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If you’re new to collecting miles and points, we’re here for you! Check out our Travel Hacking 101 series, pick your first card, and then dive in to get some ideas for how to use your credit card points.
Remember that there’s no “perfect” redemption — it all depends on where you want to go!
Not sure what you can do with miles and points? The options are endless! Use these 10 ideas to get some inspiration. Then, set some of your own travel goals. While travel goals aren’t always necessary, they can help you know what cards you need to open to bring your dream vacation to life.
Book an award flight to anywhere in the United States
There are a lot of options for booking award flights within the United States, but 15,000 points round trip to anywhere in the U.S. is hard to beat.
We did a blog post on this sweet spot and how to use Turkish Airlines miles to book flights on United Airlines to Hawaii, but you can actually use it to book domestic flights anywhere within the U.S.
This redemption requires flexibility and patience to book, but great value. The sign up bonus on the Venture, Venture X, or Citi Premier would cover 5 flights this way.
Take your family to an all-inclusive resort
When you have kids, sometimes you come home needing a “vacation” from your “vacation”. Our favorite way to relax on a trip is to stay at an all-inclusive resort. No cooking, no cleaning, amenities galore, and – often – free babysitting at kids club!
Read all about how to find and book an all-inclusive resort with points, and use our searchable map that includes more than 100 all-inclusive resorts to find where to take your next vacation!
A sign up bonus on the Chase Sapphire Preferred could get you 5 nights at the lower category Hyatts if you book off-peak. Or if you and a partner double up on Chase Sapphire Preferred cards, you can get more nights or upgrade to a fancier resort.
Fly 2 people for the price of 1 ALL YEAR with the Southwest Companion Pass
We love Southwest for families and think the Southwest Companion Pass is one of the best deals out there. The Southwest Companion Pass allows you to take a named companion on any flight with you for only the cost of taxes. You can use it anywhere that Southwest flies!
In order to qualify for a Companion Pass, you have to earn 125,000 points in a calendar year. However, if you open the right business card/personal card combination you can earn enough points from the welcome bonuses to get a companion pass for almost 2 years.
Read our article and sign up below to get our Southwest Companion Pass Guide to learn all there is to know about earning and using a Companion Pass.
Cover your hotel and tickets for Disneyland or Disney World
For a lot of families, a Disney vacation is a dream. Staying at Disney Resort Hotels can make that vacation even more magical. If this is something your family is dreaming of, this article will give you lots of ideas for how to stay at Disney Hotels and buy Disney tickets with your points.
Vacation in Hawaii
Fly to Hawaii from the mainland
There are several great options for flying to Hawaii on points. What option works best for your family will depend on where you’re flying from and when you’re going. You can read about the 4 best options for families flying to Hawaii with points here.
Stay at a Hyatt hotel or resort
You can stay at a Hyatt in Waikiki for as low as 12,000 points per night, or a beachfront Hyatt resort in Kauai or Maui – complete with cultural classes, multiple pools, and penguins – for as low as 21,000 points per night.
Read our post on our three favorite Hyatt properties in Hawaii for families, including how to search and book Hyatt properties, and how to get the points you need, here.
Sign up below for our Guide to Plan a Hawaiian Vacation With Points. It will walk you through the exact steps to get 143,000+ points to book one of these Hyatt stays!
Fly Around the World. Literally.
There are a number of airlines that still offer around the world tickets, but we think ANA provides the most value. ANA allows you to book with Star Alliance members and allows up to 8 stopovers. A 20,000 mile trip will cost you only 75,000 points per person, plus taxes and fees.
There are a lot of rules that make this quite a complex redemption. So while booking an ANA Round the World Ticket is possible – you can read more about Katie’s experience here – it’s not for beginners.
Explore Europe
There are lots of ways to get to Europe on points. Check out this post to read about one family’s experience using points to fly, stay, and play in Europe for a month.
Hotels in Europe can be tricky for families since most European hotels only have a capacity of 2-3. Use our searchable map to find some of the best hotels for families of 4 in Europe.
Get your 4th night free at an IHG Hotel
IHG (Intercontinental Hotel Group) consists of 17 hotel brands and nearly 6,000 properties worldwide. You’re bound to be able to find a family friendly, boutique, or luxury hotel to stay at for any occasion. And, if you have any of the IHG Rewards cards, your 4th night on points is free!
Book a vacation rental home
When you are traveling as a family, sometimes it’s nice to have more space and a kitchen to accommodate everyone comfortably. Vacation rental homes are a great option, but frequently come with high cleaning charges and fees.
One sweet spot is using Wyndham rewards points to book Vacasa vacation rentals. Vacasa rentals are a flat 15,000 points per bedroom per night, with no taxes and fees charged!
Check out our guide to booking vacation rentals with points – including Vacasa rentals and hotel timeshare properties (such as Marriott and Holiday Inn Vacation Clubs).
Take a road trip through the U.S.
In 2021, Katie and her family embarked on a month-long road trip through the U.S. On points, of course!
There are so many options in the U.S. for family hotels on points. If you’re dreaming up or planning a family road trip, be sure to look into Holiday Inn Vacation Club properties, Marriott family hotels and resorts, and Choice Privileges suites:
Recommended card(s)
| Best points | Recommended card(s) | |
| Fly within the U.S. | Turkish Miles&Smiles | Citi Premier Capital One Venture/Venture X |
| Stay at an all-inclusive resort | World of Hyatt | Chase Sapphire Preferred |
| Southwest Companion Pass | Southwest Rapid Rewards | Southwest Rapid Rewards personal/business card combo |
| Disneyland/Disney World Hotels and tickets | Citi ThankYou points Capital One Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Marriott Bonvoy | Citi Premier Capital One Venture/Venture X Chase Sapphire Preferred |
| Fly to and stay in Hawaii | World of Hyatt Southwest Airlines British Airways Avios Turkish Airlines | Chase Sapphire Preferred World of Hyatt Southwest Rapid Rewards card Capital One Venture/Venture X Citi Premier |
| Go around the world | ANA Mileage Club | American Express Platinum or Gold |
| Explore Europe | AAdvantage Choice Privileges | Barclays or Citi AAdvantage card Citi Premier |
| 4th Night Free at an IHG property | IHG One Rewards | IHG Rewards Premier or Premier Business |
| Book a vacation rental | Wyndham Rewards | Capital One Venture/Venture X Citi Premier |
| Take a U.S. road trip | IHG One Rewards Marriott Bonvoy Choice Privileges | IHG Rewards Premier or Premier Business Chase Sapphire Preferred Citi Premier |
You can see all the best current card offers on our best offers page here.
Want to make any of these trips even better? Skip the lines by having TSA PreCheck/Global entry, and be sure to have a credit card that gets you and your whole family airport lounge access.
Editorial Disclosure – Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
