Now Is The Time To Plan For Summer 2020

Believe it or not, now is the perfect time to plan your summer 2020 vacation if you want to travel on points or miles. If it seems overwhelming, take a step back, look at the big picture and let's walk it through step by step.

Six years ago when my family and I spent almost a month in Thailand, there were several times in the planning process that I thought we just weren't going to be able to go. But I persisted and managed to get all five of us to Thailand for almost FREE. We stayed for almost FREE and actually ended up making money on the trip. To top it all off, I got kissed by an elephant. Woohoo!

Finding five seats on the same flight and finding hotels that can accommodate five people is not easy, but traveling as a family is worth it. Besides the memories, studies show that children who are exposed to other cultures, learning outside the classroom and collecting experiences are more flexible, empathetic and better global citizens. 

So here's the process:

1. Decide where you want to go. What's on your bucket list? Think big, but definitely keep in mind how old your kids are, how adventurous they are, what kind of travel they like. We went to Europe a few years ago. Although we enjoyed the trip, my children agreed that they prefer a balance of culture and nature and our Europe trip was way too much culture. On the flip side, our last trip to the National Parks was enjoyable, but some of the kids felt like it was too much nature. 

2. Take a look at which airlines fly to that destination and which alliance they partner with. 

3. Then look at the points and miles you have already. Do you have miles and points with a specific airline like United, Delta or American AND/OR do you have transferable points like Chase Ultimate Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy or American Express points?

Now the puzzle begins. Look at your dates, remember to be flexible, and figure out approximately how many points/miles you may need to book each seat and which airline you are targetting. Then look for the best bonus credit card offers available that will get you as close as possible to your goal. Remember to look at that specific airline's credit card offers and the transferable point credit cards. I used a combination of Amex points and American miles to get our family to Thailand. 
Apply for the cards. Remember to have your spouse apply too. Property tax time is coming up so now is a great time to use that payment to reach those minimum spends. And as soon as the bonus comes through, book your flights. Have patience, try different airlines and routes. I have booked two tickets through United before and three through Singapore Airlines to get five seats on the same flight with points/miles. On one trip, we even got a bonus stopover in Tokyo. 

The best part of travel is the adventure and sometimes that starts with the planning process.