A New, Exciting Way To Earn Points For Flights

The short version

• Every traditional points strategy requires you to spend money first. Symphony rewards you for saving it.

• Symphony pays a fixed 5% APY -- and you choose how to take it: all cash, all points, or any split you want

• My personal setup: 3% cash interest + 2% in points -- so the money I’m saving is growing and earning me travel points simultaneously

• Points are worth 1 cent each and accrue every second, automatically -- no purchases required

• Major 1:1 airline transfer partners start going live end of July / early August, with 15+ airline and hotel partners on the way

• Early members can earn up to 100,000 bonus points through qualifying deposits (distributed monthly over your first year)

Quick context, because it matters here: before I became a luxury travel advisor, I spent years as a Certified Wealth Strategist and Private Banker. I’ve thought a lot about where money lives, what it earns, and whether the person it belongs to is actually benefiting from any of it.

That lens is part of why I got genuinely excited about Symphony -- and also why I’m being precise about what it is and how it works. So let’s get into it.

The points strategies I write about and use personally work. I’ve flown long-haul business class on points. I’ve helped clients get into Singapore Suites and Cathay Pacific First for fractions of the cash price. The value is real.

But the model has a structural flaw that’s always frustrated me: to earn more points, people think you have to spend more money. As I’ve pointed out in other posts, you can be strategic about how you spend your money and what cards you use, so that you don’t have to spend more to earn more points, but there’s only so much credit card optimization you can do. Regardless, your dollar leaves your account, the points stay, and if you’re actively trying to save -- for a trip, a purchase, a home, anything -- the money sitting in your savings account is earning you almost nothing. Most banks are quietly paying you under 0.5% APY and hoping you won’t notice. The national average savings account interest rate is 0.38% APY, according to FDIC data.

Symphony is a savings app that currently pays a fixed 5% APY -- and I want to say that clearly, because I would open this account for the rate alone. That’s one of the highest available right now, it’s not a teaser rate, and Symphony currently expects to maintain it for the next 24 months.

But here’s the part that made my points brain genuinely light up: you don’t have to take that yield as cash. You can choose to receive some or all of it as travel points instead -- which accrue automatically, every second, while your money stays in your account.

You control the split entirely:

• All cash -- maximize APY and compounding

• All points -- maximize travel and experience rewards

• Any custom mix in between

Points are valued at 1 cent each. A 50/50 split means 2.5% of your yield comes as cash and 2.5% comes as points. Both accrue continuously.

I’ve set mine to 3% cash interest and 2% in points. Here’s what that actually means in practice: on every dollar I’m saving, I’m earning cash interest above the national average savings account interest rate AND accumulating travel points -- at the same time, without spending anything.

Here’s my favorite way to think about it: I’m saving up for my next Chanel bag. I’m buying it in Paris, because the VAT refund makes it meaningfully cheaper than buying stateside -- and because I’m absolutely going to use that as an excuse to go to Paris. While that money sits, it’s earning 3% in cash and generating points that could realistically pay for part of the flight. My wealth strategist brain and my travel advisor brain are both very pleased.

For the points people in the room: with Symphony’s 2% points allocation, you’re earning the equivalent of 2 points per dollar saved, annually -- at 1 cent per point, 2% of your balance converts to points each year. The difference from a credit card is important: when you earn 2x on a credit card, the dollar is spent and gone. Here, the dollar stays. It earns you 2 points again next year, and the year after that. The longer your money sits, the more that compounds.

Here’s where it gets even more interesting for the frequent flyer crowd.

2 Major 1:1 airline transfer partners start going live at the beginning of August -- with a pipeline of 15+ airline and hotel partners to follow. (I’ve been filled in on some of the names ahead. I’m not allowed to say yet. What I will say: I’m genuinely excited, which after eight-plus years in this space, I don’t say lightly.)

For anyone newer to the transferable points world: 1:1 transfers mean 1 Symphony point converts to 1 airline mile at the partner program -- no ratio loss, no haircut. That’s the gold standard. It’s how Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards work with their best partners, and it’s what makes a points currency worth accumulating.

Right now, while transfer partners are still coming online, early members can earn up to 100,000 bonus points for qualifying deposits -- distributed monthly over your first year. That’s a meaningful number. Depending on which partners you transfer to and how you redeem, 100,000 points can unlock a business class flight or multiple long-haul premium economy itineraries.

Founded in 2023 by veterans of Axelar, Blackstone, CNN, ConsenSys, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Hermeus, Kraken, Northrop Grumman, and WeWork–basically some heavy hitters– Symphony brings together deep expertise across AI, blockchain, financial infrastructure, and consumer scale. I mention the team because in fintech, it matters. This group built systems that moved real money at real scale -- that’s the background I want behind something I’m parking my own savings in.

Their infrastructure is independently audited by Halborn, Quantstamp, and Ackee. They use bank-grade encryption, and the platform is powered by trusted infrastructure partners including Plaid and Modern Treasury.

Is the 5% APY guaranteed?

The 5% APY is currently fixed and is not a teaser rate. While rates can change, Symphony currently expects to maintain 5% APY for the next 24 months. See their Terms of Service for complete details.

How are my funds protected?

Symphony has multiple layers of protection, including SIPC coverage where eligible, third-party coverage for certain lending-related events, bank-grade security infrastructure, and institutional providers managing billions in assets. These are not FDIC deposit insurance -- worth knowing and understanding before you deposit. Full details at symphony.io/security.

Can I withdraw anytime?

Yes. Most withdrawals process within 24 hours. Larger amounts may take 1-2 business days. No minimums, no penalties.

Where does the 5% actually come from?

Symphony generates yield through a diversified mix of short-term US Treasuries, AAA-rated credit products (Janus Henderson JAAA ETF), institutional private credit funds (Fasanara, $4B+ AUM, audited by KPMG), and covered lending with Nexus Mutual coverage where available. It’s not coming from one single strategy -- it’s spread across multiple verified sources. More detail on their security page.

Download Symphony on the App Store -- https://join.symphony.io/lowe . New members can unlock up to 100,000 bonus points through qualifying deposits.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy:

Why I Always Book Long-Haul Premium Cabins With Points -- Not Hotels -- The natural companion read: now that you’re earning points by saving, here’s exactly where I think those points create the most value.

Want to travel in premium cabins and five-star hotels without the premium price tag? My First Class Travel, Economy Budget program is open.

Planning a luxury getaway and want it entirely handled? Tell me about it here — [LINK to inquiry form].

Either way, hit reply and tell me where you’re dreaming of going next. I read every note.

This post is in collaboration with Symphony and includes affiliate links. The opinions are entirely my own -- I would not put my name behind something I hadn’t personally tried first, and I have personally opened a Symphony account and deposited my own money. Nothing in this post constitutes financial advice. I am a luxury travel advisor, former Certified Wealth Strategist, and former Private Banker -- not your financial advisor. Please do your own research and due diligence before moving any money.