.

But what if there was a third path - something between paying full cash for a premium ticket and redeeming a massive amount of miles outright? Miguel Rueda, from the Let's Get to the Points podcast, shares about a strategy within the United loyalty program that most travelers either don't know about or completely overlook. It's called a Mileage Plus Upgrade Award, and understanding how it works fundamentally changes what's possible when you're flexible with dates and routes.

Miguel and I discuss what these awards actually are, how they differ from traditional award bookings, what PZ space means and why it matters for this strategy, and how to search for and confirm these upgrades. We walk through the specific mechanics of how this works, the tools you'll need, how to enable expert mode on United's platform, and the step-by-step booking process. We also explore when this strategy offers exceptional value and which routes and regions consistently show the strongest availability for premium cabin seats.

Whether you have United miles, transferable points you can move into United, or just a willingness to mix a little cash with your miles, this episode reveals how multiple Polaris seats can be available on a single flight—a game-changer for families and groups that have struggled to find premium cabin availability elsewhere.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/united-mileageplus-upgrade-awards

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

Have you considered London as your next award travel destination but weren't sure where to start?

London is one of the most accessible and rewarding destinations for both beginner and experienced award travelers, but it comes with unique challenges that most people don't anticipate. The city's accessibility makes it ideal for your first international points trip, yet the mechanics of award pricing, taxes and fees, and hotel value require strategy to maximize your redemptions.

Today I'm talking with Hunter Threadgill, known in the points and miles community as The Professor of Points. Hunter holds a PhD in psychology and applies a scientific approach to points optimization. We dive deep into why London deserves a place on your award travel radar, the surprising barriers that catch most travelers off guard, and the specific strategies that separate good bookings from great ones. We cover everything from navigating the UK's APD taxes to discovering lesser-known award programs that offer exceptional value, hotel redemption decisions for city stays, and even the psychology behind how we earn and use our points.

Whether you're planning your first international points trip or you're a seasoned traveler looking to master London specifically, this conversation changes how you think about award travel strategy.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/award-travel-london-strategy-guide

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

Most travelers think booking a flight is the finish line. They hit purchase and consider the deal done.

Sam Hollander knew something they didn't: the booking is actually just the beginning. When domestic airlines permanently removed change fees during the pandemic, they accidentally created an enormous opportunity for travelers to save money after they've already booked their flights and hotels. Sam founded Autopilot, a platform to help solve the problem most travelers face: they don't have the time or energy to manually monitor prices and rebook when fares drop, even though they legally can.

Sam and I dive into how airline repricing actually works, which flights are most likely to drop in price (spoiler: premium cabins and international routes), the pricing data he's uncovered after tracking millions of travel reservations, and how the timing of your booking impacts your repricing potential. We also explore the psychology of booking early versus waiting for a better deal, the practical features Autopilot offers for different types of travelers, and why the post-booking experience is where the real travel optimization opportunity lives.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/autopilot-flight-price-tracking

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

Have you ever wondered why Capital One's approval decisions feel completely random - approval for some, denial for others, with almost no rhyme or reason?

Capital One has a well-earned reputation for being unpredictable with credit card approvals. When Katie from Katie's Travel Tricks saw the launch of the new Capital One Business Venture card, she decided to move beyond anecdotes and collect real data. She surveyed her audience about their approval and denial experiences, gathered nearly 150 responses, and analyzed the patterns using data to answer the questions everyone has been asking: what actually matters to Capital One?

Katie and I break down what her data revealed about the three strongest approval predictors, why the conventional wisdom about waiting six months between Capital One applications might not be accurate, which metrics matter (credit score, hard inquiries, pre-approval status) and which ones surprisingly don't, and how business structure (sole proprietor versus LLC) impacts your approval chances. We also discuss what role the Capital One Business Venture Card plays in your overall rewards strategy and how to think about it within the larger Capital One ecosystem.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/capital-one-approvals-data

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

Have you heard about the quiet Chase promotion that could be one of the biggest points-earning opportunities we've seen in years?

In May 2026, Chase launched a promotion through the digital payment platform Paze that allows cardholders to earn 10 times Chase Ultimate Rewards points on eligible transactions—and up to 14 times on certain cards through the end of 2026. Dr. Michelle Walther and I discuss why we were initially skeptical of this opportunity and why we've become convinced it could be genuinely significant for points enthusiasts.

Michelle and I break down how the Paze platform works, which Chase personal cards are eligible, what merchants currently accept Paze, and the surprising opportunities we've already discovered to maximize this promotion. We share the real purchases we've tested, the points we've already earned, the glitches we've encountered, and the stacking strategies that could generate enormous numbers of Chase points over the next seven months. We also discuss everything from Disney gift cards to DoorDash to gift card retailers like Newegg that make this promotion far more valuable than the merchant list initially suggests.

Download your Paze Troubleshooting guide: https://points.pointmetofirstclass.com/170-paze-guide

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/chase-paze-promotion

Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of!

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

Have you ever fallen so in love with a city that you started seriously considering moving there?

That's exactly what happened to us in Kyoto. In part two of our Japan spring break trip recap, my husband Brandon and I continue our family travel story as we settle into five nights at the Park Hyatt Kyoto, a property so beautiful that I can confidently say it's the most stunning hotel I've experienced anywhere in the world. Brandon and I share our honest take on each Kyoto activity we did as a family, from the interactive art experience at Team Labs that became our trip highlight to the Nintendo Museum visit that had Brandon rethinking our packing strategy, to discovering that the famous bamboo forest came with far more crowds than we expected.

We also talk about the incredible food we ate that genuinely made us fantasize about relocating permanently, the travel decision I made for our journey home that turned into a stressful mistake, and the full accounting of what this entire nine-day trip actually cost. Listen as I break down every flight and hotel so you can see the real investment required to make this happen for a family of four.

Get full show notes and transcript: https://pointmetofirstclass.com/japan-family-trip-recap-part-2

Want to shape the show? Take the Point Me To First Class listener survey and share what you love and want more of!

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