10 Ways to Make Family Travel Cheaper and Easier (FTU Dallas 2015)

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Ten Ways to Make Family Travel
Easier and Cheaper

Who Are We?
MommyPoints.com
PizzaInMotion.com

Miles and Points Matter the Most
for Families
• More people = more $$$ without points
• Need to stay connected to family
• Tight budgets with daycare, groceries,
doctor’s visits, diapers, and much more
• Emergency trips to help family
• Showing our children the world

Travel Regularly for Much Less
• If you have good credit, and are willing to
do a little work your family can travel
frequently almost for free.
• You can travel in first or business class or
stretch your miles in coach.
• Stay in very nice hotels and/or suites.
• Show your kids things that they otherwise
would just read in books or see in movies.

1. Identify and Eliminate Pain
Points via Advance Planning

More This, Less That

Common Family Travel Troubles
• Car rental pick-ups, send one person to get
the car.
• Schedule fewer events and have more
down time.
• Avoid lines when possible, Pre-Check, pre-
book tickets (Eiffel Tower), FastPasses, and
off-peak times.
• Get everyone involved in the planning.

Even Santa has an Express Pass!

2. Save Big by Using Miles for
Flights

There are many different ways to save
on lodging, but flight costs are harder to
cut, so earning miles for the family to fly
for less is paramount.

Earning A Lot of Points
Families need more miles and points than
single travelers so we have to try harder and
get the family involved.

One Million Miles and Points
in Three Years

Availability Issues and School
Schedules

Tips for Availability
• Start looking 11 months out
• Consider different cabins or different
flights
• Consider “off season” destinations
• Combine revenue and award tickets
• Fixed value points
• Expert Flyer
• Use award booking services

Tips for Availability
Getting multiple business class seats on international flights can be
very tough. According to Gary Leff, who books tons of these awards:
• Anywhere - Brussels (Newark, JFK, Chicago, Washington Dulles on United and
Brussels Airlines)
• American’s Asia flights (esp. in first, though less than before)
• LAN’s South America routes from Miami
• Asiana especially Seattle – Seoul
• Virgin Australia Los Angeles – Brisbane
• Good luck with 3 business class seats on Cathay booking 6+ months out
• West Coast on Korean (via Ultimate Rewards)
• Most Air France routes when using Air France KLM Flying Blue miles
(transferrable instantly from Amex Membership Rewards, but you pay fuel
surcharges)
• Saudi Arabian (Delta partner, no fuel surcharges, and tons of business class
space – and connections to places like India)
• Star Alliance JFK-Vienna on Austrian and Chicago-Warsaw on LOT
• For oneworld Iberia Chicago, Boston, JFK, and Miami – Madrid are good places
to look for business class space

Coach really won’t kill you, but…

Flying in a Lie-Flat Seat is Nice!

Little Kids Like Sleep, Too!

Book Something, then Keep
Looking
Get to know your airline change policies,
and then you can book awards that will
work, but keep checking to try to improve
them.

3. Learn Award Chart Sweet
Spots to Stretch Miles

Great Deals for Domestic Travel
• Avios for short flights on American
Airlines or Alaska, starting at 4,500 miles
• 25,000 RT from West Coast to Hawaii
• Southwest and JetBlue low miles during
sales
• Spirit starts at 2,500 miles with card
• Off peak and discount deals (15,750 AA)
• Follow @theflightdeal and
@airfarewatchdog for sales

International Sweet Spots
• Boston – Dublin 12.5k/25k Avios
• ANA business class to Europe 88,000 RT
• Singapore Airlines business class 60k to
Hawaii, Korean economy 25k RT
• Flying Blue 25,000 miles RT to Europe
• American 40,000 miles RT Europe off-
peak (last 6 months)
• United free one-ways when travel from
different zones

Pro Tip: Just learn award
chart sweet spots as they
align with your travel goals.

4. The Southwest Companion
Pass

Best Deal in Family Travel
The Southwest Companion Pass is the best
deal in family travel if Southwest is a
convenient airline for your family.
Your companion flies virtually free with you
for up to two years if timed carefully.

Earning Companion Pass
• Need 110,000 qualifying points in a
calendar year.
• The 50k – 60k point sign-up bonus points
count toward those 110k
• Earn as early in the year as possible for
max benefit.
• Shopping portal points, credit card use,
and hotel transfers all count

5. Be Obsessive about Seat
Assignments

Airline seat assignments can
make or break a family flight, so
get seat assignments early and
monitor them closely.

6. Book Enough Space for
Everyone

Is a hotel room best?
Once you start talking about more than one
or two kids, a standard hotel room isn’t
always the best option.
However, points can still play into the
equation of a larger room or even house
rental.

Studio: 12,000 Hyatt points
One Bedroom:15,000 Hyatt points
Two Bedroom: 23,000 Hyatt points
Three Bedroom: 30,000 Hyatt points
Hyatt Vacation Club

Hyatt Vacation Club
• Available in cities like: Key West,
Breckenridge, Aspen, San Antonio, and
more.
• Typically offered on a relatively short-
term basis (usually 60 - 90 days prior to
arrival)
• Book points rates over the phone

SPG Suites
• You can use points to book suites and
deluxe rooms via SPG on points or cash
and points.
• Sometimes the additional surcharge,
especially for deluxe rooms, is minimal.
• Ask about cash upgrade prices was $25
to go from base room to one-bedroom in
Whistler

50% Discount for 2nd Room
• Many hotel programs will offer a 50%
discount on a connecting room for
children, but you have to ask.
• More common in Europe than the US,
but still happens here.
• I got 50% off connecting room at the
Walt Disney World Swan (SPG)

Look to All Suite Properties
• Use Hilton Hhonors points to stay at
Embassy Suites.
• Hyatt points to stay at Hyatt House
properties with 1 or 2 bedrooms.
• Marriott points to stay at TownePlace
Suites or similar.
• Club Carlson property Radisson Suites
Oceanfront in Melbourne, Florida

VRBO and Airbnb
• Sometimes a house or apartment can be
more economical than a hotel.
• Can use Barclaycard Arrival points

7. Get “Freebies” from Credit
Card Perks and Elite Status

Free Checked Bags

Free Breakfast

Status or Pseudo Status
• At least get mid-tier status like Hilton
Gold via credit card
• Some cards like United Club card give
very status-like benefits
• Status benefits extend to some extend to
other family members
• Worth the incremental push to get
status, but don’t worry too much about it

Pre-Check

Pre-Check is a Game Changer
• Get it via Global Entry, NEXUS, elite
invitation, or soon by applying online
• Will cost $85, Global Entry is $100, or
NEXUS is $50 (and free for kids)
• Good for five years
• Will have to do fingerprints, background
check, etc.
• Children 12 and under piggyback!

8. Bring (and leave) the Right
Gear.

Travel Gear - Travelmate

Travel Gear – Traveling Toddler

Bubble Bum

Ergo, Stroller, Car Seat Covers

UberFAMILY in
NYC, DC, and Philly

Packing
• Bring more than you think you need, but
not so much that you can’t carry it.
• Focus on things that can’t easily be
obtained where you are going.
• Keep the baby things together in one place
as much as possible, and carry that bag on.
• Checking bags is likely a necessity.
• Decide what you will do about stroller and
car seat.

Carry-on Bag
• Snacks and drinks for the kiddos -
especially for departure and landing.
• Diapers, wipes, and more diapers.
• Change of clothes.
• Toys, DVD, iPad, movies, colors, stickers,
etc.
• Blanket and/or comfort item.
• Extra bottle and formula.
• Sense of humor and free drink coupons!

Checked Bag
• Carry-on essentials for you, but your hands
will already be full, so try and check
everything that you do not really need
• Take advantage of elite status or credit
cards that provide free checked bags to
avoid fees. (or fly Southwest!)
• Use curbside checking or get help into the
airport.
• Use luggage carts.

9. Plan the Right
Activities…AKA no “I’m
Boreds”

Planning the Trip
• Be realistic and conservative.
• Consider bringing grandparents or second
set of hands.
• Choose flight times carefully and take
sleep/feeding schedules into account.
• Think about where the kiddo(s) will sleep.
Do you need one room or two? Suite?
• Where on the plane should you sit?
• Car seats?

K.I.S.S.
• Push your kid’s boundaries some on trips,
but keep it simple.
• Arrange for “free play” time in parks and
with other kids.
• Get them involved with planning the day.
• Swimming in the hotel pool is always good.
• Don’t push it when they are tired.
• Don’t try exotic foods when they are tired.
• Sleep when they are tired.

10. Bonus Tips

Get kids to carry
and pack their
own bags

Lap Infant
• Children under two are permitted as lap
infants, but whether or not that is a good
deal depends on your family.
• Safety issues during turbulence.
• Limited space
• Keep in mind the baby’s temperament –
won’t know that until they are born.
• Little C would have been a disaster as a lap
infant!

Lap Infant
• Ask if there are any open seats if you have
a lap infant.
• 10% miles/fare + taxes internationally
• Bring the birth certificate to prove age.
• Have car seat available if you want to take
advantage of complimentary seat.
• Nursing covers
• Once infants/toddlers become mobile at 9-
12 months, it becomes much harder to
manage lap children.

Lap Infant
• 10% of fee may mean lowest fare, or
highest fare for ticketed cabin.
• Hang-up and call back
• BA charges 10% miles
• Air Canada charges flat charges in miles

Where to Sit on the Plane

• Most US airlines don’t allow families with
young children to board early (Southwest
between A and B group)
• Consider having just one person board early on
and bring the kid on later.
• Get your child in the seat and get out of the
aisle while you install the car seat or CARES
harness.
Boarding

Surviving the Flight
• Plan activities for the whole flight +
• Eat on-board to take up time.
• Make sure they are thirsty when they get
on so that they will drink after take-off
• Suckers are good.
• Do one activity as long as it works.
• If they fall asleep – don’t move.
• Movies, DirecTV, ear phones, etc.
• If it isn’t hurting anyone, let them do it.

Why We Do This

10 Ways to Make Family Travel Cheaper and Easier (FTU Dallas 2015)

10 Ways to Make Family Travel Cheaper and Easier (FTU Dallas 2015)

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