How my family of four leverages points and miles to enhance our travel experiences

It's well known that travel is both a luxury and a financial burden — and with rising demand, travel costs are set to increase as more people start exploring again. For families of any size, travel expenses can accumulate rapidly, and even the cost of redeeming points and miles can be significant.

That’s why my family of four combines points, miles, and cash to get the most out of our travel budget in a way that suits us best. We focus on what matters most for each vacation, and our goals for points and miles change from one trip to the next. In this article, I’ll share how my family approaches this and offer a key piece of advice for every family — or traveler — eager to use points and miles to travel more frequently.

Using points for hotel stays

We often decide to use miles for flights or points for hotel accommodations. Since there are four of us, we sometimes choose to pay cash for flights rather than redeeming airline miles for all of us — plus, I believe those miles are better utilized for business or first-class seats, which my husband and I don’t use when traveling with our little ones (currently 1 and 3 years old). Overall, we tend to prioritize a comfortable hotel experience over flying in premium seating — at least when traveling with our kids.

I primarily choose Marriott hotels unless I'm reserving my Bonvoy points for something truly special. I also enjoy staying at World of Hyatt occasionally, thanks to their appealing low points redemption rates depending on the hotel.

What I love about Marriott hotels is that — whether I'm in a luxury brand like St. Regis or a budget-friendly option like Springhill Suites — I can trust that my experience will be enjoyable and meet my needs. For instance, at a Fairfield Inn and Suites, I know to expect a spacious, no-frills room with breakfast included — a clean and comfortable space I likely won’t spend much time in. Conversely, at a Ritz-Carlton, I know I’ll enjoy additional amenities like a restaurant, room service, and likely a spa. Regardless of the type of hotel stay I require, I can redeem Bonvoy points for the room, and the fifth night is always complimentary.

Some of my favorite hotel redemptions include the JW Marriott Venice Resort and Spa during our inaugural trip to Italy and the Hyatt Regency Phuket for New Year's Eve. Next month, we'll be enjoying a week at the JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort and Spa.

One reason I prefer to concentrate my travel rewards on luxury hotel redemptions is the amenities and services that make traveling with children so much more manageable. After our stay at the Four Seasons Punta Mita when my son was just 6 months old, I realized this was the only way I wanted to travel moving forward. The thoughtful amenities like a welcome basket for babies complete with sunscreen and face wipes, a diaper genie in our room, and even a Pack 'n Play available by the pool significantly enhanced our first family vacation. They even provided extra bibs and baby utensils for him at the restaurant.

Using miles for flight bookings

I've traveled with my children as lap infants for as long as possible, and I was fortunate to visit six countries and Puerto Rico with one or both of my kids before the pandemic hit. Taking advantage of the lap infant benefit is a fantastic opportunity when your children are under 2 years old — I’ll truly miss the savings when my daughter turns 2 this September.

Now that we’ll soon need to buy tickets for all four family members, we plan to redeem our miles more frequently than before. Previously, we accumulated miles for dream trips in business and first class that my husband and I intended to take without the kids. However, after last year’s dream trip to the Tokyo Olympics was canceled, we’ve decided to use our miles more effectively.

For domestic travel, we typically pay cash for flights, except when flying Southwest. Southwest offers excellent redemption rates, and I can transfer Ultimate Rewards instantly whenever needed. For international travel, we redeem miles for at least two tickets to lower our out-of-pocket cash expenses while preserving our miles balance.

Although I don’t travel with Southwest frequently, I have remained loyal to American Airlines and the Oneworld alliance for as long as I can recall. While not the largest airline alliance, Oneworld includes member airlines like British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, and more — all of which I have flown with or intend to in the future.

Another factor influencing whether my family uses miles or cash for flights is the airline we wish to travel with. Two summers ago, when we journeyed to France and Switzerland via London, we opted for Premium Economy on Virgin Atlantic and paid cash. We simply didn’t have enough points or miles for the seats we preferred, and we deemed the cash fare worth it for the added comfort, especially while traveling with an 18-month-old — not to mention I was quite pregnant at the time.

Staying at home rentals

In my view, home rentals from Airbnb, VRBO, and Marriott Homes and Villas offer the most comfortable travel experience for families, often at a lower cost as well. You can choose properties with multiple bedrooms, several bathrooms, and even outdoor spaces like yards or pools for the kids to enjoy. I appreciate being able to rent an apartment in a city center or a larger home a bit further out — which is generally more economical than booking a hotel room, especially when considering the value you get. We’ve been renting homes on Airbnb since 2015, with our most recent stay being a property just outside the French Quarter in New Orleans.

This year, I signed up for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card to earn the 75,000 Venture miles sign-up bonus after spending $4,000 in the first three months. While I’m thrilled about the addition of new transfer partners and airport lounges this year, what excites me most is using these miles to effectively cover my Airbnb expenses through statement credits. The card also allows me to use miles for statement credits on various travel-related purchases, including train fares and rental cars.

Taking advantage of credit card perks

I make the most of the numerous perks associated with my credit cards. Even though The Platinum Card® from American Express has raised its annual fee to $695 (see rates and fees), the Amex offers, travel credits, and access to the Centurion Lounge have more than justified the annual cost for my family and me over the past few years. I also receive elite status at select rental car companies, monthly Uber credits that we use for Uber Eats, and the ability to book through Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts via Amex travel for added benefits like late check-out, resort credits, and room upgrades at select locations.

I hold Priority Pass memberships through several credit cards, ensuring that even if there's no Centurion Lounge available at my airport, my family and I can usually unwind in a lounge on our travel days.

I primarily use my Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card to earn 3x points on dining at U.S. restaurants, while my Chase Freedom Flex handles my rotating bonus categories. Almost all of my daily expenses go on my Capital One Venture Credit Card for 2x miles.

My top tip for families traveling with points

The one key piece of advice I would give any family looking to maximize their vacations with points and miles is to first decide on the trip you desire and then earn the rewards needed to make it happen.

Once you have a specific redemption in mind—whether it’s flying 33 family members to Hawaii or booking one of the best luxury suites in the sky—figure out what is required to turn that dream into reality and start accumulating points and miles accordingly. This approach helps you avoid what I like to call "shiny sign-up bonus syndrome" (a term I just coined) where you sign up for every card with a tempting bonus but end up with scattered points and miles that aren't useful for your goal.

Bottom Line

Traveling with a family using points and miles is definitely achievable—it just requires a bit more planning and strategy compared to solo or partner travel. I generally prefer to stick with one hotel brand and one airline alliance to maximize my points and miles accumulation for free travel. I also mix in cash payments when necessary, favoring my travel rewards for luxurious hotel stays over premium airline cabins due to the amenities and services available at high-end resorts.

Home rentals are another option I really appreciate, especially for families needing extra space. While platforms like Airbnb and VRBO don’t have loyalty programs, you can still use statement credits for travel expenses with cards like the Capital One Venture credit card.

Finally, my top piece of advice for families looking to maximize their points and miles is to determine the trip they want to take before accumulating travel rewards. It’s more effective to gather the right points and miles than to have them spread across too many accounts without enough in any one place to fund your family trips.