How to Save BIG on a Family Trip
It’s no surprise that points from credit cards and loyalty programs can shave big bucks off of travel expenses.
But can they put a dent in a family’s worth of vacation costs? It depends on the points.
London in Reach Thanks to its travel-focused points system, we earned enough miles on our Chase Sapphire Reserve card for round trip flights to the UK this past summer.
Points from credit cards and airline, hotel, and other loyalty programs can mean big savings when it comes to travel. A credit card sign-up bonus might cover plane tickets, for example, and a handful of business hotel stays could translate into a vacation’s worth of leisure travel costs. But picture a points-savvy traveler and here’s who probably doesn’t come to mind: A time-strapped parent who barely has the mental capacity to plan a family trip, let alone track the best sign up bonuses and loyalty programs to get there.
The key to accruing and using points for family travel is to keep things flexible, and simple. To take out some of the guess work of what to track and why, we interviewed Summer Hull—mama of two and founder of Mommy Points, now a part of the The Points Guy—to ask for her take on the best points and miles programs for traveling families.
What credit cards have the best reward programs for family travel?
Families are often tied to a school calendar, so they need flexibility on what they use their points for: The more flexible the credit card awards, the better the match for families. One of my favorites for families new to rewards programs is the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. You can use the points at a fixed 1.25 cents to book travel, but you can also transfer them to United, Hyatt, JetBlue, Southwest, Marriott and more, giving you all sorts of options.
Are there any hotels that keep families top of mind when designing their reward programs?
Some hotel chains are simply better for families than others because of their layout and amenities. For example, Embassy Suites—which accepts Hilton Honors points—is (mostly) all suites and includes free hot breakfast. Hyatt, which has the World of Hyatt loyalty program, has five-star family friendly resorts in places such as Hawaii, Florida, and other destinations. Some Hyatt properties such as the Andaz Maui and the Andaz Costa Rica even have free kids' clubs.
Any tricks for finding flights with multiple award tickets?
Finding multiple tickets on the same flight isn’t as hard as it used to be: More and more airlines have dynamic award pricing models and release award seats on almost every flight. The good news is you can probably find an award seat no matter what day you’re looking to fly. The bad news is that prices vary based on the cash price of the ticket. In other words, when prices are high (like on peak travel days), award prices are high too.
Not all airlines use this model, however, so services such as Expert Flyer, which alerts you when your desired awards seats open up, can help you find the tickets you want.
If you're planning a multi-generational trip, is it possible to pool points with extended family? And where do companies draw the line when it comes to defining “family”?
Great question! 100% yes. There are programs that allow free points pooling. Hilton is a perfect example—and they don’t limit the definition to family members.
Can kids earn points?
U.S. frequent flyer programs allow you to sign your brand new baby up to earn miles—though they won’t earn them on flights until you are buying them their own seat. (A lap child, in other words, can’t earn miles.) Sign your kid up when the time comes to take a paid flight so you can earn those miles.
And they can earn their keep. :)