Points & Miles

Family-Friendly Hawaii Resorts We Stayed at on Points and Miles during 8 Hawaii Trips

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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.

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How we earn a million credit card points every year and take multiple family trips

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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.

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Big Chase Credit Card Changes in June 2026: New Ink Offers, Sapphire Bonuses and Hyatt Devaluation

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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.

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Why Booking Award Flights for Families Is Harder, and What to Do Instead

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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.

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It’s almost July 1: Did you use all of your Credit Card benefits?

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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.

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How to book partner airline award tickets through ANA: one of the best Star Alliance sweet spots

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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.

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How to Visit Costa Rica on Points and Miles (Family Guide for 2026)

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If you’ve been wondering how to visit Costa Rica on points and miles, this is one of the easiest trips to put together using points, especially for families.

We recently visited Costa Rica (for the second time), flying into Liberia and splitting our stay between the Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo and Tabacón Thermal Resort & Spa, both booked on points.

Overall, this trip would have easily cost thousands, but points and miles made it much more affordable.

This itinerary made it easy to combine beach time with rainforest, hot springs, and some of the best experiences Costa Rica has to offer, without breaking the bank.

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Hyatt Milestone Rewards in 2026: plus Guest of Honor vs a Suite Upgrade Award

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Hyatt Milestone Rewards are the secret to turning standard hotel stays into high-end luxury vacations, especially when you are traveling with family.

Moving through the World of Hyatt program is about much more than just hitting Globalist status; it’s about the strategic choices you make starting at 20 nights. As someone who stays at Hyatt properties for 30+ days a year, I’ve learned that the “best” reward is the one that keeps your kids from sharing a double bed or gives you a quiet lounge for a morning coffee.

In this guide, we’ll dive into Hyatt Milestone rewards, compare Guest of Honor vs. Suite Upgrade Awards, and help you pick the right perks for your next family adventure.

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How to Earn and Redeem Marriott Free Night Awards (new changes in 2026)

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If you’re collecting points and miles for family travel, Marriott free night certificates can easily cover several hotel stays each year, sometimes without using any points.

Between credit card benefits, promotions, and loyalty perks, it’s possible to earn multiple free nights annually and redeem them at thousands of hotels worldwide.

Here’s exactly how to earn Marriott free night certificates and how to maximize them for the best value.

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5 ways I get free hotel stays without using points

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Most people assume that free hotel stays always require a huge stash of points. But over the past few years of traveling with my family, I’ve realized that some of the easiest “free” hotel nights actually come from credit card perks, annual credits, and free night certificates.

These strategies have helped us stay at hotels around the world without redeeming points, including our recent stays in Scotland and Mexico. Here are the main ways we do it.

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