Travel Party of 5 | Points & Miles for Family Travel

Raya & Duane
  • 4.7 (87)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Weekly

Do you struggle to understand how people travel using points and miles from credit cards? It can be easy to waste a lot of time learning travel hacking on your own, especially if you find it complex and confusing.  Let us pull back the curtain and show you how you can maximize money you're already spending to earn enough credit card points and miles to travel with your family for nearly free. We've used credit card points and miles to take our family of 5 on trips to places like Costa Rica, San Diego, Disneyland, Oceanside, NYC, Washington DC, Hawaii, and next year we have already booked Paris, Spain and Japan! Using credit card points and miles (often called travel hacking) doesn't have to be overwhelming or take a ton of time, and we can show you how. Can you earn a lot of points and miles without opening up multiple credit cards? Only if you have a really high amount of spend each month. For people with larger families, opening new cards is the easiest and fastest way to earn enough points and miles to take a couple of really low cost (but not low budget) family vacations every year! If you want to learn ways to help you and your family travel more affordably using credit card points, this show is for you. 

  1. Sep 21

    Points & Miles Updates - The Card I Regret, Trips on the Horizon + More!

    BILT REFERRAL LINK: https://www.bilt.com/card?invite=X8EUBSY7 As always, thank you for using our links when possible  ❤️ In this episode I walk through what’s changing in our points and miles strategy right now, including the credit cards we’re opening, the programs we’re leaning on, and the mistakes we’d avoid if we could rewind. We also share real-time trip planning updates, from a last-minute Rome hotel problem to the challenge of finding five business class award seats for Europe and Asia.  • tracking Duane's 5/24 status and why we pace personal cards  • why we applied for the Qatar card and why we regret it after the rule change  • targeting Bank of America cards for Alaska miles and Flying Blue benefits  • building a path to a Chase business card by forming an LLC and getting an EIN  • reacting to the Aeroplan card refresh and what it changes for grocery spend  • watching elevated Hilton offers to stockpile free night certificates  • using Bilt points and accelerators plus paying the mortgage with Bilt  • dealing with Switzerland and Italy planning plus Rome hotel uncertainty with Hyatt  • mapping spring break with Orlando and Turks and Caicos to avoid red-eye flights  • searching for five business class seats to Norway and Copenhagen  • explaining phantom award availability after a Flying Blue transfer  • planning a return to Japan with a Guam add-on and airlines we’re considering  • transfer bonuses on our radar including Avios and Hilton  If you're thinking about getting a built card, I would absolutely love it if you would use our referral link. I will link it in the show notes.  If you found this episode useful please follow the show so you don't miss the next one and I will catch you next time on the podcast or on Instagram.

  2. Sep 14

    Kid Free in Cabo: Park Hyatt Cabo or Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos?!?!

    We compare a brand-new Park Hyatt Los Cabos stay with a Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal stay, down to the rooms, pools, food, and spa experience. We also break down the exact points and certificates we used, what Cabo costs surprised us most, and which resort we would pick next time depending on whether we’re traveling with kids or not.  • choosing Cabo for a short kid-free getaway and why low season changes the vibe  • booking the Park Hyatt Cabo with Hyatt points and a suite upgrade award  • what the Park Hyatt plunge pool suite is like and the privacy trade-offs  • Cabo resort pricing reality and why a grocery stop can save your trip budget  • Park Hyatt food impressions and the spa discount misunderstanding  • getting to Waldorf Astoria Pedregal and what feels different on arrival  • concierge planning, birthday surprises, and romantic turndown details  • Waldorf dining strategy: when to skip the restaurant and order poolside  • Hilton Diamond breakfast rules and how to avoid being charged  • Waldorf spa facilities vs massage upsells  • our “best of” picks across Park Hyatt, Waldorf, and the Cape  • the full redemption math: miles, points, free night certs, and cents per point  go check out my Instagram stories for the next few days, and you'll see all of the um both rooms that we stayed in and all that fun stuff.

  3. Sep 7

    Edinburgh, Scotland with Kids - Visiting 'Lallybroch', Edinburgh Castle, Alpine Coaster + More!

    We finish our Scotland trip with our Edinburgh stretch: the drive in, our Outlander stop at Midhope Castle, where we stayed on points, and the places that were actually worth the effort with kids. We also break down our Air France business class flights home booked with points, including the fees, lounges, and what we’d do differently next time.  • motion sickness on Scotland roads and why Dramamine matters  • Midhope Castle as Lallybroch for Outlander fans and what to expect on-site  • using Hilton points at the DoubleTree Edinburgh and setting realistic hotel expectations  • returning the rental car, cracked windshield costs, and Chase Sapphire Reserve primary coverage claim  • Dishoom Edinburgh, ordering shareable plates, and low-pressure ways to help kids try new food  • Edinburgh Castle tour pros and cons and why audio equipment makes or breaks it  • Flightographer family photos, timing trade-offs, and getting more variety from group shots  • fishing attempt lessons, Albys sandwiches, and easy wins when plans flop  • riding the alpine coaster, buying tickets early, and taking Edinburgh buses with tap-to-pay  • late-night dining challenges with kids in Edinburgh and planning around closing times  • Mary’s Milk Bar on the Grassmarket and a fun Somebody Feed Phil tie-in  • Air France business class from Paris, lounge access, and the reality of award taxes and fees  If you have questions, as always, message me on Instagram  Let me know if you have questions about Scotland or the United Kingdom, and I'll do my best to answer them

  4. Aug 31

    Isle of Skye + Ft William with Kids: Dinosaurs, Fairy Pools, Sheepdogs + More!

    Sheepdog Experience in Uig The Wolfie Lodge in Carbost (Easily in the top 3 AirBnB's we've EVER stayed in!) Airbnb in Onich (near Ft William) The Isle of Skye completely wins us over with misty roads, unreal scenery, and a base in tiny Carbost that feels like a movie set. We share our exact itinerary, our biggest planning mistakes, and the specific stops that make a Scotland family road trip feel doable and memorable. • flying London to Inverness early to save money  • renting a car for left-side driving and using primary rental insurance coverage  • choosing Carbost as a home base and why we want more nights next time  • finding food in small towns and what to buy as backups  • Staffin Bay dinosaur footprints and why low tide timing matters  • the sheepdog herding experience in Uig and why it becomes a trip highlight  • Portree stops for photos, shops, and a reliable dinner plan  • Fairy Pools hike lessons learned and how to avoid turning back too soon  • Three Chimneys lunch and pairing it with Talisker nearby  • Talisker Distillery tour plus how water changes peaty Scotch  • leaving Skye for Fort William with a stop at Eilean Donan Castle  • Glenfinnan viewpoint for the Jacobite steam train and what the crowds are like  • Glencoe visitor center, history notes, and quick food options  • The Geographer in Fort William and our first haggis taste test  Find me on Instagram if you have questions  If Scotland has been on your bucket list and you're waiting for a sign, this is your sign

  5. Aug 24

    3 Days in London on Points with Kids - Splitting up for Biz Class, a Heat Wave, + a Surprising Encounter!

    We’re back from a break and sharing how our family of five tackles three sweaty days in London while using points and miles to make business class happen. We break down what worked, what flopped, and the small decisions that mattered most when traveling with kids in a heat wave.  • taking a needed podcast hiatus and what it’s like recording at home with kids  • the washer saga and why appliance research became a full-time hobby  • booking six business class seats to London with points, plus the mistake that nearly derailed it  • positioning flights to Dallas and using airport lounges to survive a long travel day  • arriving in London and checking into Hyatt Regency London Churchill on points  • dealing with the London heat wave and inconsistent hotel air conditioning  • London highlights including Westminster Abbey, Borough Market, and Mercado Mayfair  • why we would not repeat the Mad Hatter afternoon tea experience  • Tower of London strategy, Beefeater tour tips, and prioritizing the Crown Jewels line  • the wild coincidence of running into our kid’s teacher at the Tower of London  • the Heathrow Express saved us after a confusing early-morning transit mess

  6. Jun 16

    Midyear Check-in, a Brief Hiatus, & More Chase News?!?! (Alt Title: Go Home Chase, You're Drunk)

    We share a quick life update and explain why we are taking a four to six week break so we can reset and come back stronger. Then we dig into the latest Chase and Hyatt changes, run our midyear points and cash back totals, and share how we finally locked in business class seats for our upcoming London and Scotland trip.  • announcing a short podcast hiatus and the reasons behind it  • plans to set up a guest scheduling system for future episodes  • reacting to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Hyatt transfer cut to 4:3  • what the change means for Hyatt fans and award booking value  • why Chase is pushing elevated offers after recent nerfs  • midyear recap of cards opened and total points earned so far  • cash back strategy including bank account bonuses and tracking  • frustrations with US Bank central billing and bonus timing  • warning story about Chime and why we are waiting on a resolution  • booking last-minute business class to London using American Airlines miles  • focusing more on family travel stories alongside points and miles  If by chance no one in your family has a Chase Ink business card and you would like to get one, please use our links above.

  7. Jun 8

    Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach on Points + Hilton Credits!

    We just pulled off a travel move that still makes us laugh: a luxury stay at Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach that was booked on Hilton points, covered by stacked Hilton resort credits, and somehow ended with us up $38 thanks to a perfectly timed Amex offer. If you’ve ever wondered whether points and miles are actually worth the effort, we walk through the real math, the real cards, and the real checkout moment where Raya hands over a stack of credit cards and asks the front desk to split the bill across all of them.  Along the way, we rewind to our annual Oceanside getaway, the trip we protect on our calendar because it has almost no itinerary. Beach, pool, good food, and a reset. This year includes a surprise birthday dinner for Dwayne with friends he hasn’t seen in more than 20 years, plus little details that made it feel special, like a custom menu and a table that just kept growing as more people arrived.  We also get practical about family travel logistics: when a “standard room” starts feeling too small for five people, how we think about suites, and why an ocean view matters when one of us is working during the trip. We share our experience at The Seabird, how we handled a disappointing initial room assignment, and the polite ask that got us into a true oceanfront suite. Expect plenty of California details too, from the Monarch Beach club shuttle to June gloom weather timing, plus our favorite eats and one meal that went off the rails.  If you want more strategies like this for affordable luxury travel, subscribe, share this with a points-obsessed friend, and leave us a quick review so more families can find the show. What’s the next hotel you’d love to book entirely on points?

  8. Jun 1

    My Fave List App, a Trip Planning Tool, + 10X Chase UR?!?!

    Rakuten Referral Link: www.rakuten.com/r/RAYAPI6?eeid=28187 Chase Sapphire Reserve 150K REFERRAL LINK! Capital One Shopping Referral Link (turns out I do have one!!!!) We share the exact tools we use to plan trips faster, keep packing under control, and squeeze more value out of everyday spending. We also break down a 10x Chase Ultimate Rewards play using Paze, including where it works, how to stack it, and what to troubleshoot if your accounts get messy.  • noting the elevated Chase Sapphire Reserve offer and why we still use it heavily  • using Rakuten to earn cash back or points on regular online shopping  • testing Capital One Shopping for strong cash back offers  • building trip idea lists and reusable packing checklists in Google Keep  • planning itineraries with Trava linked to TripIt for confirmation email imports  • earning 10x Chase Ultimate Rewards with Paze on eligible retailers  • maximizing the promo with Newegg gift cards including Airbnb  • stacking card category multipliers on top of the 10x where it applies  • fixing Paze issues by separating emails and phone numbers across accounts  If you have questions, find me on Instagram and we will catch you on the next episode.

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About

Do you struggle to understand how people travel using points and miles from credit cards? It can be easy to waste a lot of time learning travel hacking on your own, especially if you find it complex and confusing.  Let us pull back the curtain and show you how you can maximize money you're already spending to earn enough credit card points and miles to travel with your family for nearly free. We've used credit card points and miles to take our family of 5 on trips to places like Costa Rica, San Diego, Disneyland, Oceanside, NYC, Washington DC, Hawaii, and next year we have already booked Paris, Spain and Japan! Using credit card points and miles (often called travel hacking) doesn't have to be overwhelming or take a ton of time, and we can show you how. Can you earn a lot of points and miles without opening up multiple credit cards? Only if you have a really high amount of spend each month. For people with larger families, opening new cards is the easiest and fastest way to earn enough points and miles to take a couple of really low cost (but not low budget) family vacations every year! If you want to learn ways to help you and your family travel more affordably using credit card points, this show is for you. 

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