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2022 was the year the Companion Pass died in the Jensen household. We focused a lot on exploring our surroundings in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee and visiting family in Texas, Florida and Michigan. Adam wasn’t working from January through September so it was a dual effort to use the time off to explore but also not spend crazy amounts of money. We drove to Florida for the first time, completed the South Carolina Ultimate Outsider program (visit all 47 state parks), made all of our flights for the year in September and actually made it to Lake Tahoe.
We also opened zero new credit cards and primarily used Hyatt points and annual perks that needed to be used up.
Southwest
Without the companion pass (and rising costs) I was hit with the stark reality of what flights cost. Not anticipating having a companion pass again soon I chose to still spend points on our flights. It’s wasn’t the best value redemption, and I regret it a little now, but it allowed us to plan travel without having to spend the cash, which was what we needed.
I again almost cancelled this card. The kind man on the phone told me to at least wait until the anniversary points bonus posted because I earned them for the year and they wouldn’t take them back after I cancel (and the fee can still be waived until the statement is due). During this time my sister moved to Texas and it became relevant for my parents to get a companion pass. I was able to get referral points for their 2 cards. This extra 40,000 points made it well worth keeping the card.
This is the first year that you’ll see a cash flight on the list. We’ve started taking advantage of what Southwest calls their Promotional Companion Pass. They occur usually a few time a year and are very specific. ie. Book a new cash flight in the next 2 days to fly in this really small window and get a companion pass for 1-2 months later on. In this instance we already had flights to Tampa for Adam’s work onboarding that qualified. I switch from points to cash at the same cost so we would have a companion pass in January & February.
Earn
Annual Fee: $149
| Perk | Savings |
| Travel Credit $75 | $ 45 |
| Anniversary Bonus (7.5k Points) | $ 105 |
| Referral (40k Points) | $ 560 |
| Upgraded Boardings | $ 70 |
| $ 780 |
Points earned: 655 ($9)
—————
$149-780-9 = Earned $640 worth of value
Redeem
World of Hyatt
We are making strides in getting the most value out of our points and one of the key places is with Hyatt. They are extremely prevalent when traveling in the south which made them perfect for some of our more local driving adventures.
We did earn our first anniversary cert but didn’t use it during 2022. We also opted in for some of their bonus journeys which earned us extra points on stays we were already paying points for.
Earn
Annual Fee: $95
Perks: Free anniversary night category 1-4
Points earned: 8,500 ($170)
———-
$95 – 170 = Earned $75 worth of points
Redeem
| Redemption | Points | Cash Value |
| Hyatt Place Sumter / Downtown | 5,000 | $ 165 |
| Hyatt Place Savannah Airport | 8,000 | $ 186 |
| Hyatt Place Atlanta / Norcross | 5,000 | $ 136 |
| Hyatt Place Reno / Tahoe Airport | 8,000 | $ 292 |
| Hyatt Place Dallas / North Arlington | 3,500 | $ 337 |
CapitalOne Venture X
For the beginning of 2022 this card accumulated all of our spend. Our sign up bonus hit and we got a referral from my mom. I used nearly all of what we earned to erase travel purchases throughout the year including airbnbs, car rentals, flights and more. With the CSR being downgraded this is now our card that provides lounge access. In 2022 you were able to use the exact same locations and perks as Chase PLUS their own flagship CapitalOne lounge in Dallas and Plaza Premium lounges.
Earn
Annual Fee: $395
| Perk | Savings |
| Travel Credit | $ 300 |
| Anniversary Bonus (10k Points) | $ 100 |
| Referral (25k Points) | $ 250 |
| Lounges | $ 120 |
| $ 770 |
Points earned: 142,558 ($1,425)
—————
395-770-1425 = Earned $1,800 worth of value
| Redemption | Points | Cash Value |
| Travel Eraser | 140,696 | $ 1,407 |
Chase Ultimate Rewards
We used our handful of Chase cards a lot less in 2022. The Sapphire Preferred did add a perk for $50 off a hotel purchase in the portal which is more like a $30 discount since they mark prices up. Unfortunately my anniversary had already passed when it was announced so I was not awarded my first $50 until 2023.
One thing I realized was that the CSP is the only card we have left that can transfer to travel partners, which are the real money makers with these points. So even though I get very little value from the card I will be forced to keep it to transfer to Hyatt, Southwest and other travel partners.
Earn
Annual Fees
- Sapphire Reserve $95
- Freedom Unlimited $0
- Freedom Flex $0
- Ink Business $0
Points Earned: 13,758 ($275)
Redeem
The only redemption we made of UR was to Hyatt when we downgraded the Reserve to a Freedom Flex.
| Redemption | Points | Cash Value |
| Hyatt Transfer | 31,000 | $ 620 |
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
We were able to make a couple Marriott redemptions happen in 2022. I had some big plans for potential stays in Hawaii but it didn’t come to fruition. Got to hang out with my newborn niece instead.
I have found out I really dislike Marriott points. They are just worth so little and anywhere I want to stay is like half the points I have. BUT the annual free night doesn’t make me anxious to cancel. We didn’t get as much value from the sign up bonus certificate for a night up to 50K, but it was close to expiring and fit into the plans we had.
Earn
Annual Fee: $95
Perks: Free anniversary night up to 35,000 points
Redeem
| Redemption | Points | Cash Value |
| SpringHill Suites Winter Park | 20,000 | $ 200 |
| The Edwin Hotel | 50K Cert | $ 300 |
