Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
Episode Summary:
Stop Wasting Time (and Miles): Points vs. Cash Tools for Easier Booking
Hosts: Sally French and Meghan Coyle
Guest: Julian Keel (Founder of PointsPath)
Date: October 1, 2025
Overview
This episode dives into the challenges and strategies around maximizing value when booking travel with points, miles, or cash. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle are joined by Julian Keel, founder of PointsPath, a browser extension designed to make points-vs-cash decisions effortless. The discussion covers:
- The latest travel news (credit card offers, European entry changes, Spirit Airlines update)
- How to get the smartest redemptions with points vs cash
- What makes PointsPath unique and how it works
- Best practices for using points, avoiding common traps, and upcoming trends
- Additional tips for optimizing travel rewards
Travel News & Updates
Marriott Credit Card Offers (02:18–03:11)
- Limited-time sign-up bonuses:
- Boundless Card: 125,000 bonus points + free night (up to 50k points), after $3k spend in 3 months.
- Bold Card: 60,000 bonus points after $1k spend in 3 months, no annual fee.
- Sally: "You are looking at potentially 175,000 points worth of value and that could easily cover several nights at some Marriott properties." (02:56)
EU Entry/Exit System (EES) Launch (03:11–04:46)
- From Oct 12, US travelers entering/leaving Europe will have fingerprints and a facial scan taken; stamps are phased out.
- Full rollout by April 2026.
- Sally: “If you refuse to have your fingerprints taken or your face being scanned, you will be denied entry. There are no exceptions to this.” (04:46)
- Megan: “The worst part of all this news, at least for me, is is that there are no more passport stamps. It's all digital now.” (03:55)
Spirit Airlines Free Checked Bags for Cardholders (05:20–06:27)
- Free Spirit Travel More Mastercard gives two free checked bags for cardholders (not companions).
- Spirit filed for bankruptcy earlier in the year.
- Meghan: "Spirit's baggage fees can add up really fast…have a backup plan if you still have booked a Spirit flight." (06:06)
Spotlight: PointsPath
Interview with Julian Keel, Founder
(Starts ~07:27)
What is PointsPath? (08:32–09:50)
- Julian: "People can't figure out how to find flights to use their miles on. And then even when they do, they can't figure out if they're getting a good deal or not…And that is the problem that PointsPath is trying to solve. And trying to solve it in just a few seconds." (08:32)
- Browser extension for Chrome, Safari, Edge.
- Overlays points prices (live, across multiple rewards programs) directly on Google Flights search results and tells you instantly if cash or points is the better deal.
- Free version covers many use cases; premium adds tracking, more airlines, calendars, etc.
How Does it Work? (09:50–11:49)
- Julian: "It works the exact same way that it works for you...we can send all those requests at the same time, get all the information back at the same time, and display it all at the same time…at most, after Google has given you your cash prices, you're starting to see points prices. And usually you have all of them within, I'd say, six or seven seconds at most." (11:49)
Memorable Moment:
Sally: “My anxiety of whether or not I've gotten a good deal on points has been significantly reduced ever since I downloaded it.” (06:57)
Award Travel Strategy, Tools, & Tips
Finding Award Space & Filtering (14:34–17:58)
- Dynamic award pricing means more seats can be booked with points (but not always at great value).
- PointsPath leverages Google Flights’ robust filters (e.g., duration, direct flights) and shows non-obvious partner options, e.g., using Alaska miles to book American flights.
- Julian: “With PointsPath…you can use all the usual Google flights filters and sorts…so it really does then show you the Flights you would actually want to take and get rid of the rest.” (15:33)
- Clicking a “little i” under points amounts in the extension shows all possible transfer partners and live transfer bonuses.
Example: Complex Bookings via Partners (16:47)
- Sally: “I’m actually going to Europe this fall…and we are flying into Turkey on Turkish Airlines, but we booked it using Avianca Life miles. And then I actually don’t have any Avianca Life miles. I had to transfer them from a Capital One card. So it’s like this giant dance.” (16:47)
Other Points & Miles Tools (18:10–19:25)
- AwardWallet for tracking balances and expirations.
- PointMe for comprehensive search.
- Seats.Aero for partner and international redemptions.
- Julian: “I always like to say about all my competitors, I think they're great, and I use them myself…PointsPath is really aimed more for a beginner.” (19:15)
Why Not Hoard Points?
- Sally: "It is never worth sitting on that many points. Because at NerdWallet, we say that points lose their value. We're all very familiar with real inflation out there in the real world. I think points inflation can sometimes be worse." (19:25)
- Julian: “Earn and burn is the saying when it comes to points, they do not become more valuable over time; they only become less valuable…Be earning more, use your points while they still have value.” (20:05)
Future of Points, Miles, and Premium Credit Cards
Trends & Devaluation (20:46–23:42)
- More premium cards, higher annual fees, more perks—this trend will continue as travelers seek elevated experiences.
- Julian: “I would be surprised if it doesn't happen in the next three to four years. I think as long as people are asking for those premium experiences and willing to pay for them, the issuers are simply going to keep providing what the market wants.” (23:42)
- Power users (frequent travelers) can make premium fees worth it, but don’t overextend across too many premium cards.
Accessibility Concerns
- Perks and access are becoming more exclusive, but tools like PointsPath aim to make savvy travel accessible regardless of budget or expertise.
Pro Tips and Common Traps
Don’t Overvalue Your Miles at the Expense of Convenience
- Julian: "Points pros…get so obsessed with the value of their miles that they're willing to do an inconvenient trip…What's the value of your time? What's the value of your comfort? It's okay to get a little less value for your points if it means a more efficient trip." (23:54)
- Wait for truly outsized value; sometimes cash is a smarter choice.
Award Booking Platforms—Some Are Terrible
- Aggregators like PointsPath can bypass clunky airline websites and uncover more options efficiently.
Julian’s Rapid Fire Round
(26:01–32:41)
- Favorite underrated transfer partner?
"Don't sleep on Alaska miles. There is some really amazing values there." (26:12) - Best redemption recently?
Booking transatlantic Condor business class with Alaska miles for 45k points each way. - If given 100,000 points, which program?
“Chase Ultimate Rewards is still a really strong program…but if I had to pick one program, it'd probably be Bilt.” (27:44) - Are you a renter?
“I am not a renter.” (28:34) - On Bilt points’ value for homeowners:
Bilt Neighborhood Benefits allows anyone to earn points by registering their own credit/debit cards and shopping at Bilt partners. - Top trending destination for 2026?
"Hawaii is very popular coming into the holiday...Caribbean destinations have ticked up a bit...Prices to Spain (Barcelona & Madrid) are down year over year." (30:09) - Award travel myth to kill:
“There is no specific day of the week that will get you a better deal…Airfares change by the minute, by the second.” (30:42) - Timing for booking with points:
Best opportunities often arise when schedules first open (330–360 days ahead) and last minute before departure. (31:56) - Last-minute cash vs. points:
Last-minute cash fares go up (business travelers), but last-minute points deals can be excellent since airlines want to fill empty seats. (32:41)
Closing Thoughts & Takeaways
- Tools like PointsPath make points vs. cash decisions quick and accessible, reducing research stress for every traveler.
- Do not hoard points—spend them systematically for outsized value.
- Focus on comfort and personal value, not just mathematical “best value.”
- Stay aware of ongoing program changes and upcoming travel trends.
Notable Quotes
- Julian Keel: “Earn and burn is the saying when it comes to points, they do not become more valuable over time; they only become less valuable.” (20:05)
- Sally French: “It is never worth sitting on that many points. At NerdWallet, we say that points lose their value...points inflation can sometimes be worse.” (19:25)
- Julian Keel: “With PointsPath…you can use all the usual Google flights filters and sorts…so it really does then show you the Flights you would actually want to take and get rid of the rest.” (15:33)
- Julian Keel: “There is no specific day of the week that will get you a better deal, either with points or dollars, for buying your ticket.” (30:42)
Key Timestamps
- 02:18 – Marriott credit card deals
- 03:17 – EU new border entry (EES)
- 05:20 – Spirit Airlines credit card baggage perk
- 07:27 – Intro to PointsPath & interview
- 08:32 – What is PointsPath?
- 14:34 – Finding award availability
- 18:10 – Other points/miles tools
- 20:05 – Why not to hoard points
- 20:46 – Industry trends & premium cards
- 26:01 – Rapid fire with Julian Keel
- 31:56 – Points booking timing
- 33:00 – Episode wrap-up
This episode is packed with actionable advice and industry insights, whether you’re a travel points beginner or an advanced optimizer. The recurring message: Don’t overcomplicate your travel rewards—use the right tools, spend your points wisely, and put your comfort first.