Family Travel on Points and Miles: Free Checked Bags, Companion Passes, and Miles Pooling

Learn how families can use points and miles to fly, earn companion passes, and book hotels without paying full price.

Before delving into the ins and outs of family travel, hosts Meghan Coyle and Tess Vigeland (filling in for Sally French) break down the latest travel headlines, including an increase in checked bag fees across all four major U.S. airlines, American Airlines stripping elite status perks from basic economy bookings, Rove Miles adding new transfer partners, Virgin Voyages' Brilliant Lady arriving in Los Angeles for West Coast sailings, and Tess's long-awaited — and ultimately successful — effort to get a refund from Iberia Airlines after a delayed flight in Spain.

Then, Sally joins Meghan for a discussion with Erin Hurd, points expert and NerdWallet's director of travel, about how families can travel on points without losing their minds. Erin shares tips and tricks on flying babies and toddlers affordably, using family miles pooling programs to combine points across household members, earning companion passes to stretch your travel budget further, and booking hotels strategically when you need connecting rooms or extra space.

Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews:

• Delta SkyMiles Gold AmEx Review: Pricey for What You Get

• Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Review: Modest Perks, Big Bonus

• American Express Platinum Review: Top-Notch Lounge Access, Big Credits

• Bank of America Premium Rewards Review: Big Bonuses for B of A’s Best Customers

• Is the New Alaska Atmos Summit Card Worth a $395 Annual Fee?

Resources discussed in this episode:

• The Guide to Rove Miles

• Top Airline Credit Cards With Companion Tickets

• My Favorite Tools for Booking Cheap Travel

Want even more tips and tricks to get the most out of your travel dollars? Subscribe to TravelNerd, our free newsletter designed to help you crack the code on spending less on your travel. 

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