Oahu, Hawaii First-Timers: The Stay, the Food & Oahu Highlights — All Thanks to Points

Oahu has been on our bucket list forever, and we finally made it happen — using points 🙌 In this episode, we’re sharing a full, honest review of our first trip to Oahu, Hawaii, including where we stayed, what we ate, and the activities that were actually worth it.

If you’re planning your first trip to Oahu or wondering if Hawaii is really doable with points, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• 🏨 Where we stayed in Oahu (and whether we’d stay there again)
• 🍽️ Where we ate — must-tries, overrated spots, and family-friendly wins
• 🌴 Oahu highlights & activities we loved as first-timers
• ✈️ How we used points to make this trip affordable
• ❌ What we’d skip or do differently next time

We’re sharing the good, the “meh,” and the worth-it moments, so you can plan smarter and get the most out of your Hawaii vacation — without blowing your budget.

How we booked Hawaii on points:

Flights:

American Airlines - Denver to Honolulu - 25,000 points/ person

*Opened American Airlines Co-Branded Card

United Airlines - Honolulu - Denver - 100,000 points/ person (1st class)

*Transferred points from Chase - Thanks to the Sapphire Preferred

Hotel:

Hyatt Place Waikiki - 15,000 points/ night

*Transferred points from Chase - Thanks to the Sapphire Preferred

Who this episode is for:

• First-time travelers to Oahu, Hawaii
• Couples planning a Hawaii trip
• Anyone curious about booking Hawaii with points
• Travelers who want honest hotel, food, and activity reviews

🎧 Press play to hear our full Oahu breakdown and learn how points turned a dream trip into a reality.

👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone planning a Hawaii trip!

Send us a text

Make every vacation memory count! Flytographer pairs you with local photographers so everyone is in the shot, smiling and stress-free. Grab our affiliate link for a special deal and help support the show!

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Let’s Connect:
📲 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @PointMetoVacay

💌 Share your wins, questions, or dream trips—we’d love to feature you on a future episode! DM our social links!

📸. Family trip? Couple getaway? Don’t settle for selfies or awkward shots. 😅 We’re now Flytographer Affiliates! Local photographers capture beautiful, stress-free vacation memories—so everyone’s in the photos, even the parents.

- Book your session: https://flytog.co/POINTMETOVACAY

✈️ Thanks for listening to Point Me to Vacay! Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review so more families can learn how to turn everyday spending into unforgettable travel.

Katie Spills the Travel Tea: Minimum Spends Explained (And How We Hit Ours)

Credit card minimum spends don’t have to be overwhelming—and they definitely don’t mean spending money you don’t have.

In this mini episode of Point Me to Vacay, I break down exactly what a credit card minimum spend is, why it matters, and how everyday expenses can help you unlock massive travel rewards.

☕ Real-Life Travel Tea: Our Latest Minimum Spend Win

I also share a real-life example from our own family’s most recent win—including how Tom and I each earned 100,000 Southwest points and secured the Southwest Companion Pass for nearly two full years using normal household spending.

If you’ve ever thought travel hacking sounded confusing or out of reach, this episode will change that.

✈️ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What a credit card minimum spend actually is
• Common mistakes people make with minimum spends
• Tips to hit a higher minimum spend
• Timing your card applications can unlock years of free travel

💳 Favorite Travel Credit Cards We Love and current favorite card offers here:

(These are the cards we personally use and recommend—always apply when the offer makes sense for you.)

✈️ Southwest Cards

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business

💎 Chase Cards (Great for Beginners)

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Reserve®
• Chase Business Ink Unlimited® or Cash®
• Chase Freedom Flex®

💛 AMEX Cards

• Amex Personal Gold

🏨 Hotel Cards

• World of Hyatt Credit Card

⚠️ Important Reminder

Travel hacking works best when you:

• Pay your balance in full every month
• Avoid interest and unnecessary spending
• Open cards with a plan and purpose

Free travel should never come with financial stress.

🎧 Listen, Share & Connect

If this episode helped you:

• Share it with a friend who thinks travel hacking is “too complicated”
• Subscribe so you never miss a new episode of Katie Spills the Travel Tea

📲 Follow along for daily travel tips & real-life wins:
@PointMetoVacay

Send us a text

Support the show

Let’s Connect:
📲 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @PointMetoVacay

💌 Share your wins, questions, or dream trips—we’d love to feature you on a future episode! DM our social links!

📸. Family trip? Couple getaway? Don’t settle for selfies or awkward shots. 😅 We’re now Flytographer Affiliates! Local photographers capture beautiful, stress-free vacation memories—so everyone’s in the photos, even the parents.

- Book your session: https://flytog.co/POINTMETOVACAY

✈️ Thanks for listening to Point Me to Vacay! Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review so more families can learn how to turn everyday spending into unforgettable travel.

💳 What’s In Our Wallets: The Credit Cards We Actually Use Daily (and Why)

Ever wonder what credit cards we actually use every day? In this episode, we’re opening our wallets and breaking down the exact cards we use for everyday spending—and why.

We’re sharing:

• Which cards earn us the most value on daily purchases
• How we keep things simple (even with multiple cards)
• Which card we use when buying groceries vs gas

If you’re overwhelmed by credit card options or trying to figure out which card to use right now, this episode is for you.

What We Cover in This Episode

• Our current “daily driver” credit cards
• What categories we use each card for (groceries, gas, bills, etc.)
• Why we don’t put everything on one card
• How our wallet changes depending on travel goals
• How to decide what should be in your wallet

Who This Episode Is For

• Travel hacking beginners
• Families trying to earn points without stress
• Anyone wondering “Which card should I actually use?”
• People who want nearly free travel without juggling 10 cards

Let’s Connect
If this episode helped you, share it with a friend who’s always asking how you afford your trips ✈️
And if you have a trip in mind, DM us—we’ll help you figure out which points to earn first.

Send us a text

Make every vacation memory count! Flytographer pairs you with local photographers so everyone is in the shot, smiling and stress-free. Grab our affiliate link for a special deal and help support the show!

Flytographer: Stress-free vacay photos
Book a local professional photographer with Flytographer—perfect vacay photos, zero awkwardness.

Support the show

Let’s Connect:
📲 Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: @PointMetoVacay

💌 Share your wins, questions, or dream trips—we’d love to feature you on a future episode! DM our social links!

📸. Family trip? Couple getaway? Don’t settle for selfies or awkward shots. 😅 We’re now Flytographer Affiliates! Local photographers capture beautiful, stress-free vacation memories—so everyone’s in the photos, even the parents.

- Book your session: https://flytog.co/POINTMETOVACAY

✈️ Thanks for listening to Point Me to Vacay! Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review so more families can learn how to turn everyday spending into unforgettable travel.