#1 Hike For Kids In Sedona, AZ

Looking for a great spring break getaway? Sedona, AZ is a great place to take the kids. It is considered by many to be a spiritual vortex. I'm not sure I felt any extra energy in the area, but the beautiful red rocks create a serene calming environment for sure. There are lots of hotels with pools and free breakfast, great for kids. I chose the Best Western Plus Arroyo Roble Hotel and Creekside Villas to take advantage of the two for one promotion. It's a great property and I'll be reviewing it soon. 

Sedona is just two hours from the Grand Canyon and two hours from Phoenix so it's a great stopover. The main street has dozens of shops including numerous psychics and crystals, reasonably priced restaurants local (Wildflower Bread Company, 89 Agave) and chains (Chipotle) and at least two ice cream stores. In February, the town seemed to close down at 8pm even the sit down dinner restaurants so keep this in mind when planning your day. 

So what's the #1 hike for kids in Sedona? 

My second favorite hike was the Airport Loop Trail. You can park at the top for $3, walk through the gate at the far end of the parking lot and down the hill. Then you can hike up the Summit to see the gorgeous view and/or hike around the Airport Loop Trail. The Airport Loop Trail is about 3 miles and doesn't end at the parking lot so keep that in mind. For kids, the hike from the parking lot to the Summit and back to see the sunset from the viewpoint is great. 

Now the #1 hike is Templeton Trail. Here's why. You access it from the parking lot for Cathedral Trail. Be sure to get there early to get a parking spot and then pay $5 for a permit. There is a machine and a bathroom in the parking lot. Start following the trail for the Cathedral Hike which is super impressive as you walk up steps towards the looming red rocks. As you reach the plateau, you need to veer off to your right. You will see a path leading towards the canyon. This hike is about 1.5 miles to reach the surprise that kids will love, water! 

Pack a bathing suit, picnic and blanket and plan to spend some time in this tranquil gorgeous river location. Yes, river! The beauty of this hike is that the terrain changes so much you could be in another state. 
That's how we do it at almost FREE family travel. 

Book Your Marriott Before The Categories Change

Hundreds of hotels are changing category on March 4th. That means a hotel listed now at category 5 may be moving to category 6. If we look on the positive side, a hotel might move from category 6 to 5 too. But we did a quick search and most hotels were moving up in category not down. 

Besides costing more in points or dollars, why is this so important?

Well, here's why. You can use a 35,000 FREE night certificate for a category 5 and below hotel. But NOT for a category 6. That will cost you a 50,000 FREE night certificate. So if your hotel changes category to the downside, you will be priced out.

So if you have been thinking about booking any Marriott hotels, do it now like today. Also do not use the points advance feature as this does not lock in the current rate. If you have any hotel reservations currently sitting with the points advance tool, you need to book those by March 4th also or they will adjust. The points advance tool lets you make a reservation even if you don't have enough points in your account. 

That's how we do it at almost FREE family travel, good luck! 

In Wake Of Corona Virus, How To Clean Your Airplane Seat

I have to admit I have always been a bit of a germaphobe when I fly. I mean, really, the airlines do a quick turnaround between flights so how well can they really clean the planes?
Now in light of the Corona Virus, others may want to follow suit.
I use Clear Defense Wipes, they are non-toxic, smell great and botanical. No chemicals, no alcohol. Inexpensive. 

As soon as I find my seat, I wipe down the armrests,  tray table, and locking mechanism, seat belt (both sides), entertainment screen if there is one and even the seat recliner buttons. 

Be sure to wipe down the headrest too. 
The magazines and the seat pocket are full of germs and you can't clean them so just don't touch them at all. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences studied your chance of getting sick from other passengers on planes. They found that you are most likely to be infected by those passengers sitting within 1-2 rows of your seat. 

Yes, I get strange looks even some half-smiles. But you know what, I hardly ever get sick after flying. I also carry Clear Defense hand sanitizer and use it often. 
And first stop after I get off the plane, yep, the restroom to wash my hands again. 
If you would like to try the Clear Defense wipes, follow me on Instagram or Facebook and use the word "cleardefense" in the comments and I'll send you a FREE sample. 
That's how we do it at almost FREE family travel. 

What Will You Do With Your Extra 24 Hours This Year?

It only happens once every four years! Leap Day! February 29th. What will you do with your extra 24 hours this year? Travel? Sleep? Plan your next trip?

Now is an amazing time to put together a plan for summer 2021 and what points you need to make it happen. That's because you can book your flights with points approximately 330 days ahead of your trip so you need to have the points accumulated before that date. 

If you are just starting to build your miles and points, my favorite go-to card for flexible points is the Chase Saphire Preferred or Reserve. Chase Ultimate Reward Points can be transferred to dozens of different airlines, hotels and used as currency in the travel portal at more than a 1:1 ratio. Both cards come with a 60,000 bonus. The Preferred has a $95 annual fee that is not waived and the points are worth 1:1.25 in the portal. The Reserve has a $550 annual fee with a $300 travel credit, points earned are worth 1:1.5 in the portal. It also comes with membership in the Priority Lounge Pass network and a $100 Global Entry credit. 

My other favorite card is the Southwest Priority card if you like to fly on Southwest. This card comes with a 40,000 bonus plus a $75 credit on Southwest and four upgrade boarding passes. It has an annual fee of $149 that is not waived.  

My last favorite flexible card is the Capital One Venture. It has a $95 annual fee and comes with a 50,000 bonus with a $3,000 minimum spend. This card is awesome because the points can be used to ERASE travel purchases. Check out my prior post to see how this works. 

Good luck and enjoy those extra 24 hours! and let us know where you are headed next. 

Buy 2 Nights, Get 1 FREE With Wyndham New Bonus Offer

Another day, another buy two nights, get one FREE hotel promotion. This one is from the Wyndham Hotel Group. Think brands like Ramada, Days Inn, Microtel and Super 8. Yes, these are budget motels and hotels. BUT there are some gems in here that may be worth going after this Spring Break promotion. 

Prague, Czech Republic

The Ramada Prague City Center costs just 15,000 points per night and includes breakfast. The rooms only fit 4 people, but it's a great location with a huge breakfast. The Super 8 in Kalispell is very close to the western gate for Glacier National Park and also includes a modest breakfast. 

So though the brand is budget, you can find some good uses for your Wyndham points. Last year, this brand went from all rooms being 15,000 points to a tiered system. Now there are three tiers 7,500, 15,000 and 30,000 per night. As you would expect, hotels in New York City and the all-inclusive properties are now 30,000 per night. But lots of budget hotels for those college visits are priced at just 7,500 per night. 

To take advantage of this promotion:

1. Register for the promotion at this link. 
2. Make your reservation by April 26, 2020
3. Stay two qualifying nights between February 21, 2020 and May 21, 2020

After your second stay, you will earn a bonus of 5,500 points in addition to the 2,000 you will earn for your two stays. The two stays can be consecutive at the same hotel, but cannot be award stays. 

One exception if you elected to earn railroad or airline miles on your stays, you will not be eligible for the bonus. 

That's how we do it at almost FREE family travel. 

United To Increase Checked Bag Fees In March

Paying for checked bags is one of the most annoying things about travel. I try to avoid it at all costs. Yep, I'm the one kneeling by the counter moving my shoes from one bag to another or on a recent Norwegian Airlines flight holding my toiletries in my arms. 

So get ready, starting March 2020 United Airlines is raising its checked bag fees. This comes on the heels of Jet Blue Airlines which increased its fees now making it the most expensive in the industry. 

The fine print from United's website says if you have a flight booked already then the airline will honor the old fees, but if you are looking to make a reservation now, you will be faced with an increased fee. We don't know what that fee will be yet, but experts are guessing it will increase by $5 per bag. 

Right now, the airline charges $30 for the first bag and $40 for the second. 

And with a basic economy ticket, you will pay even more if you pay at the gate. By the way, basic economy ticket holders cannot check-in on-line either because United wants to make sure you don't have any excess luggage. 

There are a couple of ways to get around paying fees at all. 

1. Don't check a bag! I only fly with a carry on and if needed I'll do laundry while on my trip. If we will be gone for a long time, I'll check one bag for the entire family. That bag will contain all our liquids like shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen etc. 

2. Get a co-branded credit card for the airline you fly the most. Most of the co-branded cards will give you at least one FREE checked bag. 

3. Pay for that checked bag with your Capital One Venture credit card. The charge will be coded as travel and you can erase it with points. Right now, Capital One Venture card is offering 50,000 bonus points for a $3,000 minimum spend. Use my link if you decide to apply. 

4. Pay for your bag online before you arrive at the airport. You get a better price. 

5. Fly Southwest, two checked bags are included FREE

That's how we do it at almostFREEfamilytravel.com 

Why You Should Book Your Marriott Hotel Now

In yet another blow to the Marriott Bonvoy program, more category changes are coming March 4th. And for the most part, they are not good.

Since Marriott took over Starwood, the loyalty program has been getting worse and worse. Now in March, new changes are coming again that for the most part are not going to benefit us. 

Hundreds of hotels are changing category. That means a hotel listed now at category 5 may be moving to category 6. What does this mean for you? You can use a 35,000 FREE night certificate for a category 5 and below hotel. But NOT for a category 6. That will cost you a 50,000 FREE night certificate. So if your hotel changes category, you will be priced out. 

 New York seems to be very hard hit by the changes. Most of the category 5 hotels are moving to category 6. Ugh. That seems to be the case in most cities, but there are a few hotels moving down in categories like the Westin in San Diego.

See the problem?

However, if you make your reservation now, Marriott will honor the lower category even if the hotel changes categories in March. 

If you don't have enough points to cover the reservation though you cannot use the Points Advance feature to hold the reservation at the lower rate. Unfortunately, the rate will adjust to the new higher category. 

So good luck and let us know how this works out for you.