How to Book Flights With Points and Miles: A Beginner’s Guide

Learn how to book your first flight with points and miles, and how to tell whether an award flight is a good deal. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle discuss the basics of booking flights with points and miles to help you turn a stash of rewards into your next trip. But first, they break down the latest travel headlines, including a new Atmos Rewards option that lets members choose how they earn points, upcoming Bank of America points transfers to Atmos, Bilt adding Amtrak as a transfer partner, a planned Chase Sapphire Lounge in Seattle, a new American Airlines and STARLUX codeshare partnership, and details on Smart Travel IRL, the show's first in-person meetup. Then, they discuss how beginners can book flights with points and miles, with tips and tricks on figuring out what your points are actually worth, using award search tools to find availability across airlines, and knowing when it could make sense to transfer credit card points to an airline partner. Enter for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card — and help us improve our show — by taking our listener survey! Find the survey and official sweepstakes rules here. Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews: Atmos Rewards Business Card Review: More Value for the Most Loyal Resources discussed in this episode: Atmos Rewards Adds New Ways to Earn, Plus Seats and Lounges Bilt Adds Amtrak as a Transfer Partner at a 2:1 Ratio Exclusive: Chase Plans A 16,000-Square Foot Sapphire Lounge At Seattle Airport American Airlines and STARLUX Airlines launch codeshare partnership to expand trans-Pacific flight options Smart Travel IRL: A meetup for travel and credit card nerds How Much Are Travel Points and Miles Worth in 2026? Credit Card Transfer Partners At A Glance When Chase’s Points Boost Makes Sense For Business Class Flights The Best Award Travel Search Tool for 2026 Want even more tips and tricks to get the most out of your travel dollars? Subscribe to TravelNerd, our free newsletter designed to help you crack the code on spending less on your travel. The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices