Laura wrote a previous reader success story, and here is her second one with her family of five, island-hopping in Hawaii! Here’s her story:

 

Hello, fellow points and miles fans! The Points Talk Squad recently published my reader success story from our fall family trip to NYC.  Over the kids’ spring break this year, we made it to the destination that got us into this points journey: Hawaii! 

 

Booking Hotels

Planning for this vacation, we took the Moms’ advice and booked our room first. After accumulating Chase Ultimate Rewards® from working our way through the Chase personal and business cards.  My husband and I referred to each other to maximize points.  We transferred points to a single Hyatt account. 

We made sure to book our room for four nights at the Grand Hyatt Kauai exactly eleven months out, as soon as it was available.  Then, we booked the next three nights on the Big Island, at a condo called Aston Kona by the Sea through the Capital One portal. 

 

Flights to Hawaii

Next, we planned our flights. I achieved the Southwest® Companion Pass by opening a personal and business card. We had enough points for our family of five to fly both ways and island hop all with Southwest Airlines. On the way there, we flew to Las Vegas on a Friday evening as a “positioning flight” and stayed at a Hyatt Place close to the airport. This made the longer flight to Hawaii with the kids early Saturday morning easier.  We arrived on Kauai around 2 pm Saturday.

 

Thoughts on Hotels

The Grand Hyatt in Kauai is a dream. It lived up to the hype and is perfect for families. As for activities, we booked a Na Pali coast boat tour through Hyatt experiences. The cash price would have been close to $1,000 for our family of five. It was incredible.  We saw spinner dolphins and humpback whales in addition to the breathtaking coastline. 

 

We also booked a surf lesson through Hyatt experiences for my husband and two sons.  My sons say it was their favorite thing that we did the whole trip.  We also drove to Waimea Canyon (our rental car was booked through Chase Travel℠) and went to the Smith Family Luau.  We ate at local restaurants, explored several towns, and, of course, enjoyed ALL the shaved ice.  

 

 

On Wednesday, we hopped to the Big Island and got settled into our oceanfront condo.  It was a great location for restaurants and activities.  We drove to Volcanoes National Park, rented kayaks to snorkel by the Captain Cook Monument, and did a free Hala Coffee Farm tour. We explored local towns, saw the black sand beach, and saw sea turtles. Our rental car was booked through Chase Travel℠ with points, which covered another expense. 

 

 

Bottom Line

This bucket-list trip became a reality thanks to points, miles, and the Points Talk Squad. The cash price for the hotel, condo, flights, rental cars, and experiences in Hawaii would have been well over $10,000. If you believe using credit card points is too complicated or time-consuming, then I say you are underestimating yourself. It is a small learning curve for a huge reward. 

We started this journey in the fall of 2023. In less than two years, it has helped us take two bucket-list trips and countless small ones. Having points for free flights and hotels, even for less glamorous travel like kids’ sports or a night away with your spouse, is so helpful.  Use your good credit and daily spending to pay yourself back with free travel!

 

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Island Hopping in Hawaii on Points and Miles

Reader Success Story: Multiple Hawaii Trips

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