Get Them Points

Author: tinsleymaggie

  • How We’ve Flown Our Kids for (Almost) Free for Years with the Southwest Companion Pass

    If you’ve ever looked at flight prices for a family and thought, “How is this even possible?”—you’re not alone. Flights add up fast when you’re booking for kids, especially if you like to travel more than once a year.

    That’s exactly why the Southwest Companion Pass has been an absolute game-changer for our family.

    Flying over Turks and Caicos on one of our many Southwest flights

    What Is the Southwest Companion Pass?

    For the past two years, we’ve had two Companion Passes in our household—and it’s allowed us to fly our kids over and over again while paying only about $5 in taxes per flight. Yes, really. It’s allowed us to take our kids to Mexico and Florida multiple times as well the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos and so many more places.

    In simple terms:
    When you earn a Southwest Companion Pass, you can choose one person to fly with you for free (plus taxes and fees) every time you fly Southwest—whether you pay with cash or points.

    That means:

    • We book our flights using Southwest points
    • Our kids are added as companions
    • Their tickets cost around $5–$6 each way

    No blackout dates. No complicated rules. It just works.

    How We Actually Use the Companion Pass

    This isn’t one of those “sounds good on paper” travel hacks—we use these passes constantly.

    On average, we use our Companion Passes close to 10 times a year. Some of our favorite trips include:

    • ✈️ Our annual family trip to the Florida Keys
    • 🌴 Cancún, Mexico
    • 🌊 Dominican Republic
    • 🏝 Turks and Caicos

    Because Southwest flies to so many popular vacation destinations, we’re able to plan trips around school breaks, long weekends, and random “let’s go somewhere warm” moments—without stressing about airfare costs for the kids.

    Why This Works So Well for Families

    The real magic happens when you combine:

    • Southwest points for your ticket
    • Companion Pass for your child (or spouse, parent, friend—your choice)

    Instead of paying hundreds (or thousands) for flights, we’re paying:

    • Points we earned from credit card bonuses and everyday spending
    • About $5 in taxes per companion flight

    That’s it.

    If you live near a Southwest hub, this strategy is even more powerful. More nonstop routes, better schedules, and more flexibility when plans change (Southwest’s no change fees is a huge bonus for families).

    The Current Southwest Personal Card Offer

    Current offer

    Right now, Southwest has a strong personal credit card offer that can help you work toward earning the Companion Pass.

    This is exactly how we got started—and how we were able to earn two passes in our household.

    Here is the link to apply.

    (I always recommend applying when the bonus is high, especially if your goal is the Companion Pass.)

    Is the Southwest Companion Pass Worth It?

    For us? 1000% yes.

    If you:

    • Travel with kids
    • Live near a Southwest hub
    • Want to take multiple trips per year without paying full airfare

    …this is one of the most valuable travel perks out there.

    We’ve made memories in the Florida Keys, explored beautiful beaches in Mexico and the Caribbean, and said “yes” to trips we probably would’ve skipped if we had to pay full price for everyone.

    Final Thoughts

    I’m all about travel that feels doable, not stressful—and the Southwest Companion Pass has made that possible for our family in a huge way.

    If you’re even thinking about traveling more with your kids, I highly recommend looking into this offer while it’s available.

    It would mean so much if you use my link when applying.

  • Venture X vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred — Which Travel Card Should You Pick?

    Starting your points & miles journey can feel overwhelming… but it doesn’t have to. Two of the most highly-recommended travel cards for beginners and intermediate travelers are Capital One Venture X and Chase Sapphire Preferred. Let’s break down what you actually get from each — so you can choose the best one for your travel goals.

    Pre flight cocktails at our home lounge. We enjoy free access with our Capital One Venture X cards.

    ✨ Capital One Venture X — Premium for Big Travelers

    💰 Welcome Bonus Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.

    🛫 Reward Rates 10x miles on hotels & rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel 2x miles on all other purchases — every day.

    🌍 Perks & Credits

    • $300 Capital One Travel credit each year you renew the card — automatically applied when you book through Capital One Travel.
    • 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary (worth ~$100). Airport lounge access — includes Capital One lounges + Priority Pass lounges. Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit.
    • Elite status credits with car rental partners like Hertz President’s Circle + automatic benefits with Avis/National/Silvercar.
    • Travel insurance & protections — trip delay/interruption, baggage delay, rental car coverage, etc.

    💭 Who Should Consider This Card? Venture X is perfect if you travel frequently, want premium travel perks, lounge access, and faster earning rates when booking through a portal — and don’t mind a higher annual fee for value that pays for itself. 💎

    Chase Sapphire Preferred — Best Beginner Travel Card

    💵 Welcome Bonus Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months. Chase points are known for their flexibility and high transfer value to airline and hotel partners, which means your bonus can go much further than just booking through the portal.

    🎯 Reward Rates 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠. 3x points on dining (including delivery & takeout). 2x points on other travel purchases. 1x point on all other purchases.

    🌟 Perks & Benefits

    • 10% Anniversary Points Bonus — earn extra points each year based on your spending.
    • Up to $50 annual hotel credit when booked through Chase Travel℠.
    • Travel protections — trip cancellation/interruption insurance, baggage delay, travel & emergency assistance. No foreign transaction fees — great for international travel.

    💭 Who Should Consider This Card? Chase Sapphire Preferred is ideal if you’re just getting started with travel rewards, want flexible points you can transfer to airline and hotel partners, and prefer a lower annual fee while still unlocking valuable travel benefits.

    🤔 Which One Should YOU Pick?

    🔹 Want premium perks & lounge access? Go with Venture X.

    🔹 Just starting points & miles and want flexibility? Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great first card.

    🔹 Can you have both? Absolutely! Many seasoned travelers hold both because they play different roles in a travel wallet.

    ✈️ Ready to Earn Points & Travel Better?

    👉 Apply for Venture X here

    👉 Apply for Chase Sapphire Preferred here.

    💡 Pro tip: Always pay off your balance each month — it keeps your credit healthy and makes this points game way more rewarding. Want help on how to redeem each card’s points for free trips? Just tell me where you want to go next! 🌍✨

  • How I booked 3 nights in a Madrid Suite for free

    My family and I took an epic trip to Spain last summer, and this stay is one of my favorite examples of why I love points and miles.

    We booked an almost $3,000 hotel stay for FREE.

    When we walked into our room at the Hyatt Centric in Madrid, the kids’ jaws dropped — and honestly, so did ours. We were upgraded to a spacious suite with two beds, two bathrooms, and a beautiful view of the city. It felt luxurious, comfortable, and like the perfect way to kick off our Spain adventure.

    What made it even better? This hotel regularly costs close to $1,000 per night during peak season. Paying cash would have been painful — but we didn’t pay that.

    Instead, we transferred our credit card points to Hyatt and booked the room for 42,000 points per night. No cash out of pocket. No complicated tricks. Just knowing how to use points the right way.

    This is exactly why I’m so passionate about teaching points and miles. Trips like this feel out of reach for so many families, but with the right starter strategy, they’re completely doable.

    If you’re ready to get started, I recommend beginning with my favorite beginner-friendly credit card  — it’s the same type of card that helped make trips like this possible for us.

    The suite at the Hyatt Centric Madrid

  • Welcome to Get Them Points

    Hi, I’m Maggie.

    I started learning about points and miles because I wanted to travel more — not just once-in-a-lifetime trips, but the kind of travel that becomes part of real life. Trips as a family, weekends away as a couple, adventures with friends, and yes… even the occasional glorious solo trip.

    Like a lot of families, travel felt expensive and overwhelming at first. Flights, hotels, logistics — it all adds up quickly. So I dove into points and miles, learned the systems, made some mistakes, figured out what actually works, and slowly started turning everyday spending into meaningful trips.

    I’m the one who handles the credit cards, redemptions, and planning so my family can simply enjoy the experience. The photo above is from our last big trip to Spain — a trip that felt huge when we first dreamed about it, but became completely doable with points.

    This blog is where I share what I’ve learned along the way, without the jargon or gatekeeping. Here you’ll find:

    • 💳 beginner-friendly points and miles tips
    • ✈️ travel inspiration you can actually use
    • 👶 honest, real-life family travel (the good, the chaotic, and everything in between)

    If you’ve ever thought travel like this was out of reach, or you don’t know where to start with points, you’re in the right place. I’m glad you’re here.

    Follow along on IG at @getthempoints and get ready to stop dreaming and start traveling!