An easy way to know if your award redemption is a good one

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Good morning ☀️ from Booked It On Points: A curated collection to keep you traveling for less money and more know how 👊🏽

Let’s dive in.

Here’s what’s on today—

📉Today I used Roame.travel SkyView feature to search from JFK to Asia and I found a beauty of a flight. New York to Vietnam in BUSINESS class is great example of how to utilize points for flights you would normally never purchase in cash.This flight is on Japan Airlines which represents luxury all the way so for 70k and $15 in taxes, you get almost 20 hours in a lie flat seat, with multi- course meals, warm towels on demand and nothing but restful skies ahead.

✈︎ Points + Miles

TOP STORY: How to know if it’s worth your points or cash

A point redemption is when you use credit card points + miles as your currency to purchase whatever it is you’re purchasing, such as a flight or hotel. A question I get asked often is, “how do I know if ‘it’s a good deal?”

My favorite rule for any redemption is that it’s worth it if it’s affording you to travel. But, for those who like math→ it’s not so hard! Simply plug in your numbers here:

Example: this is from today’s ✈︎ Flight Deal:

So, how do I know if it’s good? The general rule is:

You may be thinking “I’d never spend $3k on a flight in the first place!” It’s an age old points + miles debate. To spend points on otherwise ridiculously expensive first class seats is a pretty incredible way to experience something you may otherwise never get to experience but you can find just as much value in economy as well.

Bottom line is→ we’re using points + miles to keep more cash in our pockets and experiencing travel when we otherwise wouldn’t be able to make it happen.

✈︎ Life Beyond the Grind (thanks to everyone who voted on the title last week!)

What we’re giving up to make space to move forward

Last week we announced that we’re in a major state of transition and this week we had a lot of fun playing around in DC. But here’s the backstory:

My husband Geo has owned and operated Crossfit gyms for over 15 years and after many, many months he made the difficult decision to sell it earlier this year. It’s emotional to say the least, but we’re filled with gratitude for what he was able to build and for the opportunity to start anew.

Allie here, and I’ve been an RN for almost as long. Earlier this year I stepped away from bedside nursing to dive deep into this venture of Booked It On Points as well as provide more for our family on the home front.

We’re taking on a lot of risk, but we’re following what we know to be our family priority: quality time together. We’re pushing to create a life outside of the US, enrolling our kids in a world schooling opportunity, and creating intentional change to build closer bonds with each other.

To put the risk in perspective we have made a total of $500 this month. A far cry from what we need to cover our expenses. We will be putting together a detailed finical breakdown of how the business is doing each month. Stay tuned.

It’s not for everyone but it is our way of living intentionally. More on where we’re moving and our plans for the kids in the coming weeks.

✈︎ Travel News

Travel strikes→ they’re here and they’re no joke

Europe is infamous for air, bus and train strikes throughout the summer and fall especially. There isn’t much worse than being caught in the middle and stranded with no options. So before you head out on your highly anticipated European adventure, be sure to check on what are the already scheduled strikes.

U.S citizens will begin to pay to visit starting in new year

Beginning in January, all US citizens will need to apply for the electronic travel authorization (ETA) prior to travel to the UK. It takes little time and won’t break the bank ($13/person), but don’t omit this new requirement. Otherwise you’ll certainly have an unexpected kink in your travel plans.

United to have free internet aboard all planes using Starlink connection

United will soon join the rankings of offering free internet service aboard all planes beginning in 2025. This will be provided by Elon Musk’s Starlink connection and be available free of charge to passengers. United joins both Delta and JetBlue with free internet offerings, leaving us passengers finally able to be connected during the flight without a ridiculous upcharge.

✈︎ Poll

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Thanks for being here and have a great Tuesday!

Allie