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We Almost Traveled to the Olympics in Rio (But Why We Didn’t)

This post was written by Nancy, who is a regular contributor. She also runs a blog Savingforadream and has an awesome YouTube channel.

Four years ago, my husband and I were watching the London Olympics. We were really into it. Glued to the TV, in fact. We asked ourselves, “Why didn’t we go to London to watch these live in person?” Oh yeah, we had three young kids, including a 1-year-old.  We also…

Heads Up! Tomorrow I’m Transferring My Site to Another Host

The reason I’m letting you guys know is because with my luck, there will be huge (yuuge!) problems. I honestly have no idea what to expect as it’s all new territory to me. So, if the site is down, don’t worry, it should be back up at some point… I hope. The transfer is scheduled for tomorrow, so there will be no posts for a day or two because they will most likely be lost if published.

I want to…

Hotel Tools Comparison: Awardmapper Vs. Pointimize Vs. HotelHustle

If you are new to miles and points hobby, one thing I strongly recommend is getting familiar with various tools that are available to you for free. They can save you  tremendous amount of time, which you can, in turn, spend on more important things. These tools can be extremely handy when you plan on booking a hotel in an area that you are not familiar with.

However, I would like to caution you…

Letting Go of Hyatt Suite Upgrades (Is Hard)

Few months ago I wrote a post on how I was planning to use complimentary Diamond suite upgrade for a weekend  at Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa It’s a Category 4, so it costs 15,000 points or 7,500 points+$100 per night. A nice thing about this hotel is the fact that you can use your annual renewal certificates that come with Chase Hyatt Signature Visa.

That’s why my cousin-in-law and…

What Recent Negative Citi Changes Mean to You and Your Family

I’ve briefly mentioned this new development on Friday, but it’s a pretty big deal, so I decided to devote a separate post. So, what’s the fuss all about? Well,  Citi has decided to limit sign-up bonuses to one offer/per 24 months/ per “family” of cards.

But apparently,  there is a short window of opportunity. Chuck from Doctorofcredit has reached out to Citi and their media rep has said that…

Miles and Points Recap: MR Transfer Bonus to Avios, United 20% off Awards, IHG Award Sale on Caribbean Properties and More!

This is a news recap from last week, tailored to an average family. For faster updates, follow me on Twitter or check my feed on the right side of the blog.

1) This is probably the biggest news item of the week. American Express is offering a 50% bonus on transfers from AMEX Membership Rewards points to British Airways Avios until 10/10/2016. This could be a good deal for many families due to dis…

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Ritz-Carlton!

I wanted to share something funny that happened to me yesterday (and why I think it applies to this hobby). So, my father-in-law occasionally buys  groceries for us while shopping at Walmart. He has my credit card, so he just pays for our stuff separately. This time was no different…mostly.

Before I tell you the story, keep in mind that my father-in-law is very cheap. He grew up poor and his…

Using Points to Stay at Best Waterpark Hotels in Dallas Area

This post was written by Nancy, who is a regular contributor. She also runs a blog Savingforadream and has an awesome YouTube channel. On Monday I published a post on Florida beach hotelsand mentioned that this particular area is my home turf. Well, Nancy has written a post that deals with her home turf: Texas. I know at least a few of my readers besides Nancy live there, so I hope ya’ll find…

Chase Fairmont Visa Signature Vs. Chase Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite

I’m sure most of you have heard about new and improved offer on Chase Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite product. It’s a very strong sign-up bonus, and can be a good deal for many families, but there are caveats, as usual.

Here are the most important details of the offer:

Direct application link (might be added to my affiliate channel later on). Reportedly, this card is not subject to Chase 5/24…

Adjusting to the New Normal for Family Trips

This post was written by Nancy, who is a regular contributor. She also runs a blog Savingforadream and has an awesome YouTube channel

For the past six years, my family has taken many fun vacations at a steep discount. We’ve used miles and points to drastically reduce the cost of our trips, but we’ve also taken advantage of traveling during off-peak times when kids are usually in school.

Even…

Looking into Europe Business Class Award Redemption via ANA Mileage Program

If you’ve been following my blog for the last few years, you probably know that my main focus is on economy award redemptions. It’s really a matter of necessity rather than principle. I have zero problem with those who like to fly upfront, but it’s usually not feasible for most families due to high redemption price and lack of availability.

But I still think it’s important for you to know the…

Exploring Florida Beaches on a Road Trip with the Help of Hotel Points

This post was inspired by a comment from my reader Cynthia:

“I love these Florida hotel reviews! Next summer I’m planning a 10 day road trip to FL with my kids and my mom, so these have been great as I start to figure out the logistics of our trip. My mom really wants to watch sea turtle nesting, so if you know of any beaches where that might happen, I’d love to hear about them!”

First, let me…

Fifty Shades of “Free”

Once upon a time, the word “free” was a popular term describing travel via miles and points. However, over the last few years I’ve seen more and more bloggers pull away from it. And for a good reason. When you shell out $800 per person on a roundtrip airplane transfer  to a Maldives resort, the shoe just doesn’t fit.

I’ve mentioned before that one of my biggest pet peeves before I started this…

Sometimes You Have to Force People to Save Money, or Should You?

I wanted to share something that happened a few days ago. One of my husband’s relatives called me because she was having a hard time finding hotel reservation in her Club Carlson account. She told me how to log in, and I was able to locate it within few seconds. I’ve noticed that the reservation was refundable, so I figured why not double check and see if the rate went down.

Sure enough, there…

Miles and Points Recap: Southwest Schedule Extended, Citi Prestige, Ikea, SPG to AAdvantage Transfer Bonus, US Bank Olympics Promo and More!

This is a news recap from last week, tailored to an average family. For faster updates, follow me on Twitter or check my feed on the right side of the blog.

1) Thanks to my contributor Nancy for Facebook update on the fact that Southwest schedule is now open through April 24th. Book your Spring Break tickets now!

2) It appears that 50K points’ zombie link for Citi Prestige card is now dead for…

Check out My Interview with Reader Erik!

I’ve decided to add a feature to my blog where I occasionally interview readers. I honestly think it’s beneficial for our tiny “Miles for Family” community to see how various folks are navigating this crazy hobby. I’ve said before that most of my readers are way smarter than me. Well, Erik is definitely one of those! He has contributed a lot of valuable insights over the last few years. And this…

It’s Complicated! Securing Five Award Seats to Canada on Miles and Points

This post was written by Nancy, who is a regular contributor. She also runs a blog Savingforadream and has an awesome YouTube channel!

Next summer, my family of five is going on our biggest vacation yet—a Disney Cruise to Alaska! I wrote about how we are saving for this trip and my thought process for booking a hotel on points, but I still had to conquer the biggest obstacle, finding award…