The complete guide
Points & Miles 101 — The Complete Guide
Everything we know about getting a family to five-star places on points, written out in full. 7 lessons you won’t find on this site, all 17 playbooks, and 4 printable worksheets — 58 pages.
One payment, yours to keep, free updates when programs change.
Why it exists
The Family Half Nobody Writes
Almost every points guide is written for one traveler. It tells you a business seat to Europe costs 60,000 miles and stops there. For a family that number is 240,000 — and the seats have to exist on the same flight, on your school-holiday dates, with a lap infant attached to one of them.
That gap is the whole reason this guide exists. It covers the system every beginner needs, and then it keeps going into the parts that only matter when you're traveling with kids.
Part 1 · The Course
The 7 lessons, in full. These are not published anywhere on the site.
- 01Why Welcome Bonuses Are The Whole Game
- 02Your Credit Score (And Why This Won't Wreck It)
- 03Goals, Point Types, And Why You Diversify
- 04Choosing The Right Card(s)
- 05Apply Responsibly, Hit The Spend
- 06Redeem Strategically (The Fun Part)
- 07Player 2, And Your Next Move
Part 2 · The Playbooks
All 17, edited to read as one book — including the 11 family chapters.
- Chase Ultimate Rewards: The Sweet Spots
- Amex Membership Rewards: The Sweet Spots
- Capital One Miles: The Sweet Spots
- How Many Points Does A Family Trip Actually Take?
- How I Book Award Flights, Step By Step
- How To Score A Hotel Room Upgrade Or Check-In Amenity
- Pooling The Family's Points, Program By Program
- Lap Infant Fees On Award Tickets, By Program
- Four Award Seats, Together
- Sitting Together On The Plane, Without Paying For Seats
- Family Award Sweet Spots (And The Kids' Discounts Nobody Mentions)
- The Southwest Companion Pass, Family Edition
- Your Kids' Frequent Flyer Accounts, Done In 30 Minutes
- Where Does A Family Of Five Sleep On Points?
- Flying With A Baby: Car Seats, Bassinets, And What Checks Free
- Disney World On Points: The Honest Version
- Skipping Airport Lines With Kids: Global Entry, PreCheck, CLEAR
Part 3 · The Worksheets
Four pages to print and fill in. These exist in this edition only — they aren't articles, they're the tools.
- The Card Plan — Your 5/24 count, and the next twelve months one card at a time
- The Trip Estimate — What your trip actually costs in points, room and seats priced separately
- The Booking Calendar — The exact day each program's calendar opens for your dates
- The Upgrade Letter — The fill-in template, plus the asks that work with children
What's Free, What Isn't
| On the site | In the guide | |
|---|---|---|
| All 17 playbooks | Free, always | Included |
| The 7 lessons | Not published | Included |
| The 4 worksheets | Not published | Included |
| Calculators & glossary | Free, always | — |
| Read offline, in order | — | Included |
| Updates when charts move | Free, always | Included |
Questions
- Isn't most of this free on the site?
- The playbooks are, and they're staying that way — we're not going to paywall articles we've already published. What you're paying for is the part that isn't on the site: the seven lessons, the four printable worksheets, and the whole thing sequenced as one book you can read on a plane instead of 17 browser tabs.
- What if programs change?
- They will — award charts move every year. When we revise the guide you get the new version at no extra cost, sent to the same email you bought with.
- Is it worth it if I'm a total beginner?
- That's who it's written for. Start with the free Starter Guide; if it makes sense to you, the complete edition is the next step. If it doesn't, you've lost nothing.
- What if I don't like it?
- Email us and we'll refund it. We'd rather have your trust than nine dollars.