Podcast Summary: "What Would You Do for a Million Miles? The Extreme Points Play from Ashley Gets Around"

Podcast: Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
Hosts: Sally French & Meagan Coyle (NerdWallet Travel)
Guest: Ashley Peterson (Ashley Gets Around)
Air Date: January 28, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the world of extreme travel hacking, focusing on how Ashley Peterson, founder of Ashley Gets Around, completed a whirlwind global journey to win 1 million Turkish Airlines miles. The hosts and their guest explore strategies for earning and redeeming travel points and miles, discuss recent credit card and travel industry updates, and offer practical advice for aspiring points collectors, both casual and passionate.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Travel News and Strategies (00:56–18:00)

• Winter Flight Disruption Strategies (01:10–06:34)

  • Meagan shares her personal experience rerouting due to a major winter storm and gives proactive tips for avoiding airport chaos with travel waivers.
  • Sally highlights the value of travel insurance and flexibility, suggesting booking backup flights with points for added security.
  • Quote:
    "If you have points, then you could possibly use your points to book that extra night at a hotel... Or my other piece of advice is to book some backup flights on points in the off chance that maybe your original flight gets canceled." – Meagan Coyle (05:38)

• Credit Card Program Updates (06:34–16:01)

  • Detailed breakdown of recent changes to the Bilt Rewards program, including new caps and the "Point Accelerator" for Obsidian & Palladium cardholders.
  • Sally and Meagan debate the complexity of maximizing value, joking about needing a "PhD in BILT".
  • Citi ThankYou Rewards drops Aeromexico as a transfer partner; alternatives now include Amex and Capital One.
  • Capital One Venture X lounge access changes: only primary cardholders get free access, guests and authorized users now pay additional fees.
  • Quote:
    "The TLDR here is that built can be great if you are someone willing to really maximize, put in the work, optimize, do all the math and get all the points." – Sally French (10:32)

• Hotel Developments (16:01–18:00)

  • Hilton launches the Apartment Collection: fully furnished apartment-style lodging for families and groups, combining Airbnb features with Hilton consistency.
  • Quote:
    "If you stay at the Apartment Collection by Hil[ton], you'll be getting a lot of the benefits of being in the Hilton Honors system—meaning you'll earn points, elite night credits, and you can just really expect a more consistent stay." – Meagan Coyle (17:00)

2. Feature Interview: Ashley Peterson, Points Millionaire (18:00–45:36)

Ashley’s Points Hacking Journey (19:02–22:39)

• Ashley started her points-and-miles journey over a decade ago, originally fixated on airline status and business class upgrades.

• “Mileage runs” used to be her norm—flying to distant places just to accumulate status points, e.g., flying to Hawaii or Lebanon for brief stays.

  • Quote:
    "I went to Lebanon like, eight times for points. It's probably unhinged the places I'll go." – Ashley Peterson (20:03)

• She now considers herself “hooked” and admits to a high bar: she only redeems for business class flights.

Breaking Down the Turkish Airlines Promotion (22:39–30:39)

• The challenge: Fly across six continents on Turkish to earn 1 million miles.

• Ashley’s approach was about value—refused to do marathon legs in economy, sought best deals in business class.

• Discovered loopholes and pricing tricks (e.g., flights from Estonia to Bogota at $1100 business).

• She priced the whole journey at about $7,000 (ended up a bit more due to delayed ticket purchases).

• Ashley acted fast when Turkish abruptly ended the promo, emphasizing the importance of reading fine print and agility in these hacks.

  • Quote:
    "Most of the people that I know that did it, did it in economy and I'M not going. I'm not do. I'm not flying from Istanbul to Australia in economy. I'm not doing it. Not even for a million miles." – Ashley Peterson (23:04)

Logistics, Route, and Highlights (27:02–30:39)

• Started in Europe, not the US, to optimize cost (big tip!).

• Flight route highlights: New York → Dublin → Dubai → Estonia → Bogota → Paris → Dallas → Luxembourg → Morocco → Istanbul → Australia.

• Pieced travel together with a mix of cash, miles, and credits—requires serious spreadsheeting and flexibility.

• In some destinations, only stayed a few hours (e.g., Bogota: in and out in 12–13 hours; some extended stays in Estonia, Dubai, Morocco, Australia).

  • Quote:
    "It was kind of a realization... whoa, I just traveled more than most people will travel their entire lives. And I did it just for points." – Ashley Peterson (41:28)

Travel Hacking Tips from Ashley (33:49–37:07)

• Airport Flexibility: Consider flying into/out of less obvious airports (e.g., Luxembourg instead of Paris) to save hundreds or thousands.
• Award Booking: American Airlines allows changing Euro zone destinations if award space exists—used to switch to Luxembourg for free.
• Domestic Travel: In Europe, airports in different countries can be close—train travel (2–3 hours) opens up more redemption and deal opportunities.
• Deal Hunting: Price, not just destination, can determine your best route for such promos—especially when balancing redemptions and cash outlays.

On Turkish Business Class (37:17-38:58)

• Turkish’s business class service is consistent, with great seats. Sometimes she was the only passenger in business class—rare for US carriers.
• Service is solid, if not as hyped as Qatar or Emirates.

Comfort Essentials for Long-Haul Hackers (38:58–41:08)

• Snacks/cheat food: Cheez-Its are her go-to (“I try to ration them on my flights”).
• Always carries water, even in business class.
• Earplugs and a silk eye mask are non-negotiable.

Memorable Moments and Reflections (41:05–45:36)

• Standing in Sydney, realizing the accomplishment—six continents in two months, just for points.
• Celebrating the moment Turkish finally credited the 1M miles to her account.
• Plans to use the miles for unique destinations (Uzbekistan, Madagascar, Namibia, etc.) or to treat family to their first luxury European trips.
• Tips on maximizing redemptions: searching for business class seats at saver award levels, especially on Star Alliance partners.
• Not worried about the 2-year expiration—as she puts it, “If not, the story for me was worth it.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ashley on Points Philosophy:
  "For me, I only redeem points for business class. I'm literally not going if I can't find business class." (21:14)

• Ashley on Logistics:
  "I have a whole spreadsheet. It was kind of, yeah, you need one." (29:13)

• On Finding Deals:
  "The closer you can fly to from Istanbul, the cheaper it generally is." (32:20)

• On Flexibility:
  "Being flexible with airports... can save you literally a thousand dollars." (35:36)

• On the Emotional Peak:
  "I refreshed it and it went from 50,000 points to a million points. And I screamed... it was so cool." (42:36)

Host Hot Takes & Lightning Round (46:28–48:58)

• Optimal Sleep: Megan now prefers flights longer than 6 hours for proper overnight rest, even in economy.
• Business Class as a Hotel Room Hack: Sally will experience business class for the first time on her honeymoon, justifying the cost as a substitute for a hotel room on a long-haul overnight.

Actionable Takeaways

• Use travel waivers proactively during disruptions; backup bookings on points provide maximum flexibility.
• Maximize credit card perks by staying on top of program changes and practicing “advanced nerd-level” spreadsheeting.
• Always research alternative airports—especially in Europe, where rail options abound.
• When attempting ambitious challenges, act fast, read all the fine print, and anticipate promotions ending early.
• Don’t feel pressure to play at the highest level—points success is personal!
• Strategically bank points for bucket-list trips: family, luxury, off-the-beaten-track destinations.

Follow the Guests and Hosts

• Ashley Peterson: @ashleygetsaround on TikTok & Instagram
• Smart Travel Podcast: @smarttravelpod on social
• Sally French: @savewithsally
• Meagan Coyle: @myleswithmegancompany (with an H & co.)

This episode is a gold mine for dreamers, travel hackers, and anyone ready to rethink what’s possible with travel points. Ashley’s extreme journey demystifies the work—and fun—involved, while the hosts break down the latest news and credit card changes for every flavor of traveler.