How to Optimize Credit Card Rewards Travel for Families

Hey friends, Lisa here! It’s been a while, and I’m excited to share some new strategies I’ve been using to maximize credit card rewards travel for families and how it’s completely changed the way my family vacations. If you’ve ever wondered how people score free flights or deeply discounted travel using points, you’re in the right place.

In this post, I’ll cover:

• The fundamentals of credit card reward travel
• How to use your everyday budget to earn points (without overspending)
• A breakdown of numbers using the Amex Gold Card
• How to handle annual fees
• Tools like Seats.aero that help you find reward flights
• Real examples of how I’ve flown my family of six to Puerto Vallarta and Paris with points

Let’s dive in.

What Is Credit Card Reward Travel?

Simply put, reward travel means using your credit card points and miles to book flights, hotels, and travel perks instead of paying cash. But here’s the key: I don’t just redeem points through my credit card portal (which usually gives you less value).

For example, I flew my family of six to Puerto Vallarta for under 19,000 points per person roundtrip, and we also scored roundtrip flights to Paris during peak summer for only 23,000 points each.

That’s the difference between casually using points and optimizing credit card rewards.

Why My Approach Is Different

When I first started researching travel hacking, most of the advice I found online came from single guys showing off how they flew business class to Milan. That’s amazing.. but not realistic for families like mine.

I’m a mom of four (including three teenagers), which means every trip is essentially a group booking. I need multiple hotel rooms, lots of seats on the same flight, and strategies that actually fit a family lifestyle. I have found that traveling with your teens is ultra rewarding, read my article about that right HERE.

This blog is all about family travel hacking—maximizing points so your kids can experience the world with you, without draining your bank account.

Fundamentals of Credit Card Reward Travel

Before we go deeper, let’s clear up a big misconception:
👉 Reward travel does not mean opening tons of cards, maxing them out, or carrying credit card debt.

Instead, it’s about:

• Using the money you already spend (groceries, dining, gas, bills).
• Paying your card off each month (no interest, no debt).
• Choosing cards that align with your lifestyle.
• Leveraging transfer partners to stretch your points further.

I’m not a financial advisor, but this system has changed my family’s life, and I want to show you how to make it work for yours.

Example: The Amex Gold Card

One of my favorite cards for families is the American Express Gold Card. Here’s why:

• 4X Membership Rewards points on groceries and dining.
• Flexible transfer partners for airlines and hotels.
• Multiple statement credits that offset the annual fee.

Grocery Spending Example

According to the U.S. Census (2023), the average family spends about $14,000 per year on groceries.

• If you put that on a debit card: you get nothing.
• If you put it on the Amex Gold: you’d earn 56,000+ points annually.

Since the average American family is 3 people and mine is 6, I'll take that number and double it.

Dining & Takeout Example

The average family spends around $4,000 per year eating out. On the Amex Gold, that’s an extra 16,000 points.

This means that if you are a family of 3, that equals around 72,000+ points every year just from food purchases you’re already making.

In my upcoming articles, I'll show you how to get 1-way economy flights to Europe for just 6,000 points and how to stretch your rewards even farther. But as you can see, accumulating 72,000 points can go a long way towards paying for your next family vacation.

Annual Fees and Perks

The Amex Gold has a $325 annual fee. At first glance, that seems steep. But here’s how you offset it with perks:

• $120 Uber Cash credit
• $120 dining credit (Cheesecake Factory, Five Guys, etc.)
• $100 Resy restaurant credit
• $84 Dunkin’ credit

That’s $424 in annual value, more than covering the fee.

Pro tip: If you don’t use Dunkin’, buy a gift card at the drive-thru and gift it to a flight attendant—you might even get a free upgrade surprise.

Finding Reward Flights with Seats.aero

Once you’ve built up points, how do you actually use them? My favorite tool is Seats.aero.

For just $9.99/month (there’s also a free version), you can:

• Search available award flights by airport and region.
• Filter for minimum seats (perfect for families).
• Set max fees (so you don’t get stuck with $500 “taxes”).
• Compare across multiple airlines and partners.

For example, I’ve found:

• JFK → London for 6,000 points + $109 (direct).
• SLC → Paris deals that let us fly six people during summer break.

Booking one-way flights separately instead of roundtrip often saves even more points.

Real Life Family Travel Wins

Using these strategies, I’ve been able to:

• Fly six people to Puerto Vallarta for under 19,000 points per person.
• Book summer flights to Paris for just 23,000 points each.
• Plan our upcoming Costa Rica trip using a mix of United and Southwest.

This is the power of using your everyday budget smarter—not spending more.

Free Family Travel Hacking Guide

If you’re ready to start maximizing credit card rewards travel for families, I put together a free comprehensive PDF guide that walks you through:

• The best starter travel cards
• Budgeting strategies to earn points faster
• How to transfer points for maximum value
• My favorite tools for booking

👉 Download your free guide here and start planning your family’s dream trip with points.

Thanks for reading! If you found this post helpful, be sure to share it with other families who want to travel more for less