Today’s reader success story to Cabo comes from Nicole, a young travel hacker with a skeptical Player Two. Let’s check in with her:

 

My name is Nicole Dietz, I am 26 years old. After following several travel hackers on Instagram for over a year, I got into the points game. I did a lot of research watching all the reels and really trying to understand all the details. My husband was skeptical at first with trying to find out how using points to travel was possible. After much discussion, we decided I would apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card at the 60,000 points bonus. We did not realize how easy it would be to meet the minimum spend, so I activated my husband as Player 2.

Once we met our minimum spending and earned our bonus points, we decided which location worked best. We planned a trip to Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, we were there for 4 nights in the middle of spring break (When rooms were going for over $900/night). At check-in, we asked and were upgraded to a $1,300/night suite, which we did not pay any cash for, and no additional points!

 

 

We loved the all-inclusive atmosphere, and without using points, we would not be going on vacation, especially a vacation this nice. Hyatt Los Cabos Ziva is a beautiful resort located right on the beach and offered 3 different pools a large pool, a private adult pool, and a children’s play zone, which makes this a great resort for families too. The resort is located right in San Jose del Cabo, and each day we would walk into town and purchase items we needed or just explore. This added to the experience as we loved being in local areas that were safe. I loved this resort and was happy with the service we were provided.

 

 

After our success with the Chase Sapphire card, we applied for the Venture X card, which the annual fee was a lot to swallow, but within the month that I have had it, I have used the perks. I have used the Priority Pass for lounges, minute suites, and more. This card also offers the Venture X $300 travel portal credit and the $200 Airbnb/Vrbo credit (no longer a benefit).

 

Future Plans

We were informed we needed to travel to Washington, DC, on business, and instead of going for the day, we could stay 2 nights at the Grand Hyatt and experience all of the museums, all using points.

We plan to go to Boston for a long week with family this June. All of this is on points!  I cannot believe how much I used to pay out of pocket to travel, saving up all year just to go on one vacation. I have never been to 3 different places in a matter of 3 months. My husband is now a fan of points. We are interested in continuing this journey and learning what cards work best for us.

Great job, Nicole! We enjoyed your reader success story to Cabo, and I know many readers will be happy to learn that husbands can change their minds about travel hacking!