Member Success Story: Phylicitee’s Luxury Family Adventures with Points & Miles
Citi is a partner of Travel Freely. All points prices correct at the time of publishing.
When it comes to turning everyday spending into unforgettable adventures, few do it better than Phylicitee, a devoted wife, mom, and Travel Freely member from Oklahoma. Since joining the Travel Freely community in 2021, she’s transformed her family’s travel dreams into reality, earning over 2.25 million points and unlocking five-star experiences around the world, all without breaking the bank.
With the help of Travel Freely’s CardGenie®, personalized reminders, and educational resources, Phylicitee mastered the art of maximizing signup bonuses and leveraging transferable points from cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, American Express® Gold Card, and Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
Her family’s story is a testament to what’s possible when organization meets strategy. From Hawaii’s beaches to European castles and business-class flights, Phylicitee has proven that with Travel Freely, luxury travel really can fit every budget.
👉 New to points and miles? Read our beginner-friendly guide: How to Get Started with Free Travel
Tell Us About Yourself
Hi – I’m Phylicitee, a wife, mom, and lover of luxury items who believes in five-star travel without five-star prices. My husband and I have been married for 26 years, and along with our 16-year-old daughter, we share a deep love of travel.
In 2021, I discovered Travel Freely, and everything changed. I’d always used credit cards to earn points, but I never realized that signup bonuses were the real key to unlocking incredible trips. Travel Freely helped me organize my cards, track bonuses, and take the stress and confusion out of the entire process.
Learning the Secret to Free Travel
Before Travel Freely, I felt overwhelmed by all the information out there. Which card should I open next? What’s the best bonus? How do I keep track of 5/24 rules?
Once I joined Travel Freely, the lightbulb went off. Through the educational resources, videos, and blog posts, I finally understood that the real magic happens with signup bonuses.
I started with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, earning a 60,000-point signup bonus. Following Travel Freely’s couples strategy, I referred my husband for the same card – doubling our haul to 120,000+ Chase Ultimate Rewards® points.
Those points became the foundation for our first dream redemption, and we haven’t stopped since.
Overcoming Early Hesitations
At first, I had a few concerns – like whether opening new cards would hurt my credit score or whether entering my info in the app was safe.
But those fears vanished quickly. I learned that I only needed to list the names of my cards, not any sensitive details, and that my credit score actually improved thanks to increased credit limits and responsible use.
Dream Trip #1: Hawaii – The First Big Redemption
In 2022, just months after joining Travel Freely, my family took our first points and miles trip to Hawaii – 4 nights in Maui and 4 nights in Kauai.
Hotels:
We used Chase Ultimate Rewards points, transferred to World of Hyatt, to book stays at:
- Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa
- Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa
Both luxury beachfront resorts were completely free using our Hyatt points.
Flights:
We flew Hawaiian Airlines using Chase Ultimate Rewards transferred to Virgin Atlantic, enjoying the Aloha spirit from the moment we boarded.
I remember sitting at a luau with my family, leis around our necks, thinking, ‘This trip wouldn’t have been possible without Travel Freely.’ It was the first time I realized: we can do this again and again.
Dream Trip #2: Europe in Business Class
For our 25th wedding anniversary, we went all-out — business class on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines from Austin to Amsterdam.
We booked through Flying Blue (KLM/Air France) using a mix of Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards® — both transferable currencies we’d learned to maximize through Travel Freely’s guidance.
We got champagne before takeoff, gourmet meals, and even little ceramic Dutch houses filled with gin. After that, I don’t know if we can ever go back to economy!
In Scotland, we stayed in a Hyatt-affiliated castle hotel, booked entirely with Hyatt points transferred from Chase Ultimate Rewards. It was the ultimate fairytale ending to our anniversary celebration.
Over 2.25 Million Points Earned
Since joining in 2021, my husband and I have earned 2,250,000 points — just from signup bonuses tracked through Travel Freely.
Here’s where those points came from:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (x 2 plus 1 referral)
- Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (we each opened a card during a lucrative 120K signup bonus, totaling 240K points)
- American Express® Gold Card
- American Express Platinum Card®
- Capital One Venture X® – used for everyday spending and lounge access
- World of Hyatt® Credit Card
Global Adventures — Without the Price Tag
In just three years, we’ve traveled to:
- Hawaii
- Costa Rica
- France, Scotland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland
- And we’re heading to New England next to check off five more U.S. states!
We thought we’d take one big trip a year. Instead, we’ve been traveling every few months — without changing our lifestyle.
Passing the Torch
One of the most meaningful parts of this journey has been sharing it with our daughter. She’s already visited 37 states and plans to see all 50 before she graduates high school.
If I could give one piece of advice to anyone starting out, it would be this: Follow everything Zac says! I’ve done everything he’s recommended — from the couples strategy to transferring points – and it works. The Travel Freely app is tried and true.
Final Thoughts
From business class flights to castle stays, Travel Freely has helped Phylicitee and her family live their travel dreams — proving that luxury travel doesn’t have to come with luxury prices.
Inspired by Phylicitee’s story? Start tracking your cards with Travel Freely today – it’s free, beginner-friendly, and built to make stories like this possible.
Have a success story you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it! Reach out to us at or fill out our form here.
Cards that helped Phylicitee achieve her luxury travel dreams:
