Most points-and-miles guides offer advice for singles and couples, but what about families who want to use rewards to cover their travel costs? Below, we’ll go over how to go on vacation with the whole family on mostly points and miles.
See our list of the best credit card bonuses here.
If you want to read about great places to visit, see this list of best travel destinations to use the points and miles you’ve earned with your credit card rewards and loyalty programs.
Points & Miles Strategy
To collect enough points and miles for your big family trip, you need to start well ahead of time. Depending on your monthly spend and where you want to go, it may take a year to stockpile enough rewards.
1. Determine where and when. Are you going to one destination or hopping from one city to another? Wherever you choose, we recommend traveling during the off-peak season for cheaper award rates.
2. Figure out your trip length so you know how many free hotel nights to shoot for. Of course, the longer you stay, the more points you’ll need. Some hotel chains will give you the fourth (IHG) or fifth (Hilton, Marriott) award night free, so make sure to take that into consideration. For example, all Marriott Bonvoy members get their fifth night free when you book an award stay of four nights. To take advantage of that offer, consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
3. Choose your hotel chain so you can plan your hotel credit card strategy. Make sure to consider which hotel chains are available at your destination. We recommend using AwardMapper to view hotels in the area as well as the number of points required each night.
Learn more about earning free hotel nights with our guide to The Best Hotel Credit Cards For Travel Benefits And Rewards. You will discover how co-branded hotel credit cards such as the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card or the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card can help you earn free nights at those hotel properties.
4. Find flights. Use Skyscanner or a similar search engine to figure out which airlines fly to your destination. Once you have a carrier of choice, you can plan an airline credit card strategy.
5. Sign up for your chosen hotel and airline loyalty programs. You and your partner will need separate accounts. Some programs will let you pool points with other members.
6. Apply for credit cards so you can earn the sign-up bonus. If both you and your partner open the same credit card, you could double up on bonuses. Just make sure you can meet the minimum spend for the welcome offer.
7. Manage your points and miles. Make and update a credit card spreadsheet tracking the name of the card, when it was opened and the rewards (points, miles or cash) received.
Points & Miles In Action
1. Book your flights. If your dates are flexible, you won’t have issues booking economy award tickets when the schedule opens. Check with your carrier, but it’s usually around twelve months in advance.
2. Book your hotel stay. Most hotels will let you book a year in advance, but make sure to know the cancellation policy in case your plans change.
Best Credit Cards For Points & Miles Strategy
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card rewards you with a generous welcome offer to get your family started on your way to your next vacation. The card offers flexible Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These points can be used for travel at a fixed value. Or, you can transfer them to a number of airline and hotel loyalty programs.
CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED® CARD
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card currently has an offer for 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Redeeming the 60,000 bonus points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which is praised by users, will get you $750 in value towards travel. The 60K bonus points are worth $750 because you get 25% more value whenever you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Even better, strategize with Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer partners to potentially get even more value. Each point can be worth up to 2 cents apiece (60k points = ~$1,200). Read more on this here.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is similar to its sibling, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, but has a much higher annual fee. The hefty fee is worth it through its more generous benefits and greater points earning potential.
CHASE SAPPHIRE RESERVE®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is offering 80,000 bonus points (worth up to $1,600 in travel per our valuations). You’ll need to spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening to qualify for the bonus. These 80k points are redeemable for $1,200 toward travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
This is a premium travel card with a premium annual fee of $550. But, you’ll receive premium benefits such as 5X points on air travel, 10x points spent on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after earning your $300 annual travel credit, 3X points on all other travel and dining, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
The card also features an application fee credit (up to $100) for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®, access to 1,300+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select, and 50% more in travel redemption through Chase Ultimate Rewards. With Pay Yourself BackSM, your points are worth 50% more for existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
If your family enjoys flying on Southwest Airlines, this card makes perfect sense. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card offer families two free checked bags and there are no fees for flight changes. Through their Rapid Rewards program, you can book any available seat on the plane.
There are two other co-branded Southwest cards you might want to consider if you fly more frequently on the airline: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card or the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card.
SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS® PLUS CREDIT CARD
Earn 75,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. We value each Southwest point at an average 1.5 cents a piece, or $750 for the 50,000 points. The best value will be redemption for flights. As with most other airline rewards cards, point value can vary a lot depending on flight time, destination, etc.
You’ll also get 3,000 bonus points after your Cardmember anniversary.
Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on Southwest Airline purchases. Also, earn 2 points for every $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare, and on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming. You’ll get 1 point for every $1 on all other purchases. You’ll get 1 point for every $1 on all other purchases.
There are no foreign transaction fees with this card. Unfortunately, the $69 annual fee isn’t waived for the first year.
The American Express® Gold Card offers a generous welcome bonus to be redeemed in its Membership Rewards program. It gives families plenty of options to use points earned on an airline or hotel program. Or for even greater value, transfer these points to other programs.
AMERICAN EXPRESS® GOLD CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The American Express® Gold Card has a welcome bonus for 60,000 Membership Rewards Points when you spend $4,000 within 6 months.
Membership Rewards Points have great flexibility. We value each point to be worth up to an average 2 cents per point. At this value, 60k Membership Rewards Points can be worth up to $1,200.
The Amex Gold Card has plentiful perks. You’ll get:
- Choice between Gold or Rose Gold.
- 4X points at restaurants, including takeouts and deliveries in the U.S.
- 4X points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per year in purchases (1X thereafter)
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- Up to $120 in annual dining credits (get up to $10 monthly statement credits)
- No foreign transaction fees
The annual fee is $250. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
Bottom Line
With proper planning and flexibility, you can take your family on a memorable vacation without having to pay for much out-of-pocket.
READ MORE: SEE THE BEST BANK BONUSES HERE AND THE BEST INVESTING BONUSES HERE.
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