FAMILIES FLY FREE Private Podcast

In this month's webinar, Lyn discusses and answers questions about:

• Tips on flying to the Caribbean from the West Coast
• Changing flights during the Week of WOW sale
• Using Same-Day Standby on Southwest
• Auto-check-in apps
• Upcoming webinar about earning the Southwest Companion Pass
• After meeting the minimum spend on the Venture X card, should you go back to putting all of your everyday spending on Chase Sapphire Preferred?
• How to find your minimum spend deadline on Chase cards

Links:

• Travel Insurance Case Studies
• Article: Automate Check-in Secret

Krista Payne, Families Fly Free member and professional photographer, is back to share even more about how to get better photos with a phone while traveling. In this round, she'll teach us about portrait, pano & burst modes, how to get sharp photos and how to photograph food and our travels.  She’ll also cover the photographer’s mindset and how to use Live Photo. It's your second chance to hear from a true photography expert! Follow Krista at @kristapaynephoto on Instagram to see her photography.

Links:

• Creative Calling Book
• Waterproof Pouch for Phone
• Tripod
• Power Bank
• Webinar: How to Take Travel Photos on Your Phone (Part One)
• Video: Take Better Travel Photos with Photographer Krista Payne (Podcast on YouTube)

In this Part 2, Lyn shares details about her second trip to Paris, including how she booked her flights and a 5-star Hyatt hotel next to the Louvre free. She'll share tips on how to get tickets to the Paris catacombs (often one of the longest lines in Europe!), Sainte Chapelle, the Louvre and a Seine cruise. She'll discuss off-the-radar things to see and do and Paris, the best spots for photos of the Eiffel Tower and review her day trip to the castles of the Loire Valley.

Links:

• Paris Tourism
• Best Restaurants Near the Louvre
• Louvre Galerie d’Apollon
• Sainte Chapelle Tickets
• Catacombs Tickets
• Paris Museum of Sewers
• Boat Tour
• Iovine’s Pizza
• Cafe Marly (by the Louvre)
• Bateaux Parisien
• Bateaux Mouches (another river cruise company)
• Loire Valley
• Sainte Chapelle app

This month Lyn talks about some recent changes Southwest Airlines has made, George Toops tells about a recent missed connection and Lyn answers questions about:

• Having an authorized user on a card,
• TSA Pre-Check,
• Booking Premium resorts for Universal Studios,
• Booking through third parties,
• How much you can erase on Capital One Venture X cards,
• Companion Pass timing for 2024,
• Same day flight changes on Southwest,
• and more.

Links:

• Webinar: How to become a Families Fly Free Affiliate
• Course: How to Stay Free in Hotels
• TSA Pre-Check
• Video: Resolving Issues When Booking Through a Third Party
• Webinar: How to Earn Companion Pass 2023-24
• Video: How to combine LUV Vouchers and Flight Credits into One Transferrable Flight Credit
• To Report an Issue to Southwest, go here and click on Complaint

In July's Q&A, Lyn answers questions about:

• timing for getting Companion Pass once minimum spend is met,
• price of Families Fly Free renewal,
• cost per person at Universal Studios and Disney,
• Thanksgiving at Disney,
• Grand Canyon recommendations,
• playing "the Hack" when two flights are involved,
• bad hotel experiences when booked through a third party,
• Families Fly Free and travel agents,
• and more.

Links:

• Katie's Universal Studios Trip Report
• Disney Crowd Calendar
• Blog Post on Grand Canyon North and South Rims
• Blog Post on Zion National Park
• Southwest Points Sales
• Next Southwest Flight Release Date
• Grand Canyon Shuttle Info - from NPS.gov
• Video: Fly Free Formula
• Course: Families Fly Free New Member Series

Families Fly Free member Heather Royer gives an overview of Puerto Rico, one of Southwest’s Caribbean destinations, including how to get there flying free, where they stayed for free, what to see and do and some recommended restaurants for dining.

Links:

• Fishing Charter - 787brochure.pdf (787fishing.com)
• Bioluminescent tour - BIOLUMINESCENT BAY | Misitio (aquasunsettours.com)
• National Park - Reservaciones Para El Yunque / El Yunque Reservations, El Yunque National Forest - Recreation.gov
• Puerto Rico Resorts | Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico
• Culebra Island Snorkeling Tour - Puerto Rico | Snorkel & Beach Tour (snorkelandbeachtour.com)
• Puerto Rico Ferry anchored by Hornblower
• Tours By Locals - Hector Carlos Alvarez

In June's Q&A, Lyn answers questions about:

• the "secret" phone number
• adding companions to an existing reservation
• "the hack"
• finding nonstop flights from your homebase to other cities on multiple airlines
• upgrading a Southwest card vs. getting a new card
• watching flight prices to get a lower price
• moving points around in chase rewards
• getting the Capital One Venture X card for AirBnB
• number of people you can bring into a lounge
• where to stay in NYC
• Uber vs. car rental in NYC
• What you can take in carry-on luggage, and more

Links:

• How to use Google Flights
• How to use Skyscanner
• The Hack Explained
• The Hack Example (Thanksgiving)
• How to Transfer Points in the Chase Portal
• Webinar on Capital One Venture X
• What is Allowed in Carry-on Luggage
• Email Questions to: [email protected]

After her recent couples' trip to the Florida Keys, Cami reviews her trip and offers her top tips for what to see and do from Key Largo to Key West and even beyond—to Dry Tortugas National Park! She shares how to fly there on Southwest, where to stay, as well as restaurant and activity suggestions.

Links:

• Blog post: https://www.gototravelgal.com/things-to-do-florida-keys/
• Itinerary: Florida Keys 7-Day Itinerary

Hotels:

• Baker’s Cay Resort and Blog post about Baker’s Cay Resort and YouTube Hotel Review and Tour Baker’s Cay Resort
• Faro Blanco Resort
• Parrot Key Hotel & Villas and YouTube Hotel Review and Tour Parrot Key Resort

Activities we did:

• Robbie’s of Islamorada – World-famous Tarpon feeding
• Aquarium Encounters
• Turtle Hospital
• Old Seven Mile Bridge 
• Conch Tour Train
• Old Town Trolley Tours
• Sunset Watersports – Dolphin & Snorkel Tour
• Mel Fisher Maritime Museum
• Danger Charters
• Truman Little White House
• Sebago Watersports – parasail
• Fury Water‘s Glass Bottom Boat
• Dry Tortugas National Park.
• Yankee Freedom calendar

More activity recommendations:

• Everglades National Park
• Biscayne National Park with TONS of day trips through the Biscayne National Park Institute
• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
• Pigeon Key
• Bahia Honda State Park
• Deep-Sea Fishing
• Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park – if you can’t go to Dry Tortugas, don’t miss this!
• Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory
• Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum
• Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square in Key West
• Taking a picture of the 0 Mile Marker or the Southernmost Point in Key West
• Key West Lighthouse
• Key West Shipwreck Museum
• U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Ingham

Restaurants:

• Calusa
• Key Fisheries
• Amigo’s Tortilla Bar
• Eaton Good – best meal of our trip!!
• Garbo’s Grill 
• El Siboney

Key Lime Pie Stops:

• Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory in Key Largo
• Calusa at Baker’s Cay in Key Largo
• Sweet Savannah’s in Marathon
• Kermit’s Key West Lime Shoppe–best Key Lime pie!!
• Pepe’s Cafe in Key West

Additional Links:

• Florida Keys & Key West for research of hotels and activities
• Free Concierge help: [email protected] for individualized recommendations and reservations

In May's Q&A, Lyn answers member questions about the timing of getting cards and completing minimum spends, which cards to use for certain spending, travel to Hawaii and more. Questions answered this month include:

• Should I apply for any cards before I get my personalized plan?
• When do we start looking for fares going to Hawaii in April?
• Do you have any suggestions for renting a car in Hawaii?
• Can I tell when something codes as travel on my credit card?
• Can you recommend a good app to use to when I want to plan a trip with other people?
• How did you figure out "the hack?"
• Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred card give you lounge access?
• I hold a Southwest personal card. Can I refer myself to get a business credit card?
• When can I get the Southwest bonus again? Is it from when I met the minimum spend or when I got the bonus?
• If I look at my Southwest account, does it show me when I earned the sign on bonus?
• How long does it take to see the bonus points and/or the referral points appear on my Southwest Rapid Rewards account?
• Is there a limit on how often you can get points for referring the same person to get a Southwest card?
• A lot of vendors are now charging a 3% credit card fee to pay a bill. When should I pay this fee?
• What cards are in Lyn's wallet that she would cancel and get again?
• Does being an authorized user on someone else's card count towards the Chase 5/24 rule?
• When you book a hotel room with points, do you receive a lower quality room?

Links:

• TROUPE App
• Appointment Scanner App
• Webinar: TSA PreCheck, Global Entry and Clear
• Webinar: Aulani
• Webinar: Oahu
• Video: How Do I Decide If I Should Use a Credit Card to Pay for a Purchase?

Is Disney's gorgeous Hawaiian resort on your dream bucket list? Hear from members who've visited this stunning property located on the quiet side of Oahu. They share how to get the best deal on your accommodations, along with what to see and where to eat in the area. Aloha!

Links:

• Four Day Oahu Itinerary
• Aulani Visual Room Finder
• Wiki Page for Aulani