The Points Princess

  3 Hot (and hyped) for 2025 Alaska, USA — Glacier cruising, wildlife, and new lodge openings keep Alaska on “best of” lists for 2025 from multiple outlets. It shows up in Condé Nast Traveler’s global picks and Travel + Leisure’s annual list.   Fiji — Overwater bungalows, easy island-hopping, and dry-season sunshine make Fiji a consistent headliner in Lonely Planet and T+L roundups.   Tokyo, Japan — A perennial reader favorite with new hotels, dining, and events in 2025; ranked among Travel + Leisure’s top cities and a smart shoulder-season choice in late fall.   Best Places to Visit in the  Last Quarter  (Oct–Dec) October New England, USA (leaf-peeping road trip: Vermont, New Hampshire, Hudson Valley) — peak color, crisp weather, harvest festivals.    Japan (Kyoto & Tokyo) — vivid momiji (autumn leaves), comfortable temps, rich festival calendar.   Jordan (Petra) or Rajasthan, India — cooler, drier conditions ma...

  When most people think about travel rewards, they focus on airline miles. But here’s a little secret: sometimes the biggest value actually comes from hotel transfer partners. Why? Flexibility: You’re not locked into just one program. Sweet Spots: Certain hotels give you far more nights for the same points than an airline would for a flight. Perks: Elite status, free breakfast, or even suite upgrades can sometimes come along for the ride. For example: One well-known program lets you move points directly into a luxury hotel chain that has oceanfront resorts in Hawaii. Another credit card ecosystem transfers into multiple hotel programs — but only one of those transfers is truly worth it. 👉 Here’s the catch: Not all transfer partners are equal. Some are terrible value and can eat away at your hard-earned points. Others can turn a small stash of points into a dream stay worth thousands of dollars. I won’t spill every detail here (that’s where the magic comes in ...