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Reader Success Story: Pacific Coast Highway Roadtrip
Thanks to Kelsey (@everydaytravelhacker) for sharing her miles and points story with us! For this trip, Kelsey and her husband traveled down the Pacific Coast Highway from Sacramento, CA to San Diego, CA. She was able to use her miles and points to cover airfare, hotels, and even for dinner at the French Laundry – saving about $4,700!
Hi there, my name is Kelsey! I am a pediatric nurse practitioner, wife, dog mama, and proud member of the Bills Mafia (aye aye aye aye!). I have been using travel points “for real” since 2019.
My now husband and I both love to travel and I stumbled across this world when looking for a way to travel on a budget. My first foray into points and miles was in 2017 when a friend asked if I wanted her referral to the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card. Free flights sounded great to me so I put all my spend on that card for years until I really got into the hobby. I opened up a Chase Sapphire Reserve®, walked into my first airport lounge before my free flight and I was hooked!
I want to tell you about an epic trip my husband and I took in September 2021 down the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in California. We absolutely loved this trip, and would highly recommend that drive to anyone!
The first thing we did at the beginning of the year was qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass using both a Southwest personal card and a business card (I chose the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card) in order to meet requirements. We then used 27,686 Rapid Rewards points plus $22.40 for both of us round trip! We flew from Buffalo to Sacramento, and flew home from San Diego. These flights would have cost us roughly $750 in cash.
Next, we moved on to our accommodations. We booked a combination of hotels, and Airbnb in areas where we were unable to find a hotel. All of our hotels were booked using Chase Ultimate Rewards® transferred to Hyatt. These points were earned thanks to the sign up bonuses from Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (100,000 plus points from spend).
We also spent Chase Ultimate Rewards® to eat at the French Laundry! At the time Chase was allowing you to redeem at 1.5 cents per point in Chase Travel℠. (Points earned prior to October 26, 2025, by Sapphire Reserve cardmembers who applied prior to June 23, 2025, can be redeemed at 1.5x on Chase Travel until October 26, 2027.) We used 64,650 points – the cash price would have been $969.75! We used the sign up bonus from the Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card.
The first hotel we stayed at was Alila Napa Valley for 1 night. We booked for 30,000 points, and if we had paid in cash the room would have cost more than $1,000. Now I would never pay that price, but I was happy to spend the points to stay at a luxury property I otherwise would not have been able to. We absolutely loved this hotel and would not hesitate to stay again.
We then moved to Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco for one night for 20,000 points. Cash price would have been about $350. We loved this hotel and felt the location was quite convenient to everywhere we wanted to go.
Hotel Hyatt Carmel Highlands was next for 30,000 points, which was listed for almost $1,000 for the night. This hotel was somewhat dated, but still beautiful. The staff was friendly and attentive, but the best part was the beautiful ocean view from our room!
We stayed at a few Airbnb’s moving down the PCH and then in Los Angeles, until we got to Disneyland. We spent 2 nights at Hyatt Place Anaheim for Disneyland at 24,000 points total. Cash price would have been about $600. I can not say enough about how wonderful the staff were at this hotel. We told them we were celebrating our wedding anniversary prior to our arrival. When we arrived the GM personally greeted us and arranged a free private ride to the parks with their driving service, in an Escalade! They also had goodies waiting for us when we entered our room.
We stayed at an Airbnb to finish off our trip in San Diego. For Airbnb we did buy gift cards at staples on our Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to earn us 5x points!
In total we spent 27,686 Southwest Rapid Rewards, and 168,650 Chase Ultimate Rewards®. The total cash price would have been approximately $4,700! This does not include the fact that we both had TSA pre-check, used airport lounges, and received room upgrades at all of our hotels thanks in part to hotel status and my emailing the hotels prior. We had an absolutely fabulous trip, which would not have been doable for us had we not discovered points and miles!
Cards Kelsey used for her trip
Round trip tickets on Southwest: 27,686 Rapid Rewards Points + Companion Pass
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
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Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
Steep annual fee but might be worth it to help you earn a Companion Pass.
Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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9,000 Bonus Points on Each Cardholder Anniversary Receive 9,000 Rapid Rewards bonus points each cardmember anniversary year. Worth approximately $126.
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Preferred Seat Selection at Booking + Extra Legroom Upgrades 48hr Before Departure Select a Preferred or Standard seat at booking, when available, for cardholder + up to 8 passengers on same reservation. Plus, free upgrade to Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to departure when available.
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Up to $120 Global Entry / TSA PreCheck® / NEXUS Statement Credit Statement credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement when you pay for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee.
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First Checked Bag Free First checked bag free for cardmember and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.
Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
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Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
| Offer | Spend Req. | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 80,000 Bonus Points | $5,000 in 3 months | Standard (current as of May 1, 2026) |
| 80,000 Bonus Points | $5,000 in 3 months | Long-running standard since launch |
| 120,000 Bonus Points + Promotional Companion PassElevated | $10,000 in 3 months | Peak elevated; ran in Spring 2025 and Spring 2026 |
Dinner at the French Laundry: 64,650 Chase Ultimate Rewards
Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
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Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
A perennial favorite! No annual fee and you can convert the cash back > Ultimate Rewards if you also have a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Complimentary 3-Month Instacart+ Membership + $20/Month Instacart Credit (Through Dec 31, 2027) 3 months of complimentary Instacart+ membership ($99/year value) plus $20 in Instacart credits each month when you have Instacart+ through December 31, 2027.
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Move Cash Back into Ultimate Rewards Points Cash back is technically Chase Ultimate Rewards points ($1 cash back = 100 UR points). When paired with a Chase Sapphire (Preferred, Reserve, or Reserve Business) or Ink Business Preferred, you can combine points for transfers to 14+ airline and hotel partners — including World of Hyatt, United, Air Canada Aeroplan, Southwest, JetBlue, and more.
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0% Intro APR on Purchases (12 Months) 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from account opening. After that, a variable APR applies
Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
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Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
| Offer | Spend Req. | Date |
|---|---|---|
| $750 Cash Back | $6,000 in 3 months | Standard (current as of May 1, 2026) |
| $900 Cash BackElevated | $6,000 in 3 months | Best-ever; ran September 12 - November 13, 2025 |
| $900 Cash BackElevated | $6,000 in 3 months | Fall 2024 (mid-September to early November) |
| $900 Cash BackElevated | $6,000 in 3 months | Returned September 2023 - mid-January 2024 |
| $900 Cash BackElevated | $6,000 in 3 months | Fall 2022 |
| $750 Cash Back | $7,500 in 3 months | Pandemic-era offer |
| $500 Cash Back | $3,000 in 3 months | Long-running historical standard |
5 Nights at Hyatt Hotels: 104,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards
Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
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Katie's Take
Why this card might (or might not) be right for you.
Overall good card option for earning Ultimate Rewards. One of the few that still earns 3x on travel.
Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Highlights
The key benefits and earning rates at a glance.
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Cell Phone Protection (Up to $1,000/Claim) Get up to $1,000 per claim in cell phone protection against covered theft or damage when you pay your monthly cell phone bill with the card. Maximum 3 claims per year, $100 deductible per claim.
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Complimentary DashPass + $10/Month DoorDash Grocery Credit (Through Dec 31, 2027) Complimentary access to DashPass by DoorDash for a minimum of one year (activate by 12/31/2027). Includes $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees. Plus, $10/month statement credit on DoorDash grocery and retail orders.
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Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver (PRIMARY for Business Rentals) Primary auto rental collision damage waiver coverage for business rentals. Charge the entire rental cost to your card and decline the rental company's CDW.
Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
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Offer History
See past welcome bonuses to gauge whether the current offer is elevated.
| Offer | Spend Req. | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 100,000 Bonus Points (ELEVATED)Elevated | $8,000 in 3 months | Current ELEVATED offer; available online since early January 2026 |
| 80,000 Bonus Points | $8,000 in 3 months | Standard baseline offer |
| 90,000 Bonus Points | $8,000 in 3 months | Standard offer for most of 2025 |
| 100,000 Bonus Points (Older) | $15,000 in 3 months | Older offer with higher spend requirement |
| 120,000 Bonus Points (BEST-EVER)Elevated | $8,000 in 3 months | Best-ever; ran July - early September 2024 |
Share Your Points Success Story
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