Winging It Travel Podcast, hosted by travel enthusiast James Hammond, unveils Episode 162: “Maximizing Your Travel Experiences: Tips from Spencer Howard (Straight to the Points) on Travel Points and Rewards.” This episode serves as an essential guide for travelers seeking to unlock incredible journeys by leveraging credit card rewards, points strategies, and insider knowledge.
In this episode, Hammond sits down with Spencer Howard, the founder of Straight to the Points, a trusted resource for travelers looking to discover premium award availability and access business or first-class flights for a fraction of the cost.
Episode Highlights Include:
- Strategic Travel Planning with Points: Spencer shares expert insights on how to maximize credit card rewards programs to elevate your travel experiences, including step-by-step advice on how to redeem points for high-value flights.
- Flexible and Spontaneous Travel: Spencer emphasizes the power of flexibility when planning trips. From last-minute bookings to taking advantage of unexpected award availability, this approach can unlock unique opportunities for adventurous travelers.
- Behind-the-Scenes Expertise: Learn about Spencer’s unique process for curating award flight deals, which he shares through his exclusive Straight to the Points newsletter. He also explains the growing importance of premium cabins for long-haul travel, making luxury accessible for budget-conscious explorers.
- Tips for New Travelers: For those just starting to explore points and rewards programs, Spencer offers practical advice on which credit cards provide the best value and how to earn points without drastically altering your lifestyle or spending habits.
- Personal Adventures & Lessons Learned: From memorable solo journeys to unexpected travel challenges, Spencer offers entertaining anecdotes that resonate with travelers of all kinds.
During the episode, Spencer shares a compelling perspective on why learning to use points effectively is worth the effort:
“Once you understand how to unlock premium travel experiences with points, it opens up a world of possibilities. You’re no longer limited by the price of a ticket—you can dream bigger and travel further.”
James Hammond also peppers the conversation with rapid-fire questions, revealing Spencer’s favorite travel destinations, must-try cuisines, and his ultimate dream trips.
Listeners can tune in to the full Winging It Travel Podcast episode on Apple Podcasts to gain deeper insights into Spencer’s point strategies.
About Spencer Howard
Spencer Howard is a credit card loyalty program and travel rewards expert. He’s also the founder of Straight To The Points – the go-to resource for individuals looking to demystify credit card points so they can experience traveling in luxury for business or pleasure (and occasionally, both!).
After helping family and friends understand credit card points for years, he launched STTP in 2017 and has been offering members complimentary and premium content through his Award Alert newsletters ever since (he is up to 21K members as of now!). It’s the place to get the most up-to-date information on everything from First and Business Class alerts on flights, to tutorials on how to effectively book and secure flights using credit card points.
Having worked in the travel writing industry for nearly a decade, Spencer thrived as a contributing writer with multiple travel media outlets such as Upgraded Points, One Mile At A Time, God Save The Points and The Points Guy. For four years, he excelled as editor in chief at 10xtravel[dot]com where he managed a team of writers and editors to produce the highest quality (not to mention hottest news) in the travel industry.
He’s been a guest on multiple podcasts including, We Travel There with Lee Hufman, Beyond The Lens, Award Travel 101, Miles to Go and featured in various new outlets such as Forbes Advisor, CNBC, Travel and Leisure Asia, The Washington Post, Bloomberg and Business Insider. Spencer was also a guest speaker at The Annual Chicago Seminars – A Points and Miles Event.
Spencer believes that everyone deserves to fly business class at least once in their lifetime, and he’s on a journey to make that happen. Since 2017 he’s traveled for 3 months of the year and seen 60+ countries. He lives in Washington, D.C with his family and recently became a dad!
