FAMILIES FLY FREE Private Podcast

Would you like to take a cruise but don't know how to go about the process of choosing one and it seems overwhelming to you? Join first-time cruiser Heather Royer as she explains how her family decided where to go on which cruise line and where they purchased their tickets for the room configurations they needed. She'll also cover whether or not to purchase drink, internet or dining packages, ship excursions and more. 

Links:

• Cruise Critic
• Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

This month Lyn answers questions about:

• the effects of being an authorized user on a card
• upcoming webinars for 2024
• timing for adding your companion to a flight
• thoughts on the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app
• sorting in Southwest Hotels by points offer
• how to add a companion to a flight
• timing for when referral points will show up in your account
• and more...

Known as the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico is home to member Amylee Udell. In this webinar, she'll be covering all the fascinating things to do from the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta to the most visited cave in America—Carlsbad Caverns to White Sands National Park where you can sand sled to Santa Fe & Taos both known for their skiing to Roswell, home to the International Alien Museum and more. Whether you're a history buff (from Native American to Nuclear), outdoor life or you just love sunshine (310 days/year), there's something for everyone. Come join us and see if you want to add a visit to your bucket list! 

Links:

• Carlsbad Caverns
• White Sands National Park
• The Trinity Hotel
• Roswell UFO Museum
• New Mexico Museum of Space History
• Lincoln State Monument 
• Rail Runner
• Balloon Fiesta
• Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
• National Hispanic Cultural Center
• Billy The Kid Museum
• Smokey Bear Historical Park
• Roswell Museum
• Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge 
• San Miguel Chapel 
• New Mexico History Museum 
• Santa Fe Opera House 
• Santa Fe Children's Museum 
• Santa Fe Railyards
• Ten Thousand Waves 
• Bradbury Science Museum 
• Los Alamos History Museum 
• Bandelier National Monument 
• Valles Caldera 
• Pajarito Mountain Ski Area
• Taos Pueblo 
• Kit Carson House 
• San Francisco de Asis Mission Church
• Taos Ski Valley
• Angel Fire Ski Resort
• Red River Ski Area
• Sipapau Ski Resort
• Canyon de Chelly 
• Petrified Forest 
• Bisti Badlands 
• Chaco Canyon 
• Acoma Pueblo
• OJO Spa Resorts
• Pueblos of New Mexico - Visitor Guide

This month Lyn answers questions about:

• Timing for cancelling credit cards
• Differences between the Chase Personal cards
• Timing for booking tickets when "the flight change hack" is successful
• Sitting together on a flight
• Best Southwest Business cards
• Using Capital One Venture X $300 travel credit
• What to do with Luv Vouchers and travel credits
• Timing for getting referral bonuses, and more

Links:

• Video: How to Combine Southwest Vouchers and Travel Credits
• Community: How to Refer a Friend

Learn how you can fund your family's free travels in 2024 with your regular holiday shopping in 2023. Lyn shows you all the different ways to earn rewards, stack them with the right cards and set yourself up for free vacations in 2024. 

Families Fly Free member Cheryl Frank gives an overview of Costa Rica, one of Southwest’s Caribbean destinations, including how to get there flying free, where they stayed for free, tips for renting a car and what to see and do.  She also shares some recommended restaurants for dining like a local.

Links:

• My Tan Feet
• My Tan Feet Adobe Car Rental discount 
• Tree Houses Hotel
• Hotel El Silencio Del Campo
• The Westin Reserva Conchal
• Two Little Monkeys Chocolate Tour
• Canoa Aventura Tours
• Sloths Territory
• Canopy Los Cañones Zip-lining

Do you want to take your whole family, including kids and grandkids, on a trip with you using points and miles? Member George Toops did just that for his family of 15 who were coming from different parts of the country. He shows you what resources he used to book airfare, rental vans, resort accommodations, activity tickets and more and the process he used to do it successfully. You won't want to miss it!

Links:

• Bonnet Creek Resort
• Sun Country Airlines
• Turo.com
• SeaWorld Orlando
• Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC)
• Delta Airlines

This month Lyn discusses the new luggage tracker offered by Southwest, introduces a new "hack" using Southwest's same-day standby feature and answers questions about flight tracking, timing of credit card closure, when short-term Companion Passes become available, and more.

Are you a member who's working toward a 2024-2025 Southwest Companion Pass as early as possible next year, starting the process THIS year? We know this can be a little bit confusing and a process where you want to make sure you have the timing correct, so Lyn will be reviewing this process step-by-step in this live class. We'll discuss which Southwest cards to apply for when, exactly when you should meet those minimum spends and when to expect the points — and pass — to credit to your account.

Links and Resources:

• COURSE: Southwest Companion Pass for Beginners
• WEBINAR: Tools to Organize Your Travel Rewards & Cards
• TOOLS: Get Organized Miles & Points Toolkit (Use the Credit Card Tracking Sheet)
• LINK: Apply for Travel Credit Cards
• LINK: Open a Chase Checking Account
• VIDEO: Business Card Application Walk-Through
• EBOOK: Ultimate Guide to Getting a Small Business Card
• LINK: Get a Free IRS EIN Number
• LINK: Get Your Southwest Card Referral Link
• VIDEO: Tips for Using SouthwestHotels.com to Get the Most Points
• Chase Reconsideration Line: 1-888-270-2127
• Our Southwest Card Links:
  • Personal
    • Southwest Plus - $69 annual fee, 3,000 anniversary points, no other perks (cheapest option)
    • Southwest Premier (not recommended) - $99 annual fee, 6,000 anniversary points/year
    • Southwest Priority - $149 annual fee, 7,500 anniversary points/year, $75 Southwest credit annually (use for Early Bird) + 4 A1-15 boardings orders each year (purchase at gate and charge erased); has best perks
  • Business
    • Southwest Business Performance, 80,000 points after a $5,000 in 3 months  - $199 annual fee, 9,000 anniversary points/year, 4 A1-15 boarding orders yearly, $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit every 4 years, free in-flight WiFi 
    • Southwest Business Premier, 60,000 points after a $3,000 minimum spend in 3 months - $99 annual fee, 6,000 anniversary points, no other significant perks

Now that you’ve taken control of your travel expenses with smart credit card habits, have you thought about passing this gift on to your kids? Getting young adults started with good credit has become more important than ever. And, you can do this while teaching them valuable money management skills throughout their high school years.  

Join member Heather Hill as she leads us through the steps to get our teens and young adults started right on their credit journey by discovering the important components of their credit score, how to get started before age 18, how to maintain some parental control and how to decide which credit card they should hold first and more.

Budgeting Apps mentioned:

• Mint
• You Need a Budget (YNAB)
• Every Dollar (free version)

Other Resources:

• Tips for Teaching Kids About Money article