One Card, Five Flights, And A Whole New Way To Travel Lazy Budget Travel Tips podcast

One Card, Five Flights, and a Whole New Way to Travel

7d ago 49:55

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In this episode, Genni is joined by Kelsey Graves, a travel-loving mom, podcast host, and content creator who’s made unforgettable family trips possible, starting with just one travel rewards credit card.

Kelsey shares how opening the Chase Sapphire Preferred card turned into five free flights to NYC for her family, a luxe couples escape to Cabo, and a summer road trip to the Grand Canyon and Page, Arizona—all booked with points. She’s learned to earn smarter, redeem better, and enjoy bougie travel without the bougie budget.

This episode is for you if:

You’re brand new to points and miles
You’ve been sitting on one card and wondering what’s next
You want to travel more without going into debt
You’re craving real-life, beginner-friendly examples of how travel rewards actually work

✨ What You’ll Learn:

How Kelsey used one card to unlock multiple redemptions
Her first big redemption using Chase points through the portal (and whether she’d do it again)
How she flew a family of 5 to NYC using points + the Southwest Companion Pass
What cards she’s using now and how she organizes her strategy
Tips for emailing hotels to request upgrades (and how it worked!)

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Lazy Budget Travel Tips
00:23 Meet Kelsey Graves: Travel Expert and Content Creator
02:16 Kelsey's Journey into Points and Miles
08:00 First Redemption Experience: Chase Sapphire Preferred
15:59 Southwest Points and Companion Pass Success
21:03 Strategizing Points for Future Travels
23:58 Family Travel Plans and RV Adventures
24:36 Maximizing Points for Summer Trips
25:41 Exploring the Grand Canyon with Points
27:25 Hyatt Place Page Lake Powell Stay
28:29 Emailing for Upgrades and Benefits
31:28 Final Redemption: Grand Hyatt Scottsdale
33:57 Couple's Trip to Cabo: The Cape Thompson Hotel
38:29 Tips for Newbies in Points and Miles
41:46 Rapid Fire Questions and Dream Redemptions
47:42 Final Thoughts and Where to Follow

Follow Kelsey:
Instagram: @kelsey_graves
Podcast: Trip Tales – real people sharing real trip stories

Resources Mentioned:

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12 episodes