January 30, 2026
Reader Success Story: Family Trip to Maui
Pam
Elizabeth sends in today’s reader success story to Maui. Here’s her story:
We recently took our first trip to Maui, all on points and miles!
Since 2017, my husband and I have been doing the “slow burn” credit card points strategy—putting all our household costs on our Southwest card. We’d earn enough points for a round-trip flight each year. We thought that was great, but in April 2024, I came across the Points Talk Squad Instagram account. I was so intrigued. I honestly thought it was too good to be true! So I did a deep dive into the Points Talk Squad blog and started listening to the podcast. I learned SO much in a short time, and it basically became my new hobby 🙂
My husband and I had our sights set on covering flights and hotels for a family trip to Hawaii for us and our four-year-old daughter. We had initially booked a trip to Maui and Kauai for our honeymoon in June 2020, but unfortunately, we had to cancel due to the pandemic. This was a bucket-list trip we always wanted to make happen.
Making Maui Happen
I first applied for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, then referred my husband. A couple of months later, I got the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, and my husband was approved for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. In the fall of 2024, I was approved for my first business card, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, since I resell items on Facebook Marketplace. In early 2025, I also applied for the World of Hyatt Credit Card.
We chose to visit Maui for ten days because of its family-friendly atmosphere and decided not to island-hop to make travel easier with our young daughter. We did, however, do a lot of hotel hopping. Just trying to be more like Pam 😉
Flights
We flew Southwest Airlines® from Austin to Maui for 57k points per person round-trip. We already had some Southwest points, but we topped off our Rapid Rewards account with a Chase transfer to book all three tickets. I kept an eye on points prices for several months, but the tickets only got more expensive. I’m glad we booked when we did! During our round-trip travel to Maui, we were able to enjoy two Priority Pass Lounges (one in Kahului and one on our layover in Sacramento) and also the Capital One Lounge at LAS, thanks to my husband’s Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. Such a fun and fancy experience for us!
Lodging
We booked a VRBO beach condo in Kihei for our first 5 nights. We used the Capital One points eraser to cover the cost. While in this central area of Maui, we visited Iao Valley State Park, the Maui Ocean Center, and Haleakalā National Park; did some shopping in Wailea; and, of course, had lots of beach time.
Next, we packed up and headed east toward Hāna. Saw numerous waterfalls and ate shave ice and banana bread. We loved the drive to Hāna and didn’t find it as treacherous or difficult as people make it out to be. We stayed two nights at the Hāna-Maui Resort, which we booked through Hyatt for 35k points per night. The resort was gorgeous. It is the oldest hotel on Maui. Also, because we were there over my 38th birthday (and let them know in advance), they upgraded our standard room to an oceanfront bungalow! The hotel staff was extremely kind, helpful, and welcoming. While we were in Hāna, we spent time at the hotel pool, hiked the Pipiwai Trail, visited the Pools of ‘Ohe’o, ate at Huli Huli Chicken, and checked out the black sand beach at Wai’ānapanapa State Park. It was so nice to slow down and spend extra time in Hāna. Highly recommend!
Our final three nights were spent at the Hyatt Regency Maui. We originally booked it at 35k points per night, but after Hyatt’s 2025 adjustments, we were able to rebook for only 29k points per night. We also applied a Guest of Honor award we received from a friend to this stay. The hotel upgraded us to an ocean view room in the Napili Tower. The club access each day was fantastic and saved us a lot of money on food. We loved how family-friendly this resort was and spent our last three days on Maui relaxing at the beach and pools.
A Helpful Hint
Side note: In preparation for this trip, I stocked up on 7/11 snacks using the monthly $10 DoorDash credits from my and my husband’s CSP cards. I read that tip from one of your readers’ success stories! Our Maui family vacation was a dream come true and wouldn’t have been possible without points and miles. Thank you, Points Talk Squad! I appreciate the wealth of knowledge you share with all your followers.
P.S.: We have the Andaz Papagayo booked next for March 2026! Can’t wait!
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