The Maldives just got even dreamier for folks with Marriott Bonvoy points to burn: The second JW Marriott in the country is now open.
18.01.2025 - 01:33 / thepointsguy.com
The new year brings new resolutions and the chance to plan my travel and loyalty goals.
In addition to locking in my elite status goals and planning some fun travel (I've already redeemed British Airways Avios and Flying Blue miles to take my partner to Japan for his first time this April), I'm thinking about how I will earn points and miles this year.
I hold several different credit cards, some of which earn transferable currencies and some of which earn directly with an airline or hotel loyalty program. So, I'm always thinking about the best ways to maximize my points and miles earnings in the ever-changing world of travel loyalty.
I value the flexibility of transferable currencies, so here is my points-earning strategy for 2025 — and some tips for developing your own plan.
Related: How (and why) you should earn transferable credit card points in 2025
Devaluations are an unfortunate reality of collecting points and miles.
Just weeks into 2025, we have already seen an increase in the cost of Air France and KLM seats to Europe and beyond through the Flying Blue program. To compensate for this, the program promises additional availability at the lowest Saver rates, and the increased Saver rates are still reasonable.
Earning transferable currencies is an easy way to protect yourself from devaluations, which often happen without notice to members. While I'm often tempted to transfer all of my transferable points to an airline or hotel program during a lucrative transfer bonus, these transfers are irreversible. As a result, transferring points — even during a transfer bonus — isn't wise unless I have a fairly immediate use for the points.
You can protect yourself from devaluations by "warehousing" your points and miles in your credit card account until you're ready to redeem them. This way, you don't have all your eggs in one basket if an airline or hotel program devalues its miles overnight.
I always look for increased welcome bonuses, which regularly come and go. I make sure I'm below Chase's 5/24 rule and have even downgraded my beloved Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card in preparation for the next increased welcome offer. In doing this, I can apply for the card again (having not received the welcome bonus in well over 48 months) when an increased offer is available. A new bonus has not been announced, but I hope it will be sooner rather than later.
I'll also monitor my credit score to increase my approval likelihood.
Suppose you've been pondering applying for a particular card. In that case, it's worth knowing what the regular welcome bonus is. Then, you're ready if the bonus increases or if new perks or benefits are announced that can make a good card even more tempting.
Subscribing to TPG's daily
The Maldives just got even dreamier for folks with Marriott Bonvoy points to burn: The second JW Marriott in the country is now open.
Once a bohemian enclave popular among surfers and backpackers, the Oaxacan town of Brisas de Zicatela (or “La Punta,” as locals call it), just south of Puerto Escondido, has evolved into a buzzing tourist spot, its big waves and boisterous mezcal bars now attracting a still young but decidedly less countercultural crowd. Hotel Humano, the latest offering from Mexico City-based Grupo Habita, both embraces the area’s lively ambience and offers a refined respite from it. The 39-room, three-level property opened in late December on a busy street that becomes a party strip every evening, but its striking design creates an elegant barrier between the action outside and the considered details within (while an enforced municipal ordinance also requires loud music to stop at 11 p.m.). The building, designed by Jorge Hernández de la Garza, follows the current fad, in local architecture, of disguising heavy concrete structures with earthy textures meant to evoke vernacular constructions; here, breeze walls made of pale clay bricks provide privacy and shade, allowing air to sweep through. Linen lampshades, toffee-hued glazed tiles and big stainless steel sinks by Madrid-based Plantea Estudio add a lighter, contemporary touch, most effectively in eight suites featuring terraces with soaking pools. Guests and visitors alike can enjoy Humano’s casual cafe and juice bar in the double-height lobby, French fare by the self-taught chef Marion Chateau served in the palapa-covered poolside restaurant and the rooftop bar’s concrete bleachers — La Punta’s best spot to take in the sky at dusk.
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