Skift Take
Kelly's approach both explains why getting miles via flying is one of the least effective ways to build loyalty, as well as why the business of points has become a big enough business that airlines are spinning them off as independent companies.
He's the travel equivalent of the frugal lady who stuffs her pillows with dryer lint.
Brian Kelly, otherwise known as "The Points Guy," is so savvy about using travel points and miles that he rarely pays for an airline ticket or hotel room.
When he was 13, he figured out how to use his father's miles and points to take their family of six to Grand Cayman on vacation.
In his job as a Wall Street human resources manager, he parlayed his frequent flier miles into cushy trips to the Seychelles Islands and other exotic spots.
So many people asked him how he did it that two years ago, he quit Wall Street and turned to educating the bumbling masses (us) full time at ThePointsGuy.com. True, some of his complex mile-building strategies on the site read more like calculus problems, but it is all simple logic to him.
We caught up with Kelly, 30, at his Miami home to find out more.
Question: How many miles and points do you have?
Answer: That's a very personal question. I don't even know, but definitely seven figures. I do a lot of credit card bonuses. I have about 20 active credit cards ... so it adds up pretty qu
