"If you aren't looking to book those peak holiday dates way ahead of time, then you're gonna be the one who says 'these miles are useless, I can't use them to go see Grandma'."

Many people work hard to save points and miles, only to be frustrated by limited availability during peak travel times. Booking award travel during holidays can be challenging, especially with kids. This week, Summer Hull, aka Mommy Points from TPG Family, shares her top tips for maximizing your redemptions during the holiday season.

Today's Episode Timestamps

• 3:25 - How can you plan travel a year (or more) in advance?
• 7:40 - Are there "off peak" destinations to travel to on holidays?
• 13:30 - Why you might want to start thinking about holiday 2020
• 19:20 - Researching how your vacation house rental codes & a new AwardWallet tool
• 22:25 - How to book award travel "speculatively"

Today's Guest - Summer Hull

While studying social work at NYU, she began accumulating frequent flyer miles on trips to visit family in Texas. Her love for miles and points grew, especially after having her two daughters, as she saw how they could help families travel affordably. In 2011, she launched the Mommy Points blog to show that miles and points are for families, not just business travelers. In 2018, Mommy Points was acquired by The Points Guy, where it now continues as part of TPG Family, with Summer leading the content.

Resources

• American Airlines Award Map Tool
• Southwest Low Fare Calendar

Where to Find Us

1. The Award Travel 101 Facebook Community.
2. To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1.
3. You can also email us at [email protected]
4. Buy your Award Travel 101 Merch here
5. Reserve tickets to our Spring 2026 Meetup in Phoenix now. award.travel/phx2026

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