Search. Hold. Transfer the exact amount. Then ticket.

Bilt points move 1:1. Transfers are irreversible. Search and hold first. Southwest needs 72 hours. Skip if there is no trip.

A weekend getaway is a date, not a points balance.

Earn this month, fly next month, only if you can name the Friday you leave. If you cannot name the dates, you do not have a trip.

Fall is documents. Winter is booking. Spring is the trip.

The school year is the trip calendar. Passports in the fall. Dates in the winter. The card is last, and only if a trip is actually on the calendar.

Kids ride a parent’s PreCheck. They do not ride Global Entry.

Kids 17 and under can walk PreCheck with you for free. They cannot use a Global Entry lane unless they are members themselves. If the year is domestic, skip it.

Why Bilt Palladium is my go-to card right now

It pays on a mortgage or rent and a normal month. Those points should become a trip already on the calendar.

How we'll pick trips (and the tech that actually helps)

Start with the constraints, earn toward the trip, and only keep the tools that help.

You don't need 30 cards

The best card is the one that matches the life you're in.

What The Points Brief is actually for

Why this blog and the emails exist, and why it will cost a monthly subscription.