About Daniel Ross
Daniel’s passion of aviation first took root when he was a little boy and would go with his father and brother to the airport to “watch the planes.” A few years later, at the age of 13, he boarded an aircraft on his own for the first time to visit his aunt in Barcelona, and from that moment on, his love of flying was fused with a passion for travel.
His love of languages prompted him to pursue a degree at the University of Manchester in French and Portuguese. He lived in France and Brazil throughout his undergraduate studies to become fluent in those languages. When he’s not writing or flying you’ll usually find him brushing up on Greek and Japanese – his 7th and 8th languages.
His first job after college was as a travel consultant at Flight Centre followed by a stint as a business development manager for the same company. Daniel wasn’t satisfied just selling trips. At age 26, he took his love of flying to the next level by getting a Master of Science in Air Transport Management from the University of Loughborough.
He has written for various sites since graduating in 2018, including Insider, Simple Flying, and The Points Guy, and has covered everything from route launches and inaugural flights to aircraft deliveries and the hottest fare deals.
You can follow his adventures on Instagram.
Countries Visited: 56
U.S. States Visited: 17
Highest Hotel Status: Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Highest Airline Status: British Airways Executive Club Gold (Oneworld Emerald)
Favorite Airline Alliance: Oneworld
Favorite First Class: Singapore Suites
Favorite Business Class: Virgin Atlantic Upper Class (new seats)
Best Redemption Value: Qatar Airways First Class DOH-SYD for 105,000 Avios and $133 (cash value of ticket ~$9,800!)
Favorite Type of Points: American Express Membership Rewards
Top 3 Cards in Wallet: The Platinum Card® by American Express UK, British Airways American Express Premium Plus, Yonder
Countries Visited
U.S. States Visited
Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
British Airways Executive Club Gold (Oneworld Emerald)
Oneworld
Singapore Suites
Virgin Atlantic Upper Class (new seats)
Qatar Airways First Class DOH-SYD for 105,000 Avios and $133 (cash value of ticket ~$9,800!)
American Express Membership Rewards
The Platinum Card® by American Express UK, British Airways American Express Premium Plus, Yonder
Daniel's Latest Articles
See More Articles[Deal Alert] New York to Dublin, Ireland From $359 Round-Trip
Your dreams of visiting the Emerald Isle could finally come true thanks to these crazy low fares to Dublin (DUB) from New York (JFK). You can snap up a nonstop round-trip fare from just $359. Here’s the scoop. Fare Deal…
[Award Alert] Los Angeles to London for 57,500 Alaska Miles One-Way
We’ll never say no to a trip to London, and thanks to wide-open business class availability from Los Angeles, it’s even more of a no-brainer right now. From as soon as October through March of next year, you can score…
[Deal Alert] East Coast to Mainland Europe From $286 Round-Trip With PLAY
Low-cost PLAY Airlines is out with a deal for incredibly cheap fares from the East Coast of the U.S. to Europe with tickets starting as low as $286 round-trip. The Icelandic carrier is known for its super-low fares, but we’ve…
New Elevated Welcome Bonus Offers for Marriott Credit Cards
American Express and Chase are offering higher welcome offers for their respective lineups of Marriott co-branded credit cards. This includes the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, and…
British Airways and IndiGo Announce New Codeshare Arrangement
British Airways is strengthening its connectivity with India thanks to a new codeshare partnership with low-cost airline IndiGo — India’s largest carrier The codeshare will complement BA’s 56 weekly services to the 5 cities of Bengaluru (BLR), Chennai (MAA), Hyderabad…
JetBlue Begins Nonstop Flights Between Boston and Amsterdam
JetBlue’s first-ever flight connecting Boston (BOS) and Amsterdam (AMS) took to the skies on September 20, 2023, with the first flight from Amsterdam back to Boston leaving the following morning of September 21, 2023. The route’s launch comes less than…
[Award Alert] New York to Paris Nonstop for 11,250 Flying Blue Miles in Economy
Air France is practically giving away tickets to Paris, with all the recent deals to the City of Light. You can fly the French flag carrier for a crazy-low 11,250 miles from New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG). If you’re on…
JetBlue Officially Launches Delayed New York to Washington-Reagan Service
JetBlue’s commuter route between New York and Washington, D.C. has launched, albeit 2 months later than originally planned. The new services, which were originally planned to be part of the now-defunct Northeast Alliance, took flight for the first time on…
[Award Alert] Houston to Cancun Nonstop for 7,300 United Miles
Never has it been more tempting to head down to Cancun thanks to these one-way redemptions from just 7,300 Miles and $46 in taxes and fees. There’s wide open availability for these Saver Awards starting as soon as October 8,…
Book Singapore Airlines From 29.4K Miles to Asia & 17.5K Miles to Europe [October 2023]
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer just keeps giving with its Spontaneous Escapes promotion. This most recent update means significant discounts on redemptions for travel in October. Notable additions include 30% off redemptions between Manchester, U.K. (MAN) and Houston (IAH) in economy from…
[Deal Alert] Miami to Baltimore/Washington D.C., Chicago, and LaGuardia From $38 Round Trip
Frontier strikes again with crazy-low fares from just $38 for a round-trip. This time, the fares are from Miami and include nonstop flights to various U.S. cities, including Baltimore/Washington D.C., Chicago, and New York! Here’s all the information you need…
[Award Alert] Los Angeles to Paris Nonstop for 18k Flying Blue Miles in Economy
If Paris is on your bucket list, then this deal could be just what you need to finally take the plunge and book that trip! We’ve found wide open availability with Air France up to twice daily on its Boeing…
Emirates and Maldivian Partner To Streamline Journeys to the Island Nation
Getting to the Maldives is already a long journey, but it’s not over when you reach the nation’s capital in Malé. From there, you need to take yet another flight (or a boat) to reach your final destination — likely…
Brightline’s Orlando Airport Service to Miami Starts September 22
Orlando International Airport (MCO) will finally have a modern, reliable railway connection when Florida’s Brightline launches its inaugural service from the airport on September 22, 2023. The eco-friendly intercity rail company’s services will head southwards from the airport connecting West…
Lufthansa Shares Details of A380 Flying Through Summer 2024
Lufthansa was one of several airlines that put its behemoth Airbus A380s into storage when the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the global travel industry. We thought we’d never see these superjumbos fly for Lufthansa again, as the airline said…
SWISS Adds Nonstop Flights From Toronto and Washington, D.C. to Zurich
SWISS will soon be touching down in Canada’s largest city and the U.S. capital when it launches nonstop flights between Toronto (YYZ) and Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Zurich (ZRH) next year. The Swiss flag carrier is eager to offer more…
Lufthansa Adds 3 U.S. Routes and 2 New Cities to Its Route Map
Germany’s flag carrier has announced a raft of new routes for summer 2024, including 3 to the U.S. The additions include nonstop flights to Minneapolis (MSP) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU) for the first time ever from Frankfurt (FRA). In addition, the…
The Peninsula London Opens in Belgravia as London’s Newest 5-Star Luxury Hotel
There’s a new luxury hotel waiting for you on your next trip to London: The Peninsula London, which opened today. The Peninsula London stands proudly British in its purpose-built home in Belgravia, one of the U.K. capital’s most lavish neighborhoods,…
New American Express Centurion Lounge in Newark To Open in 2026
Access to American Express’ Centurion Lounges is one of the most favored perks of holding The Platinum Card® from American Express, so when a new opening is announced, it’s big news. The newest addition is set to be constructed at…
United’s Airbus A321neos Will Start Flying in December
It’s almost time for United’s shiny new Airbus A321neo jets to take to the skies. The first A321neo in the airline’s order of 70 jets will operate its first passenger flight on December 14, 2023, on a nonstop flight between…
New Polaris Seat Plans Revealed for Upcoming United A321XLRs
United Airlines is joining the fray of airlines offering narrow-body service on long-haul flights. And, even better, the giant U.S. carrier confirmed in January 2022 that its yet-to-be-delivered Airbus A321XLR jets will feature a modified version of its Polaris (business class)…
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.
He’s a lifelong traveler and took his first solo trip to San Francisco at the age of 16. Fast forward a few years, and Andrew now travels just over 100,000 miles a year, with over 25 countries, 10 business class products, and 2 airline statuses (United and Alaska) under his belt. Andrew formerly worked for The Points Guy and is now Senior Money Editor at CNN Underscored.
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.
It wasn’t until Brian relocated to Dallas, TX, and moved in with an American Airlines employee that he truly discovered how incredible travel could be.
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.
As a frequent traveler, frequent flyer miles have played a large role in planning her trips. Caroline has enjoyed discovering the ins and outs of how to maximize different types of miles, hotel points, and transferable points currencies.
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.
His earliest memory of visiting a flight deck was aged 8 and it was from then on that he was determined to become an airline pilot.
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.
Based in Abu Dhabi, the London City University graduate is regularly seen on Instagram, travelling over 100K miles each year in First and Business Class while holding down a regular job.
Chris Hassan
Social Media & Marketing Manager
Chris holds a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management and managed social media for all Marriott properties in South America, making him a perfect fit for UP and its social media channels. He has a passion for making content catered toward family travelers.
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.
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.
David is currently Senior Aviation Business Reporter and a photographer at The Points Guy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Coupled with his passion for photography, Lukas is constantly seeking out new places to visit, and ways to get that elusive ‘perfect shot’ whilst on his adventures and as a result is ranked in the top 2% of global travelers by App in the Air.
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.
Michael first caught wind of the points and miles game in 2014 while at a bar in Washington, DC where the conversation amongst friends was quickly derailed because of an alert on a friend’s phone about a mistake fare. That’s where the love affair with points and miles began.
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.
Like many, he started this journey searching for cheap flights to take him around the world. This was fun for a while, but Spencer was intrigued by the idea of flying in business and first class!
Throwing himself into what became an extensive research project, Spencer spent 3-4 hours per night learning everything he could about frequent flyer miles over the course of several months (he thinks this is normal). He runs Straight to the Points, an award-seat alert platform.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.