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Travel hacking, or the art of collecting miles and points to stay and fly places all over the world for pennies on the dollar, is how we and many other couples have afforded all the trips that we take. Today, we invited Christine and Kevin Zelina from Treasured Family Travels to speak about their experience travel hacking, how it has changed since Christine started collecting points 15 years ago, how you can plan your trips and travel hack, and their best travel hacking experiences to date.
Also, as they travel as a family, they talk about strategies for collecting points to use for their daughter and how they’ve traveled business and first class to Asia to take their daughter to Disney Hong Kong. They also talk about their favorite and romantic destinations, and being Disney lovers, they had to mention great parks to go to!
Table of Contents
Time Stamps for Travel Hacking:
- 0:15- Intro and topic
- 0:48- Life updates/catch up
- 3:17- Hyatt tier changes
- 3:52- Introducing Christine and Kevin from Treasured Family Travels
- 4:30- Christine and Kevin’s background and travel history
- 11:23- What was their first trip together like?
- 13:58- Their favorite or most romantic destination
- 18:32- How they got into travel hacking
- 25:00- Tactics now to combat credit card changes
- 25:58- Southeast Companion Pass
- 27:43- Have a goal and be focused while travel hacking
- 32:04- Getting the most value for redeeming points
- 38:36- Top travel hack or greatest deal
- 39:44- What is a mattress run?
- 44:59- Best flight redemption
- 45:35- American Airlines award saver miles
- 48:47- Thoughts on Hyatt tier changes and if you can still find value with them
- 55:07- Then versus now travel hacking
- 55:48- Dealing with a rejected credit card application
- 57:38- Credit card policy changes
- 1:02:03- Tips for travel hacking as a family
- 1:07:25- Best Disney they’ve been to
- 1:10:52- Where to read more
- 1:12:58- Our next adventure
- 1:13:24- Podcast wrap up
Helpful Links and Further Reading:
- Where to find Treasured Family Travels:
- Website: Treasured Family Travels
- Instagram: @treasured_family_travels
- Pinterest: @treasuredfamilytravels
- How to Travel Hack with Miles and Points
- Miles and Points 101
- Disney Reviews and Budgeting
- Best Travel Credit Card for Beginners
- Best Travel Credit Cards for Everyday Spending
- Navigating the Chase 5/24 Rule
- Best Travel Credit Cards 2018
- Is Business Class Worth It?
- Resources
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Kat is the founder and author of the World Wide Honeymoon blog. She has traveled to over 35 countries spanning 5 continents to find the most romantic, unique, and fun places for couples to enjoy time together. She creates in-depth itineraries, honeymoon guides, packing lists, and even travel budget guides (Kat’s a former accountant!). Kat has been blogging since 2017, giving honest opinions and tips from her experiences while traveling. Aside from this blog, she runs a podcast with her husband, Chris, called the World Wide Honeymoon Travel Podcast and a travel blog dedicated to France called France Voyager.