The April 2025 Rewind
A recap of a busy month - and don't miss our free event on 5/21!
This is a long one! Make sure to click “view entire message” if you’re reading this via email or check this post out in a browser so you don’t miss anything!
It’s May!
With the end of the school year in-sight, summer plans on the horizon and so many parties, gatherings and events between now and then, May can feel like a lot!
As busy as it all is and as much as I sometimes want to say no (I always try to say yes!) this is the stuff of life and I am so grateful to have so much going on, the kids doing stuff they love and trips planned ❤️
Reminder (denials aren’t final!)
If you applied for the 100K offer (or any card!) and got denied or the application went into review, a quick call can make all the difference! See this info here and keep me posted if you need any help!
If you have FOMO and this card’s not right for you at this time, fill this out and I’ll help you find the right card (and help you get some welcome bonus points!).
Don’t miss out!
Before I get into the review for April, I want to let you know about a FREE webinar I’ll be hosting in a couple weeks!
On May 21st at 1pm ET, I’ll be hosting a webinar with Steward, a modern estate planning company (recorded if you can’t make it live!).
Come join Brooklyn Family Travelers and Steward, to learn about the basics of estate planning, the difference between a will and a trust, and how planning makes traveling as a family easier.
A few lucky winners will receive a wine & charcuterie package, a private 1:1 points and miles coaching session with Brooklyn Family Travelers and more!
All registrants will receive a recording of the webinar and $1,000 off their bespoke, comprehensive estate plan from Steward (regularly priced at $3,000).
Please be sure to register ASAP to secure your spot. Looking forward to seeing many of you there!
A big tip!
The shopping portal Rakuten has an elevated bonus of $40/4K points for signing up. This week, a lot of brands are offering 15x - 20x back which is an amazing way to rack up points/cash through regular purchases. If you haven’t signed up yet, please use my link here! If you already have it and want to switch to points back instead of cash back, comment or message me and I will help you! Don’t miss this.
And now…the APRIL rewind! A few big highlights:
1. We took a trip! (on brand)
We went to Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris for spring break!
If you follow Brooklyn Family Travelers on Instagram, I’m VERY behind in posting about our last trip. But keep an eye on it because I will post updates soon! I fell off somewhere between Amsterdam and Berlin (as one does when traveling with kids) and still have Berlin and Paris to catch up on.
The substack city edits will be coming here soon as well (my favorite!). Stay tuned :)
2. The best card for points travel came out with a 100K offer and it’s ending soon
I posted about this so many times that even though it is my favorite card (if I could only have one, this would be it!) even I am sick of hearing about it.
But, I know many of you are here because you want to learn the ins and outs of points travel — and using the Brooklyn Family Travelers links supports my work — so I’ve felt compelled to continue to share this once in a blue moon offer!
It felt spammy at times, but I assure you it’s not. I have persisted! ;)
The offer is still around (for now!). The bank announced that it will be ending soon — without mentioning an end date. As soon as I hear that there is an end date, you’ll be the first to know. I would not wait as it’s also possible the offer could just disappear.
So, if you missed it - or are finally ready for it - you can find out more info here.
Thanks for using my links if you apply for any cards!
3. Happy small business week!
Many of you know that not only am I the founder of Brooklyn Family Travelers I am also the founder and CEO of a music education company. In my spare time (lol!) I also coach founders and business owners looking to start or scale their companies.
This is all to say that small businesses are kind of my thing ;) I am so proud of the businesses I’ve built and want YOU to know that by being here, you are supporting a small business and that means a lot.
Using the Brooklyn Family Travelers links to apply for cards, and becoming a paying subscriber to this substack are two great ways to support my work. Brooklyn Family Travelers is a small woman owned biz (of one - hi!) and I really appreciate all of you who have asked for advice, booked classes and sessions and used my links to support this small business! It is my favorite thing to help others explore the world.
Thank you for helping to make this dream business possible.
Some more highlights from the month of April:
Many of you attended my live (now on-demand) class called “How to Earn a Million Points” which I developed to teach others how to earn points like a pro! It was a HUGE success. If you missed it, you can watch it anytime by clicking here - it’s $49 and literally could save you a fortune.
I did my taxes and paid Uncle Sam (and earned a ton of points while doing it).
I sang on stage with a friend’s band on an old favorite song he wrote (in the Amsterdam highlights on IG)
I was invited to run a webinar on points open to thousands of residents of an NYC management company - and it was such a success! Have an org you’d like to invite me to speak to? Drop me a line! Rachel@brooklynfamilytravelers.com
Spent approximately 10,000 hours at little league games and still struggle to really understand the rules of baseball.
We hosted a family from Rome and another from Barcelona while we were in Europe (yay for home swapping!)
Got to see the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam (finally - after missing tickets last time) and the exhibition in NYC (highly recommend).
One of the non-profits I am on the advisory board of, The Service Learning Project, had an incredible benefit at Talea in Cobble Hill and we raised over $90K to help children make change in their own communities 🎉
Used points to travel business class to and from Europe and stayed in multiple 5 star hotels, all using points from spending and welcome bonuses.
Yet another busy month!
ICYMI: Some posts you may have missed!
A chance to check out some of the stuff you may have breezed past.
Unless you’re brand new here you probably didn’t miss this but this card is the holy grail of points travel cards and has a crazy high limited time 100K welcome bonus offer that is ending soon. Please use my link if you apply! Click here, then the button "our favorite cards" and it should be the first one there. Message me with questions!
This is a good reminder that there are no shared credit card accounts according to the banks. That means you both are eligible for your very own cards (and your own welcome bonuses) giving you the potential to earn a lot more points.
Few things are as important as 5/24 status when it comes to maximizing the points you earn from various credit cards. If you think you may ever want to dive deep into the world of points, make sure you didn’t miss this one!
3 insider trips that made our Amsterdam trip amazing including the one that changes everything!
Who doesn’t love a sneak peek into what someone else packs? Here’s what I packed for my trip!
It’s one thing to earn the points and another to know how to use them! This post can give you some intel on the best ways to use those points you’ve worked hard to earn.
Applications get denied or go into review ALL. THE. TIME. Sometimes all it takes is a quick call to turn it into an approval. Here’s how!
I left my family for a weekend and went to Manhattan for a staycation. It was the best to feel like a tourist in my own city.
It can be so confusing to understand the value of points - especially since every kind of point is valued differently! This post can help clear up that confusion.
Denials and cards going into review can really cramp your style if you’re trying to get a 100K welcome bonus! But you know what? You have 30 days from the day you apply to get that turned around. And if it gets approved, you’ll get the offer you applied for. If you didn’t get approved, read this!
This is a good month for welcome bonuses but a good month for other kinds of bonuses as well! Read this post to understand how to squeeze more value out of the points you already have.
And a few top posts from last month:
My packing list was another popular one. Maybe you’ve been traveling your whole life and need NO tips. But seeing what another person brings in their suitcase can really be eye opening even if you would go carry on only and leave all this stuff at home.
It was a lofty goal to create a class in a short period of time on how to earn a million points but I did it and I’m so proud and pleased with how it all went! While I’m guessing you’re tired of hearing about it (I get it!) this class is already changing lives and for that I am so happy! And also delighted to now be able to talk about other things :) I will not be offering another live class or a whole but you can always catch the recorded ones here.
On the last day of the month, I shared a post I’ve spent years creating. Going to Marrakech in 2023 with my family was a major feat (for reasons that will become clearer if you read this post!) and because of that, I gathered all the resources I could possibly find (mainly from locals) which culminated in the Best. Trip. Ever. Plus, these are some of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken. Morocco, you have my heart 🖤
What’s on the horizon?
This month was really exciting as I continue to build this super fun and rewarding business and create more offerings and content to share with you all.
Less talking about cards (ha) and more talking about how to use them for travel!
More trip suggestions as we start to look ahead to warm weather and summer. I aim to give you lots to look forward to and interesting ideas of places to explore on points.
Lots of great points and miles posts to help you earn more points and spend them wisely. There are so many tips and tricks and it’s so fun sharing them with you all!
A posting schedule! I am working on this but you can always expect:
A minimum of one in-depth post a week on points and miles (usually more!)
At least one city edit per month
A monthly recap
Other posts when I can’t help myself
Have an idea for a post or something you’ve been wondering about? Send me a message and I’ll consider it for an upcoming newsletter!
And just a note to say thanks for being here. Looking at the subscriber count (and the paid subscriber count!) going (way!) up reminds me that the work I’m doing is helpful and important. I appreciate the trust you’ve put in me and look forward to continuing to grow this wonderful community.
Have a friend who would love Brooklyn Family Travelers? Please invite them to subscribe!
