About Katie Seemann
Katie fell in love with travel during a semester abroad in college spent in Nottingham, England. During that time, she got to see Scotland, Ireland, London, and Amsterdam and knew she wanted to see more of the world.
Fast forward to 2015 when Katie discovered the world of points and miles. She jumped in full force and hasn’t looked back. After starting her own blog, Zen Life and Travel, in 2016, she began freelance writing in 2017. In addition to being a contributor to Upgraded Points since 2018, her work has also been featured in Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Million Mile Secrets.
Over the years she’s collected and redeemed millions of points and miles and currently has 16 cards in her wallet. Hyatt is her hotel brand of choice because the value you can get using points is tremendous. Because of that, her Chase cards get a lot of use since Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer directly to Hyatt. Her favorite cards are the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for travel and dining, Chase Freedom Flex℠ for bonus category spending, and Chase Freedom Unlimited® for everything else.
As for flying, American Airlines is her go-to airline since the Loyalty Points program makes elite status simple and achievable through non-flight activity.
When she’s not traveling, Katie spends her time at home in Ohio with her husband and 10-year-old daughter, probably planning her next getaway.
Katie is active in the points and miles community on social media and even helped organize a “Women in Points and Miles” meetup in San Diego.
You can follow her adventures on Facebook, Twitter, and especially Instagram, where she loves sharing her travel experiences and showing how to use points and miles to make luxury travel affordable.
Countries Visited
U.S. States Visited
Hyatt Globalist
AA Platinum Pro
Oneworld
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Q Suites
I paid 70,000 American Airlines miles plus $42 to fly in Qsuites from JFK to Doha and then in “regular business class” from Doha to the Maldives. It was worth every single point!
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Katie's Latest Articles
See More ArticlesIHG Set To Make a Splash in Turks and Caicos With Opening of 3 Hotels
IHG Hotels & Resorts will make its debut in Turks and Caicos with not just 1 but 3 new hotels. The new properties will be located on the coveted Grace Bay and will offer guests wonderful new options for using…
New Hyatt Centric Hotel To Make Its Puerto Rico Debut in San Juan
Hyatt announced plans for the first Hyatt Centric hotel in Puerto Rico. This new property is scheduled to open in 2025 and will be in the popular Isla Verde neighborhood, within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and the beach. Let’s…
Hyatt and Small Luxury Hotels Partnership Has Officially Ended
As of Wednesday, May 15, Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has officially ended its partnership with World of Hyatt in favor of Hilton Honors. Here’s everything you need to know about any future hotel bookings you may have…
JFK Airport Lounge Hopping: Making the Most of My 11-Hour Layover
Layovers are a common part of a travel day. While a nonstop flight is preferred, with a little planning, a layover can be almost…fun. Yes, I said it. Layovers can sometimes be enjoyable. Of course, that depends on what airport…
What You Need To Know Before Booking Thompson Playa del Carmen Main House
The author stayed as a guest of G Adventures. All opinions are the author’s own, and the hotel had no input in any part of this review. I recently returned from an incredible trip to Mexico. This was my ninth…
New Alaska, American, Southwest, and United Shopping Portal Bonuses [May 2024]
Shopping portal bonuses are a great way to earn extra miles when shopping online. While you can earn miles any time, these limited-time deals offer additional bonuses that can help rack up lots of extra points and miles quickly. This…
How I Would Redeem 75,000 Chase Points for Maximum Value
It’s time to get excited — there are new elevated welcome bonus offers on 2 popular cards: Of course, we love getting outsized value here at Upgraded Points, so I am going to show you how I would use 75,000…
The Best Current Capital One Offers [Travel, Dining, Entertainment, Shopping]
Saving money on purchases you would make anyway is a great feeling. Many savvy shoppers these days use shopping portals or card-linked offers to save money or earn more points on each purchase. Capital One Offers is a shopping portal…
Southwest Airlines Schedule Extended Through March 5, 2025
Southwest Airlines has extended its flight schedule, and you can now book Southwest flights for travel through March 5, 2025. Here are the details you’ll need to book those winter and early spring trips you’ve been thinking about. Southwest Airlines…
Save 40% Off Breeze Airways Flights [Today Only]
Breeze Airways is a relatively new low-cost airline that focuses on point-to-point routes that connect small and midsize airports that are often ignored by larger airlines. And now, the airline is offering a sale to celebrate graduation season and summer…
How To Get Frontier Airlines Elite Status (Is It Worth It?)
Frontier Airlines is an ultra-low-cost carrier that operates routes to more than 100 destinations in the U.S., Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. When you fly on Frontier, you pay a discounted fare for your ticket, but anything above and beyond…
New Free Disney Dining Plan Offer for Select Disney Cardholders
With spring upon us and summer right around the corner, there’s no doubt that many families will be considering a Walt Disney World Resort vacation. One of the things you’ll want to think about when planning a trip to Disney…
How To Get the 100k Amex Business Gold Card Welcome Offer [Current Public Offer Is 70k]
We love seeing elevated offers for our favorite cards — and when we do, we love sharing them with you. The American Express® Business Gold Card is one of the best business cards out there, and we’ve spotted a huge…
Andaz Miami Beach (Formerly The Confidante) Will Open Later This Year
Hyatt announced that The Confidante Miami Beach, part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, would be closing for a renovation and rebranding back in 2022. The hotel closed its doors on March 25, 2024, to allow for the full transformation…
Save Up to 50% on Alaska Airlines Award Redemptions With Global Getaways
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members can save up to 50% on select award redemptions booked in April 2024 with the Global Getaway promotion. This new recurring promotion will offer new deals every quarter. First up, Global Getaways is offering discounts…
Voco Seoul Myeongdong To Open Later This Year
IHG’s voco brand is on a roll, with lots of new hotels in the pipeline. Today, another new opening has been announced — voco Seoul Myeongdong. This property, which will be the brand’s second in South Korea, is due to…
Huge 125K (Or Even 150K) Amex Business Gold Card Welcome Offer [Current Public Offer Is 70K]
The American Express® Business Gold Card is a powerhouse earner for business owners. It strikes a nice balance between having an annual fee that’s not sky-high while still providing valuable benefits. The current public welcome bonus offer on this card…
Le Méridien Maldives Resort and Spa [In-Depth Review]
The Maldives is a bucket list dream destination for many travelers. I’ve wanted to visit for years and finally did in early 2024 once I convinced my husband that it would be worth all the travel it takes to get…
JW Marriott Hotel Nairobi Opens in Kenya — How to Book
Marriott has announced the opening of JW Marriott Hotel Nairobi in Kenya. Located in the Westlands district, at 35 stories, it will soon be the tallest hotel in the country. This new hotel offers guests a peaceful oasis within a…
[Expired] New JetBlue Vacations Promo: Up to $500 off [Book by March 28]
Update:The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available. JetBlue Vacations offers packages to destinations in the U.S., Canada, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. There’s a new promotion for up to $500 off vacation packages, but…
Register Now: Earn a Limited-Time Southwest Companion Pass With This Promo
We’ve got another new Southwest Companion Pass promo to tell you about. If you’re a fan of Southwest Airlines, you’ll want to check your account to see if you’ve been targeted for this new promotion to earn a limited-time Southwest…
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Dan Miller
Content Contributor
Realizing that it wasn’t all first class flights and 5-star hotels, Dan started the Points With a Crew blog in 2014, with the aim of helping families (especially large families) to use miles, points and credit card rewards to take that trip that they might have thought they couldn’t afford. He has spent over 10 years covering developments in the travel rewards credit card space. His expertise extends to all things personal finance, including student loans, budgeting and real estate, and his work has been featured in sites all over the Internet, including NerdWallet, Forbes, Business Insider, Rocket Mortgage, CreditCards.com, Bankrate, Turbotax, Credit Karma and Intuit Mint.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Brett Holzhauer
Content Contributor
Brett is a personal finance and travel junkie. Based out of Fort Lauderdale, he’s had over 100 credit cards and earned millions of credit card rewards. He learned the tricks of the trade from his mom, and has taken many steps forward. He wasn’t exposed to much travel as a kid, but now has a goal of reaching 100 countries in his life. In 2019, he sold all of his possessions to become a digital nomad, and he says it was one of the best decisions he ever made. He plans to do it again at some point in his life.
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.
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.
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.
Juan Ruiz
Senior Editor & Content Contributor
Juan has extensive experience in writing and editing content related to credit cards, loyalty programs, and travel. He has been honing his expertise in this field for over a decade. His work has been featured in various prestigious publications, such as USA Today, CNN Underscored, Forbes and The Points Guy. Juan is the visionary behind JetBetter, a premier award booking concierge service.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.