Signing up for rental car loyalty programs is one of the most underrated things you can do to make your travel day go more smoothly. And it's free to do!

This saved us *so much* time on our recent trip to California. We had rented with Budget and I saw a huge line at the Budget desk but knew we could skip that first desk because I was a Fast Break member.

When we got down to the Fast Break desk, there was no line -- and the agent told us that upstairs, the line was so long because the non-Fast Break people were literally just waiting for cars to be returned before they could get one but that she had cars just for members.

Keep in mind, it's FREE to become a Fast Break member. She looked us up and I had forgotten to put my Fast Break number on our Costco reservation (whoops), but she was able to quickly add it. They no longer had EVs (which we rented) but she gave us a choice of a few cars -- a minivan, Wrangler, or Bronco.

We were out of there in less than 10 minutes with a Bronco while everyone upstairs was just waaaaaiting because they hadn't gone online before their booking to join FastBreak and upload their credit and driver's license. Don't make that mistake!

And that was just with zero status - just regular free membership. On the next leg of our trip, I had rented a Nissan Altima with Hertz but since I have President's Circle (via my Capital One Venture X Rewards card), we got to pick from a row of cars that included vans and SUVs (we picked a Wrangler).

This week we have a new article with a great new tool to help you easily maximize your rental car status depending on the cards you have!

Happy Travels,

Katie

PPS: We got official word that the 100,000 point offer on the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (when you spend $5k in 3 months from opening) ends 7/30 at 9am EST. If you're eligible for this card and can meet the spend, this is the #1 card I recommend you open!

Highlights this week

On Instagram This Week: Is $95 worth it? A lot of people feel like paying $95/year for a credit card is a waste of money. And I get it! I love to save wherever I can. But if you've been hesitant on this one just because of that fee, here's the math on why it might make sense for you. Full Reel Here More on this card

New Article: Rental Car Status A number of cards offer free rental car status which can help unlock upgrades and shorter waits. We've compiled them all here and included a status checker so you can see which status you qualify for. Read it here

Featured Card Offers

If you're not sure where to start, head to our Three-Year Plan and just follow along! This is the perfect time to start with our first card at an elevated offer!

​Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card {affiliate link} - ENDING THURS 7/30 by 9am EST - HIGHEST EVER Highest Ever Offer: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months after card opening. MY TAKE: This is always my top card recommendation for beginners, and with this highest ever offer, I can definitely say this is a no-brainer if you qualify!

Points, Miles & Travel News

• Seats.Aero has a new Chrome Extension - this will show you points pricing when you're searching on Google Flights and some bank sites. At first glance, seems more useful than Points Path as it shows alliance booking options, too. Our team hasn't tested it yet but let me know if you test it and what you think!
• ​Monthly Uber Credits can be used to tip retroactively - good use if you are otherwise not using credits, may as well tip a driver
• Singapore Airline's KrisFlyer program seems to be blocking award searches if you don't have miles in your account. For now the workaround is to use their app which still works.
• ​New Southwest routes: Particularly good for Nashville (4 new international routes: Aruba, Costa Rica, Jamaica. St. Thomas) and Las Vegas. Columbus also adds an international route to Punta Cana.

More Deals

• Great offseason rates at this new Hilton property in Moab - the Slackline Moab. In November, for instance, standard rooms are below $100 and rooms that sleep 8 are under $150 on many dates. Browse dates here on Google Hotels. h/t Frequent Miler