How To Find Amazing Point Deals On Virgin Atlantic

People ask me all the time how I find great flight deals to Europe. There are no tricks, but there are some tips to find them. 

#1 is planning early. If you haven't started planning for next summer, you are late! But I'm here to help. 

#2 is knowing where to look for those deals

#3 is having the points available to jump on them when you find them

Let's go step by step and see what we can find. Suppose we are looking to go to Europe in summer 2025. Usually, I look for flights at least a year in advance so I can find the best deal and get my points earned in time to buy the flights when they open 330 days in advance. But sometimes you can't plan that far out so let's see what's around now. 

My two favorite airlines currently to hop across the pond are Virgin Atlantic and Flying Blue (KLM and Air France).

First, let's check Virgin Atlantic to see how many miles we would need to book Washington DC to London on July 8th.

Even now, you could book a flight from Washington Dulles to London for just 6,000 Virgin points and $73 in taxes in July 2025. Pretty sweet. Last month, Chase was offering a 40% transfer bonus and this month American Express is offering the same deal. With the transfer bonus, this flight would only cost approximately 4,000 points. Crazy! 

For a family of 5 like mine, you are talking just 20,000 points and less than $400 to hop across the pond. 

Now let's check Flying Blue. 

Flying Blue is the loyalty program for both KLM and Air France. It's not the loyalty program for Virgin Atlantic, but that airline shows up on the portal as well. But now look at the points. On Flying Blue, it would cost you 20,000 miles and $124 in taxes for the one way flight from Washington Dulles to London. Still a great deal, but definitely not as good as on Virgin Atlantic. Occasionally, Chase and Amex will offer transfer bonuses to Flying Blue as well making this deal even better. 

To find these deals on Virgin, you will need to start at the reward seat checker. Once you enter your departure and destination airport, you will get a view of the month you choose and available reward seats. 

Then you go to the actual website and put in your dates to locate the flights. 

Now here's where it gets interesting. You might be saying this is all great, but I don't have any Virgin Atlantic or Flying Blue points. 

That's true, most of us don't. 

But if you follow my blog or have worked with me in the travel coaching program, you know how much I love flexible points. My favorite flex points are Chase and Capital One and this is when they come in especially handy. 

Both Chase and Capital One are transfer partners for Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic. You can read here about how to transfer your flex points to dozens of different airlines and several hotel chains. 

Remember once you transfer your points, you can't get them back even if the flight is no longer available. 

Right now, you can pick up 75,000 Capital One points by applying for the Capital One Venture or Venture X cards. 

• Both come with a 75,000 bonus for a $4,000 minimum spend. 
• The Venture card has a $95 annual fee and the Venture X has a $395 annual fee because it also comes with a $120 Global Entry credit, Priority Pass membership and a $300 travel credit. 

For Chase points, our favorite cards are the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve credit cards. 

Both come with a 60,000 point bonus for $4,000 minimum spend. The Preferred has a $95 annual fee and the Reserve has a $550 annual fee, but comes with a $300 travel credit, $120 Global Entry credit and Priority Pass membership. 

Don’t spend tons of money on your next vacation. Instead, let us help you travel for almost FREE forever. Join our coaching program today, and start making your travel dreams a reality—just like this success story!

We can’t wait to see you in the program and help you unlock all the amazing travel rewards waiting for you.

Woohoo! Let’s make your next trip an AlmostFREE adventure!

https://travelplus.virginatlantic.com/reward-flight-finder/results/month?origin=LHR&destination=JFK&month=02&year=2025

Unveiling the Money-Saving Magic of Priority Pass Lounge Access: Elevate Your Travel Experience!

 

If you are travelling this summer and it seems like almost everyone is, you may want to get Priority Pass Lounge Access to save money and just make the trip more comfortable. 

On a recent trip cross country, we had a quick layover in St. Louis. Even though it was only about one hour, with my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card, we were able to drop into the Priority Pass lounge, Wingtips, in Terminal 2 across from Gate E29. The Priority Pass lounge network features 1,300 lounges around the world and is a free benefit with the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card 

The benefit allows the card holder and two guests to enter. We also hold the Capital One Venture X card so that gets the rest of my family into the lounge. 

I always check to see if there are lounges available in the airports when I fly. Besides snacks, drinks, and a quiet place to charge cell phones, the lounges offer a place to sit down. The pass is good for the holder plus one guest. 

Sometimes the lounge may not be a lounge at all, it could be a credit at a restaurant in the airport. If that's the case, the pass is valid for $28 for the pass holder and their guest. Wow! 

A few years back I flew out of JFK to London Gatwick. There is an amazing restaurant in JFK Terminal 8 Bobby Van's Steakhouse that is on the lounge pass. My daughter and I feasted on a full dinner before boarding our red-eye flight across the pond. Our bill came to $5 and that's only because we ordered a dessert. 

On the way back, we stopped at the Grain Store Cafe and Bar in London Gatwick South Terminal. Whew, we had a hard time spending our $28 credit each. We ended up loading up on croissants and desserts to bring home to the family. 

Lounges vary from airport to airport in quality and offerings, but sometimes you luck out. 

The Priority Pass is a FREE perk with the following credit cards:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Capital One Venture X
• The Platinum Card from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card From American Express 
• Hilton Honors American Express Business Card 

Note that the American Express cards do not have restaurant benefits. My favorite card which you probably know by now is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Right now, that card is offering 60,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in three months. It carries a $550 annual fee but includes a $300 travel credit, $100 global entry credit, 10x points on Lyft, and complimentary access to Door Dash, Instacart and GoPuff. If the Reserve is too expensive, try the Sapphire Preferred card, it does not include Priority Pass membership, but it is a great card. Though the offer has changed, you can read about why I love this card so much. 

Why You Should Cash In Your Marriott Points Now

Travel is coming back in a big way! The pent-up demand for adventure is exploding. This photo was from our trip back in 2019 to London. However, travelers are sitting on huge stockpiles of miles and points and the hotels and airlines know it. So they are devaluing points and miles as fast as they can. 

Why You Should Cash In Your Marriott Points Now

Alaska Airlines will announce a devaluation on March 1st. Marriott is announcing on March 29th. So what should you do? Spend your points and miles NOW! 

Thinking about a trip this year? Make your reservations now. Don't wait or you will end up having to pay more in points and miles. 

Why You Should Cash In Your Marriott Points Now

I just cashed in almost all of my Marriott points for 5 flights from Buenos Aires back to the US. Because Marriott is a transfer partner to dozens of airlines, I was able to transfer 300,000 Marriott points to Delta Airlines. It took a few days for the transfer to occur and then I could purchase the flights. 

I'll go into detail about how to transfer Marriott points in another post soon. 

I used another 85,000 Marriott points to book 3 nights in Belfast, Ireland for an upcoming trip. 

We hear that 50% of Marriott hotels will change redemption value when the change occurs and not in a good way. 

If it does happen in a good way for a hotel you are eyeing, then you can always rebook at the lower rate. But in our experience, it's rarely good. One good change that we hear is on the horizon is being able to top off those FREE 35,000 night certificates with 15,000 points so you can redeem them at 50,000 point hotels. But if the values are changing for many hotels, some of those 50,000 point hotels may be out of reach. 

The bottom line is book your hotels and make your airline transfers now before the change occurs. 

By the way, we have teamed up with Families Fly FREE to bring more value to you. If you would like to check them out, click here and let Lyn know I sent you. :) I'll be sharing testimonials from some happy members and I'll let you know when I'll be offering webinars. 

 

How To Get A FREE Massage With Your Priority Lounge Pass

 

If you are traveling over the holidays, you might want to stop by the Be Relax Spa for a head, foot or back massage! The spas are located in seven airports around the country. It's FREE with your Priority Pass membership. 

How To Get A FREE Massage With Your Priority Lounge Pass

The Priority Pass is a benefit that comes with several premium credit cards such as

• Chase Sapphire Reserve, 
• The Platinum card from American Express, 
• The Business Platinum card from American Express, 
• Hilton Honors Aspire
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant 
• US Bank Reserve
• Citi Prestige

You will need to logon to your credit card account and activate the pass. Once you do that, you can go to prioritypass.com to search for lounges and restaurants included in the 1,300 location network. 

Most of the locations are lounges that offer snacks, drinks, and a quiet place to charge your devices. But some restaurants are listed and for me, that's the sweet spot. 

Your pass is good for $28 credit at the restaurant for you and a guest. Wow! 

My daughter and I enjoyed a full dinner at the Bobby V's Steakhouse in the JFK airport before our flight to London. 

We also stopped at the Grain Store in the London Gatwick airport on our return to pick up sandwiches, croissants, and much more. In fact, we had a hard time spending the entire credit. 

Be sure to read the fine print and bring your physical card with you. You will receive a card in the mail a few weeks after you activate your membership. 

Why I Love The Priority Pass

 

On a recent trip cross country, we had a quick layover in St. Louis. Even though it was only about one hour, we dropped into the Priority Pass lounge, Wingtips, in Terminal 2 across from Gate E29. The Priority Pass lounge network features 1,300 lounges around the world and is a free benefit with the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card 

I always check to see if there are lounges available in the airports when I fly. Besides snacks, drinks, and a quiet place to charge cell phones, the lounges offer a place to sit down. The pass is good for the holder plus one guest. 

Sometimes the lounge may not be a lounge at all, it could be a credit at a restaurant in the airport. If that's the case, the pass is valid for $28 for the pass holder and their guest. Wow! 

A few years back I flew out of JFK to London Gatwick. There is an amazing restaurant in JFK Terminal 8 Bobby Van's Steakhouse that is on the lounge pass. My daughter and I feasted on a full dinner before boarding our red-eye flight across the pond. Our bill came to $5 and that's only because we ordered a dessert. 

On the way back, we stopped at the Grain Store Cafe and Bar in London Gatwick South Terminal. Whew, we had a hard time spending our $28 credit each. We ended up loading up on croissants and desserts to bring home to the family. 

Lounges vary from airport to airport in quality and offerings, but sometimes you luck out. 

The Priority Pass is a FREE perk with the following credit cards:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Citi Prestige Card 
• The Platinum Card from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card From American Express 
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card 
• US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card 
• Hilton Honors American Express Business Card 

Note that the American Express cards do not have restaurant benefits. My favorite card which you probably know by now is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Right now, that card is offering 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in three months. It carries a $550 annual fee but includes a $300 travel credit, $100 global entry credit, %15 off Lyft, and $60 Door Dash credit. If the Reserve is too much, try the Sapphire Preferred card, it does not include Priority Pass membership, but it is a great card. Though the offer has changed, you can read about why I love this card so much. 

OMG....More 100,000 Bonus Credit Card Offers

 

Where can 100,000 bonus points take you? Anywhere! Yep, This is me in Peru at Machu Picchu, all on points. I think I made money on the trip. Amazing. It's not hard but does take some planning and strategy. So here's a tip. When credit cards offer 100,000 bonus points, you need to jump at the offer. 

I told you about four great offers and now we have three more. British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia all offer Chase co-branded credit cards and all three are offering 100,000 bonus points right now. 

It's a $5,000 minimum spend and a $95 annual fee.

You can use Avios on any of these three airlines plus they are part of the One World Alliance which includes Alaska Airlines and American Airlines. You might think that Avios are the best way to fly to London, but they are actually very handy for short-haul trips anywhere in the world since they calculate points on the actual miles flown. 

For example, a flight that is less than 650 miles (San Diego to San Francisco) would cost just 4,000 Avios off-peak. 

Use the British Airways website to play around with how to best use Avios. If you use them on Aer Lingus, you can often snag round-trip tickets to Europe from the US for just 26,000 Avios. 

So 100,000 Avios may be able to get a family of four to Europe! Woohoo! 

Norwegian Airlines Cancels All Long Haul Flights

 

The Nordic budget carrier, Norwegian Airlines, announced today that they are canceling all long haul flights effective immediately. The airline has been struggling for years and the COVID crisis was the final straw. The company sent out emails this morning to all the rewards customers stating:

I've written articles in the past about this airline and specifically how I hopped a flight across the pond last October from New York to London for $150 with my daughter so we could visit The Making of Harry Potter.

It definitely had its strengths (low price) and drawbacks (baggage rules that were nuts). But it makes me sad to see it pull back and we can only hope that when travel returns, this airline expands again. 

If you had a flight reservation, check out this FAQ to get answers. and if you have Cashpoints or Rewards, those will not be affected. 

Another sad day in travel. 

How You Can Score A FREE Flight To Santorini, Greece

 

One of the most amazing trips I ever took was to the Greek Islands including the island of Santorini pictured above. I spent one month traveling from island to island enjoying the sun, ruins, blue-roofed homes and yummy food. This has to be on everyone's bucket list. 

Now Aegean Airlines is offering 5,000 award miles just for signing up for their program. The miles never expire so this is really a no-brainer. Aegean Airlines is a Greek airline and a Star Alliance partner. A quick check shows 5,000 reward miles are valued at approximately $72 and can get you a FREE flight from Athens to any Greek island. Pretty sweet!

Or you could use it for short flights to neighboring countries. A quick search of other flights shows that a flight from Athens to neighboring countries like Italy, Turkey, and Croatia cost about 7,000 reward miles and hop over to London or anywhere in Europe for 11,000 reward miles. 

Aegean Airlines has a shopping portal and reward mile earning deals with Booking.com and other booking sites for hotels and cars. So you could run this up pretty quickly and save hundreds on flights. Plus Aegean Airlines is a partner with Star Alliance so you could use the reward miles to book on United and other airlines. Aegean Airlines typically charges less miles for the same flights as United. 

Just use this link to register and open a new account. Once the promotion ends, you will see 5,000 award miles deposited into your account. You will also get 1,000 miles that count towards Elite status if that's important to you. 

American Airlines and Jet Blue Team Up, What Does This Mean For You?

Exciting news! American Airlines and Jet Blue announced a strategic partnership, woohoo! What does this mean for you?
According to the American Airlines website, this means that travelers will be able to codeshare and loyalty benefits between both airlines. Here is the specific plan: 

1. New and expanded routes: The partnership enables new strategic growth opportunities for both airlines. As a result, American will launch international service from New York (JFK) to Tel Aviv (TLV) and to Athens (ATH), and JFK to Rio De Janeiro (GIG) will return as a daily seasonal route in winter 2021, in addition to continuing to serve popular long-haul destinations like London (LHR) and Madrid (MAD). JetBlue will also accelerate its growth in key cities, bringing its award-winning service to more customers. JetBlue will grow in greater New York City, adding flights at LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR), while also increasing its presence at JFK for seamless connections to American’s expanded international network. JetBlue plans to enhance service to strategic markets on the East Coast, West Coast, and in the Southeast, building on JetBlue's recently announced service between EWR and nine markets, including Mint® service to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO).
2. More choice and loyalty benefits: Through their integrated networks, JetBlue and American will operate reciprocal codeshare flights, giving customers new options with improved schedules, competitive fares and nonstop access to more domestic and international destinations. JetBlue will gain connectivity to more U.S. destinations, a broad global network and an improved frequent flyer proposition, while American will complement JetBlue’s improved and expanded service with new international routes. JetBlue and American loyalty members will also enjoy new benefits while the carriers are exploring additional premium experiences for customers.
3. Seamless experience: Customers will enjoy a seamless experience across both airlines, including the ability to book a single itinerary on either website, convenient connections and an improved on-the-ground experience — resulting in a compelling proposition for both leisure and corporate customers. Additionally, customers seeking more comfort in transcontinental service will have access to both JetBlue’s Mint and American’s three-class Transcon service.

So watch as this new relationship develops and gives us more options for travel domestically and internationally. 

IHG 100% promotion - Is it Worth It?

IHG's 100% matching bonus promotion ends June 15th. So you might want to take a look and see if it makes sense for you to buy some points. 
I'm not usually a fan of buying points or miles, but if you need to top off an account, better to do it when there's a promotion going on. 

IHG 100% promotion - Is it Worth It?

IHG includes 14 different brands like Kimpton, Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, Holiday Inn, and Holiday Inn Express. Only Staybridge Suites, Avid, and Holiday Inn Express offer FREE breakfast. Reward nights start at just 10,000 points. You can also use the cash + points option to stretch your points even further and if you have an IHG credit card, your 4th night is FREE. Since IHG introduced dynamic pricing, the actual 4th night in your reservation is the FREEbie instead of the system using an average. So if you are flexible on your dates, you can get the most expensive night FREE. 

Me in front of Buckingham Palace

I checked hotels in London to get an idea of what you could buy with IHG points. Hotels ranged from 25,000-70,000 points per night with lots of options. If you paid cash, the hotels ranged from $75 - $250 per night. National Travel Blogger Gototravelgal.com says she buys the max IHG points on this promotion each year.

With the 100% promotion, you can buy as few as 3,000 points and as many as 250,000 points and get 100% matching bonus. 3,000 points cost $40.50 so each point costs just .007. 250,000 points cost $2,500 making each point cost  just .005.

So is the 100% promotion worth it? As with most buy points options, if you are starting at zero, then it's probably not worth it. But if you have some points and want to top off for a reward then it makes sense. The other way to use the points is to extend the expiration deadline. IHG points expire after 12 months of inactivity.

Another way to use the IHG points is to transfer them to more than two dozen different partner airlines. The points transfer 10,000 IHG points for 2,000 airline miles.
So if you were to purchase 250,000 IHG points for $2,500, you would get 500,000 points that would transfer into 100,000 airline miles. The question is can you squeeze more than $2,500 value out of 100,000 airline miles. The answer is probably yes if you leaned on Turkish Airlines and Avianca. But I would plan this one out very carefully before jumping.
The promotion ends on June 15th, 2020 so you have some time to firm up plans.

How To Score A Cruise At 40% Discount

At the San Diego Travel and Adventure Show @travadventure this weekend, I got a chance to talk with Unhooknow.com Wayne Dunlap. Wayne is one of the top travel bloggers in the country. So I was super excited to hear his tips for budget travel. 

Wayne's top tip for cruises is to check out vacationstogo.com.  According to Wayne, cruise companies know which weeks do not sell well and they make incredible deals with third-party companies to fill the ships. 

I entered February 2020 3-6 night cruises and here's what it pulled up. Some nice bargains. 

In fact, I did another search for longer cruises and I found a 30 day cruise that was cheaper than staying home! Wayne said he had been on a few of these cruises and they were great. He recommended repositioning cruises if you have the time. Other top tips from Wayne:

• follow the disaster - this sounds predatory, but think about it. If a natural disaster hits an area, tourism will drop. In order to bring the tourists back, there will be lots of deals. We booked a trip to Cabo San Lucas during the swine flu scare a few years back. Even though our trip was planned for months later, we got a great deal because tourism had dropped. 
• travel during shoulder season - you can google "what is shoulder season for a certain country". This is the season that the weather is nice, but the crowds are less. If you have the time or toddlers, this is by far the best time to travel. I just went to London in October, weather was awesome, flights were cheap and no crowds.

Next blog post, I'll share some of Wayne's favorite websites for budget travel. 

Top 5 International Places You Should Visit In 2020

Sandboarding in Huacachina, Peru

I love to travel outside of the US. The culture, traditions, and food around the world are amazing and provide a great learning experience for my family. The more different from what I'm used to the better. It's a chance to show my children what a small place we occupy in the world. So coming from that perspective, here are my top 5 international places you should visit with your family in 2020 and we have a tie for the #1 spot: 

1. Peru, the Amazon, and Machu Picchu - There is so much history and diversity in this country, it is a feast. You can live in the Amazon and walk through the jungle with a medicine man, ride the sand dunes in a buggy and on a sandboard, and visit the spiritual site of Machu Picchu. The people are friendly, the food is delicious and the country is easy to navigate. In addition, flights in and out of Lima are plentiful and except for visiting Machu Picchu, it is affordable. Check out my previous post for my itinerary. Plus if you open a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve credit card, you can get a discount on flights through the travel portal. 

1. Thailand - Traveling in Thailand for almost a month has to be our family's favorite trip of all time. We rode elephants, zip lined, visited more temples than you can count and were blessed by a monk. The people are friendly, the culture is incredible, the food is amazing, the beaches and nature are like nothing else. Once you secure your flights, traveling in Thailand is cheap. I sell our itineraries for $5 each. Check it out! and if you open a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve, you can get discounts on flights. 

2. Ecuador - Located right on the equator, Ecuador offers a unique experience in altitude and geography. Quito is located at 9,000 feet above sea level and includes a picturesque historic quarter. You can also easily make a day trip to the cloud forest and the volcano. The country uses the USD as currency making travel easy. Check out my previous posts for details. 

3. London - My last trip to London was in the early 90's, now I've been to the city twice in the past two years and I must say I loved it. It was easy to navigate except for the cars driving on the wrong side of the road, a favorable exchange rate and had enough culture to satisfy my thirst for different. Flights to London are pretty cheap right now and it's a great place to jump off to anywhere else in Europe. Check out my previous posts with things to do with kids and how to find cheap flights to London. 

 4. Cuba - I would put Cuba at #1 except that most people think you can't visit anymore due to changes in the laws. But you can visit Cuba and I highly recommend it. You can check out my previous posts with details about how to visit this country and amazing people. It's actually pretty easy to navigate, very safe and so culturally and historically interesting, it's crazy. If Trump gets reelected in 2020, the window to visit Cuba may close entirely. At this point, you can hop on a Southwest flight and use points, so take advantage while you still can. If you decide to open a Southwest credit card, here are your options. 

5. Panama - Just a year ago, we went to Panama City and the San Blas Islands. All I can say is wow! The Panama canal is a feat of engineering that you just have to experience plus the historic quarter is well preserved. The city bustles with energy and the country uses the USD so it's easy to navigate and inexpensive. If you have time, I highly recommend renting a sailboat and exploring the San Blas Islands or visiting one of the surf beaches. Check out my posts for details and how a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Reserve card may help you get a discount on flights.  


Other places that should make the list include South Africa, Israel, Costa Rica, the British Virgin Islands, and Japan. So where are you going? Let us know in the comments below and we can help you get there for almost FREE. 

5 Great Things To Do With Tweens In London

Tower Of London FREE tour with your ticket

London is a great city to explore with tweens and teens. There is so much to do,  no language barrier, easy public transit and affordable. So with so much to do, where do you start?
Here are some ideas, of course, there are many more things to do, but here are a few ideas:

1. Tower of London and the Crown Jewels - This may seem touristy at first look, but it's a great look back at history plus the FREE 1-hour tour is fantastic. Look online for discount tickets, but you must buy these in advance and bring your email voucher to the window to exchange for tickets. Even so, the Tower is not cheap with prices L24.70 for adults and L11.70 for children. Your ticket includes the Crown Jewels exhibit which has a separate line inside and is a stunning display of crowns, sceptres and jewels. 

Standing inside the hallway leading to the House Of Commons

2. Sit inside Parliament - This is an amazing opportunity to sit inside the House of Parliament and the House of Lords. Both houses have a public viewing area. You can check the website online to see the day's agenda. If you visit on Wednesday, you may even get to see the Prime Minister. This is FREE, but you have to wait in line for security so leave lots of time. 

The Making Of Harry Potter is a must do!

3. Visit The Making Of Harry Potter Studio - So whether you are a Harry Potter fan or not, you will want to visit this studio outside of London. It's an amazing look inside what it takes to create a blockbuster movie. This time, one of the artists who created the masks was there showing us how the masks were made. You have to buy your tickets online and in advance. Then you take a train from the London Euston Station to Watford Junction. Trains leave frequently, but some are direct which takes about 20 minutes and others stop more often and take about an hour. The HP shuttle will pick you up at the train station, but bring cash to pay the fare. 

Variety of bite size sandwiches and hot tea are served first 

Followed by an impressive dessert tray

4. Traditional Afternoon Tea - So this is a must while in London. There are lots of options and I would check groupon.com to see if you can get a deal. My personal favorite is the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory AfternoonTea at the OneAldwych Hotel.  It's a bit pricey, but this meal can cover both lunch and dinner plus it's an experience. 

5. See A Live Theatre Show - London rivals New York City for live theatre. However, London theatres are smaller and more intimate than the NYC counterparts. You can find discounts online for shows and at the 1/2 price ticket booth in Piccadilly Circus. 

Other notable things to do include the Churchill War Museum, The London Eye, Buckingham Palace changing of the guard and more. Let us know what other gems you find in the comments below.

How I Flew To London r/t For Just $350

My daughter and I in front of Buckingham Palace

     When my daughter finished the entire series of Harry Potter, six months faster than I anticipated, I started thinking about a quick fall trip across the pond.
     And guess what? Best decision ever.
     October is what they call in the travel biz, low season or off-peak. That means great deals for you if you can adjust your schedule. Usually, I use points to travel, but this trip, I was able to find a flight for $125 from JFK to London Gatwick on Norwegian Airlines. I reviewed what it was like to fly on  Norwegian Airlines in this post. For that price, it's worth it just to pay cash. I purchased the flight with my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card since I was trying to reach the minimum spend on that one plus travel earns 3x points so it's a win-win. This is my new favorite card and you can check out the reasons why here. If you decide that the Reserve is too steep, then check out the Preferred and use my link. 

London offers so many awesome things to do

      On the return, I looked at flying back to JFK, but found that flights all the way to Los Angeles cost the same price about $225. So why waste time and Southwest points to get from New York to the west coast.
      So for $350 per person, we got two round trip tickets to London. Since the Sapphire Reserve includes a $300 travel credit, we actually spent just less than $500 for the flights. Plus made a dent in the minimum spend and got 1,500 Chase Ultimate Reward points. I talk about how to use those points for incredible savings in this post.
      I'll talk about some great things to do with tweens in London in a future post, but the bottom line is if you can swing an off-peak trip to Europe, it will save you a ton of money and miles.
       If you decide to apply for the Sapphire Preferred, please use my referral link. It will help support this blog. 

Why Priority Pass Lounge Access Is Great For Family Travel

       

We added a slice of cheesecake at Bobby Vans

         My new favorite credit card is the Chase Sapphire Reserve. I have been waiting almost a year to drop under 5/24 so I could be approved for this card. Chase limits you to five credit cards every 24 months. This includes all credit cards not just Chase cards. So you have to be strategic when applying for cards. I reached my 5/24 limit a year ago when I applied for two Southwest credit cards in order to secure the companion pass.
          But recently I dropped below again as some old cards began to fall off. Woohoo!
You can check out my past post comparing the Sapphire Reserve vs the Preferred if you are interested and consider using my referral link if you decide to apply.
One of the perks included in the Sapphire Reserve card is FREE membership to the Priority Pass Lounge network. The network has 1200 lounges in 143 countries.

         You have to activate your membership, but it's a simple online process. Then you will receive your card in the mail. You do need to carry your card with you if you plan to use the lounge network. You can also enroll in the mobile app.
         You can check the website to see what lounges are available in different cities around the world.
Some airports offer a variety of lounge access in different terminals with snacks, wifi, drinks even showers.
         But here's the best part, some airports offer credits at specific restaurants. On the website, you will see the restaurant, menu, credit offered, hours and any other pertinent information. On a recent flight from JFK to London, we saw that Bobby Vans Steakhouse was on the lounge site.

          The restaurant was past security in terminal 8  so you need a valid boarding pass and be sure to leave enough time to go back through security again in your flight terminal. But the restaurant offered $28 per person credit. With the Sapphire Reserve, your membership is good for you and a guest. Most entrees at Bobby Vans run about $15-$30 so it's very generous. You will still need to pay tax and gratuity.


       
       My daughter and I enjoyed Ahi Tuna Burgers, Baked Mac And Cheese and a slice of cheesecake for dessert. The bill came to $63 dollars and then they deducted the $56 credit. Pretty sweet! And sure beat the dinner served onboard our flight to London.

The Grain Cafe in London Gatwick

         On our way home from London Gatwick, we noticed the Grain Cafe was also included in the Priority Pass Lounge network. This cafe is located on the second floor after you pass through the security while you are waiting for your gate to be announced on the board so it's super convenient.
          The cafe has sandwiches, baked goods, salad, coffee, tea and much more. The 15 pound per person credit goes a long way. We actually asked for everything we wanted and the sales person told us we will had 5 pounds left and stuck a few croissants in our bag. YUM!

Grain Cafe Staff Puts Extra Croissants In Our Bag

        Since we took away here, there was no tax or gratuity so they just handed us our food and off we went.  The value of this perk on this trip was approximately $100. Even though the annual fee is $450 on this card, the perks make this card totally worth it.
In a future post, I'll review the Chase Travel Portal and how my daughter flew to New Orleans for $45.
That's how we do it at almost FREE family travel.