Are you dreaming about a trip to Italy for next summer? I just helped clients Mackenzie and Michael plan a dream honeymoon in Italy for almost FREE. Yep! That's right.
As soon as they return, they will share the details about how they used points and miles to pay for this trip in our monthly group coaching meet. Yay!
Perhaps you are next!Dreaming About A Trip To Italy? Check This Out
Right now, though, there are two bonus offers that are ending soon that played a part in Mackenzie and Michael's strategy.
Capital One Venture card offering a bonus $250 travel credit right now and 75,000 bonus points, all for just $95 annual fee and $4,000 minimum spend.
Chase Ink Business Preferred offering 100,000 bonus points. $95 annual fee with an $8,000 minimum spend. Offer ends Sept 3rd
If you aren't sure which card is right for you or how you will use the points, join my Travel Coaching program September cohort and I'll help you come up with a personal strategy to reach your travel goals.
Crystal clear water, colorful fish, over the water bungalows, lots of seafood, yep, Tahiti is gorgeous. And I'll let you in on a secret. I actually liked it better than Hawaii. Yep, I said it.
And if you want to take a big trip next summer, now is the time to plan.
Did you have FOMO watching your friends post photos from Hawaii, well, starting planning now for next summer and you can vacation in an even better location for almost FREE.
First, let me tell you why I like Tahiti more than Hawaii.
5 Reasons Why You Might Want To Visit Tahiti Instead Of Hawaii
#5 International Travel - this can be both a pro and a con. But for me, I love to travel internationally, it's really my jam. Tahiti is located in French Polynesia which is a French territory. What that means is that yes, you will need a passport and Global Entry is helpful, but it also means French wine, French cheese and fresh baguettes. Yum! It also means you can practice your French. For some, just leaving the country is a con, but this may be an easy way to start travelling internationally. It's safe, easy to navigate, direct flight from the West Coast, simple to use points and miles to snag flights, the people are friendly and helpful, English is used everywhere, credit cards are accepted almost everywhere and you can rent a car and driving here is also easy. Picture one road around the island. Easy!
#4 Easy to use points and miles for flights and hotels - It takes a lot of points and miles to travel to Hawaii and Tahiti for almost FREE, but both are doable. I think there is actually more availability on flights to Tahiti just because it is less popular and less crowded. You can read here about how I used points and miles to save $15,000 on our family trip to Tahiti and Moorea. There are also inexpensive food trucks with huge portions on Tahiti and on Moorea, you can find local "Snack" restaurants with fresh fish for about what you would pay in the US. There are also grocery stores on both islands. For our family of 5, all of the meals we ate out cost about $20-$25 per person including one alcoholic drink.
#3 Over the water bungalows - This is the bucket list dream for a lot of people and you can do this in Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. And the best part is that you can use points and miles to pay for it, woohoo! We stayed at the Sofitel Resort on Moorea using Chase Ultimate Rewards and it was fantastic. Our stay included breakfast always a plus. Because we are family of 5 and the over the water bungalows allow a max of 3 people, we also booked a garden room. Booked both rooms on points and miles and shhhh, we all stayed in the OWB bungalow.
The OWB bungalows are everything you think they are going to be
Lounge chairs sitting on the deck over crystal blue water.
A ladder connected to your personal deck so you can snorkel and swim right off your bungalow.
Rays and colorful fish swimming below.
Other hotels with OWB include The Hilton Moorea, Manava Resort in Moorea, Intercontinental in Tahiti and the St. Regis, Four Seasons and The Conrad in Bora Bora.
#2 Rays, Sharks, Turtles and colorful fish - Yes, in Hawaii, you can see rays, turtles, sharks and colorful fish, but in Tahiti, I would argue that there are just more and the water is so crystal clear, you can see everything with your naked eye. The water is also warm and the islands are surrounded by reefs so the water is very calm and great for kids. My favorite tour was a 6 hour Sharks and Rays Lagoon Tour With Lunch by Moorea Miti tours. The tour includes a cooking lesson to learn how to make Poison Cru with real salt water and fresh coconut. You can book this through our partner Viator.
5 Reasons Why You Might Want To Visit Tahiti Instead Of Hawaii
#1 Stunning scenery and crystal blue waters - Besides the wildlife, the scenery is stunning just like in Hawaii, but it's not crowded and more accessible. You can drive to the black sand beaches, waterfalls, scenic views and mountain hikes. To me, Tahiti felt like what Hawaii was probably like fifty years ago. Very local, very calm and tranquil. Though there are tours and hotels, it's just not crowded. There are very few lines and nothing seemed sold out.
Hey there, travel-savvy families! 👋 Buckle up, because we've got some game-changing news from Southwest Airlines that might just shake up your family travel plans.
Goodbye, Boarding Number Scramble!
Remember that frantic dash to check in exactly 24 hours before your flight? The one where you're trying to wrangle the kids while simultaneously hitting "refresh" on your phone? Well, those days might soon be behind us!
Southwest has announced they're ditching their iconic unassigned seat model in favor of traditional assigned seating. Yep, you heard that right!
Why the Change?
According to Southwest, a whopping 86% of their customers requested assigned seats. It seems like families aren't the only ones tired of the boarding number lottery!
What Does This Mean for Your Family Travel?
Here's what we know so far:
Assigned Seats: No more rushing to board to keep your family together.
Premium Seats: Southwest plans to redesign their planes to offer seats with extra legroom. More space for fidgety kids? Yes, please!
Potential Upsells: Like other airlines, expect options to upgrade your seats for a fee.
Red-Eye Flights: Starting February 2025, popular routes from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix to Baltimore and Nashville will offer night flights.
The Big Questions
Now, I know what you're thinking. What about all those Southwest perks we've come to know and love? Well, here's what's still up in the air:
How will this affect upgraded boardings and early check-in benefits from Southwest credit cards?
We don't have all the answers yet, but one thing's for sure - these changes could significantly impact how families use points and miles for Southwest flights.
When is This Happening?
Southwest plans to roll out these changes in early 2025. That might seem far off, but in the world of points and miles strategy, it's just around the corner!
That's where I come in! If you want to make sure your family is ready for these Southwest changes (and any other travel curveballs), why not join my Travel Coaching Program?
Here's what you'll get:
My comprehensive course on maximizing points and miles for family travel
A personal tracker template to keep your points organized
A one-on-one meeting with yours truly to strategize your family's travel plans
Monthly live group coaching sessions to stay up-to-date on the latest travel hacks
Don't let these Southwest changes throw a wrench in your family travel plans. Let's navigate these new waters together and keep your family flying high (and for less)!
We just returned from 3 weeks in Tahiti, it was amazing! Be sure to follow my blog in the next few weeks where I'll share inside tips on how to travel to this island using points and miles.
But right now, I need to talk about Global Entry. Wow! I'm not sure there is anything else out there that helps as much with summer travel.
We usually fly in and out of Los Angeles International Airport when we fly international because there are more flights and it's way easier to find award availability than our home airport. But whichever airport you use to fly in and out of the United States, Global Entry works the same way.
You are pre approved to enter the United States. The pre-approval means you can scan your passport at a kiosk or allow the kiosk to snap your photo and you walk right through passport control.
No lines! No waiting! Really, it takes all of five minutes and you can be on your way.
If it is your first time applying, you will be prompted via email to schedule an interview which can be done at the airport and at various retail stores.
Once you are approved, you will receive a Global Entry card which you do not need to carry with you. But you MUST enter your Global Entry or "known traveler number" into your flight information BEFORE you check in.
Global Entry includes TSA Precheck which means shorter security lines when you fly within the United States and you don't have remove your shoes! Yay!
Just got back from Tahiti and all I can say is Wow! I'll share more on how to enjoy Tahiti using points and miles. This trip would have cost my family of 5 more than $20,000, but we spent three weeks in the islands for just $5,000. I saved approximately $15,000 on this bucket list trip.
There are two great offers out right now that I need to share with you because these two cards are key to my success using points and miles to take my family on amazing adventures.
Chase Ink Business Preferred - 120,000 bonus points for $8,000 minimum spend and $95 annual fee. This bonus offer is worth at least $1,200 and maybe more if you use our trick. This offer ends September 3rd.
Which is better for me?
Chase Ultimate Reward points and Capital One points are both considered flexible points which means you can use them on dozens of different airlines and several hotels. You can read about why I love flexible points here.
But which one is better for you? That is a great question and the answer is that it depends on various factors including your travel goals, who and where you plan to travel, when you plan to travel and how you plan to travel.
Are you ready for Amazon Prime Day? It's coming July 16-17 and usually promises big discounts!
Now you can get a $20 credit good on Amazon Prime Day just by uploading one photo.
Here's how it works:
1. See if you are eligible through this link You must be a current Prime member and first time Amazon photos customer. Trial members not eligible. 2. download the app to your mobile or desktop 3. upload one photo 4. within four days, you will receive an email with a $20 credit and instructions on how to redeem it. The credit is good on purchases of $40 or more.
Amazon photos allows you to store up to 5GB for FREE. You must also be a Prime member.
This time, our client saved $3,200 on a 2-week trip to Kenya and Tanzania Africa.
The client paid for a National Geographic Photographic Safari, but was able to get her flights for FREE.
This is a list of what she was able to get for FREE:
Flights and seat upgrades round trip to Africa for 2 Los Angeles to Nairobi, Arusha to Los Angeles
If you want to learn how to use points and miles to travel for FREE, consider joining my Travel Coaching Program. You get five short videos explaining the basics, a personal tracker and then 1:1 with me where we talk travel goals and set a plan in action. Then you can join our monthly live coaching session forever for FREE!
We look forward to helping you plan your next trip!
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