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- 1. Ten Ways to Make Family Travel
Easier and Cheaper
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- 2. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
Who Are We?
MommyPoints.com
PizzaInMotion.com
- 3. Miles and Points Matter the Most
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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
- 4. 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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- 6. 1. Identify and Eliminate Pain
Points via Advance Planning
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- 8. 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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- 10. 2. Save Big by Using Miles for
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Flights
- 11. There are many different ways to save
on lodging, but flight costs are harder to
cut, so earning miles for the family to fly
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for less is paramount.
- 12. Earning A Lot of Points
Families need more miles and points than
single travelers so we have to try harder and
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get the family involved.
- 15. Tips for Availability
• Start looking 11 months out
• Consider different cabins or different
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flights
• Consider “off season” destinations
• Combine revenue and award tickets
• Fixed value points
• Expert Flyer
• Use award booking services
- 16. 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
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United and Brussels Airlines)
• American’s Asia flights (especially in first class)
• 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)
- 18. Flying in a Lie-Flat Seat is Nice!
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- 20. Book Something, then Keep
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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.
- 21. 3. Learn Award Chart Sweet
Spots to Stretch Miles
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- 22. 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
• ANA great currently for close-in
destinations and stopovers on United
• Spirit starts at 2,500 miles with card
• Off peak and discount deals (15,750 AA)
• Follow @theflightdeal and
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@airfarewatchdog for sales
- 23. International Sweet Spots
• Boston – Dublin 12.5k/25k Avios
• ANA business class to Europe 63,000 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
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(last 6 months)
• United free one-ways
- 24. Pro Tip: Just learn award
chart sweet spots as they
align with your travel goals.
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- 26. 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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- 27. Earning Companion Pass
• Need 110,000 qualifying points in a
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calendar year.
• The 50,000 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
- 28. 5. Be Obsessive about Seat
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Assignments
- 29. Airline seat assignments can
make or break a family flight, so
get seat assignments early and
monitor them closely.
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- 30. 6. Book Enough Space for
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Everyone
- 31. Is a hotel room best?
Once you start talking about more than one
or two kids, a standard hotel room isn’t
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always the best option.
However, points can still play into the
equation of a larger room or even house
rental.
- 34. Hyatt Vacation Club
Studio: 12,000 Hyatt points
One Bedroom:15,000 Hyatt points
Two Bedroom: 23,000 Hyatt points
Three Bedroom: 30,000 Hyatt points
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- 35. 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
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arrival)
• Book points rates over the phone
- 36. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
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
- 37. 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,
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but still happens here.
• I got 50% off connecting room at the
Walt Disney World Swan (SPG)
- 38. Look to All Suite Properties
• Use Hilton Hhonors points to stay at
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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
- 40. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
VRBO and Airbnb
• Sometimes a house or apartment can be
more economical than a hotel.
• Can use Barclaycard Arrival points
- 41. 7. Get “Freebies” from Credit
Card Perks and Elite Status
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- 44. Status or Pseudo Status
• At least get mid-tier status like Hilton
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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
- 46. 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
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check, etc.
• Children 12 and under piggyback!
- 47. 8. Bring (and leave) the Right
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Gear.
- 50. Travel Gear – Traveling Toddler
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- 55. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
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.
- 56. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
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!
- 57. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
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.
- 58. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
9. Plan the Right
Activities…AKA no “I’m
Boreds”
- 59. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
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?
- 60. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
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.
- 63. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
Get kids to carry
and pack their
own bags
- 64. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
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!
- 65. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
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.
- 66. © Lypht, LLC All Rights Reserved
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
- 67. Where to Sit on the Plane
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- 68. Boarding
• 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
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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.
- 69. 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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