Do changes in the points and miles world discourage you? We’ve been in this game for about 8 years and have seen a lot of changes. Are they discouraging? At times. Do they make us want to quit redeeming points and miles for nearly free travel? NEVER! There will always be changes to award charts, […]

American Express Membership Rewards are one of the flexible currencies we use in the credit card points and miles game all the time. However, AMEX has changed some of the application rules for their cards. Let’s get clear on the American Express family language!   American Express Cards Earning Membership Rewards You used to be […]

Picture this: rooms with sweeping ocean views, sandy beaches at your doorstep, and impeccable service from a team that seems to know what you want before you even ask. Now, imagine enjoying all this luxury at a rate of zero dollars per night. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, we made it happen […]

Grace is a points and miles beginner, but she was still able to book an amazing vacation to Cabo. We love that you can quickly learn the game and have success with credit card points and miles! Only two cards opened, and she was in Cabo for her babymoon! Here is her story: This is […]

Hyatt has announced their award chart changes for 2024. Before we get into some of the not-so-good news, here’s the GREAT news—the Hyatt award chart is still around. Hyatt is our favorite brand because of the oversized value it offers, and the award chart is a huge part of that. There has been some speculation […]

Booking flights and hotels is definitely more complicated than earning credit card points and miles. Luckily, we have so many search engines to help us book award travel for both.  We have talked about some of them in separate posts, but I wanted to put them all down in one post and link to the […]

In this episode,  we’re taking you on a tropical adventure to Costa Rica, a destination that many dream about but assume is out of reach budget-wise (especially for a family vacation). But guess what? Our special guest, Rob Dulgarian, also known as “Travel Points Rob”, along with his family of seven, managed to explore the […]

We keep most of our hotel-branded credit cards year after year. This is because the benefits of the cards typically outweigh their annual fees—especially those hotel cards that come with an annual free-night certificate. And some of our favorite free-night certificates that come with our credit cards are from Marriott!  Two of the Marriott-branded credit […]

One of our readers, Christy, just sent this reader success story to Japan to us – talk about an ultimate redemption and trip! Here’s her story: My husband and I just returned from a nearly 3-week trip to visit our son living in Japan, visiting the cities of Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Himeji, and Iwaki. This […]

Japan is on many people’s travel bucket lists! And for good reason. I loved my recent trip to Japan! Since so many people are interested in traveling there, here is the Ultimate Guide to booking flights to Japan. On points and miles, of course! I like to check out nonstop options for the city I […]

When planning my trip to Japan, I knew I wanted to visit Kyoto and I knew I wanted to stay at the Park Hyatt. How did it stack up? Would I stay again? Keep reading to find out… Quick Rundown How we arrived: Bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, then taxi from Kyoto Station to […]

Ever wonder how a journey to Japan, packed with adventure and luxury, can be almost free? Well, buckle up, because Jess’s recent trip to the Land of the Rising Sun is nothing short of a travel masterpiece. Imagine scoring business class flights worth over $20,000 for a mere $1,000 in taxes and fees, and luxuriating […]

I recently returned from Japan, and because I wanted a luxurious start to my trip that would get me ready for Japan right away, I chose to book my outbound flight in Japan Airlines business class. So what did I think of Japan Airlines business class? Keep reading to find out….   Quick Rundown U.S. […]

It may seem too good to be true when we show you how to take a nearly free vacation on points and miles. However, we have hundreds of stories of readers who have also used credit card points and miles for nearly free travel. This proves that ANYONE can do this—even YOU! Here is a […]

Alex and I recently took her second son, Cruz, on his 10-year-old birthday trip to San Antonio. This trip became a tradition after we took her son, Eli, to Washington, DC. The ability to start fun traditions like this is made possible by points and miles and something that I always look forward to. The […]

Creating family memories is what we are all about. Recently, I had the pleasure of making those memories with three generations in Cabo on points/miles. Initially, my daughter Kasey and I had decided to go to Cabo and use points to stay at two different hotels—The Cape and the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal. At […]

I just returned from my most recent trip planned around an award redemption, Etihad Apartments, first class for only 65K Air Canada miles. While there, my daughter, Lindsey, and I did a little Hyatt hotel-hopping in Abu Dhabi. First, I had NO intention of returning to Abu Dhabi again, but the opportunity to try out […]

Today, Pam—the queen of booking phenomenal business and first-class flights—shares her recent escapade to Abu Dhabi! Have you ever planned a trip around a flight you want to take? It’s not that unusual for us at the Travel Mom Squad. Pam’s trip was planned around her desire to fly Etihad Apartments first class. This trip […]

I originally found Jess through a viral real.  I was a lurker for some time, thinking, “why in the world would people pay an annual fee on a credit card when there are free ones?”  Finally, I said YOLO and used Jess’s link to sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred.  We met the spend […]

Recently, Alex, Jess, and I met in Scottsdale for our annual retreat. We make plans for the coming year, enjoy good weather, eat great food, get massages, and have a lot of fun. Of course, we stayed at a Hyatt. Here is our review of the Andaz Scottsdale Resort.   Location of the Andaz Scottsdale […]

Welcome back travelers! Today, we’re giving you a glimpse into how we choose those fabulous, family-friendly hotels and resorts for our travels. It’s all about blending fun, comfort, and adventure for the entire family. Join us, as we share some insights and our top picks that have made our family vacations truly special. Listen on […]