Points Too Paradise

Megan Lanford
  • 4.0 (16)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Points Too Paradise, the podcast that shows you how to turn your everyday spending into unforgettable vacations—all using credit card points and travel rewards! Hosted by Megan Lanford, a travel points expert and mom who went from barely affording one vacation a year to taking six+ luxury trips annually—saving over $20,000 a year on travel. In each episode, you’ll get insider travel tips, credit card strategies, and real-life redemption hacks to help you: -Earn free flights and hotel stays with points & miles - Find the best travel credit cards for your lifestyle - Unlock first-class upgrades & VIP experiences - Plan bucket-list trips without breaking the bank Whether you’re a total beginner or a seasoned points pro, Points Too Paradise will teach you how to maximize your rewards, travel more, and spend less. Ready to start booking your dream vacations for (nearly) free? Subscribe now and let’s turn your points into paradise!

  1. 8h ago

    How to Erase Travel Purchases With Your Capital One Points (Hotels, Airbnbs, Cruises & More)

    Got a travel purchase that can't normally be covered by points? In this episode, I'm breaking down how to use Capital One's Purchase Eraser feature to wipe out charges that code as travel, which covers way more than just flights and hotels. In this episode: What "Purchase Eraser" is and how it works with Capital One milesWhich purchases qualify as travel (the coding matters more than people think)Erasing charges from luxury hotels and resortsUsing it for Airbnb and VRBO staysHow it applies to cruise bookingsYes, even Disney tickets can qualifyTours and guided experiences on tripsResources: The Travel Points Lounge — birthday sale details insideFollow along in InstagramCapital One Venture Link

  2. Sep 15

    Deep Dive on Capital One Venture

    Capital One just bumped up the welcome offer on the Venture Rewards card, and it's worth stopping to talk about. In this episode I'm walking through exactly what the current offer looks like, why it's better than what's been out there most of the year, and the part people usually skip what you actually do with the miles and the travel credit once you have them. What's Covered The current offer, in plain terms: 75,000 bonus miles after $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, plus a $300 Capital One Travel credit for hotel and vacation rental bookings, upon approval. $95 annual fee, no foreign transaction fees.Why this counts as "elevated": the $300 credit is new on top of the standard 75,000-mile bonus, and it's the best this card's welcome offer has looked in months.The fine print people miss on that $300 credit: it's stays-only (hotels and vacation rentals through Capital One Travel, no flights, no rental cars), it expires one year from account opening, it doesn't renew, and you don't earn miles on the portion of a booking it covers.Two ways to use the 75,000 miles: redeem at a flat 1 cent per mile to erase travel purchases on your statement, or transfer to one of Capital One's airline and hotel partners for potentially more value per mile.Who this offer actually makes sense for: what to think about before applying, including the $4,000 spend requirement and Capital One's eligibility rule. Resources Mentioned Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardFollow Megan on Instragram @pointstooparadise

  3. Sep 8

    How to Book a Trip on Points Last Minute

    Thirteen days out, no plan, and we still made it to Lake Tahoe using points. In this episode I walk through exactly how I pulled off a last-minute trip: finding hotel availability with MaxMyPoint, why I booked one-way flights on two different airlines instead of a round trip, and how I thought about timing to get the best redemptions when I didn't have months to plan ahead. What's in this episode How I used MaxMyPoint to search hotel award availability, instead of checking each hotel's site one by oneWhat I was actually looking for when I searched availability, dates, room types, and how far I was willing to be flexibleWhy I booked one-way flights instead of a round trip, and how flying two different airlines actually got us better flights and better use of pointsHow I decided which loyalty program to redeem from for each leg of the tripWhat last-minute redemptions look like compared to booking months out and where I still found good valueResources: Join the Travel Points Lounge Follow along on Instagram to see our lake Tahoe trip!

  4. Sep 1

    Delta Deep Dive and the Elevated Offers Happening Right Now

    Delta and Amex just dropped their biggest welcome offers ever and they're only around until November 4. In this episode, I'm breaking down every elevated offer across the Delta card lineup, which card actually fits your travel style (because the "best" card is not the same for everyone), and the benefit most cardholders don't even know they have: 15% off every award flight you book with miles. Plus, I'm sharing exactly how I catch Delta flash sales and how stacking a flash sale with your cardholder discount can turn a good deal into an unbelievable one. In this episode I'm breaking down the new elevated Delta Amex offers, card by card including the record 200,000-mile offer on the business side Resources Mentioned: Delta SkyMiles Blue Delta SkyMiles Gold Delta SkyMiles Platinum Delta SkyMiles Reserve Delta SkyMiles Gold Business Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business

  5. Aug 25

    Should You Open an Account With Every Airline? How to Be Ready for the Next Flight Deal

    A student in the Lounge asked me a question this week "Do I need to open an account with every airline? Air France, JAL, Iberia... all of them?" Short answer: yes. And in this episode I explain why. Here's the thing about flight deals. They show up, and then they're gone. Sometimes in hours. And some of the best redemptions run through airline partners that won't let you transfer points in until your account has been open for a while. If you find the deal on Tuesday and open the account on Tuesday, you've already lost it. So, we talk about: Why having your airline accounts set up ahead of time is the difference between booking the deal and watching it pass you byWhich programs have waiting periods or other hoops you need to clear before points can landWhy I don't keep all my points in one place, and how spreading across a few card ecosystems gives you more ways to reach the same flightA simple way to get this done in one afternoon so you're ready the next time a deal popsIf you've ever seen someone post a wild business class deal and thought "how did they book that so fast," this is how. It wasn't luck. They'd already done the setup. Come join us in the Travel Points Lounge and I'll help you build this skill so you're the one booking the deal next time. Join the Travel Points Lounge

  6. Aug 18

    Dollywood & Gatlinburg on Points: Our Full Family Trip Recap (Flights, Resort & Park Tickets)

    We just got back from the Smoky Mountains and I'm taking you along for the whole thing. In this episode, I'm walking you through exactly how we booked our family trip to Dollywood and Gatlinburg, Tennessee: the resort, the flights, the rental car, and yes even how we handled park tickets. If you've ever wondered what a real points trip looks like from start to finish In this episode, I cover: How we booked our resort [which points/card, how many points, what it would have cost in cash]The flight strategy [airline, points currency, routing from ABQ]Rental CarOur favorite spots in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, where we ate, what we skippedA full day at Dollywood The takeaway: You don't need a huge income or complicated strategy to make trips like this happen. You need a system and the willingness to say yes. Links & Resources: Ready to book your own points trip? Join us inside the Travel Points Lounge Follow along → @pointstooparadiseCapital One Venture X Card

  7. Aug 11

    Deep Dive into America Airlines & Recent Changes

    American Airlines quietly made some changes without warning that you might want to know about. Tune in to hear how to earn points for AA, best ways to book flights, get upgrades, book on partner airlines and more. If you want to diversify your points, live near an AA hub or just want more flight options this is a good one. Resources: Travel Points Lounge: Travel Points Lounge | Points Too Paradise Best Credit Card Offers: Best Offers for Points Too Paradise Follow Megan on IG: Megan | Credit Card Points For Almost Free Travel (@pointstooparadise) • Instagram photos and videos

  8. Aug 4

    The $423 Europe Trip: Exactly How Matt Flew His Family of Five Across the Atlantic

    Five plane tickets to Europe. $423 total out of pocket. In this episode, I'm walking you through his entire trip, step by step and how we booked it. In this episode: Where they started (spoiler: probably right where you are now)Transfer partners behind the tripHis points stash and what points we usedResources: Webinar: https://event.webinarjam.com/g8oq9z/register/209ox6sl?webinar_id=2 Best Credit Card Offers: Points Too Paradise Top Offers Travel Points Lounge: Travel Points Lounge | Points Too Paradise

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About

Welcome to Points Too Paradise, the podcast that shows you how to turn your everyday spending into unforgettable vacations—all using credit card points and travel rewards! Hosted by Megan Lanford, a travel points expert and mom who went from barely affording one vacation a year to taking six+ luxury trips annually—saving over $20,000 a year on travel. In each episode, you’ll get insider travel tips, credit card strategies, and real-life redemption hacks to help you: -Earn free flights and hotel stays with points & miles - Find the best travel credit cards for your lifestyle - Unlock first-class upgrades & VIP experiences - Plan bucket-list trips without breaking the bank Whether you’re a total beginner or a seasoned points pro, Points Too Paradise will teach you how to maximize your rewards, travel more, and spend less. Ready to start booking your dream vacations for (nearly) free? Subscribe now and let’s turn your points into paradise!

Information

  • Creator
    Megan Lanford
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    131
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Points Too Paradise 2024
  • Show Website
    Points Too Paradise

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