Advertiser Disclosure

Award Travel Hub may earn a commission or referral bonus from some links on this site. These affiliate relationships help support our work and may influence the placement or promotion of certain products or services. However, our content is independently crafted to reflect honest opinions. Not all offers or products available in the marketplace are included. There is no additional cost to you when you use our affiliate links.

Beginner Guides

New to points and miles? Start here. Learn how credit card rewards work, which programs matter, how to earn your first miles, and the foundational strategies that unlock free travel.

Shopping Portals and Dining Programs: The Easiest Way to Keep Points from Expiring

Shopping Portals and Dining Programs: The Easiest Way to Keep Points from Expiring

Credit Card Rewards & Maximization, Beginner Guides

Last updated: May 25, 2026 A single $25 purchase through an airline shopping portal can reset your mileage expiration clock by 12 to 24 months, protecting tens of thousands of miles from vanishing. Shopping portals and dining programs are the easiest way to keep points from expiring because they count as qualifying account activity for […]

Shopping Portals and Dining Programs: The Easiest Way to Keep Points from Expiring Read More »

AAdvantage Program Guide 2026: How American Airlines Miles Work

AAdvantage Program Guide 2026: How American Airlines Miles Work

Beginner Guides, Airline Loyalty Programs

Last updated: May 17, 2026 Quick Answer The AAdvantage program in 2026 is built around two currencies: AAdvantage miles for award travel and Loyalty Points for elite status. American Airlines still uses an LP-only path to status in 2026, with 40,000 Loyalty Points for Gold, 75,000 for Platinum, 125,000 for Platinum Pro, and 200,000 for

AAdvantage Program Guide 2026: How American Airlines Miles Work Read More »

Can You Transfer American Airlines Miles? What’s Actually Possible in 2026

Can You Transfer American Airlines Miles? What’s Actually Possible in 2026

Beginner Guides, Airline Loyalty Programs

[DELETE BEFORE POSTING – FOR SETUP ONLY] Last updated: May 12, 2026 Quick Answer: You cannot transfer American Airlines AAdvantage miles to or from Chase, Amex, Capital One, or Citi bank programs. AA does allow mile transfers between AAdvantage accounts, but the fees make it a poor value in most cases. The only meaningful indirect

Can You Transfer American Airlines Miles? What’s Actually Possible in 2026 Read More »

Resort Fees on Award Stays: Which Hotel Chains Waive Them and How to Avoid Nasty Surprises

Resort Fees on Award Stays: Which Hotel Chains Waive Them and How to Avoid Nasty Surprises

Beginner Guides, Hotel Loyalty Programs

Last updated: May 5, 2026 Quick Answer Resort fees on award stays vary dramatically by hotel chain. Hilton waives all resort fees on points bookings regardless of elite status, while Marriott charges full resort fees even on award nights. Hyatt waives fees for Globalist members on cash stays, but policies on award bookings remain inconsistent.

Resort Fees on Award Stays: Which Hotel Chains Waive Them and How to Avoid Nasty Surprises Read More »

How to Use American Airlines Miles: Flights, Upgrades & More

How to Use American Airlines Miles: Flights, Upgrades & More

Beginner Guides, Travel Strategy

Last updated: May 2, 2026 Quick Answer: To use American Airlines AAdvantage miles, log in to AA.com, search for award flights using the “Use miles” toggle, and select saver or AAnytime availability. For the best value, target saver-level partner awards on carriers like British Airways, Cathay Pacific, or JAL — where 57,500 miles can replace

How to Use American Airlines Miles: Flights, Upgrades & More Read More »

Beginner’s Guide to Award Search Tools: Seats.aero, Point.me, AwardFares

Beginner’s Guide to Award Search Tools: Seats.aero, Point.me, AwardFares

Beginner Guides, Award Travel

Last updated: April 7, 2026 If award travel keeps feeling harder than earning the points, the problem is usually not the points. The problem is search. The best award search tools help beginners skip hours of airline-by-airline checking and get to bookable options faster. For most beginners, the simplest rule is this: use Point.me when

Beginner’s Guide to Award Search Tools: Seats.aero, Point.me, AwardFares Read More »

Scroll to Top