About Carissa Rawson
Carissa is a native Californian whose taste for travel began during her 7 years in the U.S. Air Force. A former Arabic translator, her first serious journey overseas was to Jordan, where a 6-month deployment taught her a lot about people and a little about award travel. What started as a curiosity quickly became an obsession, and soon she had launched her own website teaching others how to travel for free.
After years of running her own blog, she joined up with The Points Guy full-time to write about the best in rewards travel, flight deals, and the ever-elusive elite status. Since then she has contributed to many different websites, including The Balance, Business Insider, and Forbes.
When she isn’t writing about award travel, you’ll often find her scanning fare calendars and searching mattress runs, usually from some sort of Priority Pass lounge. She is a United 1K member and a soon-to-be Hyatt Globalist, though her heart will always lie with Hilton.
Carissa is a firm believer in value for money, whether that means she’s legging it on a $200 cash fare to Europe or sipping Champagne up front courtesy of an award flight. She’s also made good use of upgrade certificates and even, when she’s feeling fancy, redeemed miles for a premium cabin upgrade.
You can follow Carissa on Twitter.
Countries Visited
U.S. States Visited
Hilton Honors Diamond
United MileagePlus 1K
Star Alliance
Cathay Pacific
United Polaris
Alaska Airlines via Cathay Pacific to the Middle East
Chase Ultimate Rewards
Carissa's Latest Articles
See More ArticlesQatar Airways Launches 2 New U.S. Credit Cards [Full Details and Benefits]
We learned a few weeks ago that Qatar Airways will be launching credit cards within the U.S., but details so far have been scant. We now know how many cards are coming, the rewards they’ll earn, and what type of…
Does the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Still Belong in My Wallet?
I remember the buzz when the Chase Sapphire Reserve® was launched. Although I was well over 5/24, Chase’s restriction for whether you’d be approved for a new card, I had heard that you could still have a chance to get…
Instacart Card’s Best-Ever Offer – $100 Credit, Free Year Instacart+
If you’re a heavy user of Instacard, the Instacart Mastercard® may make sense for you. With strong earnings on purchases from Instacart and Chase Travel, this card rewards those who shop often. And now, with a new welcome offer on…
Why I’m Switching to American Airlines Elite Status This Year
I’ve been a devoted United loyalist for a very long time (ever since Delta started gutting its loyalty program), but this year is the first year in a long time that I’ve exhausted my United MileagePlus Premier Gold elite status. Although I had…
Increased Welcome Offer on IHG Business Credit Card [Last Call!]
The co-branded business IHG card, the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, has an increased welcome bonus offer, though you’ll need to do quite a bit of spending to accrue all your points. Here’s a look at the details…
New Virgin Voyages Cruise Deals From 89,000 Points [Limited-Time Only]
We love great deals at Upgraded Points, especially when one comes around for something that usually is a bit tricky to book with points — like cruises. Virgin Voyages is back with awesome deals on select cruises that you can…
5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Applying for Rewards Credit Cards
Whether you’re 18 or 82, applying for your first credit card is an overwhelming affair. Bombarded with ads from every source imaginable, you probably opened a card with your bank and called it a day, like I did. Unfortunately, these…
[Award Alert] Book Qatar Airways Qsuites for 70K Miles (Wide Open Availability)
If you’ve been hunting for the elusive Qatar Airways Qsuite, get your points ready because we’ve found widespread availability for this excellent business class product through the end of next year. This is a book now, think later, situation. If…
[Expired] [Deal Alert] West Coast to Europe in Premium Economy From $1,100 Round-Trip
The schlep from the West Coast over to Europe is long, so it makes sense that you don’t want to do it in economy. But with business class pricing through the roof, sometimes a better solution is springing for premium…
[Award Alert] ANA Business Class to Tokyo From 35K Points
Want to try out All Nippon Airways’ (ANA) lauded business class for yourself? Well, you’re in luck because we’ve found a huge amount of last-minute award space from airports all over the U.S. and Canada. Here’s a look at everything…
[Expired] [Award Alert] JW Marriott Masai Mara From 108K Points per Night
There’s been quite a bit of buzz about the JW Marriott Masai Mara in Kenya — and for good reason. As an all-inclusive luxury safari resort, there’s a lot to love about this property. However, the nightly cash rate is…
[Expired] [Deal Alert] New York to Singapore in Premium Economy for $1,397 Round-Trip
Have you ever woken up and thought to yourself, “Wow, I really wish I was sitting in premium economy for 18 hours straight?” Well, you’re in luck because that magical experience can be yours for a paltry $1,397 round-trip on…
[Expired] [Award Alert] Waldorf Astoria Maldives From 150K Points per Night
As one of the most expensive and highly coveted properties in Hilton’s portfolio, it’s obvious why finding award space at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi is almost impossible. However, we’ve spotted a last-minute dump of award rooms, so if you…
5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Staying at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives
In January of this year, I spent a fabulous 7 nights at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi. While I haven’t quite wrapped up my full review (stay tuned … there’s a lot to say), there are some things that really…
Why I’ll Never Upgrade to the Capital One Venture X Card
If you’ve ever read any of my writing, you probably already know that I’m a credit card fiend. The more expensive the annual fee, the better. Load me up because I’m here for that coupon book of credits. All jokes…
DOT Changes Airline Refund Rules [What Qualifies, Who Is Affected]
The U.S. has long had fewer protections for travelers. Unlike other countries, airlines have historically had a lot of leeway regarding refunds, flight cancellations, and what they owe to passengers. Now, a new Department of Transportation (DOT) ruling has solidified…
Where Are We Going? The UP Team’s Summer 2024 Travel Plans
Winter is finally behind us, and spring is in full swing, which means we’re all already looking ahead to summer and all the travel that comes with our favorite season. So, where is our team jetting off to this summer?…
[Expired] Save 30% on Award Tickets to South America With Avianca LifeMiles [Book by April 25]
If you aren’t familiar with Avianca LifeMiles, you should be. Although the airline can be difficult to deal with — and its customer service leaves much to be desired — redeeming LifeMiles for reward redemptions can offer some excellent value….
[Expired] [Deal Alert] U.S. to India in Business From $2,568 Round-Trip
It isn’t cheap to fly to India, whether you’re looking to fly up front or in good old economy class. Happily, we’ve found discounted flights in business from all over the U.S. to India. Let’s go over the details. Fare…
[Expired] [Award Alert] Last-Minute Award Space in Business Class to Auckland for 49K Points
Finding business class award seats to New Zealand is nearly impossible, especially since there are so few airlines that operate these flights. However, we’ve seen a fairly last-minute smattering of seats available in business class on Air New Zealand starting…
[Expired] [Deal Alert] West Coast to Spain From $398 Round-Trip
Has it been too long since your last churro with chocolate? Or perhaps you’re just antsy for a $2 glass of Cava? Whatever the reason, we’ve got you covered with cheap fares from the West Coast all the way to…
Find out about other members of the team
Andrew Kunesh
Former Content Contributor
Andrew was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and now splits his time between Chicago and New York City.
Ashley Onadele
Content Contributor
Ashley discovered a love for travel in college that’s continued as her family has grown. She loves showing parents how they can take their families on trips using points and has contributed to numerous publications and podcasts.
Brandon Brunner
Former Content Contributor
Brandon was born and raised in California and really didn’t travel much growing up, even outside of his own state. While attending college, he was constantly looking to find the cheapest fares to any destination abroad, and quickly learned about the motto- “Chase the fare, not the destination”. Luckily, his first international flight was to Costa Rica (under $300 roundtrip) where that “Pura Vida” lifestyle (and Imperials) hit him hard, and he knew he had to see more.
Brett Holzhauer
Content Contributor
Brett is a personal finance and travel junkie. Based out of Fort Lauderdale, he’s had over 100 credit cards and earned millions of credit card rewards. He learned the tricks of the trade from his mom, and has taken many steps forward. He wasn’t exposed to much travel as a kid, but now has a goal of reaching 100 countries in his life. In 2019, he sold all of his possessions to become a digital nomad, and he says it was one of the best decisions he ever made. He plans to do it again at some point in his life.
Brian Graham
Former Content Contributor
Brian’s first ever airplane ride was in a private turbo-prop jet. He was merely an intern boy trying to make a good impression, but it turns out the plane made an impression on him.
Caroline Lupini
Former Content Contributor
Caroline Lupini always enjoyed traveling, but it became her goal to do as much as possible after a 3-week trip around Europe in 2011. In March 2014, Caroline left her job and embarked on nearly full-time travels.
Charlie Page
Former Content Contributor
Charlie is a Senior First Officer and has been an airline pilot for nearly 15 years. He currently flies long-haul on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner after 10 years buzzing around Europe on the A320. He got into travel and aviation from an early age, fortunate enough to be taken on some great family holidays.
Cherag Dubash
Content Contributor
Cherag was born in a family associated with aviation and was hooked on to planes since the age of 3, the time he undertook his first flight on an Airbus A310 from Mumbai to Dubai.
Christy Rodriguez
Travel & Finance Content Contributor
After having “non-rev” privileges with Southwest Airlines, Christy dove into the world of points and miles so she could continue traveling for free. Her other passion is personal finance, and is a certified CPA.
Dan Miller
Content Contributor
Realizing that it wasn’t all first class flights and 5-star hotels, Dan started the Points With a Crew blog in 2014, with the aim of helping families (especially large families) to use miles, points and credit card rewards to take that trip that they might have thought they couldn’t afford. He has spent over 10 years covering developments in the travel rewards credit card space. His expertise extends to all things personal finance, including student loans, budgeting and real estate, and his work has been featured in sites all over the Internet, including NerdWallet, Forbes, Business Insider, Rocket Mortgage, CreditCards.com, Bankrate, Turbotax, Credit Karma and Intuit Mint.
David Slotnick
Former Content Contributor
Born and raised in New York, David still remembers his first flight when he was only four years old: a U.S. Airways trip from New York-La Guardia to Palm Beach, Florida. He formed his love of travel around that and other family vacations, including to England at age eight and Namibia when he was 13. During college, a four-country trip around Europe with a friend cemented his passion for seeing the world.
Erin Miller
Content Contributor
An experienced points hacker, Erin is Alex’s partner-in-crime and contributes to Upgraded Points with in-depth guides and relationship management. Erin’s work has been cited in multiple major publications.
Greg Stone
Content Contributor
Greg got bitten by the travel bug at a young age while traveling with his Dad on business trips to Asia. He took over the family business in 2012 and uses it to maximize his loyalty points earning. His obsession with earning and burning loyalty rewards points allows him to travel over 100 days every year.
Jarrod West
Senior Content Contributor
Boasting a portfolio of over 20 cards, Jarrod has been an expert in the points and miles space for over 6 years. He earns and redeems over 1 million points per year and his work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times.
Jeff Brownson
Former Content Contributor
Since discovering miles and points in 2010, Jeff has traveled to over 35 countries, flying in first class, business class, and sometimes even in coach. Whether he’s staying in a hostel dorm, or in a luxury suite at a 5 star hotel, Jeff is constantly looking for the best deal to make travel as close to free as possible.
Julian Kheel
Content Contributor
Julian Kheel first learned the ins and outs of credit card rewards and travel loyalty programs while flying more than 200,000 miles a year as a TV producer and director for World Wrestling Entertainment. With over 15 years of professional experience studying travel loyalty programs, Julian has served as CNN’s Senior Editor covering travel and credit cards, as well as the Editorial Director of The Points Guy, and has worked as a consultant for the Big 3 U.S. airlines.
Katie Seemann
Senior Content Contributor and News Editor
Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.
Lindsey Olander
Former Content Contributor
Currently based in New York, Lindsey spent her childhood in Connecticut dreaming of far-off places. Her first flight was to Disney World at age 11. Her second flight was for a high school field trip to Italy, though travel as a career didn’t stick until she studied abroad in London during college and discovered the true power of her passport. Since then, she’s worked as a travel editor at Jetsetter and Travel + Leisure, where she reported on everything from African safaris to hot hotel openings to, yes, Disney World.
Lori Zaino
Senior Content Contributor
Lori is an intrepid traveler who loves creating itineraries that exude “luxe on a budget.” She’s written for CNN, NBC, The Infatuation, and more, and loves to muse about points-fueled trips to Sri Lanka, Sicily, and Myanmar.
Lukas Picton
Former Content Contributor
Lukas escaped his hometown south of Sydney and moved to the big smoke immediately after high-school, but the bright lights of the city weren’t enough, and he soon set his sights on more exotic international destinations and has been in love with travel ever since.
Michael McHugh
Former Content Contributor
Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Michael took his first international trip in 2013 with friends to the Bahamas. Although he didn’t travel much in his younger years, on that trip, he caught the travel bug and has been hooked ever since.
Ryan Smith
Content Contributor
Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publications including AwardWallet, The Points Guy, USA Today Blueprint, CNBC Select, Tripadvisor, and Forbes Advisor.
Senitra Horbrook
Writer
Senitra Horbrook is a frequent solo traveler who began using points and miles in 2012. Formerly credit cards editor at The Points Guy, Senitra has also contributed to Forbes Advisor, AwardWallet, Insider, among others.
Spencer Howard
Former Content Contributor
Always a fan of flying, it was only natural that Spencer was drawn to finding a way to improve the travel experience.
Stephen Au
Senior Content Contributor
Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.
Susan Wright
Former Finance Contributor
While writing about finance and insurance isn’t something that keeps most people awake at night, it is what Susan Wright has focused on for more than 25 years. As a financial copywriter, Susan has an eye for money-related details such as credit and savings, and she loves to pass along helpful information to consumers. Susan holds 11 financial industry designations (including CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC, ADPA, CITRMS, CIPA) as well as several licenses.
Amar Hussain
Senior Content Contributor
Amar is an avid traveler and tester of products. He has spent the last 13 years traveling all 7 continents and has put the products to the test on each of them. He has contributed to publications including Forbes, the Huffington Post, and more.
Ehsan Haque
Content Contributor
Ehsan is an avid traveler who has traveled to 100 countries, diligently using points and miles to fund his journeys. Currently, he holds 32 active credit cards and earns over a million points and miles annually, primarily using them for luxury hotels and long-haul premium cabins.
Jessica Merritt
Editor & Content Contributor
A long-time points and miles student, Jessica is the former Personal Finance Managing Editor at U.S. News and World Report and is passionate about helping consumers fund their travels for as little cash as possible.
Christine Krzyszton
Senior Finance Contributor
Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
Alex Miller
Founder & CEO
Founder and CEO of Upgraded Points, Alex is a leader in the industry and has earned and redeemed millions of points and miles. He frequently discusses the award travel industry with CNBC, Fox Business, The New York Times, and more.
Chris Hassan
Social Media & Brand Manager
Chris holds a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management and managed social media for all Marriott properties in South America, making him a perfect fit for UP and its social media channels. He has a passion for making content catered toward family travelers.
Nick Ellis
Editor & Content Contributor
Nick’s passion for points began as a hobby and became a career. He worked for over 5 years at The Points Guy and has contributed to Business Insider and CNN. He has 14 credit cards and continues to leverage the perks of each.
Chris Dong
Editor & Content Contributor
Chris is a freelance writer and editor with a focus on timely travel trends, points and miles, hot new hotels, and all things that go (he’s a proud aviation geek and transit nerd). Formerly full-time at The Points Guy, his work can now be found at AFAR, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, The Washington Post, and Lonely Planet, among others
Michael Y. Park
Editor
Michael Y. Park is a journalist living in New York City. He’s traveled through Afghanistan disguised as a Hazara Shi’ite, slept with polar bears on the Canadian tundra, picnicked with the king and queen of Malaysia, tramped around organic farms in Cuba, ridden the world’s longest train through the Sahara, and choked down gasoline clams in North Korea.
Keri Stooksbury
Editor-in-Chief
With years of experience in corporate marketing and with a nonprofit, Keri is now editor-in-chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and reviewing thousands of UP articles in the process.
Kellie Jez
Director of Operations & Compliance
Kellie’s professional experience has led her to a deep passion for compliance, data reporting, and process improvement. Kellie’s learned the ins and outs of the points and miles world and leads UP’s compliance operation.
Daniel Ross
Senior Content Contributor
Daniel has loved aviation and travel his entire life. He earned a Master of Science in Air Transport Management and has written about travel and aviation in publications like Simple Flying, The Points Guy, and more.
Victoria M. Walker
Senior Content Contributor
Victoria holds a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the Howard University School of Communications and is an award-winning journalist, travel reporter, and the founder of the “Carrying On with Victoria M. Walker” newsletter.
James Larounis
Senior Content Contributor
James (Jamie) started The Forward Cabin blog to educate readers about points, miles, and loyalty programs. He’s spoken at Princeton University and The New York Times Travel Show and has been quoted in dozens of travel publications.
Stella Shon
News Managing Editor
With a degree in media and journalism, Stella has been in the points and miles game for more than 6 years. She most recently worked as a Corporate Communications Analyst for JetBlue. Find her work in The New York Times, USA Today, and more.
Juan Ruiz
Senior Editor & Content Contributor
Juan has extensive experience in writing and editing content related to credit cards, loyalty programs, and travel. He has been honing his expertise in this field for over a decade. His work has been featured in various prestigious publications, such as USA Today, CNN Underscored, Forbes and The Points Guy. Juan is the visionary behind JetBetter, a premier award booking concierge service.
UP's Bonus Valuation
This bonus value is an estimated valuation calculated by UP after analyzing redemption options, transfer partners, award availability and how much UP would pay to buy these points.