The exact tools we use to plan trips
Hotels & lodging
Hotels: your card covers some stays via points. These cover the rest — best prices, free-cancellation rates, and unique stays.
Pay directBooking.com
Biggest hotel selection on the internet. Most rates cancel free. Genius members save 10–20%.
Check rates
Pay directExpedia
Bundling flight + hotel here is usually cheaper than booking them apart. Free to join for member prices.
Check rates
Pay directHotels.com
Stamp 10 nights, get 1 free. Useful for indie properties without a chain program.
Check rates
From ~$60/nightYotel
The move for long layovers. Pod hotels inside JFK, Heathrow, Schiphol, SFO — sleep, shower, fly.
See locations
Per stayAirbnb
When you need a kitchen, a workspace, or just space. Stack with a card that earns bonus on travel.
Find a stay
Flight search
When you don't want to use points — or want to compare cash to points before booking.
Activities & experiences
Tours, attractions, day trips. Same products, different platforms — use whichever covers your destination best.
Pelago by Singapore Airlines
Strongest in Southeast Asia (Singapore, Bali, Bangkok, Tokyo). Up to 50% off sitewide right now.
Browse tours
Klook
Asia-Pacific specialist. Best for Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Australia — usually the cheapest theme park option.
Browse tours
Tiqets
Europe + US museums and attractions. Skip-the-line passes for when the line genuinely matters.
Browse tickets
G Adventures
Small-group adventure trips: Antarctica, Galápagos, Patagonia. Award flight + this booking is a lights-out combo.
Browse trips
From $79Tinggly
Gift-box experiences. The right gift for the points enthusiast in your life — they pick what they want.
See gift boxes
Travel insurance
Your card covers some stuff. These cover the rest — medical, evacuation, big cancellations.
Per tripFaye
Travel insurance built like an app, not a PDF. Fast claims, real medical coverage, made for people under 35.
Get a quote
Annual plansBackpack Travel Insurance
Annual multi-trip insurance for people who travel 3+ times a year — cheaper than buying per-trip policies.
See annual plans
Per tripWorld Nomads
Adventure-focused. Trekking, diving, remote regions where mainstream policies have exclusions.
Get a quote
MonthlySafetyWing
Subscription coverage built for digital nomads. Cheaper than per-trip if you're abroad 8+ weeks a year.
See plans
Connectivity & logistics
Phone data, luggage storage — the unglamorous stuff that makes a trip work.
Las Vegas
F1 weekend, Super Bowl, conference trips. Hotel deals beat direct booking on the Strip nearly every time.
Vegas.com
Hotels, shows, restaurants, packages. Rotating promos hit 20–40% off Strip stays.
Award search & monitoring
For when you've got a wallet full of points and a route in mind. Lives and dies by live availability data.
Free / $99/yr ProSeats.aero
Find flights you can book with points across 30+ airlines, in seconds. Free works fine. Pro ($99/yr) adds alerts + bulk search.
Buy points
Topping up to complete a redemption is often cheaper than paying cash — especially during a sale.
Live buy-points sales tracker
Every active buy-points and buy-miles sale, refreshed weekly. Direct links to all participating programs.
Long-stay & expat
If you're thinking 'a month somewhere' instead of 'a week somewhere'.
International Living
Where to live cheap abroad, ranked. Real cost-of-living numbers — not vibes.
Sponsor
Almost every external link on this page is an affiliate link. That means we earn a small commission if you book or sign up through us — at no extra cost to you. We only list things we actually use or have personally vetted. See our advertiser disclosure for the full policy.