FTU Tampa Family Travel Tips Presentation

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Family Travel Made Easy
(well, easier)
Summer Hull – Mommy Points
Ed Pizzarello – Pizza in Motion

Who Are We?
MommyPoints.com
PizzaInMotion.com

Miles and Points Matter for Families
• More people = more $$$
• Staying connected to family
• Tight budgets with daycare, groceries,
doctor’s visits, diapers, and much more
• Emergency trips
• Showing our children the world

Travel Regularly (Almost) For Free
• If you have good credit, and are willing to
do a little work your family can travel
frequently almost for free.
• You can travel in first or business class or
stretch your miles in coach.
• Stay in very nice hotels and/or suites.
• Show your kids things that they otherwise
would just read in books or see in movies.

Perhaps best of all, traveling with
kids can be fun and pretty easy!

Family Travel Made Easy Agenda
• Earning and Redeeming Miles and
Points – Family Specific Issues
• Airline Availability Issues
• Best Lodging For Families
• Elite Status and Families
• Travel Logistics for Families
• Q&A

Earning & Redeeming Miles
and Points for Families

Earning A Lot of Points
Families need more miles and points than
single travelers so we have to try harder and
get the family involved.

Credit Card Bonuses x 2
Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility,
and Disclosure Act of 2009 = problems for
stay-at-home parents as of October 2011

Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Neva
da, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and
Wisconsin.

One Million Miles and Points
in Three Years

Availability Issues and School
Schedules

Tips for Availability
• Start looking 11 months out
• Consider different cabins or different
flights
• Consider “off season” destinations
• Combine revenue and award tickets
• Fixed value points
• Expert Flyer
• Use award booking services

Tips for Availability
Getting multiple business class seats on international flights can be
very tough. According to Gary Leff, who books tons of these awards:
• Anywhere - Brussels (Newark, JFK, Chicago, Washington Dulles on
United and Brussels Airlines)
• American’s Asia flights (especially in first class)
• LAN’s South America routes from Miami
• Asiana especially Seattle – Seoul
• Virgin Australia Los Angeles – Brisbane
• Good luck with 3 business class seats on Cathay booking 6+
months out
• West Coast on Korean (via Ultimate Rewards)
• Most Air France routes when using Air France KLM Flying Blue
miles (transferrable instantly from Amex Membership
Rewards, but you pay fuel surcharges)
• Saudi Arabian (Delta partner, no fuel surcharges, and tons of
business class space – and connections to places like India)

Coach won’t kill you

Book Something, then Keep
Looking
Get to know your airline change
policies, and then you can book awards that
will work, but keep checking to try to
improve them.

Great Deals for Domestic Travel
• Southwest Companion pass for 110k
points. Two card sign-ups + a little extra.
• Southwest $59/$79/$99 sales
• Avios for short flights on AA or Alaska
• 25k RT from West Coast to Hawaii
• Barclay Arrival Card
• Follow @theflightdeal and
@airfarewatchdog to learn about great
limited time sales

Best Lodging for Families

Is a hotel room best?
Once you start talking about more than one
kid, a standard hotel room isn’t always the
best option.
However, points can still play into the
equation.

Studio: 12,000 Hyatt points
One Bedroom:15,000 Hyatt points
Two Bedroom: 23,000 Hyatt points
Three Bedroom: 30,000 Hyatt points
Hyatt Vacation Club

Hyatt Vacation Club
• Available in cities like: Key West,
Breckenridge, Aspen, San Antonio, and
more.
• Typically offered on a relatively short-
term basis (usually 60 - 90 days prior to
arrival)
• Book points rates over the phone

Hyatt Suites
• Diamond members get 4 suite upgrades
per year on any rate.
• 6,000 points gets an upgrade to a suite
for up to 4 nights, including 2BR at HH
• Hyatt allows you to book a suite on
points for less than a 50% premium over
a regular room.

SPG Suites
• You can use points to book suites and
deluxe rooms via SPG on points or cash
and points.
• Sometimes the additional
surcharge, especially for deluxe rooms, is
minimal.
• Ask about cash upgrade prices was $25
to go from base room to one-bedroom in
Whistler

50% Discount for 2nd Room
• Many hotel programs will offer a 50%
discount on a connecting room for
children, but you have to ask.
• More common in Europe than the US,
but still happens here.
• I got 50% off connecting room at the
Walt Disney World Swan (SPG)

Look to All Suite Properties
• Use Hilton Hhonors points to stay at
Embassy Suites.
• Hyatt points to stay at Hyatt House
properties with 1 or 2 bedrooms.
• Marriott points to stay at TownePlace
Suites or similar.
• Club Carlson property Radisson Suites
Oceanfront in Melbourne, Florida

Elite Status and Families

Why Elite Status?

Status or Pseudo Status
• At least get mid-tier status like Hilton
Gold via credit card
• Some cards like United Club card give
very status-like benefits
• Status benefits extend to some extend to
other family members
• Worth the incremental push to get
status, but don’t worry too much about it

Pre-Check is a Game Changer
• Get it via Global Entry, NEXUS, elite
invitation, or soon by applying online
• Will cost $85, Global Entry is $100, or
NEXUS is $50 (and free for kids)
• Good for five years
• Will have to do fingerprints, background
check, etc.
• Children 12 and under piggyback!

Travel Logistics for Families

Planning the Trip
• Be realistic and conservative.
• Consider bringing grandparents or second
set of hands.
• Choose flight times carefully and take
sleep/feeding schedules into account.
• Think about where the kiddo(s) will sleep.
Do you need one room or two? Suite?
• Where on the plane should you sit?
• Car seats?

Packing
• Bring more than you think you need, but
not so much that you can’t carry it.
• Focus on things that can’t easily be
obtained where you are going.
• Keep the baby things together in one place
as much as possible, and carry that bag on.
• Checking bags is likely a necessity.
• Decide what you will do about stroller and
car seat.

Carry-on Bag
• Snacks and drinks for the kiddos -
especially for departure and landing.
• Diapers, wipes, and more diapers.
• Change of clothes.
• Toys, DVD, iPad, movies, colors, stickers,
etc.
• Blanket and/or comfort item.
• Extra bottle and formula.
• Sense of humor and free drink coupons!

Get kids to carry
and pack their
own bags

Checked Bag
• Carry-on essentials for you, but your hands
will already be full, so try and check
everything that you do not really need
• Take advantage of elite status or credit
cards that provide free checked bags to
avoid fees. (or fly Southwest!)
• Use curbside checking or get help into the
airport.
• Use luggage carts.

Strollers
• Make life in the airport and destination
much easier, but some strollers are
required to be checked.
• American Airlines weight limit doesn’t
allow Bob strollers to be gate checked.
• Be ready for heavy lifting through security
– especially if you are traveling alone.
• Can rent strollers at some locations (like
Disney), so determine which way is easiest
for your family.

In the Airport
• Can carry through some liquids for
infants/toddlers, but have to be tested.
• Easier if they are in bottles or sippy cups.
• Under 12 years old can keep their shoes
on.
• Don’t hesitate to use a backpack/leash if
you need to for safety reasons – especially
if you are travelling alone.
• Don’t get there late, but super early isn’t
good either

Airport Lounges
• Having an airport lounge to go to can make
things much easier.
• Snacks, drinks, nicer restrooms, agents
ready to help with seats, rebooking, etc.
• Most important are family rooms with
doors that shut and toys to play with.
• Can get day passes or annual member
• United Club Card, Amex Platinum, 12
passes for $33 via Executive Privileges Club

Lap Infant
• Children under two are permitted as lap
infants, but whether or not that is a good
deal depends on your family.
• Safety issues during turbulence.
• Limited space
• Keep in mind the baby’s temperament –
won’t know that until they are born.
• Little C would have been a disaster as a lap
infant!

Lap Infant
• Ask if there are any open seats if you have
a lap infant.
• 10% miles/fare + taxes internationally
• Bring the birth certificate to prove age.
• Have car seat available if you want to take
advantage of complimentary seat.
• Nursing covers
• Once infants/toddlers become mobile at 9-
12 months, it becomes much harder to
manage lap children.

Lap Infant
• 10% of fee may mean lowest fare, or
highest fare for ticketed cabin.
• Hang-up and call back
• BA charges 10% miles
• Air Canada charges flat charges in miles

Where to Sit on the Plane
• Sitting together requires advanced
planning and/or on-board negotiations.
• E+!!!!
• First/Business if you can do it.
• US Airways issue – don’t add baby until at
the airport.
• If in a car seat, the kiddo can probably kick
the seat in front of them.

Where to Sit on the Plane

• Most airlines allow families with young
children to board early (Southwest between A
and B group)
• Isn’t always announced, so go ask.
• Consider having just one person board and
bring the kid on later.
• Get your child in the seat and get out of the
aisle while you install the car seat or CARES
harness.
Boarding

Surviving the Flight
• Plan activities for the whole flight +
• Eat on-board to take up time.
• Make sure they are thirsty when they get
on so that they will drink after take-off
• Suckers are good.
• Do one activity as long as it works.
• If they fall asleep – don’t move.
• Movies, DirecTV, ear phones, etc.
• If it isn’t hurting anyone, let them do it.

iPad Apps For Young Kids
• Storybots (storybots.com) Ages 2-9
• Woo! Button (Ages 1-3, ask for link)
• Bookboard.com (Ages 2-12)
• Cake Doodle, Cookie Doodle
• Toca Hair Salon/Toca Train
• ToddleTube

Travel Gear - Travelmate

Travel Gear – Traveling Toddler

Why We Do This

FTU Tampa Family Travel Tips Presentation

FTU Tampa Family Travel Tips Presentation

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