You’ve spent weeks planning, applied for credit cards to earn cashback or points, and pursued those thrilling travel and life aspirations. Now, as you accumulate points and grasp the advantages of multiple credit cards, you’ve sought to optimize their potential and transform those dreams into reality.
However, you may wonder along the way why the accumulated points and miles aren’t helping you achieve those goals.
Numerous obstacles are holding you back. It’s almost like you’re unraveling a mystery. We’ve transformed the most common mysteries into an award travel escape room – Brady Yu, a co-founder of TripPlus, and Ava Lee, a college student, will decode the points redemption puzzle. At the end of each mystery, there’s a pass code. Follow through to the end, and you’ll obtain the password to unlock the door.
Mystery 1: Why doesn’t my credit card work for points transfer?
Ava, Check out these clues to solve the mystery of why the card not work for this airlines partner.
And let’s decode hidden ciphers here.
Mystery 2: Why do airlines insist on sky-high mileage for holidays, and how can you win them over?
Use these clues to decipher the “high mileage” and “peak season” mystery.
Look at more clues in this San Francisco -> Portland scenario.
Now look at another clues in “busy day” scenario – Snag a flight around the days before Christmas Eve (12/22).
Mystery 3: Dynamic pricing got you frustrated? Would changing your mileage help?
Mystery 4: Would my travel opportunities be impacted if I can only go on trips during my vacation periods?
Next week, Brady and Ava will talk about many other ways to earn miles and points than flying. Stay tuned – This box set is specially customized for a young professionals, college graduates, students, and even newcomers to the U.S.!
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About Maria
Hi, I’m Maria, the founder of Maria Points The Way. I help families simplify award travel and turn points into extraordinary, luxury journeys to Asia Pacific. When I started out in Fall 2023, I created a special travel boxset—a curated 8-episode series designed to introduce my own kids (now in middle and high school) to the incredible world of miles and points.
To me, points are more than just travel perks—they’re part of financial awareness and literacy. Points are money. And that’s exactly how I teach families to think about their points: as assets to manage strategically through a personalized portfolio. I’ve woven real-life stories and practical tips into each episode to make it approachable and inspiring for families, newcomers, and curious travelers alike. Every graphic in this series was thoughtfully designed and created by me—with love—to make learning both beautiful and practical.
This guide is perfect for:
- Even high schoolers—it’s never too early to build strong financial habits and travel-savvy awareness (my kids started in elementary school!)
- Beginners exploring points and credit cards
- Recent arrivals to the U.S.
- Young professionals and college students
