With Greg’s benchmark trip in the books, our 100K Vacay challenge has gotten fully into gear, with the competitors racing to convince you that we’ve built the most incredible vacation possible with 100,000 points and $1,000. Stephen started out with a big surprise — can he be beaten? Read on for 100K Vacay content and a lot more. Note that this week’s Week in Review will be an express version with shorter-than-usual summaries, given that we are in full challenge mode.
This week on the Frequent Miler blog…
100K Vacay Livestream Kick Off | Frequent Miler on the Air Ep326 | 10-3-25
If you missed this week’s live stream, we published it in podcast form. On this episode, Greg recaps his 100K Vacay benchmark trip and the rest of us share our reactions in terms of how it left us feeling about our own trips.
Grading myself: B+ (Greg’s 100K Vacay Journal)
Speaking of how we’re feeling about our own trips, Greg graded his a B+. I’d certainly say that he nailed it by selecting an excellent destination and planning some excellent activities, but in this grading, he shares where there is room for competitors to clear the bar as well.
How did Greg’s 100K Vacay Benchmark trip set the bar?
Speaking of competitors clearing the bar, this post explains the purpose of Greg’s trip. While he isn’t competing directly with the rest of us here, his trip provided a benchmark against which to judge the rest of us. Many folks would have assumed he would have a major advantage given his currency’s ability to transfer to Hyatt (due to Hyatt’s very reasonable award chart). Will it hold up?
Stephen’s beer day & Shae’s Monopoly day (Stephen’s 100K Vacay journal)
Stephen broke out a huge surprise when he shared that his 100,000 points are going to cover flights and accommodations for just one person, but rather for both him and his wife, Shae. While Shae is working on her own cash budget, the two of them divided to conquer London. See more in his latest update.
Walking in the footsteps of royalty on the Caminito del Rey, checking into a palace (Nick’s 100K Vacay journal)
Speaking of conquering, I shared in my latest challenge update, where I attempted to conquer my fear of heights with a hike that clings to the side of canyons (with drops of 300 feet or more below the path). See my post for the photo evidence.
A daytime flight to London and a sweet terrace suite (Tim’s 100K Vacay Journal)
Tim kicked off his own 100K Vacay in a big way, with a comfortable daytime flight to London and a massive suite at a Preferred Hotels property. Sadly, if you’re following on Instagram, you likely know that Tim’s had a family emergency that cut his trip short. Our thoughts are with him and his family.
JW Marriott Masai Mara: A Simply Spectacular Safari Experience
Tim recently wrapped up a spectacular trip to the JW Marriott Masai Mara. If you have dreamed of the luxury safari experience but balked at the price tag, Tim’s post (and certainly the accompanying pictures!) will make you want to collect Marriott points to make it happen.
UseYourCredits: Track coupons, use their handy maps
Greg reviews a new tool that several readers have reported to us recently: UseYourCredits, which provides a handy way to track your credit card coupon credits and find opportunities to use those you haven’t yet. I haven’t yet had a chance to put this one to use, but I am this looks incredibly useful.
Experience Points: Book activities for no cash with these miles & points
Want to use your points and miles for more than just flights and hotels? In this post, Stephen summarizes all the ways to use your points to book activities. Some programs offer some really cool opportunities that might be worth your points.
Current point transfer bonuses for October 2025
Just a reminder to bookmark this post to stay in the loop with all the latest transfer bonuses, including several new ones that have launched this week.
Favorite travel gear from the Giant Mailbag | Coffee Break Ep72 | 9-30-25 | Podcast
We recently talked about our own favorite travel gear on the podcast. In this Coffee Break episode, readers chime in with their own favorites. There is no doubt that many of you had great feedback about the gear that makes it into your bag every trip.
Eat out, earn more: Guide to card-linked dining programs for airlines, hotels & more
If you are a frequent diner and you don’t want to leave points on the table, you’ll want to check out Stephen’s master post about how to maximize your dining purchases by leveraging the various card-linked dining programs.
That’s it for this week at Frequent Miler. Keep an eye on the blog to make sure that you don’t miss any of our 100K Vacay updates or any of this week’s last chance deals.
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