Live and Let’s Fly
Is It Ok To Book Business For Parents But Economy For Kids?
There’s a debate raging in our home about whether or not it’s ok to book ourselves (parents) in business class, but children in coach with an adult family member.  Are Different Cabins Problematic? For the first time, we are having a debate in our house about whether it’s ok to...
Your Mileage May Vary
This Trout Farm in the Smokies Lets You Catch and Eat Your Own Fish
During our stay in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area, we decided to take a little detour from our cabin in the mountains for lunch. About 30–40 minutes from the main strip…
Miles For Family
Award Fee Hike, New Rumor and More
Emirates Hikes Fees on US Fifth Freedom Award Flights: I detest high fees on award flights. Emirates recently increased fees on some flights. See this post on One Mile at a Time. Did You know You Don’t Actually Have to Show ID at Airport Security?: I’ve heard of this, but...
Miles For Family
What to do when miles only get you halfway there
I book most if not all of my award flights as one-way flights. Why? Many times, I fly a different airline one way and another one going back based on award availability. Or, I don’t have enough miles in one program for both ways, so I have to utilize two...
Miles For Family
A Letter from US Bank Said My TransUnion Credit Score is 509
Nope, it’s not a typo, though there is a nuance to it. So, the other day I got a letter from US Bank telling me the credit limits on my cards have been sharply reduced. It mentioned too many credit inquiries and too many newly opened accounts. No surprise there,...
Miles For Family
Our Scenic Drive through Sacred Valley of the Incas, plus Overnight in Cusco
This is the sixth installment  in my series of posts on our recent trip to South America. See my previous  posts Back from our family trip to Peru and Easter island: Bumpy start, awesome memories  , Flying in LATAM economy to South America and Easter Island , Layovers in airport-adjacent hotels:...
Miles For Family
Surprise Upgrade at Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay
This is a continuation of my Japan/China trip report. See also Back from China and Japan Trip! 5 Takeaways, Worth it: JAL Premium Economy Award Seats, Better Than Expected: AA Premium Economy Shanghai PVG to DFW, Hits and Misses from our day at Tokyo DisneySea, Take this Line and Shove...
Miles For Family
Citi Adds AA as a 1:1 Transfer Partner
This is big news: Citi just added American Airlines as a 1:1 transfer partner! While this move has been rumored for a while,  I didn’t actually believe it until it just happened. AA miles are incredibly valuable to my family since we live near an AA airport hub. I’ve found...
Miles For Family
Cruise Safety: Amy Bradley is Missing and DCL M.O.B.
Over the past few weeks. a few news stories have come to light that have some travelers doubting the safety of cruising. Let’s take a look at these stories. Amy Bradley is Missing (Netflix show) Amy Bradley is Missing is a documentary on Netflix that has remained in the Top...
Miles For Family
Another solid redemption with Chase Points Boost
My college student son and his friend have been working jobs and saving up for a trip to Universal Epic Universe in Florida over winter break. That makes me so happy! I told them I’d help cover flights with miles if we found decent award redemptions. Luckily, we found flights...
Miles For Family
Rolling with the punches and adapting new blog survival strategies
Miles For Family is now 12 years old! Almost a teenager! Over the years, the award travel hobby has seen a lot of changes. And, the same is true for bloggers who constantly have to adapt to stay in business. Ben at One Mile at a Time wrote a post...
Miles For Family
The Sad State of Booking Award Travel to Japan (With a Few Bright Spots)
When I came back from our amazing family trip to Japan in 2023 (see my series of posts) I certainly wasn’t planning to do it all over again just a few years later. Don’t get me wrong, I loved our adventure, and to this day  consider Japan to be the...
Miles For Family
The Premium Credit Card Launch I’m Patiently Waiting For
2025 is a year full of new and updated premium credit cards with high annual fees offset by various credits. The Chase Sapphire Reserve just got a major revamp, and Amex Platinum changes are coming later this year. Next week, Citi is launching the new Citi Strata Elite. I’m not...
Your Mileage May Vary
TSA Announces Changes + Discounts for Families
On the heels of the TSA announcing a program for more groups having access to faster TSA PreCheck lanes at a discounted cost (or for free), they just added yet…
Miles For Family
Rumored Citi Strata Elite Details, New Hyatt Calendar and More
(Rumor) Citi Strata Elite Details: This week (or maybe next week), Citi will launch the new Citi Strata Elite credit card. Various blogs are reporting leaked benefits/welcome bonuses for this card. See this post on Doctor of Credit. Finally: World of Hyatt Rolls Out New Points Availability Calendar: It’s always...