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Michael McHugh

Former Content Contributor

65 Published Articles

About Michael McHugh

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

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Michael's Latest Articles

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10 Best Paris Hotels to Book With Points [for Max Value]

Known for its art, culture, fashion, and gastronomy, Paris is a city that attracts all types of travelers. This beautiful city is home to many iconic sights including the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, and Notre-Dame….

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The 10 Best San Francisco Hotels to Book With Points [for Max Value]

Known for Alcatraz, cable cars, Chinatown, the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Mission, the Presidio, Russian Hill, Victorian houses, world-class restaurants and bars, and “Karl” (the year-round fog), San Francisco is one is the U.S.’s iconic…

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10 Best London Hotels to Book With Points [for Max Value]

The capital of England and the U.K. is likely one of the first cities a first-time international traveler from the U.S. will visit. London is an old city that mixes the old with the new well. From sightseeing to Michelin-starred…

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14 Best Hotels in Los Angeles To Book With Points [for Max Value]

Los Angeles is a destination with enviable weather that’s great to visit year-round. It’s a city at the center of the film and TV industry with a food scene that alone makes it worth a trip. If you have never…

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The 10 Best Chicago Hotels to Book With Points [for Max Value]

The Windy City is a summertime destination that is hard to resist. From June to August, it is simply hard to beat walking around downtown Chicago or cruising around the lake with the sun shining. Chicago is known for its…

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Top 9 Best Washington, D.C. Hotels to Book With Points [for Max Value]

There’s just something special about when you hop off the plane at Reagan National Airport (DCA) or the train at Union Station. You can feel that the air is different in the nation’s capital — a feeling similar to when…

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9 Best New York City Hotels to Book With Points [for Max Value]

New York City is one of the most iconic cities, not only in the U.S. but in the world. The Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square, Broadway shows, food, and fashion are just a few reasons why you should…

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The 15 Best Marriott Luxury Hotels To Book With Points for Maximum Value

The Marriott Bonvoy program is one of the most popular hotel loyalty programs in the world — it also has some of the most luxurious brands, including The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, and The Luxury Collection. A few assumptions were required…

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16 Best IHG Luxury Hotels To Book With Points for Maximum Value

The IHG One Rewards program is one that travelers new to points and miles may not hear much about. And while IHG may not get the same amount of attention as Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt, that…

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The 12 Best Hyatt Luxury Hotels To Book With Points for Maximum Value

When evaluating the luxury brands within the Hyatt portfolio, one thing is apparent — the value members receive by booking expensive cash hotels with a relatively low number of points. That’s simply not the case with other brands when you’re…

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The Benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status [Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador]

Marriott Bonvoy elite members appreciate 2 things, among many, about the Marriott Bonvoy program — the hotels’ global footprint and unique properties. Knowing that you can find a hotel no matter where you travel brings peace of mind for leisure…

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The Best Ways To Fly to Greece With Points and Miles

Located in southeastern Europe with its fifth-century B.C. capital in Athens, Greece is a mountainous country with the longest coastline in the Mediterranean. The country is known for historic sites, such as the Acropolis and Parthenon, as well as picturesque…

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The Best Ways to Fly to the Czech Republic With Points and Miles

Castles, pilsner beer, and hearty cuisine are likely what comes to mind when you think of the Czech Republic. The capital of this central European city is located in Prague with most places that you’ll want to see within a…

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The Benefits and Perks of Hilton Honors Elite Status [Silver, Gold, and Diamond]

The Hilton brand was founded in 1919 when Conrad Hilton purchased his first hotel in Texas. Since that time, many things have changed with the brand, including the introduction of the Hilton Honors loyalty program in 1989. Serving both business and…

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The Benefits of IHG One Rewards Elite Status [Silver, Gold, Platinum & Diamond]

IHG Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in England, is an established hotel brand dating back to the 1700s. The brand has nearly 6,000 hotels across over 100 countries, similar to the footprint you’ll find with the Hilton and Marriott brands. The…

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The Best Ways To Fly to Sweden With Points and Miles

Along with the Scandinavian countries of Denmark and Norway, Sweden is a country with many islands, lakes, forests, and mountains. The northern lights, fishing, hiking, and skiing are what Sweden is known for, in addition to its capital city of…

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The Best Ways to Fly to Argentina With Points and Miles

The Andes Mountains, tango dancing, Mendoza wine country, and Patagonia are just a few of the many things that you can explore on your trip to Argentina. With so much to offer, you may be wondering how best to use…

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The Best Ways to Fly to Croatia With Points and Miles

With a sprawling coastline along the Adriatic Sea, Croatia is a country located in eastern Europe. Bordered by Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, Croatia has a mix of influences that can be seen through its medieval cities,…

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The Valuable Benefits of Hyatt Elite Status [Discoverist, Explorist, Globalist]

Elite benefits and excellent customer service are 2 things that many travelers look for in elite status with a hotel brand. When you’re traveling, you want the peace of mind to know that a hotel brand has your back if…

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The Best Ways to Fly to Ireland with Points and Miles

Situated west of Great Britain, Ireland is an island in western Europe with its capital located in Dublin. The country is home to delicious Guinness beer and incredible medieval castles. Ireland is nicknamed “Emerald Isle” due to its green landscape…

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The Best Ways To Fly to Seychelles With Points and Miles

Seychelles is an African destination that ranks high on the exotic beach scale. Similar to Bora Bora and the Maldives, Seychelles is a remote place offering secluded beaches and incredible views. Located in the Indian Ocean off of the coast…

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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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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.

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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.

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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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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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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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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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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.

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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.

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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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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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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.

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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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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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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.

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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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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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