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Category: Podcast
Show Notes Links:
– Savewise: getsavewise.com (referral link!)
– AwardTool: awardtool.com (referral link!)
Claude is claude.ai
In this episode I'm sharing 4 new things I've been using and really liking lately. SaveWise for portal and card offer stacking, a clean system for tracking credits, a pragmatic way to find rooms for five or more, and the award search method that finally surfaced five business class seats. Along the way we explain why Claude beat ChatGPT for trip planning and how we used Flying Blue to cut the cost for kids.
• stacking shopping portals with SaveWise and auto-adding Amex and Chase offers
• building a simple credit-tracking spreadsheet that proves card value
• using SixSuitcaseTravel to find rooms for five or more with real beds
• validating big-family hotel options against points availability
• switching to Claude for cleaner itineraries and better tone
• mapping routes with FlightConnections to guide award searches
• using AwardTool to locate five business class seats across date ranges
• leveraging Flying Blue child discounts to cut award costs
• setting alerts and caps on taxes and fees to filter noise
• links to all tools in the notes
CARD REFERRAL LINKS!
The Hilton offers are all elevated until April 15, 2026. If you're seeing these links after that date, they should still work but will not be elevated offers.
Hilton Honors Amex (No Annual Fee!) – 70K Hilton points + FNC
Hilton Surpass card (Amex) – 130K Hilton points + FNC
Hilton Aspire Card – 175K Hilton points (no extra FNC but this card does come with one every year automatically!)
Hilton Honors Business Card (the one we just got!) – 175K Hilton points + FNC
***** The below are not elevated offers but are still our referral links *****
IHG personal card – 140K IHG points
Marriott Bonvoy Business card – three 50K certificates
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card – 100K Marriott points
Thank you in advance for using our links!
Hyatt’s award chart now uses five price bands within each category, pushing top-tier redemptions much higher and making peak family dates more expensive. We explain what changed, where value still exists with certificates and suite upgrades, and how to diversify with Hilton, Marriott, and IHG.
• What the new Hyatt pricing tiers are and how far they stretch
• Why peak family travel dates are most affected
• How free night certificates gain value under the new bands
• When suite upgrade awards still make sense
• Why diversifying into Hilton, Marriott, and IHG matters
• Credit card strategies to earn flexible points and more certs
• Practical steps to book key stays before changes take effect
• What to watch for with category shifts and rumored cards
If you have never had a Hilton card before, we have referral links and we will put them in the show notes
Go in the show notes and use our referral links to get the elevated offer, including the free night certificate
We pull back the curtain on the unseen work of family travel and share how we’re prepping for two weeks in Thailand with three kids, seven flights, and one last-minute work trip. Points, packing, meds, and mindset—all simplified into four clear buckets you can reuse.
• why Thailand matters to us and how points make it possible
• building one master spreadsheet for flights, hotels and transfers
• mapping seven flights and overnight layovers with backups
• hotel lessons on connecting rooms and nonrefundable rates
• Thailand medication rules, doctor letters and refills
• digital arrival form timing and annual travel insurance
• choosing eSIMs, Grab and simple phone setup
• packing light for heat, shoes to prevent blisters, plan for laundry
• setting kids’ expectations for a 17-hour flight
• using food videos to build buy-in and reduce friction
• embracing fewer bookings to protect rest and flexibility
• what’s next on the podcast and how to join us
Send me a DM on Instagram if you want to come on the podcast to talk about a recent family trip, even if it was part points and part cash
What happens when your kids fly business class before they can spell it? We tackle the uneasy question head-on: are we raising entitled travelers—or can points-powered perks actually teach humility, gratitude, and grit? Drawing from our own path—from rural road trips and solo backpacking to parenting three kids with a points strategy—we share the mindset shifts that turned “is this too much?” into “how do we frame this well?”
We start by defining entitlement in practical terms: not nice experiences, but the expectation of them. Then we open the curtain on the hidden work that makes “free” travel possible—earning and redeeming points, offsetting annual fees, stalking award space for five seats, and choosing trade-offs. When kids see the effort, they understand the privilege. From there, we focus on modeling over lecturing. The tone we set—thanking staff, marveling at an economy seat’s movie selection, celebrating a sunset from a budget room—shapes how our kids assign value to comfort, people, and place.
Money talk plays a starring role. We walk through real numbers—cash rates, point valuations, taxes—and turn it into simple math for older kids: how many hours at $10 an hour equals a hotel night? That perspective check pairs with a conscious rewrite of scarcity scripts. Instead of “don’t get used to it,” we teach that with planning and responsibility, they can build the life they want—travel or not. We also highlight the quiet wins travel gives kids: resilience through jet lag, flexibility during delays, adventurous palates, and empathy born from noticing what’s different and what’s the same.
To root those lessons deeper, we add service. Local volunteering like meal packing, and one-day opportunities with reputable groups on trips, turn comfort into contribution without savior narratives. By the end, our stance is clear: perks don’t create entitlement—stories do. We choose to tell a story of gratitude, effort, and respect, so luxury becomes a lesson rather than a baseline. If this conversation resonates, follow along, share it with a travel-loving parent, and leave a quick rating and review so more families can find the show.
Our 2026 travel plan blends status goals, certificate plays, and a careful move toward cash back so we can travel better now and fund freedom later. Along the way we test gold reselling, protect 5/24, and hold out for premium flights that fit a family of five.
• shifting from constant new cards to maximizing existing spend
• step-by-step approach to buying and reselling gold with guardrails
• Hilton Aspire to Surpass downgrade path for four free nights
• prioritizing Hyatt Globalist for suites and breakfast value
• trip plans for Thailand, London and Scotland, Switzerland plus Italy
• strategy for holding out for business class returns
• moving to shorter trips to save PTO and add flexibility
• staying under 5/24 and timing future applications
• adding cash back via business cards and bank bonuses
• using Schwab or Morgan Stanley Platinum to cash out MR at 1.1 cpp
• FIRE mindset and key takeaways from Die With Zero
Send us your gold reselling tips and questions on Instagram at travel party five