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Ten Ways to Make Family Travel
Easier and Cheaper
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Who Are We?
MommyPoints.com
PizzaInMotion.com
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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
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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.
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1. Identify and Eliminate Pain Points
via Advance Planning
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More This, Less That
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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.
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Even Santa has an Express Pass!
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2. Save Big by Using Miles
for Flights
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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.
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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.
Credit Cards
Promotions
Travel
Everyday Spending
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One Million Miles and Points in
Three Years
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Availability Issues and School Schedules
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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
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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
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Coach really won’t kill you, but…
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Flying in a Lie-Flat Seat is
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Little Kids Like Sleep, Too!
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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.
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3. Learn Award Chart Sweet Spots
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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
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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
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Pro Tip: Just learn award chart
sweet spots as they align with your travel goals.
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4. The Southwest Companion Pass
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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.
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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
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5. Be Obsessive about Seat Assignments
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Airline seat assignments can make or
break a family flight, so get seat assignments early and monitor them closely.
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6. Book Enough Space for Everyone
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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)
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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
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VRBO and Airbnb
Sometimes a house or
apartment can be more economical than a hotel.
Can use Barclaycard Arrival points
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7. Get “Freebies” from Credit Card
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Free Checked Bags
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Free Breakfast
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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
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Pre-Check
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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!
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8. Bring (and leave) the Right
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Travel Gear - Travelmate
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Travel Gear – Traveling Toddler
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Bubble Bum
Слайд 56UberFAMILY in NYC, DC, and Philly
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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.
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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!
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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.
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9. Plan the Right Activities…AKA no
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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?
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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.
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10. Bonus Tips
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Get kids to carry and pack
their own bags
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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!
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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.
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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
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Where to Sit on the Plane
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Where to Sit on the Plane
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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
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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.
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Why We Do This