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Lindsey Olander

Former Content Contributor

23 Published Articles

About Lindsey Olander

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 gorilla trekking in Uganda to hot hotel openings in Singapore to, yes, Disney World.

Back home, she lives with her husband and their two black cats, Minerva and Juno. Follow her travels on Instagram and check out who else she writes for at lindseytravels.com.

Countries Visited: 24
U.S. States Visited: 25
Favorite Business Class: Singapore Airlines (A350)
Favorite Type of Points: Chase Ultimate Rewards

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Lindsey's Latest Articles

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The 12 Best Black Friday Travel Backpack Deals for Men & Women [2023]

Traditional suitcases are the perfect travel companion when it comes to bringing a sizable amount of clothes and gear for extended time away. However, if you’re just taking a short trip — a weekend, say, or a simple day-long sojourn…

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The 11 Best Black Friday GoPro Camera & Accessory Deals [2023]

Adventurers (and even casual travelers) looking to capture epic action footage while they’re on vacation or out scaling mountains, catching waves, or carving slopes know better than to put their bulky, easily breakable DSLR cameras in harm’s way. Instead, they…

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WoodSpring Suites: 11 Most Popular Hotel Locations [2023 Guide]

Choice Hotels is one of the largest hotel chains worldwide, with more than 7,000 properties across 14 brands under its wing. Among these brands is WoodSpring Suites — a relatively recent addition to the Choice hotel portfolio and one of…

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The 10 Best Black Friday Delsey Luggage Deals [2023]

In the world of travel luggage, Delsey is among the best and most recognizable brands in the business. Founded and headquartered in France, Delsey’s suitcases and accessories have become renowned for their style and long-lasting durability, making them a smart, conscious…

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The Best Times To Visit New Orleans, Louisiana [By Seasons & Interests]

No city in America is quite like New Orleans. Built by French colonists in 1718 prior to the Louisiana Purchase, the state’s coastal capital has been a cultural crossroads for food, music, and language for generations. This is the birthplace…

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Candlewood Suites Hotels: 12 Most Popular Hotel Locations [2023 Guide]

Consider Jack DeBoer the king of extended hotel stays. In 1995, 20 years after founding the Residence Inn brand — the first extended-stay hotel brand in the U.S., now owned by Marriott — he launched Candlewood Suites as a means…

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Best Western Plus Hotels: 11 Most Popular Locations and 14 Best Redemptions [2023 Guide]

Based out of Phoenix, Best Western occupies a unique position in the hotel industry as a privately-owned hotel company and nonprofit organization — an interesting departure from Hilton, Marriott, and other publicly listed competitors. Even so, Best Western remains one…

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Travelodge Hotels by Wyndham: 13 Most Popular Hotel Locations [2023 Guide]

Travelodge by Wyndham, commonly referred to simply as Travelodge, is one of 5 value brands in Wyndham’s vast hotel portfolio. Along with Days Inn, Howard Johnson, and Super 8, Travelodge by Wyndham is a no-frills economy hotel chain known for…

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Staybridge Suites: 15 Most Popular Hotel Locations [2023 Guide]

While Staybridge Suites may not be the most glamorous brand within the IHG Hotels & Resorts family, it’s an essential option for travelers looking to check in for an extended period of time without breaking the bank. Staybridge Suites is…

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Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts: 10 Most Popular Locations and 10 Best Redemptions [2023 Guide]

Hilton and Marriott Bonvoy may earn the lion’s share of the business hotel chain spotlight, but following close behind them is IHG Hotels & Resorts with Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, which has amassed a loyal following of travelers who appreciate…

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Home2 Suites by Hilton: 10 Most Popular Hotel Locations [2023 Guide]

If you’ve ever stayed at a Hampton by Hilton and thought, “I wish this place was better equipped for longer stays,” it might be time to take a look at Home2 Suites by Hilton. Think of Home2 Suites as a…

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Canopy by Hilton Hotels: The 10 Best Points Redemptions [2023 Guide]

For decades, Hilton hotels dominated the hospitality industry with their signature, dependable designs, and simple, straightforward amenities. No matter where in the world you went, you knew what to expect at a Hilton. Recently, however, consumer interest began to shift…

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Sheraton Hotels & Resorts: 12 Most Popular Hotel Locations & 10 Best Redemptions [2023 Guide]

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, formerly of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, is a premium hotel chain owned and operated by Marriott International. The brand oversees nearly 500 hotels in over 70 countries around the world, though most are located in the…

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Marriott Vacation Club Resorts: 10 Most Popular Locations [2023 Guide]

For some travelers, there’s a particular magic around returning to the same place year after year. You get that feeling of returning home without committing to buying a second home. We’re referring, of course, to timeshares — condo-style vacation accommodations…

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Holiday Inn Express: 15 Most Popular Hotel Locations [2023 Guide]

With over 2,800 properties and more than 298,000 rooms worldwide, Holiday Inn Express — a limited-service, mid-price hotel chain owned and operated by IHG Hotels & Resorts — is by far the largest brand in the IHG portfolio. While you’ll…

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The Ritz-Carlton: 12 Most Popular Hotel Locations and 10 Best Redemptions

The Ritz-Carlton, owned by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and a subsidiary of Marriott International, is one of the world’s most prestigious luxury hotel brands, singular in its level of service, design, and amenities. The name originates from César Ritz, a…

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Hilton Garden Inn: 10 Most Popular Hotel Locations and 9 Best Redemptions

Hilton Garden Inn, like DoubleTree by Hilton, is an upscale brand in the Hilton collection. With over 800 properties spread across 33 countries, it is the second-largest Hilton brand behind Hampton by Hilton. Most of these locations are in the U.S., but…

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Hampton by Hilton: 15 Most Popular Hotel Locations [2023 Guide]

With over 2,500 properties and more than 20,000 rooms, Hampton by Hilton — a mid-price hotel chain formerly known collectively as Hampton Inn — is easily the biggest brand in the Hilton collection and one of the largest hotel franchises in…

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The 12 Best Beaches in Texas in 2023 [Detailed Guide]

Cowboys, barbecue, live music, and… beaches? They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes (perhaps surprisingly) its sandy shores. While Texas certainly cannot hold a candle to the beaches of Hawaii, its 600 miles of shoreline are comparable…

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The Best Times To Visit Yellowstone National Park [By Seasons & Interests]

America’s first national park, established in 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant, marked the beginning of one of the country’s greatest endeavors — protecting and preserving its most important natural landscapes. If any U.S. destination could be considered a “trip…

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The 20 Best Beaches in California in 2023 [Northern, Central, and Southern Coasts]

Whether you heard it from the Beach Boys, the Mamas and the Papas, Weezer, or Phantom Planet, the songs are true: California’s beauty stays with you long after you’ve left. It helps that over 840 miles of the state’s border…

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Find out about other members of the team

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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