Travel Party of 5 | Points & Miles for Family Travel

Raya & Duane
  • 4.7 (90)
  • Places & Travel
  • 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. 13h ago

    AA SWU's, Bilt Changes, New Credit Cards & our 2027 Destinations!

    Travel Party of 5 | Points & Miles for Family Travel

  2. Oct 26

    From Canceled Hotel to Rome Rebooked: How Our Italy Trip Went Sideways (and Still was Amazing!)

    We share how our family trip through Milan and Rome goes sideways and somehow still turns into one of our most memorable travel weeks. We break down what we do when plans fall apart, how we use points and miles to reduce the damage, and what we learn about city travel with three kids. • extending Switzerland because Italy prices surge • booking a multi train route to Milan with the SBB app • why first class seating helps on long train days • what to do after missing a train connection • first impressions of Milan plus a very small room • Duomo crowds rush hour metro and dead phone stress • the Stussy shirt mix-up and making the train • a standout pizza night with surprise drinks • high speed train booking timing to unlock family discounts • how we handle the Thompson Rome cancellation and get rebooked • Rome activities that work well for kids plus what feels overrated • our pasta and tiramisu cooking class highlights • airport lounge reality checks in Rome and Paris • using Air France Flying Blue points and Marriott free night certificates • reflections on outdoor trips versus big cities for our current season If you have any questions, feel free to message me on Instagram at travelpartyof5

  3. Oct 19

    Grindelwald, Switzerland On Points: Alpine Coasters, Biking in Lauterbrunnen & More!

    We move our family of five from Wengen to Grindelwald and turn a simple transfer day into a Lauterbrunnen biking adventure. Along the way, we share what surprised us most about costs, crowds, and how points and miles actually play out when you’re traveling with kids.  • choosing between Wengen and Grindelwald as a home base  • storing luggage in Lauterbrunnen and timing the transition day  • renting bikes for five and navigating busy streets with a young rider  • seasonal trade-offs like chilly weather and low waterfalls  • Switzerland sticker shock like paid condiments and restaurant water  • walking to Bergwelt Grindelwald and the hidden hill and stairs  • booking an SLH Hilton hotel on points plus paying an upgrade fee  • what we get right and wrong about room setup for a family of five  • free breakfast value and the spa rules including towel-only saunas  • comparing Grindelwald First crowds with Pfingstegg fun factor  • why the alpine coaster is worth repeating  • laundry realities, a too-cold pool, and mini golf with a view  • dinner lessons on reservations plus a surprise win at Hotel Bodmi  We Will Catch You Next Week All About Milan And Rome.

  4. Oct 12

    Wengen, Switzerland: A Dreamy September Stay in the Swiss Alps with Kids

    We take our family of five to Wengen, a car-free village in Switzerland’s Jungfrau region, and share what worked, what cost the most, and what we would change next time. We also walk through our points flights to Zurich, the Swiss transit pass decision that saved us money, and our favorite kid-friendly mountain days.  • pivoting from an Italy-first plan to more time in Switzerland  • booking five business-class seats to Zurich with points and managing a tight Frankfurt connection  • deciding between the Swiss Travel Pass and the Swiss Half Fare Card using real trip math  • using the SBB app, adding kids correctly, and handling frequent ticket checks  • choosing Wengen as a peaceful, walkable home base and booking a spacious apartment with laundry  • planning day trips with live webcams and staying flexible on timing  • riding to Murren and Allmendhubel for a mountaintop playground lunch day  • doing Wengen marble runs and using the Co-op grocery store to reduce meal costs  • splurging on Jungfraujoch Top of Europe, plus tubing, zip line, ice palace, and cold-weather packing  • visiting Mannlichen for the giant cow playground and hiking the Lieselotte trail downhill  • noticing how hills and walking can limit accessibility and affect taxi decisions  If you want to see like where we stayed or pictures or videos or anything, go check out the highlights.  And if you have any questions, find me on Instagram. Let me know.

  5. Oct 5

    Positioning to Boston on Points: Tea Party Museum, Freedom Trail, Lobster Rolls

    We turn a Boston positioning flight into a mini trip and share what worked for our family of five, from points bookings to kid-friendly sightseeing. We also give our unfiltered take on the Hyatt Regency Boston, the Boston Tea Party Museum hype, and the airport logistics we’d handle differently next time.  • why positioning flights can feel stressful or feel like a bonus trip  • booking a nonstop Phoenix to Boston flight with American Airlines points and Main Cabin Extra seats  • the Chase lounge wait and the $90 backup meal lesson  • using Amex Platinum Uber credits for rideshare  • Hyatt Regency Boston on free night certificates, upgrade request and junior suite realities  • breakfast highlights, late starts and planning activities around the time change  • Freedom Trail tour pros, pacing and what keeps kids engaged  • Boston Tea Party Museum expectations and what the experience is really like  • dinner at Legal Sea Foods and a lobster roll worth ordering  • using Blacklane for airport transfers and navigating terminal construction  • a reminder to stay kind when airline disruptions overwhelm staff  If you'd like to see the photos, there's one on my Instagram story on the on the Boston highlight, so you can go take a look. Um, and then let me know your thoughts. What do you think? Explosive diarrhea or murder toilet? You you let me know.

  6. Sep 30

    American Airlines - The Irrational Side of Status

    American Airlines status can look pointless for family travel until you break down how loyalty points are earned and what perks actually reduce stress on travel days. We share our honest take on whether chasing AAdvantage elite status is a money move, a comfort buy, or a little of both.  • AAdvantage status tiers and loyalty point thresholds  • Miles vs loyalty points and why the difference matters  • Four main ways we earn loyalty points: flights, card spend, hotels, shopping portal  • Why basic economy pricing drives family decisions and what it costs you on status  • What each status level really unlocks: boarding groups, bags, seats, upgrades  • How status benefits apply to everyone on a booking and where upgrades break down  • Why living in an American Airlines hub changes the value  • The psychological payoff: less gate stress, overhead bin confidence, better service recovery odds  • A real travel story that shows the downside of having no status perks  • Upgrade expectations at Gold, Platinum Pro, and Executive Platinum  • Shopping portal strategy and watching for elevated offers  If you have any questions about anything that I talked about today, feel free to send me a DM on Instagram.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

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4.7
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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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