✈️ Upgrade, downgrade, or ditch? Master Your Credit Card Moves

Good morning ☀️ from Booked It On Points: A curated collection of travel tips and personal stories by me, Allie→ because you’re meant to experience meaningful travel no matter life’s constraints 👊🏽

Let’s dive in.

Here’s what’s on today—

📉 This flight is 30+ hours of pure luxury. Japan Air has one of the premier business class offerings. Combine that with exclusive lounge access and I would make this my entire trip. Who even needs the actual time in Hong Kong? I’ll take the flight alone as my vacation.

✈︎ Points + Miles

TOP STORY: There’s a method to the Credit Card madness

I used to think a credit card would bind me to it. Or, I would cancel it in the end and move on. Over the years, I've learned there's a strategy to managing your cards. It involves upgrading, downgrading, or canceling them. The trick is knowing when to make the right move.

So, when’s the right time to downgrade?

Here’s my rule of thumb: If a card's benefits don't match your needs, consider downgrading. You aren't flying as much or using the luxury perks. This can save you money on annual fees and keep your credit intact.

But what about an upgrade?

That’s a fun one. I remember getting an offer to upgrade one of my cards to a premium version. It had better rewards. After some math, I found I'd get more value in perks and points than the extra fee cost. If you're using your card for big purchases or frequent travel, upgrade, it can unlock better rewards and perks that enhance your experience. Make sure it aligns with your spending habits.

Now, the hardest one: cancel?

This one requires a little more thought. I've only canceled cards when I wasn't using them. They had no benefits to switch to, like downgrading. Be careful with canceling. It can hurt your credit score. It will shorten your credit history and lower your available credit. I usually cancel a card only if it has high fees and I can't downgrade it. Or, if I've replaced it with something better. And if you do cancel, try to do it with cards that have lower credit limits, so the impact on your credit isn’t as big.

At the end of the day, managing your credit cards is all about making them work for you, not the other way around. Whether to level up, slim down, or ditch a card, you must know its value. Does it still suit your lifestyle?

✈︎ Life Beyond The Grind

Building a business is 1 step forward, 3 steps backwards

If you’re here, you may know that my husband, Geo and I started a business earlier this year. I write the word “business,” but it still feels like we’re playing around and having some fun. Well, fun, until we have bills to pay, and then things feel less fun.

There is one purpose to this venture→ To create a life on our terms. For us, that means living abroad and enrolling our kids in a world school program.

I’ve never started a business, and so I’m not convinced that that’s what’s actually happening here. But we are making some money, so perhaps we have in fact started a business!

Some money is better than nothing, but we are still a ways away from making enough to support our family.

Funny story: this week we had a brief moment, patting ourselves on the back for a (very) small win→ a win that brought in $200 for us. Not 5 minutes later, an invoice popped up in my email:

And we were slapped back into reality.

Have you ever done something completely new and different?

I experienced this when I became a mom for the first time. Nothing like bringing new life into this world to realize how unqualified you are.

And neither is this path. So here we are, I hope you stay tuned, because we’re moving forward and will have a lot to share about the finances, logistics and our emotional state at any given time.

Hit reply, tell me your story! I’m in no position to judge, in fact, I could use some words of wisdom, one way or another 😃 

✈︎ Travel News

The rise in gate-checking a bag

More and more airlines like Delta, Southwest, and United are increasingly asking passengers to gate check their carry-on bags. This, in fact happened to me on my last flight with Alaska Airlines. Both my brother and I opted to gate check it and guess what- my bag made it and his did not!

This happens even when there appears to be plenty of overhead bin space once passengers board, which in fact was the case on our fight- tons of overhead space. The trend is causing frustration among travelers, as they often feel the decision to gate-check is unnecessary. So what gives, is it just too difficult to predict what the needs will be regarding overhead bin space? Or are more avoiding the rising cost to check a bag and opting for a carry on? Either way, it’s creating a lot of stress to all airline passengers.

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If you’ve made it this far, that is pretty special for me, thank you and enjoy the rest of your day!

-Allie