197 | 🏨 The Truth About Booking Hotels Through Travel Portals
Description
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Booking hotels through travel portals can be a brilliant points-saver, but there are also downsides to booking this way. In this episode I break down when portals like Chase Travel and Capital One beat transferring points to Marriott, Hilton or IHG, the risks of these bookings and the simple steps I teach my Families Fly Free members to mitigate any issues. We’ll also cover the powerful Hyatt exception—why transferring Chase points to Hyatt often costs fewer points and avoids third-party headaches—plus real stories from listeners and my own trips.
You’ll learn:
- Why to compare portal prices vs. transfers in 2 minutes and pick the cheaper option
- The biggest pitfalls with third-party hotel bookings and how to avoid them
- My confirm-confirm-confirm, validate-validate-validate strategy
- Why Hyatt is the go-to sweet spot for fewer points and direct-booking peace of mind
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