Family travel on points and miles
If you are looking for an easy day trip from Tokyo, Kamakura is a perfect choice. It is only about an hour from Tokyo, but it feels completely different.
You get temples, shrines, a giant Buddha, cute little streets, the ocean, great food and one of the most charming train rides in Japan.
We visited Kamakura with the kids during our summer trip to Japan, and it ended up being one of those days that had a little bit of everything.
We recently flew Japan Airlines JAL Business Class from San Francisco to Tokyo and back aboard a Boeing 777-300ER. In this JAL Business Class review, I’m covering the JAL Sky Suite seat, the 2-3-2 layout, what the cabin is like for families, food, amenities, and how comfortable it was for the long flight to Japan.
This flight was the start of our 10-night trip to Japan with kids, so being able to arrive in Tokyo rested made a huge difference.
We’ve been to Hawaii 8 times, visited all 4 major islands, and booked a lot of it on points. So when I say these are family-friendly Hawaii resorts I’d actually plan a trip around, I mean the kind of resorts where the hotel is not just where you sleep; it is part of the vacation.
The right resort can make the whole trip easier with kids: beach access, pools, lagoons, waterslides, lazy rivers, kids’ activities, and enough space for everyone.
These are the Hawaii resorts you should consider booking on points for your next family trip.
The question we always hear is how to earn a million credit card points every year and take multiple family trips as we do. The main strategy is not to spend more money. It’s opening the right cards at the right time, earning welcome bonuses, using referrals, taking advantage of business cards, and redeeming flexible points well. We only do this because we have good credit, stay organized, and pay every card off in full every month.
Amazon Prime Day 2026 is officially here, and this year’s sale is bigger than ever. From June 23–26, you can shop some of the best Amazon Prime Day travel deals, including 20 travel essentials under $30 that are actually worth adding to your cart.
These simple, useful finds can make packing easier, save space, and help you feel more prepared for your next trip, without spending too much.
June has been a very busy month for Chase credit card news. Between elevated Chase Ink business card offers, the biggest-ever Sapphire Reserve bonus, Sapphire Preferred updates, and the upcoming Hyatt transfer changes, a lot is happening in the Chase Ultimate Rewards world.
If you collect Chase points, these updates are worth paying attention to because the dates matter.
Booking award flights with points and miles sounds easy in theory. You find award availability, transfer points, and book the flight.
But when you are booking for a family, it gets much more complicated.
A flight with one or two available award seats is not very helpful when you need four seats. A long layover may be fine for a solo traveler, but not ideal with kids. And while some points-and-miles redemptions look amazing, they may not work well for school breaks, family schedules, or kids who need to sit next to a parent.
Here is what makes booking award flights for families harder, and what we do instead.
It is almost July 1, 2026, which means it is a good time to check your credit card benefits before some of them reset.
Many premium travel cards come with statement credits that are divided by month, quarter, or half of the year. These credits can be valuable, but only if you remember to use them before the deadline.
I like to do a quick credit card benefits check at the end of June and again at the end of December. It helps me make sure I am not leaving easy value unused on cards where I have already paid the annual fee.
July 1 is a big reset date for many semiannual and quarterly credit card credits. Check your Chase, Amex, Hilton, and other card benefits before June 30 so you do not let easy statement credits expire.
La Fortuna, Costa Rica, is one of those places that feels made for a family adventure. Between the rainforest, wildlife, volcano views, hot springs, and kid-friendly tours, there are so many amazing things to do with kids.
We stayed in the Arenal Volcano area near Tabacón, and it ended up being one of our favorite parts of our Costa Rica family trip. Even with some rainy weather, everything felt magical, lush, and full of adventure.
Here are the best family-friendly activities to add to your La Fortuna itinerary with kids.
If you are booking a Star Alliance award flight, ANA Mileage Club is one of the programs you should check before transferring points anywhere else. It is not the most talked-about option, but it can be one of the best ways to book partner airline award tickets.
The reason ANA is such a valuable sweet spot is simple: the same partner flight can price very differently depending on where you book it. A flight that costs more miles through United MileagePlus or Air Canada Aeroplan may cost significantly fewer miles (and fees) through ANA.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to book partner airline award tickets through ANA, which airlines you can book, what credit card points transfer to ANA, and what to know before using this Star Alliance sweet spot.