I love to travel, but like many, I don't get to as much as I would like to. So, over the years, I have accumulated quite a collection of plastic cards from hotel chains and rarely used airlines.

I had thousands of miles scattered across dozens of forgotten Reward programs. Many expired before I could use them. Sometimes, I thought I could score a free ticket only to learn that the sister airline I was planning to use, was no longer partnered up with the airline that I had no need to use!

Have you ever met someone who couldn't help but brag about the two extra nights they earned at the nicest Marriott in their favorite city? Meanwhile, you cannot remember the last time you stayed at a Marriott - but you do know you have the chain's reward card somewhere in an old wallet...or was that the Fairmont?

That was me.

Have you ever been ready to book your plane ticket with rewards to your high school reunion only to discover you are about 200 points shy? Sure, you've got an extra 2000 miles on Hawaiian Airlines from the ONE time you flew that airline over 4 years ago, but what good are those miles now? Do you wonder why you even bothered signing up?

That was also me.

Well, I recently discovered a very cool solution and am so excited over it that I wanted to share it with fellow Hub-Readers. It is already putting me on the right path not only to easy organization, but redemption of my hard earned airline miles AND hotel points, as well. And it gets even better than that...because it's FREE!

• TRACK your miles and points all in one place
• BOOK Hotels and pay using your miles or points
• SWAP your miles or points between programs!
• EARN even more miles or points in your own programs
• PURCHASE more miles or points for instant access
• GIFT miles or points to family members & even friends!
• SHARE miles or points with family and friends
• REDEEM for Gift Certificates and Gift Cards from HUNDREDS of retailers!

Lastly, what I think is one of the coolest aspects is the Global Points Exchange. GPX is a ground-breaking new service which allows you to post the miles or points of a particular Rewards Program that you need and TRADE with any other member of the site, who is looking for points/miles you are looking to give up!

Just some of the participating airline programs in Points.com (and GPX) are American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta, and US Airways.

There are also a ton of Accommodation reward programs AND Shopping programs. Personally, the idea of trading my 500 airline miles from an airline I'll never use for Starbucks points is very appealing. It means that money I know I shouldn't really be spending on my overindulgent coffee habit is actually being saved.

Before this program, those useless airline miles would have simply gone to waste OR expired before I had enough time to accrue enough for another ticket. I know I'm not the only one to have found this site extremely useful - my friends I've told agreed it rocks! I hope you'll enjoy the benefits just as much.

Happy Travels!