Taylor, one of our most successful readers, just sent us another success story. Her reader success story to Bali was with her husband and Player 2. Here’s her story:   Positioning to Dallas We started the trip by positioning out from Charlotte, NC, to Dallas, TX, using a 35k free-night certificate to stay at the […]

This year, our annual mom/daughter trip took us to Portugal on points and miles. Our primary goal was the Azores Islands, with a quick stop in Lisbon.   Flights to Portugal We opted to fly to London via Virgin Atlantic from Boston. Each of us took a positioning flight to Boston, and we met there. […]

Welcome back, everyone! In this episode, Pam and Alex take us on a remarkable journey through Lisbon and the Azores, sharing every detail of their family vacation powered by points. From the charming streets of Lisbon to the breathtaking landscapes of the Azores, they reveal how to travel to these stunning destinations for nearly free! […]

Our recent trip to Portugal gave me the perfect excuse to review the Hyatt Regency Lisbon. This is a Category 4 hotel which means it will cost you between 12,000-18,000 points a night or you can use a Hyatt category 1-4 free night certificate. Occupancy for standard rooms is 2 adults so we opted to […]

Elizabeth took her daughter McKenna on an unbelievable college graduation trip to four countries. Here is her story: My daughter and I took a trip to celebrate her college graduation and relax a bit before she started law school. My objective was a no-stress trip, to see as much as we could and decide where […]

Let’s talk all about Capital One Lounges today. For many people, these are their airport lounges of choice. Luckily, they have opened more of them so that they are more accessible. If you find yourself at any of the following airports, you need to check them out: Dallas – Fort Worth (DFW) – the original […]

Sometimes, a positioning flight allows you to visit or revisit a city before your main objective. In this case, my daughters and I were flying out of Boston on points and miles for our annual girl’s trip. Our primary objective was to visit Lisbon, Portugal, and the Azores Islands. One of my daughters had never […]

Welcome back, everyone! Today, we’re diving into how you can use Southwest and Hyatt points for nearly free vacations. These are the most accessible programs and what we call “the sweet spots” to get the best start in the world of points and miles! Treat this episode as your go-to guide to the world of […]

My favorite way to redeem my Chase Ultimate Rewards® is to transfer them to Hyatt. You might be wondering why, and this post is your answer. Hyatt award stays offer oversized value. Of all the possible chains you can book with points, you’ll get the most value from Hyatt. I will be showing you multiple […]

Michelle sends us her reader success story to London and Edinburgh. We love both cities, so we can’t wait to hear how she did it!   Michelle’s Story I started leveraging credit card welcome offers to redeem flights and hotels in 2021 when my best friend showed my husband and me how to navigate this […]

We recently wrapped up our family of five’s second two-week international trip just this year. This summertime family trip to Italy and the Paris Olympics was a true trip of a lifetime, made possible with the help of points and miles. For two weeks, we visited Rome, Assisi, the Vatican, Florence, San Miniato (Tuscany), Pisa, […]

Welcome back, everyone! Today’s episode is a real treat—we’re catching up with Megan, our amazing digital business manager, who’s here to spill the details about her epic two-week European adventure with her family. And guess what? They even made it to the Paris Olympics! Whether you’re dreaming of a similar journey or just love gathering […]

If you love Switzerland, you will love the Dolomites in Italy! I recently returned from visiting the Italian Dolomites with family. Although we stayed in a rather expensive Airbnb (that was perfection), we used miles to travel to and from Europe. The Dolomites is a stunning mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They are known […]

Next up is a reader success story to Kona, a seaside town on the west side of the Big Island of Hawaii. Here is Michelle’s story: My family and I wanted to go on a weekend getaway to Waikoloa last October with another family to celebrate my friend’s birthday. Everyone knows that the Hilton Waikoloa […]

Hyatt keeps adding more hotel brands you can book with Hyatt points. Mr. and Mrs. Smith Hotels is one of their newer brands. This acquisition of over 1500 luxury hotels all over the world further cements why we love Hyatt so much. Mr. and Mrs. Smith is a travel company that offers a collection of […]

Last year I was chatting with my daughter, Molly, about our summer 2024 travel plans. I asked her if she could travel anywhere on points and miles where she would choose. She immediately exclaimed, “Stars Hollow!” While Stars Hollow is a fictional town made famous by the show Gilmore Girls, it is based on some […]

Listen up, Swifties! Today, we’re riding the high notes of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour across Europe with Jess. Dive into the excitement as she shares how she turned 120,000 points into an unforgettable journey through Milan and London, seeing Taylor Swift live and experiencing luxury without the luxury price tag. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen […]

Small Luxury Hotels of the World is a group of almost 600 hotels in more than 90 countries that are independently owned and luxury-minded. If staying in a chain hotel isn’t your thing, and you like a unique experience, these hotels are perfect! They are smaller than chain hotels, averaging about 50 rooms, and offer […]

Switzerland on points and miles is a trip that Stephanie went on, then posted about in our Facebook Group. She kindly said that we could share it on the blog to help the rest of the Travel Mom Squad. On a personal note, I have traveled to much of where she went and it is […]

Welcome back to another episode where we dive into the fantastic possibilities of family travel with points and miles! Today, we’re joined by some very special guests—our kids—who will share their favorite points and miles trips and their dream destinations. This is not just an episode about our travels but a practical guide on how […]

Here is Sayre’s reader success story to Europe on points and miles… and cash. She used a mixture of these things to craft the perfect 10 day trip to Europe! Here is her story:     I started using credit card points/miles with the simple goal to fly cheaper/more frequently from Raleigh, NC to New […]