Reader Success Story: A Family of Six’s National Park Adventure on Points!

Here at Katie's Travel Tricks, we absolutely love hearing from our readers about how they're using points and miles to make their travel dreams a reality. Today, we've got a fantastic story from a reader who took her family of six (including a lap infant!) on an incredible 5-day adventure through the national parks of New Mexico and Texas, all while keeping cash in their pockets!

This trip was packed with exploration, from the depths of Carlsbad Caverns to the sparkling sands of White Sands National Park, showing how family travel on points is not only possible but incredibly rewarding.

Airfare: Flying AAdvantage Miles

Our reader kicked off her family's adventure by using American Airlines AAdvantage miles for their flights. They booked round-trip airfare for all five paying passengers (the lap infant flew free, of course!) at just 12,000 AA miles per person.

"We flew into El Paso, Texas, which was a great starting point for exploring the region," she shared. The 60,000 AAdvantage miles used for the entire family's airfare came from a single sign-up offer on the Barclays Aviator Red card – an example of how strategically opening credit cards can lead to big savings.

Lodging: Hyatt and IHG Hotels

This traveler used Chase Ultimate Rewards® to cover their stays at both Hyatt and IHG properties.

"We spent two nights at the Hyatt House Carlsbad in a studio kitchen suite," she wrote. "This was perfect for our family, giving us extra space and the ability to prepare some meals." These two nights totaled 27,000 Hyatt points, transferred from her Chase Ultimate Rewards balance.

The night before their flight home, they stayed at the Hyatt Place El Paso Airport for just 6,500 Hyatt points, again transferred from Chase.

For a one night in Alamogordo, near White Sands National Park, they booked a two-queen suite with a sofa bed at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Alamogordo. Holiday Inn Express is in the IHG One Rewards program and Ultimate Rewards do transfer to Chase — but it was actually a better deal to book this directly via Chase Travel℠.

She was able to use her $50 Chase Travel credit for hotels (an annual benefit of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card) and paid for the rest in points. She used a total of 9,015 Chase points. Booking via Chase Travel also allowed them to book above the standard room category and get a little more space in a suite.

"This hotel was a game-changer," she told us, "because they offer FREE sleds for White Sands National Park! Renting them at the visitor center would have cost us $25 each, so that was a huge saving."

The hotel also let her add her IHG loyalty number and as an IHG member, she also received a late checkout until 2 PM. "This was so nice after a morning at White Sands," she explained. "We could wash all the sand off before heading out – a true luxury when traveling with kids!"

An Itinerary Packed with Family Fun

Beyond the points and miles redemptions, here are more of their highlights:

• Carlsbad Caverns National Park: Our reader's 6-year-old summed it up best: "This is so cool. Everything is cool. If someone said this is not cool, they'd be lying."
• Guadalupe Mountains National Park: Taking in the stunning West Texas landscape.
• White Sands National Park: Sledding down pristine white dunes – made even better with those free sleds!
• Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso.
• Carlsbad Water Park: A great way to cool off!
• Pistachioland farm tour in Alamogordo.

A huge thank you to our reader for sharing her inspiring story!

What's your best points and miles success story? We would love to hear from you! Submit your story here.

Points & Miles Breakdown: New Mexico & Texas National Parks Trip

.

How You Can Do This Too!

Traveling with points and miles looks a little different for each family. Earning Chase Points and AAdvantage Miles are two great ways to get excellent value for any trip you're planning for.

Check out our Complete Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards® to earn our favorite points that can be used in many different ways!

For AAdvantage miles, this reader used this Barclays card which will only be available for a limited time. Recently, Citi also added a new personal and business card that earn AAdvantage miles as well. See those and more on our Best Offers page.