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Spencer Howard | Luxury Travel & Loyalty Program Expert

@straighttothepoints

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🛫 Maximizing your points for business & first class
🥂 Booking your hotel with VIP perks
🏝️ Elevating your travel (and making it easy)

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Using points for business and first class flights doesn't have to be a miserable experience!

Comment #flightalerts and I'll DM you a link to join my Award Alerts newsletter.

I send alerts from US and Canadian airports and focus on flights with award space for 2, 4, 6, or more people so you can take friends and family.

Instead of spending your time hunting for award space, leave the hard part to us and live your life!

What have STTP Premium members booked recently?

- Etihad Apartments, Abu Dhabi to New York - 2 seats
- Swiss business class, New York to Zurich - 8 seats
- LATAM business class, Los Angeles to Chile - 2 seats
- Cathay Pacific first class, LAX to Hong Kong - 2 seats
- Cathay Pacific first class, NYC to Hong Kong - 2 seats
- Singapore Air business class, NYC to Germany - 4 seats

Why are people booking?

- Honeymoons
- Anniversaries
- Taylor Swift concerts (no, I'm not kidding)
- Spring/Summer Break
- Visit family abroad
- Just for fun

Comment with any questions, or let me know if you've booked an award alert that I've sent!

#luxurytraveler #businessclass #firatclass #flightdeals #flights #pointsandmiles #luxurytravels #jetsetter #frequentflyer taken in Washington D. C. by @straighttothepoints

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2 years ago

If you're not already planning, you should be!

Oktoberfest is one of my favorite events, but you really want to plan ahead. I'm not saying you should start planning a year out but I'm not not saying that.

This was my first year getting reserved tables at Oktoberfest, and I highly recommend it

Personally, I love the mid-afternoon time slot as it allows you to enjoy the morning then have a late lunch/early dinner and the tenta aren't quite as crazy yet.

After that, you can decide if you want to find unreserved space at a tent in the evening when things really kick off!

Absolutely worth it.

I have to give a big shout out to the Mandarin Oriental Munich team for helping me put everything together.

From the welcome of pretzels with obatzda (Bavarian cheese spread) to our welcome reception to the vintage bus ride to Oktoberfest... It was an amazing two days!

Finally, a big thanks to everyone who joined! It was so great seeing / meeting you. I can't wait to do it again next year!

I just need to decide if I want to start 3 nights and do a second day at the tents! 🤔

Time to start planning!

🍻 Have you been to Oktoberfest?

#oktoberfest #mandarinoriental #luxuryhotels # taken in Washington D. C. by @straighttothepoints

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2 hours ago

There's a time and a place for using points on hotel stays.

I'm still a big fan of using points for business and first class flights, but there are times when I book hotels with points.

It's not the norm for me, but it happens.

I've always said travel is a "choose your own adventure" game.

You get to decide what you enjoy, when you feel like paying cash or using points, etc.

For my 12-hour stay before my clients arrive in Munich, using 25,000 Hyatt points at the Andaz made sense for me.

I promise you'll be much happier if you ignore those who say you should only book hotels/flights with points and those who say points are a waste of time.

Do what's right for you.

#luxuryhotels #pointsandmiles #andaz #day61 #showup90 @justinschumanofficial taken in Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor by @straighttothepoints

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7 days ago

In a city full of excellent hotels, this is a standout!

💂Have questions about London hotels? Let me know!

Since I think transparency is important, I cashed in some points from Accor's travel advisor program and received a comp night.

Every client I've booked at Raffles London at The OWO has been impressed and I'm not surprised. The service is excellent and the physical product is as well

You won't be able to take photos, but the Spy Bar is a great spot for a cocktail at the end of the night (if you can find it). Seriously, no photos. They'll cover your phone's camera with a sticker to prevent any sneakiness.

#raffles #luxurytraveler #londonhotels #day60 #showup90 @justinschumanofficial taken in Raffles London at The OWO by @straighttothepoints

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8 days ago

If you’re going to have problems, these are the problems to have.

🛫 What was the moment that made you realize how many points you missed out on earning?

It’s funny how just about everyone who gets into points has this in common.

There’s the pre-points version and the points version of yourself.

One day, you don’t know. One day, you do.

Regardless of when you get into points, you can always look back and say, “what if?”

And, while the game has changed a ton over the years, there’s still plenty of opportunities to be had!

#pointsandmiles #creditcards #travelhacks #day59 #showup90 @justinschumanofficial taken in Raffles London at The OWO by @straighttothepoints

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9 days ago

Points & miles has been my obsession for over a decade, but the game has changed.

(If you hear background noise, I was in an airport lounge)

With more responsibilities these days, I find myself slowly cutting more and more credit cards from my wallet.

💳 Are you cutting cards these days?

When I first started, I grabbed every sign-up bonus I could. Bank rules weren't as strict and annual fees were lower.

Now, we have annual fees exceeding $800 per year with sign-up bonuses that haven't always kept pace.

Plus, banks have really tightened up.

Don't get me wrong, we see higher sign-up bonuses now, but they're not always keeping pace with the higher fees.

With banks loading premium premium cards with statement credits these days, I'm just not interested in making sure I use monthly $7 credits.

My solution has been to build a leaner card portfolio.

I don't see that changing any time soon.

#creditcards #pointsandmiles #frequentflyer #showup90 #day58 @justinschumanofficial taken in Philadelphia International Airport by @straighttothepoints

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10 days ago

If you want to book business class flights to Europe...

It's helpful to have an option that's regularly available with points, especially one with multiple seats.

A couple things to know about this one...

1) To search with Singapore KrisFlyer, you need 1,000 miles on your account. Alternatively, you can try asking their AI chat for specific dates.

2) Air Canada Aeroplan occasionally has access to one or two business class award seats on this Singapore Airlines fifth freedom route. At 60,000 points one-way, it's a much better option than 89,000 miles.

Can you guess which options are reliable to Asia (specifically, Eat Asia and Southeast Asia)?

#frequentflyer #travelhacks #businessclass #day57 showup90 @justinschumanofficial by @straighttothepoints

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11 days ago

I hunt for deals everyday and I can tell you that everyone loves booking a deal!

🥂 What's a deal you booked this year that you just loved?!

I know this seems obvious, but it doesn't matter what your travel budget is, but everyone loves the feeling of getting a deal.

Whether it's a 3rd / 4th night free promo, a guaranteed upgrade, a business class award discount, or a credit card transfer bonus, we all get excited.

#luxuryhotels #businessclass #firstclass #showup90 #day56 @justinschumanofficial taken in Washington D. C. by @straighttothepoints

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12 days ago

Do I go too far? Maybe.

I often wonder if the way I research hotels, cruise, and safari options for clients is a bit too obsessive.

However, I’ve realized that this is just who I am as a person. I think I actually like all the research.

It's a fun game trying to figure out what option will make an experience memorable.

I do the same thing when booking my own flights, hotels, etc., but also when researching a new TV, a sofa, a cell phone, a car, etc.

Fortunately, I seem to be able to relax and enjoy things once I make a decision.

Though, I still like to tweak flights up until the last minute.

#travelplans #luxurytraveler #frequentflyer #showup90 #day55 @justinschumanofficial taken in Washington D. C. by @straighttothepoints

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13 days ago

Thanks for being here!

I've always said that I have no need to create content for content's sake.

I like making travel fun for my newsletter subscribers, my clients, and anyone who happens to follow me on here.

Content is just one way that allows me to do that.

However, I truly enjoy the friendly community we've turned in this small corner of the internet.

I don't know how we've done it, but it's so much more productive in the comments than I often see.

That comes down to you. So, a big thanks for creating a friendly and welcoming connect section so people feel like they can ask their questions!

Now that I've said this, the comments will devolve in 3... 2...

And, yes, I was sitting in the rain.

#traveltips #luxurytraveler #pointsandmiles #showup90 #day54 @justinschumanofficial taken in Washington D. C. by @straighttothepoints

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14 days ago

Want to be smarter with your points? Learn about more airline programs.

JAL Mileage Bank is a great example of why the most direct path isn't always the best path when booking flights with points & miles.

🛫 Let me know what you think of this partnership!

As someone who earns a lot of Citi points and has for a decade, this is a great addition for me. It means Citi can transfer to AA, Avios, Cathay, and Japan Airlines.

That's a strong contingent of airline programs that are part of the oneworld alliance.

#oneworld #frequentflyer #travelhacks #showup90 #day53 @justinschumanofficial taken in Washington D. C. by @straighttothepoints

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15 days ago

I feel like that came across more intense than I meant it. 😅

I know we exist in a world where people are fighting for attention and it's not easy. I simply don't care for content that makes people feel anxious about something that's fun!

Airlines and hotels aren't hiding info about their loyalty programs. The info out there if you care to learn it.

Of course, it's dense so I absolutely think there's a place for creators and writers to help more people digest the info.

But, let's not act like any creator has secret info.

Find people who help you travel better, help you feel confident traveling, and do so while making it fun.

If you need to help using your points for flights or rent to learn about booking hotels, cruises, safaris, or luxury trains with VIP perks, I'm here to share what I've learned!

#frequentflyer #pointsandmiles #traveltips #day52 #showup90 @justinschumanofficial taken in Washington D. C. by @straighttothepoints

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16 days ago