About Chris Hassan
Chris has years of marketing and hospitality experience, so running the social media channels and writing about family travel is a natural fit for him here at Upgraded Points.
A Boston native now living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Chris has a passion for sharing travel tips for families and has been featured on BBC News, Parents.com, The Washington Post, The Weather Channel, and other publications.
Chris earned his B.S. in Hospitality & Tourism Management from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, studied hotel management even further in Switzerland, and then worked in luxury hotels in New England for years after graduating.
After meeting his wife and catching the travel bug in Europe, Chris and his young family always make travel a priority. With grandparents in each hemisphere, international travel has become an integral part of his kids’ lives, and being able to pay for it with points and miles makes it easier to afford.
While he is no stranger to flying long distances in the back of a plane with 2 kids, being able to fly business or first class and lie-flat is the preferred way to go. Chris is a firm believer that kids belong up front just as much as any other well-behaved paying customer.
You can follow Chris on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Countries Visited: 21
U.S. States Visited: 24
Highest Hotel Status: World of Hyatt Globalist
Favorite Airline Alliance: Star Alliance
Favorite First Class: Etihad Apartment (A380)
Favorite Business Class: United Polaris — his preferred way to get between the U.S. and Brazil
Best Redemption Value: TAP Miles&Go via United Airlines between North and South America
Top 3 Cards in Wallet: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, Citi Prestige® Card, and Cartão Pão de Açúcar Itaú Platinum
Countries Visited
U.S. States Visited
World of Hyatt Globalist
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Star Alliance
Etihad Apartment (A380)
United Polaris — his preferred way to get between the U.S. and Brazil
TAP Miles&Go via United Airlines between North and South America
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Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, Citi Prestige® Card, and Cartão Pão de Açúcar Itaú Platinum
Chris's Latest Articles
See More ArticlesNew Lufthansa Mileage Bargains: 55k Miles Round-Trip in Business Class
Much like Air France-KLM Flying Blue Promo Rewards, Lufthansa Miles & More has a regular promotion offering discounted reward redemptions for flights on Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings Discover, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, and SWISS. Lufthansa has launched its newest…
Universal Kids Resort Theme Park Coming to Texas
After announcing the concept of a theme park designed especially for young families earlier this year, Universal has finally unveiled the name — Universal Kids Resort. The company broke ground in Frisco, Texas, in November 2023, intending to open in…
United Airlines Airbus A321neo Takes Flight
On Thursday, November 30, 2023, United’s first-ever Airbus A321neo took to the skies from Houston (IAH) to Chicago (ORD). This is a big deal for a couple of reasons, one being that this is the first new Airbus that United…
December Bilt Rent Day: Double Points, Tasting Experiences, and More
For December’s Rent Day, Bilt is offering 10x points at Bilt Dining restaurants, 2x points on shopping, and a special dining experience, The Ultimate Tasting Experience: Italy. Plus, members can play the “Rent Free” gameshow for a chance to get…
Etihad’s A380 Will Fly to New York in 2024 [AUH to JFK]
Much to the delight of luxury travelers and avgeeks around the world, Etihad’s iconic Airbus A380 has again been gracing the skies since July 25, 2023, after being grounded during the pandemic. Unfortunately, the superjumbo has only been flying between…
Earn Up to 100,000 Best Western Bonus Points (10k Per Stay) Through February 4
If you have a stay at a Best Western property coming up, you’re not going to want to miss this promotion. Best Western Rewards members can earn 10,000 bonus points for every stay in the U.S., Canada, or the Caribbean…
Get 15% Cash-Back at Best Western, Expedia, and Sixt With Rakuten [Travel Tuesday]
For a limited time, Rakuten is offering 15% cash-back on purchases at Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Expedia, and Sixt and up to 10% cash-back at other retailers, including Atlantis, Hotels.com, Priceline, and IHG Hotels & Resorts! Earning 15% cash-back…
[Expired] Spirit’s Travel Tuesday Sale Now Live [85% Off Flights and More!]
Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available. Spirit has been on a roll with promotions to kick off the holiday season. With its Black & Yellow Friday and Cyber Monday sales live, it’s now time to…
[Expired] Alaska Airlines’ Black Friday BOGO Sale [Ends Tonight at 11:59 p.m.]
Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available. The Black Friday travel deals are here, and Alaska is not going to be left out. Grab your bestie because Alaska is offering a buy one, get one (BOGO)…
Our Writers’ 18 Favorite Travel Gear Items on Amazon [Black Friday]
The holiday season is officially upon us, and at Upgraded Points, that means lots of travel and keeping an eye on sales! Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, with almost every retailer rolling out some sort…
Earn Up to 3x Miles on Apple Purchases [Black Friday Only!]
Using shopping portals to earn bonus points and miles on purchases you were already going to make is a great way to boost your balance, especially if it’s a big purchase. Well, if you were planning on picking up a…
[Award Alert] Book Etihad A380 First Class Apartment for 62.5K Miles – Last-Minute Availability
After being grounded for nearly 3 years, Etihad Airways’ A380 is officially back in the skies. While that may be good news on its own, what makes this even sweeter is the fact that the airline has made its world-famous…
Earn Up to 5,250 AAdvantage Miles and Loyalty Points with SimplyMiles
You might remember an epic deal from a couple of years ago that offered the opportunity to earn millions (yes, millions) of American Airlines AAdvantage Miles by donating to a specific charity. While that promotion was short-lived, it is back…
[Award Alert] Book Qatar Airways Qsuites for 70k Miles (Wide Open Availability)
If you’ve been hunting for the elusive Qatar Airways Qsuite, get your points ready because we’ve found widespread availability for this excellent business class product through the end of next year. This is a book now, think later situation. If…
New! Book Qatar Airways Flights With JetBlue TrueBlue Points
Great (and long overdue) news for points and miles fans: You can now redeem JetBlue TrueBlue points for flights on Qatar Airways. Although JetBlue and Qatar have had a codeshare agreement for many years, it wasn’t until this month that…
Save $20 at Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express With Citi Merchant Offers
Citi Merchant Offers have been steadily improving, especially in the travel department. Right now, targeted Citi cardholders should check their accounts for Citi Merchant Offers for $20 back on a purchase of $100 or more at Holiday Inn Express and…
Save $30 When You Spend $150 at Caesars Rewards With Citi Merchant Offers
If you’re a fan of Caesars casinos and are a Citi cardholder, check your cards for a Citi Merchant Offer for $30 back from Caesars Rewards. Caesars Rewards Destinations in Las Vegas and across the country can often be a…
Get Up to $150 Back on Hyatt Stays With New Amex Offers
If you have some Hyatt stays on your calendar, check your Amex Offers to score some cash-back. Right now, there are targeted offers for $60 back after spending a minimum of $300 at Thompon properties, $150 back after spending $750…
[Expired] Get 2 Free Hertz Rental Days When You Go Electric [Ends October 31]
Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available. Rental cars can be a significant expense when traveling, but if you prefer charging instead of pumping gas, Hertz is offering 1 free day when you rent an electric…
[Expired] Transfer Citi Points to Avianca LifeMiles With a 25% Bonus
Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available. If you have some Citi ThankYou Points and would like to maximize their value, we’ve got a nice promotion for you. Right now, you can get a 25% bonus…
New Amex Offer: Spend $300 at IHG Hotels & Resorts, Get $75 Back
Check your accounts because American Express just rolled out a nice Amex Offer for select IHG Hotels & Resorts. Now, through December 31, 2023, when you spend $300 or more at participating InterContinental and Kimpton properties, you can earn $75…
Find out about other members of the team
Andrew Kunesh
Former Content Contributor
Andrew was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and now splits his time between Chicago and New York City.
Ashley Onadele
Content Contributor
Ashley discovered a love for travel in college that’s continued as her family has grown. She loves showing parents how they can take their families on trips using points and has contributed to numerous publications and podcasts.
Brandon Brunner
Former Content Contributor
Brandon was born and raised in California and really didn’t travel much growing up, even outside of his own state. While attending college, he was constantly looking to find the cheapest fares to any destination abroad, and quickly learned about the motto- “Chase the fare, not the destination”. Luckily, his first international flight was to Costa Rica (under $300 roundtrip) where that “Pura Vida” lifestyle (and Imperials) hit him hard, and he knew he had to see more.
Brian Graham
Former Content Contributor
Brian’s first ever airplane ride was in a private turbo-prop jet. He was merely an intern boy trying to make a good impression, but it turns out the plane made an impression on him.
Caroline Lupini
Former Content Contributor
Caroline Lupini always enjoyed traveling, but it became her goal to do as much as possible after a 3-week trip around Europe in 2011. In March 2014, Caroline left her job and embarked on nearly full-time travels.
Charlie Page
Former Content Contributor
Charlie is a Senior First Officer and has been an airline pilot for nearly 15 years. He currently flies long-haul on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner after 10 years buzzing around Europe on the A320. He got into travel and aviation from an early age, fortunate enough to be taken on some great family holidays.
Cherag Dubash
Content Contributor
Cherag was born in a family associated with aviation and was hooked on to planes since the age of 3, the time he undertook his first flight on an Airbus A310 from Mumbai to Dubai.
Chris Dong
Editor
Chris is a freelance writer and editor with a focus on timely travel trends, points and miles, hot new hotels, and all things that go (he’s a proud aviation geek and transit nerd). Formerly full time at The Points Guy, his work can now be found at AFAR, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Washington Post, and Lonely Planet, among others
Christine Krzyszton
Senior Finance Contributor
Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
Christy Rodriguez
Travel & Finance Content Contributor
After having “non-rev” privileges with Southwest Airlines, Christy dove into the world of points and miles so she could continue traveling for free. Her other passion is personal finance, and is a certified CPA.
Daniel Ross
Senior Content Contributor
Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points Guy, and more.
David Slotnick
Former Content Contributor
Born and raised in New York, David still remembers his first flight when he was only four years old: a U.S. Airways trip from New York-La Guardia to Palm Beach, Florida. He formed his love of travel around that and other family vacations, including to England at age eight and Namibia when he was 13. During college, a four-country trip around Europe with a friend cemented his passion for seeing the world.
Ehsan Haque
Content Contributor
Ehsan is an avid traveler who has traveled to 100 countries, diligently using points and miles to fund his journeys. Currently, he holds 32 active credit cards and earns over a million points and miles annually, primarily using them for luxury hotels and long-haul premium cabins.
Erin Miller
Content Contributor
An experienced points hacker, Erin is Alex’s partner-in-crime and contributes to Upgraded Points with in-depth guides and relationship management. Erin’s work has been cited in multiple major publications.
Greg Stone
Content Contributor
Greg got bitten by the travel bug at a young age while traveling with his Dad on business trips to Asia. He took over the family business in 2012 and uses it to maximize his loyalty points earning. His obsession with earning and burning loyalty rewards points allows him to travel over 100 days every year.
Jarrod West
Senior Content Contributor
Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
Jeff Brownson
Former Content Contributor
Since discovering miles and points in 2010, Jeff has traveled to over 35 countries, flying in first class, business class, and sometimes even in coach. Whether he’s staying in a hostel dorm, or in a luxury suite at a 5 star hotel, Jeff is constantly looking for the best deal to make travel as close to free as possible.
Jessica Merritt
Editor & Content Contributor
A long-time points and miles student, Jessica is the former Personal Finance Managing Editor at U.S. News and World Report and is passionate about helping consumers fund their travels for as little cash as possible.
Kellie Jez
Director of Operations & Compliance
Kellie’s professional experience has led her to a deep passion for compliance, data reporting, and process improvement. Kellie’s learned the ins and outs of the points and miles world and leads UP’s compliance operation.
Lindsey Olander
Former Content Contributor
Currently based in New York, Lindsey spent her childhood in Connecticut dreaming of far-off places. Her first flight was to Disney World at age 11. Her second flight was for a high school field trip to Italy, though travel as a career didn’t stick until she studied abroad in London during college and discovered the true power of her passport. Since then, she’s worked as a travel editor at Jetsetter and Travel + Leisure, where she reported on everything from African safaris to hot hotel openings to, yes, Disney World.
Lori Zaino
Content Contributor
Lori is an intrepid traveler who loves creating itineraries that exude “luxe on a budget.” She’s written for CNN, NBC, The Infatuation, and more, and loves to muse about points-fueled trips to Sri Lanka, Sicily, and Myanmar.
Lukas Picton
Former Content Contributor
Lukas escaped his hometown south of Sydney and moved to the big smoke immediately after high-school, but the bright lights of the city weren’t enough, and he soon set his sights on more exotic international destinations and has been in love with travel ever since.
Michael Y. Park
Editor
Michael Y. Park is a journalist living in New York City. He’s traveled through Afghanistan disguised as a Hazara Shi’ite, slept with polar bears on the Canadian tundra, picnicked with the king and queen of Malaysia, tramped around organic farms in Cuba, ridden the world’s longest train through the Sahara, and choked down gasoline clams in North Korea.
Nick Ellis
Editor & Content Contributor
Nick’s passion for points began as a hobby and became a career. He worked for over 5 years at The Points Guy and has contributed to Business Insider and CNN. He has 14 credit cards and continues to leverage the perks of each.
Ryan Smith
Content Contributor
Ryan has been on a quest to visit every country in the world and plans to hit his final country in 2023. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publications including AwardWallet, The Points Guy, USA Today Blueprint, CNBC Select, Tripadvisor, and Forbes Advisor.
Spencer Howard
Former Content Contributor
Always a fan of flying, it was only natural that Spencer was drawn to finding a way to improve the travel experience.
Stella Shon
Compliance Editor & Content Contributor
With a degree in media and journalism, Stella has been in the points and miles game for more than 6 years. She most recently worked as a Corporate Communications Analyst for JetBlue. Find her work in The New York Times, USA Today, and more.
Stephen Au
Senior Content Contributor
Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.
Susan Wright
Former Finance Contributor
While writing about finance and insurance isn’t something that keeps most people awake at night, it is what Susan Wright has focused on for more than 25 years. As a financial copywriter, Susan has an eye for money-related details such as credit and savings, and she loves to pass along helpful information to consumers. Susan holds 11 financial industry designations (including CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC, ADPA, CITRMS, CIPA) as well as several licenses.
Victoria M. Walker
Senior Content Contributor
Victoria holds a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the Howard University School of Communications and is an award-winning journalist, travel reporter, and the founder of the “Travel With Vikkie” newsletter.
Juan Ruiz
Compliance Editor & Content Contributor
Juan has been involved in credit cards, loyalty, travel, and personal finance for more than 10 years. He has worked for several outlets including The Points Guy and Forbes and was previously Editor-in-Chief at Money Under 30.
Carissa Rawson
Senior Content Contributor
Carissa served in the U.S. Air Force where she developed her love for travel and new cultures. She started her own blog and eventually joined The Points Guy. Since then, she’s contributed to Business Insider, Forbes, and more.
James Larounis
Senior Content Contributor
James (Jamie) started The Forward Cabin blog to educate readers about points, miles, and loyalty programs. He’s spoken at Princeton University and The New York Times Travel Show and has been quoted in dozens of travel publications.
Alex Miller
Founder & CEO
Founder and CEO of Upgraded Points, Alex is a leader in the industry and has earned and redeemed millions of points and miles. He frequently discusses the award travel industry with CNBC, Fox Business, The New York Times, and more.
Amar Hussain
Senior Content Contributor
Amar is an avid traveler and tester of products. He has spent the last 13 years traveling all 7 continents and has put the products to the test on each of them. He has contributed to publications including Forbes, the Huffington Post, and more.
Katie Seemann
Senior Content Contributor
Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure and Forbes Advisor.
Keri Stooksbury
Editor-in-Chief
With years of experience in corporate marketing and with a nonprofit, Keri is now Editor-in-Chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and reviewing thousands of UP articles in the process.
Michael McHugh
Former Content Contributor
Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Michael took his first international trip in 2013 with friends to the Bahamas. Although he didn’t travel much in his younger years, on that trip, he caught the travel bug and has been hooked ever since.
UP's Bonus Valuation
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.