About James Larounis
Jamie first got hooked on miles and points during a high school choir trip to Europe, where he flew in Lufthansa first class (thanks to his dad’s then US Airways miles) because economy was sold out.
Years later, he started The Forward Cabin blog to teach friends and family about miles and points and delve deep into the inner workings of airline and hotel programs.
He’s helped organize Frequent Traveler University, where he’s spoken in depth about the loyalty programs of American AAdvantage, Amtrak Guest Rewards, Kimpton Inner Circle, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt. In addition, he helps run the twice-a-year Loyalty Summit, a professional conference attended by heads of loyalty programs at major airlines, hotels, and credit card issuers.
Highlighting his knowledge of airline customer experience, Jamie was featured in American Airlines’ “Elevate” training program presented to all frontline employees in 2016 talking about the essentials of customer service.
Among several media spotlights, he’s spoken at Princeton University and the New York Times Travel Show, been quoted in Condé Nast Traveler, The Fiscal Times, Forbes, New York Magazine, The New York Post, The New York Times, Skift, and Travel and Leisure Magazine, been featured on CNN, written for InsideFlyer and Road Warrior Voices/USA Today, and makes occasional guest appearances as a featured expert discussing the travel industry on major cable news media worldwide.
One of the largest projects Jamie is involved with is business development at SELECT black card, where he is responsible for new benefit acquisition in the travel sector. Through his relationships, Jamie was able to sign major brand relationships with Celebrity Cruises, Hawaiian Airlines, Hyatt Hotels, Priority Pass, Royal Caribbean, Silvercar, Tumi, and others.
Jamie holds a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Mary Washington and is a certified Advanced Life Support provider with the Commonwealth of Virginia. In his spare time, he volunteers as an emergency medical technician on an ambulance, leads community CPR and first aid classes, and is on the board of directors of his local Rotary Club. His proudest accomplishment is earning the Eagle Scout award with the Boy Scouts of America.
Countries Visited
U.S. States Visited
World of Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite
American AAdvantage Executive Platinum
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Qantas first class (A380)
Qantas business class (B747)
4,500 British Airways Avios from Longreach to Brisbane, Australia
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James's Latest Articles
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Brightline recently opened its Orlando station and now offers trains running from Orlando to Miami with intermediate stops. Because of the distance from the Orlando station to the next nearest station, West Palm Beach, you’ll notice a different service offering…
The Atlanta (ATL) American Express Centurion Lounge: Location, Hours, Amenities, and More
The Atlanta Centurion Lounge is the latest Centurion Lounge to open worldwide and is also the largest. Unsurprisingly, this lounge has the largest footprint, considering the traffic that Atlanta airport sees daily! With separate indoor and outdoor areas, it’s an…
[Expired] Save 20% Off JetBlue Award Flights This Spring [Book by March 13]
Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available. If you’ve got a stash of JetBlue TrueBlue points to burn, JetBlue is offering an automatic 20% discount on select award flights this spring and early summer. However, you’ll…
How To Get Between Boston Logan International Airport and Boston [2024]
Boston, Massachusetts, is only served by 1 major airport, Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). Logan serves the entire Boston metropolitan region, with the next closest airport being T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) in Providence, Rhode Island, about an hour south….
Earn Triple Bonus Points at Marriott Homes & Villas [Stay 3+ Nights]
Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy is the hotel giant’s answer to Airbnb, offering the ability to book entire apartments, condos, homes, villas, and more. In short, they’re ideal for anyone traveling with a group, traveling for an extended period…
How To Rent Disney Vacation Club Points [2024]
If you’re not ready to commit to a Disney Vacation Club membership or simply want to stay in a Disney Vacation Club villa for cheaper than usual, renting Disney Vacation Club points from a current owner can save you a…
Costco Selling $500 Southwest Airlines eGift Cards for $429.99
If you plan on flying Southwest Airlines anytime soon, Costco has a great deal for you. The warehouse wholesaler chain is again offering $500 Southwest Airlines eGift cards for only $429.99, a $50 savings — let’s take a look. Discounted…
[Expired] United MileagePlus Offering Up to a 95% Bonus When Purchasing Miles [Targeted]
Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available. United Airlines MileagePlus members can take advantage of a new promotion when buying miles. Offers vary depending on the amount of miles you purchase, but you can purchase with up…
The Chatwal – The Unbound Collection by Hyatt in New York City [In-Depth Review]
If you’re headed to New York City and going to Times Square to see top-notch shows, there’s no better location for a hotel than The Chatwal, part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt. Just steps from every major Broadway theater,…
Buy Southwest Rapid Rewards Points With up to a 50% Discount [Targeted]
Southwest Airlines is currently running a targeted promotion through which you can purchase Rapid Rewards points and receive a discount of up to 50%. Let’s take a look at the details of this offer and discuss whether it makes sense…
The Best Ways To Get Between Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Chicago [2024]
Chicago O’Hare is one of the U.S.’s busiest airports and a hub airport for American and United. Chicago is a central connecting point on flights to the Midwest and cross-country flights from the East Coast to the West Coast. It’s…
These Are the Best Ways To Get Between Baltimore/Washington International Airport and Washington, D.C. [2024]
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is about 33 miles north of Washington, D.C., almost the same distance that Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is to D.C. Along with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), they make up the 3…
[Expired] Marriott Bonvoy Escapes 20% Off Sale [Book by March 3]
Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available. If you’re looking to get away this spring, Marriott is running a sale on paid rates for travel between March 4 and March 24, 2024. As a Marriott Bonvoy…
New Targeted Amex Offers for Dell [Stack With Rakuten]
If you have any American Express cards in your wallet, you’ll want to check your accounts for the latest Dell Amex Offers, which are pretty generous. There’s also a limited-time opportunity to stack these savings with Rakuten for an additional…
New Amex Offer Saves up to $100 on Expedia Prepaid Hotel Stays
Saving money is always great, especially when it comes to reducing your cost on travel expenses. If you’re planning a hotel stay soon, you should check out your Amex Offers to see if you’ve been targeted for a discount with…
[Expired] New Hilton Amex Offers: $200 Back at Hotels and Resorts [Stackable With Existing Benefits]
Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available. There are new Amex Offers with some terrific deals for those who are considering staying at a Hilton-branded hotel or resort. These targeted offers require you to spend a…
These Are the Best Ways To Get Between Washington Dulles International Airport and Washington, D.C. [2024]
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is approximately 30 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. The airport has seen major expansions to transit into the city in recent years, and it’s become dramatically more accessible to travelers across the D.C. region. Dulles…
New Amex Offer: Get $40 Back at Caesars Resorts in Las Vegas
If you’re headed to Las Vegas any time soon, you could save $40 when you spend $200 or more at Caesars properties in the Sin City. Caesars operates several properties in the area, so it should be pretty easy to…
[Expired] Purchase IHG One Rewards Points With an 80% Bonus [Targeted]
Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available. IHG One Rewards’ latest promotion allows members to purchase points with an 80% bonus, bringing the overall cost down to 0.56 cents per point. Let’s take a look at…
These Are the Best Ways To Get Between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington, D.C. [2024]
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, known to locals as either “Reagan” or “National” depending on who you ask, is the closest airport to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. While it’s technically located in Arlington, Virginia, it’s a stone’s throw away…
[Expired] Latest United Mile Play Promo Open for Registration [Ends March 15]
Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available. United often runs a promotion known as Mile Play, where the airline awards MileagePlus miles to select members after they meet a certain number and/or type of flights in…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Julian Kheel
Content Contributor
Julian Kheel first learned the ins and outs of credit card rewards and travel loyalty programs while flying more than 200,000 miles a year as a TV producer and director for World Wrestling Entertainment. With over 15 years of professional experience studying travel loyalty programs, Julian has served as CNN’s Senior Editor covering travel and credit cards, as well as the Editorial Director of The Points Guy, and has worked as a consultant for the Big 3 U.S. airlines.
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.
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.
Senitra Horbrook
Writer
Senitra Horbrook is a frequent solo traveler who began using points and miles in 2012. Formerly credit cards editor at The Points Guy, Senitra has also contributed to Forbes Advisor, AwardWallet, Insider, among others.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Chris Dong
Editor & Content Contributor
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, The Washington Post, and Lonely Planet, among others
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.
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.
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.
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 and News Editor
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, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.
Ryan Smith
Content Contributor
Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Lori Zaino
Senior 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.
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.
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.
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 “Carrying On with Victoria M. Walker” newsletter.
Stella Shon
News Managing Editor
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.
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.
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.
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.
Chris Hassan
Social Media & Brand 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.
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.