Don’t worry, this is not yet another post filled with angst over spoiling your kids with fanciness. We all know that the miles and points hobby has a dark side where children (and us adults!) can start taking things unattainable to general public for granted. This has been covered by bloggers to death, including yours truly.
A couple of recent conversations in my household made me revisit this topic and attempt to come up with a formula on when it’s OK to indulge the kids’ wishes as opposed to saying No. Spoiler alert! In the end, I did not come up with a formula. But I hope you can relate to my thought process, so here we go.
For the love of the Hyatt…
A few years ago, I happened to get Diamond status with Hyatt program via zero effort or cost. It was a short-lived status match promo that has temporarily created thousands of new elites (AKA freeloaders). I was one of them.
At the time I was also swimming in Chase UR points due to 100k signup bonus on Chase Sapphire Reserve. Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa was a category 4 (15k Hyatt points per night) and was a spectacular bargain, especially with a suite upgrade due to being a Diamond.
The deal got even better during high season when rates were $800 per night. I once even scored a presidential suite and brought my in-laws with us. It was an incredible deal, and we went to this property many times since it’s located only 1.5 hours from our home.
Alas, my Diamond status has expired and the resort has eventually moved to category 5 (20k points per night). They also added a parking fee of $15 per night. Despite the fact that I still have a few Club Lounge certificates left, I pretty much gave up on this property. I’m no longer swimming in UR points, and the award rate is not that compelling to me anymore. It doesn’t help that we have to share one room with kids, something I hate doing on vacations.
But the problem is, my kids haven’t given up on it. The other day, my son asked me when we will be going back to Hyatt. By “Hyatt” he means that specific property. Umm, never. I have about 30k UR points left, and was planning on transferring them to Southwest or burning them on paid travel at 1.5 cents apiece via CSR.
I told my son that we can no longer afford Hyatt, and that’s that. I expected a whine fest, but his response shocked me. He goes: “Don’t worry, mommy, I understand. When I grow up and get a job, I will take you to Hyatt for a week, and we will have a good time, just the two of us.”
That little rascal! He wasn’t being manipulative, either. I would have to have a heart made of stone not be moved by that, right? So the other day, when he got all A’s, I told him that I will try to take him to Hyatt next year. It would only be for a few nights, but he was fine with that. There is no turning back now.
I have 20k Hyatt points which I was planning to use for an anniversary getaway. It would also allow me to hit “Brand Explorer” Hyatt promotion, resulting in a free certificate at Category 1-4 Hyatt property. But the thing is, I will be just as happy at another hotel, while my son really wants Hyatt Regency Coconut Point.
I would have to transfer my precious 20k UR points to cover the second night (weeps). I might even book that night at a sister resort, Hyatt Residence Club Bonita Springs, though switching hotels is a nuisance with kids. That way I can still get my “5-brand” promo completed and possibly use the free certificate at Washington DC in 2021. But that’s a topic for another post. Yes, even while indulging my son, I’m still looking for a points angle.
The big “sweetener” is the Club Access certificate that I can use at the main resort. This makes 20k Hyatt points/per night rate somewhat palatable. Barely. Either way, booking a weekend at a local Hyatt resort is something I am able to swing.
I don’t really want to because these points can be better utilized elsewhere. But this hobby isn’t always about the best ROI, utilization, logic etc. It’s about making your family happy. The reasons for burning points are often purely emotional, and that’s OK.
Plus, we won’t have to fly anywhere, and club lounge access will cut our dining costs significantly.
Things I’m not willing to splurge on
Just yesterday, the YouTube algorithm has decided that I would like to watch a video on some fancy first-class seat on Emirates. Why, I don’t know. Intrigued, my husband clicked on it, and the kids were amazed at what they saw on the screen. They are used to plain economy seats, so the idea of a golden-trim mini couch in the sky blew their little minds.
My son looked at me and said that next time I have to use miles on first class. Nice try! I told him that considering his small stature, an economy seat is the equivalent of a first class. Apparently, he disagreed. The thing is, no matter how much my kids want fancy seats, it probably ain’t gonna happen.
I’m absolutely not opposed to it, but it’s the luxury we simply can’t afford 99% of the time. Not to mention, most airlines don’t normally release 4 award seats in the premium section of the plane. A few months ago, I was willing to splurge on JAL business class for my husband with the help of Asia Miles, but he refused because he didn’t want to sit separately from us.
I don’t fault others for insisting on flying upfront because it’s obviously more comfortable and it’s where you get the best ROI. I admit, there are some routes where I don’t want to fly in economy. US-South Africa is one of them. That’s where redeeming miles on Emirates premium class would pay off big time. But if we ever go Africa, we will probably fly in coach and spend a few days in Europe in order to to break up the grueling journey.
For the most part, economy to me is still doable for all but the longest flights. My husband and I survived 14 hours in coach WHILE SICK on Sydney-SFO flight operated by terrible, no good, very bad United Airlines, and lived to tell the tale.
There are other things I’m not willing to splurge on. Disney cruise is one of them. I have nothing against Disney cruises, and I know that many people feel they are worth the steep premium. Nancy (my blogging partner) is one of them, and I totally respect her travel choices. What people do with their money/points is their business. As long as you enjoy and feel that something is worth the price, that’s all that matters.
But I can’t wrap my head around paying twice or three times what Royal Caribbean charges. Again, no disrespect to Disney lovers. My kids have asked me to go on a Disney cruise and I have firmly said No. Unless there is a super duper sale, the answer is unlikely to change, just as with redeeming miles on first-class Emirates seat.
Readers, when do you indulge your kids and when do you draw the line?
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Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
I’m in the same boat. My family absolutely loves the Hyatt in Tahoe. Its very expensive but my family has informed me it is my #1 goal each year. All other trips can wait till points are squirreled away for Tahoe.
They also want to go back to Maui for SB. They had to settle for Aruba. First world problems!
@Lee Haha, first work problems indeed! I can totally relate. My kids are hooked on that Hyatt property, and it’s all my fault. Once they have tasted the good (aka Hyatt) life, it’s hard to go back to Holiday Inn. I don’t know if I will be able to indulge them for years to come, but it worked out this time. That resort is crazy expensive ($400 per night or more), so using points is the only way I can justify it.
Funny article and great comments by Robert. Anytime I walk into a roomy and very clean hotel room, I always say how nice it is, and yet, my oldest always reminds me, “It’s not the Fairmont!” He loves to yank my chain as he knows there is no way we could afford these trips without points or free certificates.
I’m having to save up all available cash and points for a family reunion next summer in Orlando. I really can’t stand the thought of Orlando for the 3rd year in a row and in the summer — it sounds petty, but I really wanted to take my family to Hawaii, Japan or Europe. Oh well…maybe Summer 2021.
@Stephanie Hey, I can’t stand Orlando! Doesn’t matter if it’s winter or summer. But with young kids, we will be going there for the foreseeable future. In fact, I’m finally planning a trip to Disney in 2021.
You know, I kind of wish I signed up for Chase Fairmont card back in the day. The properties in Maui and Big Island sure look nice. Oh well, can’t win them all! But I agree with you, as long as hotel room is decent/clean, that’s all I really need. With kids, I also prefer a separate bedroom area. It’s just not relaxing to share one room with those rascals. I would rather have a simple condo with a basic pool than a room in a fancy resort.
Forgot to mention that a really cheap option on Maui is the Days Inn in Kihei. My wife and daughter spent this last trip there. The rooms are very small, they shared one Queen sized bed, but parking was free and they were literally 20 steps from the beach. I don’t have the price in front of me but it was under $200/night, a steal on Maui for oceanfront! It was nice and clean, a/c, and small, but perfect.
@Robert Thank you so much for your comment! Enjoyed reading it. I laughed out loud at the part where you mentioned how a quick couple’s getaway has once morphed into a fam trip. Been there, done that!
Let me tell you, I envy your life. Can we trade places? 🙂 So many trips to Hawaii. I love it there too, and have been dreaming of moving. Alas, I’ve discovered that a modest house will run at $650k minimum, and NOT anywhere close to a nice beach. So, I think I will stay put in my paid off home in the Florida swamps, thank you very much. I’ve heard good things about Hyatt in Kauai. I doubt we will stay there with kids, but your comment may sway me to book one night at the end of the trip. We are going to Oahu next year, and I’ve already told my husband that Kauai/Big Island combo is next, hopefully in 2021 or 2022.
Explorist status in WOH gets you into the Grand Hyatt Kauai spa for free, it’s not a totally lux space but it’s quiet and I love the steam room. This last trip they also comped my valet charges. The pools there are fun and the salt water lagoon is fun to snorkel through. The beach isn’t very swimmable, I think the red flags are a permanent feature on the beach. We had better beach luck trekking to Allerton’s beach (requires a small bit of tresapass). Again, pretty good undertow there.
As a family, we’ve decided that Maui is our island. Kauai was a little too laid back for us. Oahu was way too busy for us (we stayed both on the north shore and on Waikiki at the military hotel). Maui was just right with many great beaches, especially for younger kids.
We’re lucky to live in the Rockies, Hawaii is a tolerable one stop away for us. We’re up to 6 or 7 trips now, definitely lucky and most definitely would have been tops 1 trip if not for points and miles.
@Robert Kauai is my favorite, but I can totally see why many folks prefer Maui. To me, it’s like a mix of all Hawaiian islands. There are lush green mountains on the road to Hana, and Haleakala crater that looks like the surface of the moon. The beaches on Maui are better than those on Kauai, so that’s another plus. And of course, all those migrating whales in Maui during winter season are a sight to behold!
I’ve seen Days Inn in Maui on Wyndham website. It looks like a great option for two people, though unfortunately wouldn’t work for a family. I actually like the Kihei area because it seems less touristy. Speaking of, have you see this Choice property in Maui https://www.choicehotels.com/hawaii/kihei/ascend-hotels/hi038 ? It costs 25k-30k points per night and reportedly, you can book 1-bedroom suite, depending on availability. Could be worth looking into during Daily Getaways sale, though booking window is very short. Plus, there is no way to tell whether 1-bedroom suite is available without having points in the account. Still, it sure seems like a bargain for Maui.
I agree with your thoughts.
In 2015 I got 6 of us to Hawaii (DL via Korean redemptions), we paid cash for our condo on Maui, the kids loved it there and we had room to spread out in our condo. In 2018 we were able to go back to Maui, this time booking a discounted rate via Vistana, flights again covered by points but crammed into a single room (originally planned as a quick couple’s getaway morphed into the whole fam). Later in summer 2018 my parents wanted to celebrate their 50th anniversary by taking the adult kids to Oahu (after we had booked our earlier family trip). DL redemptions were better if we flew through Kauai so we threw 2 nights in at the Grand Hyatt. We loved that so much that we burned a ton of points for a week in spring 2019 for 2 rooms at the Grand Hyatt, used some lounge access awards to sweeten the deal. Sure, the points hit from that was massive. But oh wow what a trip!
Fast forward to later 2019. We spread out trips for a parent and a child, quick trips for fun.
First I took my 14 year old to SoCal to watch baseball games, the Angels is his team. This trip used Delta points to LAX and JetBlue home from LGB. Hotel was a free IHG night (LA downtown Intercontinental was fantastic, our room wasn’t ready at 9pm so they waived the parking fee), Hyatt Place in Anaheim was just great. Baseball tickets out of pocket, but Grandpa wanted to come along and ended up overpaying us in order to tag along…
Next up was our youngest 2 going with mom to Disneyland. Chase UR points to purchase the hotel (thanks Sapphire Reserve booking bonus), Disney tix out of pocket. 3 nights, 2 days in the parks. WN companion pass and points tickets.
Last up was mom and 17 year old, WN companion pass for 2.5 days on Maui. Crappy hotel but on the beach, they spent very little time there sharing the single Queen bed. No red-eye for WN so an overnight in OAK on the way home.
The reason I’m sharing all this…what did my 14 year old ask the other day? Can we go to Maui for spring break 2020??? Uh, we’re low on points now, need to stock up again. I love that he’s caught the bug, plus he really wants to be a commercial airline pilot when he grows up now 🙂 but it’s tough to tell them no when I want to do the same thing!
I don’t have kids but enjoyed your post. (Also became Diamond through that Hyatt v short-lived promo).
@Andre Thanks! Funny thing is, I’m pretty sure Hyatt made money on that status match. While they probably didn’t really intend to hand it out the way they did, it got many folks hooked on Hyatt “kool-aid.” 🙂