"If you can throw caution to the wind and go wherever the wind takes you, sometimes you can score the best deal," said Clint Henderson, the managing editor of The Points Guy. The company offers advice for travelers to maximize their experiences.
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That's exactly what the Bashmans did.
"We were looking to just get away for the weekend and went on looking for a good deal from Philadelphia and we found Nashville," said Howard Bashman of Fort Washington.
Janice Bashman's flight was free with a companion ticket, and their hotel was also free.
"We had some expiring hotel certificates that were going to be up at the end of the year, so all of our hotels are paid through certificates," added Howard Bashman.
Henderson says your points are more valuable when cash prices are high.
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"Here's the deal, at The Points Guy we tell people what you want to do is earn and burn. Earn as many points as possible and burn them quickly," he said.
Over time, some programs can change and lose value, points can expire. And if you are using a credit card for the rewards or points, make sure you can pay it off monthly.
"You are going to end up giving the banks a lot of your hard-earned cash. And any points you earn are going to be outweighed by the amount of cash you are paying in fees and interest rates," said Henderson.
Here is another tip: Hotels sometimes drop prices last minute to fill rooms and airlines can release mileage tickets last minute too.
The Points Guy suggests booking super early -- months out-- or, if you can, at the last minute to try to snag some of those deals.