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.
Michael’s first points and miles redemption was a trip to Southeast Asia where he flew Cathay Pacific from Newark to Bangkok (connecting through Hong Kong).
By day, Michael works as a solar energy developer where he develops utility scale solar projects in the U.S. By night, Michael works as a Senior Points Contributor at UpgradedPoints and runs his travel blog Points With Q.
At Upgraded Points, Michael specializes in points redemptions. He has vast knowledge of award programs and helps show readers how to receive the most value through booking award flights around the world.
Follow along with Michael in Houston and on his travels on Twitter and Instagram.
Countries Visited: 15
U.S. States Visited: 32
Highest Hotel Status: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum
Highest Airline Status: American Airlines Gold
Favorite Airline Alliance: Star Alliance
Favorite Business Class: Delta One
Best Redemption Value: 10.4 cents per point flying Delta One to Europe
Favorite Type of Points: Chase Ultimate Rewards
Top 3 Cards in Wallet: Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Blue Business Plus, Citi Premier
