The Points Guy - Maximize your travel. (2024)

Brian Kelly is the founder of The Points Guy (TPG), the preeminent voice when it comes to loyalty programs, credit cards, and travel. Kelly launched TPG in 2010 during his time as a Wall Street road warrior, where he developed his keen sense for maximizing travel experiences while minimizing spending. Since then, Kelly has grown the company into a powerhouse travel and lifestyle media platform with a team of distinguished editors and freelancers that spans the globe.

Nicky is a senior director at The Points Guy and heads up and is the face of TPG UK. He is a die-hard AvGeek and industry-leading miles, points and travel expert, and you'll often find him on the TV and radio and in the papers discussing these topics on behalf of TPG.

Before launching TPG UK, Nicky spent years as a record label lawyer and avid traveler sharing his points and miles tips under the guise "Miles Mogul." He is also an award-winning photographer, with work published in Vice, National Geographic, Vogue, MSN, Tatler, the Times and more.

Favorite city: Tel Aviv.

Summer, who is leading a variety of special projects at TPG, grew up with the travel bug thanks to exploring the country (mostly by car) with her family during school breaks as a kid. While studying at NYU she started racking up frequent flyer miles flying on deals, often visiting friends and family back home in Texas. Now mom to two daughters, she launched the Mommy Points blog in 2011 to show families like hers that miles, points, and loyalty programs weren’t just for business travelers. In 2018, Mommy Points was acquired by TPG.

When she isn’t at her computer hunting for travel deals, she can be found eating shave ice on the North Shore of Kauai, maximizing her time at Disney World, admiring castles in Scotland or just swimming at home in Texas with her family.

Favorite city: Hanalei, Hawaii.

Where to next: Somewhere warm and sunny or cold with skiable powder.

Andrea is director of content operations at The Points Guy. During her 30-year career as a travel journalist, she's trailed an orca pod from a skiff in Alaska’s Inside Passage, had an allergic reaction to a cheetah she met at a South African rehabilitation center, hiked the Borneo rainforest to glimpse orangutans in the wild, has crossed both the international dateline and equator by cruise ship and launched a "wish" into the sky during Taiwan's Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival. And, she's written about it all.

Today, her focus is on ensuring TPG publishes the most relevant content for its readers and mentoring new teammates.

Favorite city: Paris.

Where to next: Taormina (Sicily), Italy and Vienna, Austria.

Eric joined The Points Guy in 2011 as one of the site's first full-time employees and served as the original managing editor for three years. In 2014, Eric became a special contributor to TPG, covering everything from credit card deals to hotel reviews. At the same time, he began contributing regularly to major publications including Bloomberg, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel and Leisure, and National Geographic Traveler. Over the past decade, Eric has become one of the nation's foremost experts on credit cards and loyalty programs as he has helped consumers navigate the ever-changing landscape of rewards points and miles with hundreds of articles, media hits and conference appearances. Thanks to the breadth of his career and travels, Eric is also one of the most recognizable members of the U.S. travel media.

Eric rejoined The Points Guy as a director of content in 2021 and has helped guide our coverage of credit cards, points, miles and travel across the site, developing new consumer-focused series on everything from how to pick a credit card to how to maximize the perks of cards and their associated rewards programs. He has also used his own extensive travels - many funded by points and miles - to inspire our audience along their own points journeys, and continues to do so through his leadership of our travel editorial team, which includes aviation, cruise, hotels and destinations.

Ben is TPG’s senior aviation editor, overseeing a team of reporters who cover the day-to-day news of the airline industry. He joined The Points Guy in March 2019 after nearly two decades at USA Today, where he was best known for launching the long-running, industry-leading Today in the Sky blog in 2002. Ben’s covered it all during his two decades as an aviation journalist, everything from mergers to fledgling startups -- remember Independence Air?

He’s been a regular guest in the media to talk about the latest aviation news, featured on outlets such as NBC’s "Today," "CBS This Morning," CNN, NPR and more.

Clint worked in broadcast news for more than 20 years -- including stints at ABC News, Fox and MSNBC -- before landing his dream job at TPG in 2019. He was raised in California and Montana but has called New York home for nearly 20 years. His goal is to travel to every country on the planet, but he can only claim 50 so far. He's been featured on CNN, Bloomberg, Fox, NBC News, "Today" and "Morning Joe."

He currently holds Alaska's new top-tier 100K status. He's Platinum on Delta and has Globalist status with Hyatt. He flies around 150,000 miles a year and is probably working on updating the country-by-country guide to coronavirus reopenings as we speak.

Favorite city: Hong Kong.

Where to next: Egypt, Fiji, South Africa.

Gene oversees cruise content at TPG, which he joined in early 2020. Before that, he spent more than two decades as a travel writer and editor at USA Today, where he founded the outlet's cruise subsite, USA Today Cruises. He's also served as a cruise expert for the Travel Channel and written cruise guides for Frommer’s.

When not traveling the world in search of the coolest cruise ships, he lives with his wife, two daughters, three horses, two cats and a regularly visiting black bear in the mountains of North Carolina.

Favorite destination: The Arctic.

Where to next: The Great Lakes, Iceland, Ireland, England, France and Belgium.

Madison is the senior content operations editor for TPG, focused on helping our broader editorial team bring news, features and advice to our readers. Learning to travel on a budget using points and miles changed her life, and she's passionate about sharing that knowledge to help others book their dream trips, explore the world and learn about other cultures.

She has 5+ years of experience in the travel and point and miles industry, with expertise in credit cards and theme park travel. Madison initially joined TPG as a credit cards reporter, and her work has appeared on multiple personal finance websites, including Bankrate and CreditCards.com (both owned by TPG's parent company Red Ventures). She's also been featured as a TPG expert on Business Insider, The Washington Post, Reader's Digest and numerous local TV news segments across the U.S.

Tanner is a senior hotels reporter for TPG. A native Texan, Tanner entered travel media after working in the music industry in Nashville, inspired by a trip around the world planned with the help of TPG. Over the years he’s joined National Geographic to help film a documentary on cheetahs, interviewed legends like Ian Schrager and Pierce Brosnan, eaten at all three Michelin-starred restaurants in the Four Seasons Hong Kong in one night and written a song for (and starred in) a Snuggie commercial.

Before joining TPG, Tanner served as the experiences editor at Travel + Leisure, where he ideated, launched and guest-hosted the diversity-focused podcast “Let’s Go Together.” He’s also worked in editorial roles at Culture Trip and Thrillist.

A chicken fried steak-lover, he currently lives in Brooklyn with his boyfriend and their corgi, Splenda.

Favorite city: Tokyo.

Where to next: Egypt, Brazil, Hawaii.

A classically trained news reporter, Caroline is a former political journalist who traded the halls of Capitol Hill for the aisles of planes. She authors a weekly column answering frequently asked reader questions and specializes in beginner-friendly content for fellow points and miles newbies. She holds journalism degrees from both Mizzou and Northwestern.

You can find her drinking iced lattes year-round, and rest assured that ginger ale is always in her fridge.

Favorite cities: Montreal, Amsterdam, London, Chicago.

Cameron is a senior hotels reporter at TPG, which he joined in March 2022. He is based in Boston and previously covered the hotel industry for publications like Skift and Bisnow. His work and commentary has been featured in outlets like Barron's, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, the New York Times and the Washington Post.

When he's not roaming the mean streets of Boston with his husband and Australian Shepherd, Cameron is perusing for trip ideas or recipes to test out on his family. A Memphis native, Cameron's first travel memories include begging his parents to go watch Northwest Airlines planes take off from the then-hub or go downtown and watch the ducks splash in the fountain in the Peabody Hotel lobby.

Favorite cities:Buenos Aires, Munich, Paris

Where to next:Vietnam, Mexico, Japan

Ben is a leading U.K. points and miles expert with more than four years of experience writing for some of the world's leading loyalty resources, including TPG and One Mile at a Time. He has visited more than 80 countries, including almost every country in Europe, and enjoys sharing his knowledge of lesser-known destinations, from Kuwait to the Caribbean.

With a legal background, Ben reads the small print of the terms and conditions of credit card offers and airline and hotel loyalty programs so you don't have to.

Originally from Australia, he has a lifelong affinity with Singapore Airlines, but regularly travels with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and their partner airlines. Ben has flown everything from ultra-low-cost carriers back in seat 29E to the Etihad A380 Apartment.

Favorite city: Hong Kong.

Where to next: Paris; Nice, France.

Zach is a senior reporter at TPG who joined the editorial team in 2019. His contributions range from news about the airline industry to travel and product reviews to deep dives into loyalty programs. He's been quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post and HuffPost, and he's been featured on Fox 5 NY, CBS 4 Miami and the Axios Daily podcast, among others.

Zach has been an avid traveler since 2012, when he first redeemed miles for a last-minute, business-class ticket to the Middle East. He’s since been to 52 countries — and can’t wait to keep writing about his travel experiences.

Favorite city: Tel Aviv.

Where to next: Singapore.

David is a senior aviation business reporter and photographer for TPG. He is based in Boston and was previously the senior airline reporter at Business Insider. He has been featured on CNN, NBC, Sky News, the BBC, the Weather Channel and more. He's a bona fide travel junkie, an avid photographer and a co*cktail enthusiast (the Polaris Lounge’s Paper Plane is among his favorites). He’s also a certified EMT and picks up occasional ambulance shifts in the Greater Boston area.

David graduated from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with a bachelor's degree in media and communications, and from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland with a master's degree in history. A frequent flyer, David holds elite status with three airlines and numerous hotel rewards programs.

Favorite cities: Edinburgh, London, Tokyo, Paris.

Where to next: Italy, Australia, Argentina, Vietnam.

Ashley has spent more than 15 years writing about cruises. With nearly 70 sailings under her belt, she brings expertise that runs the gamut from well-known cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival to more obscure river and expedition brands. You can find some of her other work -- which includes thousands of ship reviews, industry news pieces, and planning and tips features -- on Cruise Critic, Cruise.blog, USA Today, the Associated Press, NBC News, the Miami Herald and Huffington Post.

Now that she's joined TPG, she spends her spare time learning all she can about points and miles (and earning them with her shiny, new Amex Platinum and United Club Infinite cards). She also enjoys cats, lawn gnomes, CrossFit, pizza and musical theater.

Favorite city: London.

Where to next: the Galapagos.

Erica has been writing about travel for more than 20 years, from her college days as a Let’s Go guidebook editor to a decade-plus stint leading the features team at Cruise Critic.

She has lived in Edinburgh, Scotland; crossed Australia by bus; camped in the Serengeti; and taken luxury cruises through Europe and the Caribbean.

When traveling, Erica can be found testing out the local chocolate and climbing to the top of the nearest tower, cathedral or mountain.

Favorite cities: Boston, Rome.

Where to next: Switzerland; Antarctica; Machu Picchu, Peru.

Christine is a coordinating editor for TPG, where she edits reviews, features, news briefs and other kinds of content across the site. Her goal is to help writers perfect their stories while staying true to their unique voices and perspectives.

Before joining TPG in 2021, Christine was a senior travel editor at U.S. News & World Report, where she managed the Best Vacations and Best Travel Rewards Programs rankings. She also edited content about hotels, cruises, tours and more.

Christine is a Florida native who has a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University, a master’s degree in African studies from UCLA and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston University. She has lived in and traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region thanks to her academic career and love of exploring far-flung places.

Favorite city: Auckland, New Zealand.

Where to next: South Africa, Greece, Turkey.

is a travel news reporter for TPG. Whether she’s sharing tips for planning the perfect theme park trip or finding a hotel with personality, her goal with every story she writes is to inspire you to get out and explore the world.

Before joining TPG, Tarah was a freelance theme park and family travel writer for outlets such as Travel + Leisure, Yahoo, Fodor’s Travel, Insider, Afar and USA Today. She also wrote a monthly theme park news column for FamilyVacationist.

Favorite city: Venice, Italy.

Caroline is an editor for TPG, where she edits and writes travel content across the site. Before joining Red Ventures, she wrote and edited travel guidebooks for Frommer's, Rough Guides, Footprint and Fodor’s, as well as producing editorial and marketing content for newspapers, magazines, tour companies and websites. Originally from the United Kingdom, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies from Manchester University (U.K.) and a master’s degree in literature from Northwestern University.

She has traveled to 67 countries (over half with her 12-year-old son) and some of her most memorable travel experiences include gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, snorkeling in French Polynesia, cycling through Cuba and watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat.

She currently resides in one of her favorite places on the planet: Park City, Utah.

Favorite city: Buenos Aires.

Where to next: Japan, South Africa.

Kristy Tolley is an editor for TPG. Before joining TPG, she served as editor for Red Ventures Puerto Rico, working with a team to create a content road map for — and eventually launch — the newly-created Platea English website. The Puerto Rico travel site showcases the almost limitless lures of the “Island of Enchantment.”

She was formerly the editor for AAA Carolinas, overseeing two club publications, as well as planning (and often writing) the club’s digital travel content. Over the past two decades, Kristy has written and edited a bevy of travel content -- destinations, hotels, cruises, tours and road trips. During the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown, she wrote a travel guide about Asheville, North Carolina, that was published last year.

She and her husband are this close to being empty nesters as parents of a college senior and a college freshman. Extensive travel will likely fill the void.

Favorite city: Amsterdam.

Where to next: Guatemala.

Mackenzie Roche is an editor on the content operations team at TPG. Before joining TPG, Mackenzie worked for three years as a travel editor, with a focus on hotel content, at U.S. News & World Report. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, where she studied journalism and creative writing. In her free time, she enjoys doing yoga, reading, going to the beach and exploring new restaurants around Los Angeles.

Favorite city: Barcelona

Where to next: Tokyo

Capri is the Social Media Marketing Manager at TPG where she oversees the Facebook and Twitter pages. When she’s not sharing stories with TPG followers, you’ll usually find her planning her next trip or in the kitchen prepping an elaborate meal - or doing both at the same time. While she currently lives in Charlotte, NC, she will always be a Wisconsin girl at heart.

Favorite city: Rovinj, Croatia

Where to next: Porto, Portugal

Becky joined TPG after spending nineteen years in the tourism industry, six of those as Deputy Director of the Arizona Office of Tourism. When she’s not working, she enjoys discovering new places to kayak, camping in and around National Parks and exploring Arizona’s wine regions.

Favorite cities: Shanghai, Mexico City & Varenna, Italy

Where to next: Greece & Albania

Ayana Morali

Director of Video

Ayana is the Director of Video at TPG where she oversees both the editorial and branded video content teams. She lives in South Lake Tahoe, CA with her rescue pitbull, Rooney, who's slowly learning how to be a respectable crag dog. She loves to travel and tries to find a pick up soccer game she can jump into wherever she goes.

Previously, she ran video teams at McClatchy, Slate and Reuters.

Favorite City: Barcelona, Spain

Where to next: Japow

Marc Ramos is a video producer at TPG who joined the team in 2019. He's on a mission to create fun and engaging content that helps our visual learners turn their travel goals into reality. When he's not working, you can probably find him at the movies, the grocery store or in his apartment writing and recording music.

Favorite City: Istanbul

Where to next: Bogota