Travel Party of 5 | Points & Miles for Family Travel

Ang Thong National Marine Park Boat Tour

Koh Samui ends up as our favorite stop in Thailand thanks to an incredible Hyatt Regency stay booked on Hyatt points, a surprise suite upgrade, and family-friendly perks that actually make travel easier. We also share the stuff no one puts on the brochure, including a brutal sunburn mystery and what a 13-hour Ang Thong National Marine Park tour really feels like with kids. 

• quick life updates after jet lag and a missed episode upload 
• a TripTales podcast shoutout for destination research and travel inspiration 
• Bangkok Airways inter-island flights and what to expect on a small plane 
• using Blacklane credits for airport transfers 
• booking Hyatt Regency Koh Samui on points with two rooms and connecting-room tips 
• the suite upgrade surprise and what made the rooms stand out 
• breakfast buffet value and how we handled the kids breakfast benefit 
• beachfront dining, pool service, and what we loved most on property 
• Camp Hyatt kids club details and why it changed the trip 
• Chong Mon Beach day with jet skis and why we skipped Pig Island 
• the fake sunscreen suspicion and how the sunburn derailed plans 
• Ang Thong National Marine Park tour breakdown including snorkeling and kayaking 
• night market dinner near Fisherman’s Village and trying khao soi gai 
• the open-air Koh Samui airport and the checked-bag screen process 
• what we’d do differently next time and why we’d still go back 

If you have any questions, DM me on Instagram.

Elephant Sanctuary - Half Day Program

If you're interested in the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which is the card that gave us the Edit credits we reference in this episode, here is our referral link: Chase Sapphire Reserve! 

As always, thank you for using our links!

In this episode, we recap the start of our Thailand trip and the messy travel day that kicks it all off, from a forgotten CPAP to a carry-on mix-up that leaves Duane without his clothes. We also break down what we paid for flights and Phuket, how we stacked credits and offers, and what we’d actually recommend if you’re planning Thailand with kids.  

• Choosing cash over points after running the cents-per-point math and factoring in taxes and fees  
• Stacking Amex offers to cut the cost of long-haul flights for five  
• Positioning flights and using points for domestic legs to reach a cheaper gateway  
• Losing a CPAP on the plane and recovering it through airport lost and found  
• Accidentally taking the wrong carry-on and dealing with the fallout  
• Surviving a 17-hour economy flight with kids and what feels “worth it” next time  
• Clearing immigration in Singapore and prepping required entry forms  
• Booking an airport hotel at Changi and buying replacement clothes fast  
• Using Chase edit credits and hotel credits to book an IHG stay in Phuket  
• Honest review of Dinso Resort and Villas Phuket location pools breakfast and service  
• Using Grab for transportation in Thailand as a family of five  
• Visiting an ethical elephant sanctuary and what to avoid in animal tourism   

If you have any questions, send them on Instagram @travelpartyof5 

Combo 1: Capital One Venture (or Venture X) + Capital One Savor cards

Combo 2: Chase Sapphire Preferred (or Reserve) + Chase Freedom Flex cards

Combo 3: Citi Strata Premier + Citi Double Cash cards

Combo 4: Amex Gold + Amex Blue Cash Preferred cards (our Blue Cash Preferred link is not as high as the regular offer so just google for that one!)

*Thank you for using our referral links so we can earn a few extra points!*

In this episode I discuss:

• Why pairing a points unlock card with a cash or category earner multiplies value
• Capital One Venture or Venture X plus Savor for 3x food and easy mile conversions
• Chase Sapphire Preferred plus Freedom Flex for transfers and rotating 5x
• Citi Strata Premier plus Double Cash for 3x essentials and AA, Choice transfers
• Amex Gold plus Blue Cash Preferred for 6% groceries then 4x dining and markets
• Annual fees, credits, travel protections and how they matter for families
• How to pick a bank based on hubs, partners and category spend
• Simple plan to earn a trip in 12–18 months on normal budgets

We would always appreciate if you would utilize our referral links. That just helps us earn a few extra points and helps support our free content.
Instagram is the best way to find me. So feel free to send me a DM on instagram @travelpartyof5 and I will answer you there.

Show Notes Links:

- Savewise: getsavewise.com (referral link!)

- AwardTool: awardtool.com (referral link!)

- Six Suitcase Travel

Claude is claude.ai 

In this episode I'm sharing 4 new things I've been using and really liking lately. SaveWise for portal and card offer stacking, a clean system for tracking credits, a pragmatic way to find rooms for five or more, and the award search method that finally surfaced five business class seats. Along the way we explain why Claude beat ChatGPT for trip planning and how we used Flying Blue to cut the cost for kids.

• stacking shopping portals with SaveWise and auto-adding Amex and Chase offers
• building a simple credit-tracking spreadsheet that proves card value
• using SixSuitcaseTravel to find rooms for five or more with real beds
• validating big-family hotel options against points availability
• switching to Claude for cleaner itineraries and better tone
• mapping routes with FlightConnections to guide award searches
• using AwardTool to locate five business class seats across date ranges
• leveraging Flying Blue child discounts to cut award costs
• setting alerts and caps on taxes and fees to filter noise
• links to all tools in the notes

CARD REFERRAL LINKS! 

The Hilton offers are all elevated until April 15, 2026. If you're seeing these links after that date, they should still work but will not be elevated offers. 

Hilton Honors Amex (No Annual Fee!) - 70K Hilton points + FNC

Hilton Surpass card (Amex) - 130K Hilton points + FNC

Hilton Aspire Card - 175K Hilton points (no extra FNC but this card does come with one every year automatically!)

Hilton Honors Business Card (the one we just got!) - 175K Hilton points + FNC

***** The below are not elevated offers but are still our referral links *****

IHG personal card - 140K IHG points

Marriott Bonvoy Business card - three 50K certificates

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card - 100K Marriott points

Thank you in advance for using our links! 

Hyatt’s award chart now uses five price bands within each category, pushing top-tier redemptions much higher and making peak family dates more expensive. We explain what changed, where value still exists with certificates and suite upgrades, and how to diversify with Hilton, Marriott, and IHG.

• What the new Hyatt pricing tiers are and how far they stretch
• Why peak family travel dates are most affected
• How free night certificates gain value under the new bands
• When suite upgrade awards still make sense
• Why diversifying into Hilton, Marriott, and IHG matters
• Credit card strategies to earn flexible points and more certs
• Practical steps to book key stays before changes take effect
• What to watch for with category shifts and rumored cards

If you have never had a Hilton card before, we have referral links and we will put them in the show notes
Go in the show notes and use our referral links to get the elevated offer, including the free night certificate

We pull back the curtain on the unseen work of family travel and share how we’re prepping for two weeks in Thailand with three kids, seven flights, and one last-minute work trip. Points, packing, meds, and mindset—all simplified into four clear buckets you can reuse.

• why Thailand matters to us and how points make it possible
• building one master spreadsheet for flights, hotels and transfers
• mapping seven flights and overnight layovers with backups
• hotel lessons on connecting rooms and nonrefundable rates
• Thailand medication rules, doctor letters and refills
• digital arrival form timing and annual travel insurance
• choosing eSIMs, Grab and simple phone setup
• packing light for heat, shoes to prevent blisters, plan for laundry
• setting kids’ expectations for a 17-hour flight
• using food videos to build buy-in and reduce friction
• embracing fewer bookings to protect rest and flexibility
• what’s next on the podcast and how to join us

Send me a DM on Instagram if you want to come on the podcast to talk about a recent family trip, even if it was part points and part cash

Travel with Kids Podcast rec!

What happens when your kids fly business class before they can spell it? We tackle the uneasy question head-on: are we raising entitled travelers—or can points-powered perks actually teach humility, gratitude, and grit? Drawing from our own path—from rural road trips and solo backpacking to parenting three kids with a points strategy—we share the mindset shifts that turned “is this too much?” into “how do we frame this well?”

We start by defining entitlement in practical terms: not nice experiences, but the expectation of them. Then we open the curtain on the hidden work that makes “free” travel possible—earning and redeeming points, offsetting annual fees, stalking award space for five seats, and choosing trade-offs. When kids see the effort, they understand the privilege. From there, we focus on modeling over lecturing. The tone we set—thanking staff, marveling at an economy seat’s movie selection, celebrating a sunset from a budget room—shapes how our kids assign value to comfort, people, and place.

Money talk plays a starring role. We walk through real numbers—cash rates, point valuations, taxes—and turn it into simple math for older kids: how many hours at $10 an hour equals a hotel night? That perspective check pairs with a conscious rewrite of scarcity scripts. Instead of “don’t get used to it,” we teach that with planning and responsibility, they can build the life they want—travel or not. We also highlight the quiet wins travel gives kids: resilience through jet lag, flexibility during delays, adventurous palates, and empathy born from noticing what’s different and what’s the same.

To root those lessons deeper, we add service. Local volunteering like meal packing, and one-day opportunities with reputable groups on trips, turn comfort into contribution without savior narratives. By the end, our stance is clear: perks don’t create entitlement—stories do. We choose to tell a story of gratitude, effort, and respect, so luxury becomes a lesson rather than a baseline. If this conversation resonates, follow along, share it with a travel-loving parent, and leave a quick rating and review so more families can find the show.

Our 2026 travel plan blends status goals, certificate plays, and a careful move toward cash back so we can travel better now and fund freedom later. Along the way we test gold reselling, protect 5/24, and hold out for premium flights that fit a family of five.

• shifting from constant new cards to maximizing existing spend
• step-by-step approach to buying and reselling gold with guardrails
• Hilton Aspire to Surpass downgrade path for four free nights
• prioritizing Hyatt Globalist for suites and breakfast value
• trip plans for Thailand, London and Scotland, Switzerland plus Italy
• strategy for holding out for business class returns
• moving to shorter trips to save PTO and add flexibility
• staying under 5/24 and timing future applications
• adding cash back via business cards and bank bonuses
• using Schwab or Morgan Stanley Platinum to cash out MR at 1.1 cpp
• FIRE mindset and key takeaways from Die With Zero

Send us your gold reselling tips and questions on Instagram at travel party five

We play a family travel Would You Rather built around real points-and-miles tradeoffs, from Hyatt love to premium economy sanity. Along the way we compare Chase, Amex, and Citi, weigh taxes and fees, and debate lounges, breakfast, and splitting flights with kids.

• quick update on Bilt changes and current cards
• luxury hotel without breakfast vs budget stay with big breakfast
• free family trip in economy vs solo business class splurge
• Chase vs Amex value with Hyatt and earnability
• first class on separate flights vs economy together
• premium economy both ways vs mixed cabins
• splitting parents and kids to secure business seats
• middle seat marathon vs a week at a budget motel
• historical city breaks vs tropical downtime
• unlimited points hypotheticals across Chase, Amex, Citi
• taxes and fees tradeoffs across airlines and families
• lounge access benefits vs time flexibility at airports
• five years stateside travel vs two weeks global each year

We will do an Instagram poll Monday so you can weigh in on today’s questions—send us a DM with your picks and ideas for part two

https://5calls.org/

https://www.standwithminnesota.com/

Chase Ink Premier Referral Link (Also 100K Ink Preferred!!!)

Never used Rakuten? Join now and earn $50 cash back! www.rakuten.com/r/RAYAPI6?eeid=28187 

Free flights don’t feed your kids on vacation. That’s the real truth because even with points and miles, we still need to fund the real costs of travel - meals, trains, tips, tours, and all the little line items that don't fit inside award charts. 

We break the plan into four parts. First, bank account bonuses: what they are, how to hit the requirements, why “push” ACH often matters, and simple tracking to avoid early‑closure fees. We point you to trusted resources like Doctor of Credit and explain how to double up when there’s no household cap. Second, cashback portals: Rakuten, Capital One Shopping, and TopCashback can sometimes stack with bank bonuses on select fintech signups, and quarterly payouts make a solid travel fund if you plan ahead. Third, cashback credit cards: we highlight business options like Chase Ink Business Premier and U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards, plus family‑friendly picks like Capital One Savor and Amex Blue Cash Preferred for groceries, dining, and gas. Fourth, purchase erasers: use Capital One miles at a clean one cent per mile to wipe rentals, trains, and boutique stays that don’t play nicely with points.

We also share real‑life tactics: split hotel bills to trigger Amex Offers, volunteer for reimbursable school or work expenses to earn rewards without extra out‑of‑pocket costs, and choose when to prioritize cash over points based on your season of life. The outcome is a strategy that pairs your favorite points redemptions with dependable cash streams so your next family trip feels affordable from takeoff to taxi back home.

If this helps you rethink “free travel,” tap follow, share with a friend who loves a deal, and leave a quick review telling us your favorite cashback win.