The Southwest® Companion Pass is among the best deals in the points and miles world.  Either my husband or I have had the Southwest Companion Pass off and on for the last seven years. When you earn the pass, you get to fly someone with you for free (minus taxes and fees starting at $5.60) […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

I think we at TMS would all agree that booking a Hyatt Place for family travel is one of the most economical decisions one can make. Not only are the point redemptions phenomenally low in price, but you can usually fit SIX people in a room. Additionally, almost all Hyatt Places include complimentary breakfast for […]

We recently stayed at the  Hyatt Place Panama City prior to moving to our Vacasa rental at Miramar Beach. We were a family of 29 people staying there in 7 rooms – what were our thoughts? As you all know, I love a good luxury hotel. While I wouldn’t classify the Panama City Hyatt Place a […]

We just got back from a family trip for 29 people to Florida.  Almost THIRTY people! Was it all on credit card points and miles? Not at all, but they certainly helped take the sting out of some of our travel. Here’s how we did it:   Flights on Points to Panama City, Florida Most […]

At the end of June, I took a 2,000+ mile East Coast National Park road trip, solo with my three girls. We departed from New York and drove through Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia. We visited three East Coast National Parks: Shenandoah National Park, Congaree National Park, and New River Gorge […]

At the end of June, my three daughters and I went on an East Coast road trip to visit their 34th U.S. state and three East Coast National Parks. After our first two days of driving, we made it to Isle of Palms, South Carolina to stay at the Boardwalk Inn at Wild Dunes Resort, a […]

Meghan sends us her reader success story to San Antonio, a popular Texas destination. Here is her story: My name is Meghan, and I love getting a good deal, so when I heard more about traveling on points two years ago, I was hooked. My husband, I, and our two young boys recently returned from […]

Our latest reader success story shows you how to score major points with your teenager by taking them to a concert at an international location. Christina’s story is about Amsterdam and a concert on points and miles!   Christina’s Story In a podcast, Jess mentioned that she would follow Taylor Swift around Europe. My 12-year-old […]

Using points and miles for families, especially large ones, is a little harder than using them for a couple’s trip or solo travel. You obviously need more points and will use more points. However, it certainly isn’t impossible, as shown by Alex’s Maui trip one year, when she had to find flights and accommodations for […]

Our latest reader success story is a 10-day European Vacation on points and miles. Andrew and his wife took their adorable 10-month-old on his first transcontinental vacation—here is Andrew’s story.   Getting Started Hello Pam, it took a while to put this together, but my wife and I wanted to share our experience learning about […]

Two credit cards come with a Marriott 35K certificate annually: the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. In our opinion, these cards make the annual fees worth paying year after year. But what are some great ways to use a Marriott 35K certificate? Remember, it is possible to “top […]

We just enjoyed a huge family trip to Costa Rica. There were 16 or us in total! Here’s how we used points and miles to get to Costa Rica – well partially!   Flights to Costa Rica This trip was to celebrate two graduating seniors, and our daughter, Kelly from Colorado Springs, invited us to […]

Our latest reader success story comes from Cheryl and is all about three European cities on points and miles. Cheryl just started in 2023 and has had some amazing success! Here is her story:   Cheryl’s Story with Credit Card Points and Miles First of all, I wanted to say Thanks!   I started my […]

On our recent family trip to Japan, our family of 5 spent two nights in Osaka. Our family focuses on utilizing points and miles to cut down on travel costs, and we rarely (if ever!) have a trip that is 100% on points. It can be especially tricky and costly in points when, due to […]

Hilton has a new way to book stays with points—you can now book luxury campsites with Hilton. This includes luxury campsites and custom Airstreams, cabins, and luxury tents in scenic locations near national parks and beaches across America. Billed as AutoCamps, they are a great alternative to hotels and Airbnb. There are mandatory fees with […]

As someone who aims to visit all six of the Disney Parks, I couldn’t go to Japan without visiting Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea. This was Disney Castle #5 of 6 for me, and I could barely contain my excitement! The Tokyo Disney parks are located in the Tokyo Bay area of the city. It’s about an […]

I love Southern California. My family always traveled there when I was younger, so I have wonderful memories of the beaches, amusement parks, and great weather. When Alex invited my husband and I to join them on their Spring Break vacation to Southern California, we were all in. Carlsbad, California, on points and miles, was […]