by Cherry | Senior Travel Editor, The Miles Academy | Jan 20, 2026 | Maximizing Points and Miles
Wedding expenses come in waves. Deposits stack. Due dates sneak up. Vendors all want money on their timeline, not yours. A card can help you stay organized, earn rewards, and keep a backup plan if a vendor drops the ball, but only if you use it with a system. Build A...
by Cherry | Senior Travel Editor, The Miles Academy | Jan 20, 2026 | Maximizing Points and Miles, Travel Guides
January is when travel plans either become bookings or turn into a soft promise that fades by spring. If you want a trip to happen this year, now is the moment to make a few smart decisions that protect your time, your money, and your energy. Early in the year, you...
by Cherry | Senior Travel Editor, The Miles Academy | Jan 20, 2026 | Maximizing Points and Miles
Low spending does not kick you out of the points-and-miles game. It just means we win with planning instead of volume. We have watched plenty of low spenders cut flight and hotel costs with points, even when their monthly “put it on a card” budget looks modest. If you...
by Cherry | Senior Travel Editor, The Miles Academy | Jan 20, 2026 | Maximizing Points and Miles
Interest is the quiet fee that makes every trip harder to afford. We have watched people stack points, plan dream routes, then hand back more money in interest than they ever got in travel value. If you want your rewards strategy to work, keeping interest off your...
by Cherry | Senior Travel Editor, The Miles Academy | Dec 24, 2025 | Maximizing Points and Miles
At TheMilesAcademy, people ask us the same thing all the time. Should you pay cash for a hotel stay, or should you redeem points? This used to be simpler. Now, many hotel loyalty programs price award nights closer to the cash rate, and rates can jump around based on...
by Cherry | Senior Travel Editor, The Miles Academy | Dec 23, 2025 | Maximizing Points and Miles
A lot of travelers say they would happily give up things like fast food, coffee, or alcohol for a whole year if it meant they could take their dream trip. At the same time, many of those same people have hotel, airline, and other travel points just sitting in their...
