FAMILIES FLY FREE Private Podcast

If you want to fly a lot of people a lot of places, you need to understand not just how to EARN points but how to pay fewer points for every flight. In this webinar, Lyn reviews techniques you can use to STRETCH your points across as many flights and people as possible, including some of our trademark "hacks".

Links:

• Toolkit Spreadsheets

A key to our simple Fly Free Formula is choosing the correct card to use for your everyday spending and other expenses. In this webinar, Lyn reviews the options that work best with our system and explains the differences between the cards.

Did you know that you can earn a 50% referral fee on anyone you refer to join Families Fly Free? If you've found success as a member, this can be a lucrative side business that not only gives you a legitimate small business to apply for business cards, but that can be a serious side hustle to help cover travel expenses and beyond! Lyn will walk you step by step through how to effectively and authentically share the membership with others as a way to monetize your travels and earn a side income. Get your individual referral link here.

Once you get your referral link, if you want to make business cards, we've created a template for that. You'll have to sign up for a free Canva account to access it. Watch this video to learn how to edit the template.

Mentioned Links...

• Apply to be a Families Fly Free affiliate
• Leadpages (an easy way to create an instant website)
• Bluehost (to start your own Wordpress blog)
• Transistor (an easy way to start your own travel podcast) 
• Vistaprint - Cheap way to quickly create a business card with your personal link. Start in the Rapid Rewards Shopping Portal and get 2 points per $1 on Vistaprint

In this webinar, Lyn explains the basics of our Fly Free Formula, including how to earn points without flying. She also explains why Southwest is the best airline to fly for free and shows you our simple system to always have a Southwest Companion Pass.

In this episode Lyn answers questions about:

• The advantage of using a flexible points card over a specific hotel card
• Using the shopping portal to book lodging
• Choosing "hack" flights
• Realistic timing for earning a SW Companion Pass
• The BILT Mastercard
• Travel to New Orleans
• When Chase typically increases their Sapphire points offer
• and more...

Links:

• Southwest Hotels site
• Rocketmiles site
• Video: How to Book Hotels Through southwesthotels.com
• Southwest Hotels Page
• Webinar: Help Your Teen Get Started With Credit Cards and Travel Rewards With Heather Hill

Join first-timer Cami and member Nanette, who's stayed at more than 25 of these resorts, as they delve into Hyatt All-Inclusives. They’ll introduce you to the best ways to research where to go, the Unlimited Vacation Club and how to accumulate and book with points. They’ll let you know what’s included in your stay and conclude by showing you a few different resorts.  

Links:

• VIPs ONLY - Cancun All-Inclusive Resorts spreadsheet
• Hyatt App - Apple
• Hyatt App - Android
• Join World of Hyatt
• Hyatt Hotel Course 
• Unlimited Vacation Club
• Helpful thread on TripAdvisor about UVC
• How to Get Enough Points to Book a Hyatt All Inclusive
• Hyatt Award Chart
• Webinar: Booking All-Inclusive Hyatt Resorts in Mexico, Dominican Republic and Jamaica

Individual brand links:

• Alua
• Breathless
• Dreams
• Hyatt Vivid - coming soon!
• Hyatt Zilara
• Hyatt Ziva
•  Impression by Secrets
• Secrets
• Sunscape
• Zoetry

We know Las Vegas is top of the list as a travel destination for many of you. In this webinar, Lyn reviews some of the best things to do in Vegas and the surrounding area. She focuses on activities other than gambling and includes the latest attraction, "The Sphere," which is quite amazing from the air, as well, if you're flying through Vegas. She also reviews several resorts, including the amazing Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa.

Links:

• ARTICLE: Things to Do in Las Vegas
• PODCAST: Top US Family Destinations for 2024 With Lesli Peterson of 365 Atlanta Traveler
• VIDEO: Hilton Lake Las Vegas
• Las Vegas Tourism Bureau
• Las Vegas Monorail
• Wyndham Status Match to Other Hotels
• Match Wyndham to Caesars
• Delano
• The Mirage Volcano
• Fremont Street Experience
• Wynn Lake of Dreams
• Area15
• Meow Wolf Omega Mart
• Seven Magic Mountains

 In this month's episode, Lyn answered the following questions and more:

• When a Hyatt Hotel I want to stay at is not allowing the use of points to book the room, do I have any options?
• If I have the CSR card, should I keep it, downgrade it or just cancel it?
• What is the hack?
• Is it okay to max out the 5 cards in 24 months - 5/24 rule?
• If you are denied for a card, does it still count towards 5/24, or does it only count cards that are actually opened?

The beginning of the year is a great time to get your travel rewards and travel cards organized. Lisa reviews our top recommendations for managing and tracking your loyalty programs and travel cards as well as helps you think about your card strategy, including expiration dates for free nights/points, how to decide which cards to keep/ditch, when annual fees renew, when you're eligible to re-earn the bonus, how to use those cards in the coming year and more!

Links:

• Get Organized Miles and Points Toolkit
• Travel Freely
• AnnualCreditReport.com
• Award Wallet
• All About the 5/24 Rule with Zac Hood of Travel Freely
• Apply For Travel Credit Cards - Links

Where should you travel next and how can you decide? Cami offers some strategies for how to pick your next destinations, how to include the whole family in the process and make it fun, what to do if you and your family like different types of destinations and places she's visited this past year.
Links:

• How to Get Organized for a Trip With Cami webinar
• Alamo car rental The Scenic Route game Travelopoly
• Alamo car rental The Scenic Route game Travelgories
• Find the Best Southwest Flight Deals video
• Skyscanner.com
• How to use Skyscanner to Find a Flight to Anywhere & Use Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Book video
• Google Flights Explore tool
• How to Search for a Flight Using Google Flights Explore & Use Chase Ultimate Rewards Points to Book video
• Families Fly Free blog for lots of articles on places we've traveled 
• Families Fly Free Toolkit for Loyalty Programs Tracker Sheet
• Troupe app for putting everyone's details in one spot
• Trip Planning Itinerary template

Car rentals:

• How to Save as Much as Possible on Car Rentals
• How to Save on Car Rentals Part 2 + What to do if you Can’t Find a Car Rental
• How to Find the Best Deals on Rental Cars
• Turo.com

Accommodations:

• How to Stay Free in Hotels course
• Introduction to Renting Timeshare for Pennies on the Dollar With George
• Renting Timeshares for Pennies on the Dollar With George
• Amazing Member-Recommended Timeshares
• Why You Should Consider KOA/YMCA Resorts Webinar With Heather and Cami
• Top Tips for Booking VRBO Vacation Rentals With VRBO Staff

Flights:

• How to View Southwest Sale Fares From Your Home Airports video
• How to Find the Best Deals on Airfare webinar

Where Cami Went:
Panama City Beach

• 10 Fantastic Things to do in Panama City Beach article
• Things to do in Panama City Beach video
• Club Wyndham Panama City Beach video
• Springhill Suites Panama City Beach video
• White Sands condo booking website

Turkey Run State Park
Fair Oaks Farms
Florida Keys

• Florida Keys 7-Day Itinerary
• Explore the Florida Keys With Cami webinar–all links inside this lesson
• Key West Resort Tour and Review: Parrot Key Resort video

General National Parks

• How to Fly Free to National Parks webinar
• How to Stay Free at National Parks webinar
• General Tips for Visiting Any National Park webinar
• 7 Top Tips for Visiting America's National Parks article
• Inside Tips for Visiting National Parks With Ash Nudd of Dirtinmyshoes.com webinar
• National Parks to Visit in Winter With Ash Nudd audio
• Getting a National Park Pass Cheaply and Quickly video
• National Park Reservations Needed for 2024 article
• National Park Packing List

North Cascades National Park

• North Cascades NP website
• See my trip report HERE
• Where we stayed–Skagit Cabin Rockport
• Upriver Grill
• Mountain Song