9 Things You Probably Don't Know About The Points Guy
It's the nine-year anniversary of The Points Guy!
On this day, nine years ago, Brian Kelly wrote his very first blog post. But there's quite a lot that's happened between now and then.
First and foremost, we'd like to thank you, our readers. We wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you. And in honor of this special date, we're sharing nine things you may not know about The Points Guy — and the guy behind it all.
1. The Points Guy Has Over 1 Million Points
Brian Kelly, The Points Guy himself, has been accruing points and miles, since, well, age 12. To celebrate his new vlog channel and series, "Being The Points Guy," Brian has tallied up just how many credit card points he has in his account at the moment. Keep in mind that TPG uses around eight cards for business expenses, earning an average of 4 points per dollar spent on purchases. During the time of filming, Kelly had 1.3 million American Express Membership Rewards points in his account, with an additional 1.8 million pending.
The vlog episode about TPG's points balance was just the first of many episodes going live every Tuesday and Thursday. Subscribe to find out all sorts of interesting points, miles and credit card tips, all while following Brian's adventures around the globe.
2. The Points Guy Started as a Google Form
The Points Guy actually didn't start as a blog. It started as a Google Form, which users would fill out asking for help on how to use their miles and points to book their trips. Kelly would charge $50 to book their trips.
His mini mileage travel agency was slowly growing in popularity when a friend suggested Brian also blog to help advertise his services. So, Kelly started writing a few posts a week and, in 2011, banks began approaching him to collaborate. Things were going along smoothly and then, The New York Times wrote an article about The Points Guy. The blog kept growing and growing, and nine years later, the website produces over 30 articles and features a day, as well as two podcasts, videos (including the vlog series) and social media content.
3. The Points Guy Is More Than Just One Guy
Although the Google Form was started by just Brian Kelly, once the blog took off, he needed some extra help. First, there was one, then there were two and then four employees. Presently, The Points Guy has over 60 full-time employees and countless freelancers based in New York City and around the globe.
4. And The Points Guy Is Actually Majority Women
Although the company was started by one guy, there are lots of women who help make the wheels turn. In fact, by our most recent count, the team is more than 52% women.
And many of the top leadership roles at TPG are held by women, including our vice president of content; our video director; our creative director; our director of marketing; our director of business development; and our social media lead, among others.
5. The Points Guy Is Making Moves
Although The Points Guy offices are currently located in New York City's Gramercy neighborhood, there will soon be a brand new headquarters. The 23,000-square-foot office near Union Square, also in New York City, will be spread across two floors and also feature a rooftop. And, TPG moved just a little bit farther in April of 2019 — overseas! TPG UK has accumulated 300,000 readers since its launch and over 20,000 YouTube subscribers.
6. The 4 Points Pups Don't All Belong to The Points Guy
Miles, Hootie, Swisher and Charlie are the four Points Pups — French bulldogs who spent much of their time at the TPG offices when they aren't jetsetting. Miles is the OG Points Pup who belongs to Brian Kelly, and then there's Hootie, who belongs to Kate O'Brien, the brand's director of business development. Swisher belongs to Becca Denenberg, the director of marketing and events, and Charlie, the newest and youngest addition to the pups, belongs to the former chief of staff, Adam Kotkin. The dogs inspired the TPG team to not only write more about traveling with pets, but also to hire a special Points Pups intern in 2018. The Points Pups intern traveled with the dogs and wrote many articles related to pet travel, as well as assisting with photoshoots and running The Points Pups Instagram account, which currently has a following of nearly 15,000.
Not only do we have fun TPG merchandise available for humans (Jetlagged AF hoodie, anyone?) but we also sell items for pets, such as the TPG Points Pup kit or doggie bowtie for your favorite furball.
7. The Points Guy Donated More Than $1 Million to Charity Last Year
At The Points Guy, we believe that travel is more than just visiting new places — it's about inspiring change through education and action. Over the years, the team has donated time, money and, of course, points and miles (with help from generous readers) to some incredible organizations. In 2018 alone, TPG donated over $1 million dollars to charitable efforts. Some of the nonprofits TPG works with are Make-A-Wish Foundation, PeaceJam, Rainbow Railroad, GBOWEE Peace Foundation, Goalkeepers, UNICEF, Angel City Sports, Give Kids the World, A-Team Foundation, March for Our Lives and more.
8. The First Annual TPG Awards Honored a National Hero
On Jan. 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 made a miraculous emergency landing on the Hudson River after it hit a flock of Canada geese and lost engine power. Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger used his skills as a former glider pilot to land the Airbus A320 safely on the river with no power — and all of the 155 people on board survived.
In an entirely different chain of events, Bankrate acquired The Points Guy in 2012. In 2018, Red Ventures acquired Bankrate and The Points Guy, offering opportunities for the brand to grow and expand. The CEO of Red Ventures, Ric Elias, happened to be one of the passengers on Flight 1549.
Elias and Captain Sully hadn't seen each other since the terrifying incident on the Hudson. But they were reunited at the first annual TPG Awards last December — nearly a full decade later — when Capt. Sully was honored with The Points Guy Hero award.
The moment was special for everyone in attendance, but even more so for Elias and Captain Sully.
"I waited for this moment for 10 years," Elias said when the two ran into each other on the award show red carpet. "I always wondered, what would I say? 'Thank you' seems completely inadequate, and 'I love you' seems inappropriate. When someone gives you a second chance at life … maybe English will come up with a new word for it."
9. The Points Guy Once Shared Caviar With Martha Stewart on a Plane
And a baked potato, actually. You can find out more fun facts like these, as well as useful tips regarding aviation, points and miles on Brian Kelly's Talking Points podcast.
Be prepared for anything and everything as Kelly interviews airline CEOs, laughs with comedians and gets the insider travel scoop from celebrities -- all related to points, miles, credit cards and aviation, of course. Tune into Talking Points using the links below:
Apple PodcastsAcast
Spotify
StitcherGoogle PodcastsOvercast
TuneIn
PocketCasts
And, The Points Guy has a second podcast with Zach Honig, called Miles Away. Each episode explores either an off-the-beaten-path region or a popular, must-see travel hotspot through first-hand accounts, with TPG experts explaining the best options for using points and miles to visit. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts via the below links:
Acast
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Stitcher
Overcast
TuneIn
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.