Ten years ago, in July 2013:
- Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke was the #1 song
- Andy Murray won his first Wimbledon title
- Orange is the New Black became the talk of the town on Netflix
- Despicable Me 2 dominated the U.S. box office
But most importantly, the Miles for Family blog was born!
That’s right. On July 5, 2013, Leana started writing Miles for Family to help middle-class families learn how to use miles and points from credit card bonuses to travel for less money. And 10 years later, the blog is still going strong!
I wasn’t there for the beginning of Miles for Family. I started writing several years later. And, I’m very grateful that Leana invited to write for the blog. Thank you, Leana!
In addition to Leana, I’d also like to thank Boarding Area and Travel Freely for partnering with Miles for Family. We appreciate you!
And of course, a huge thanks to all of our readers! Raise your hand if you’ve been a reader since the beginning! No matter when you found us, we’re glad you’re here. I love seeing and hearing about all the travel you can accomplish with the help of miles and points!
To show our appreciation, we’re having a drawing for a $100 Amazon gift card. To enter, simply comment on this post about what type of information you’d like to see included in future blog posts. That’s it! Comment by end of day Wednesday, July 12, 2023, and we will pick a winner at random. Make sure to comment on the blog, not on social media.
A few words from Leana
When the folks at Boarding Area sent us an email congratulating me and Nancy on 10-year blog anniversary, I thought it was a very nice touch. But to be honest, I wasn’t really planning to make any fuss over it. However, Nancy thought we should at least write a post about it, and she was right. Ten years of blogging is kind of a big deal. Scratch that, ten years is a big deal. Let’s see if I can avoid too much navel-gazing.
So, in July of 2013, my son was two and my daughter was about to start kindergarten. Now that same daughter is studying for a learner’s permit, so she can drive a CAR. Somebody wake me up from this nightmare.
Looking back on that time, I can’t not mention Daraius, the original founder of Million Mile Secrets blog. He gave me my big break by featuring the site in his interview series. I’m not sure what he is up to these days, but I really hope he is happy and healthy.
This site has changed quite a bit over the years, and I hope the changes are mostly positive. I’m the first one to admit that many of my early posts were cringe-worthy, and this blog lacked a clear sense of direction for the first year or two. There were many silly rants, and commentaries on various unimportant controversies. Miles and points blogosphere can be a very toxic environment at times, and I honestly feel bad for adding fuel into the fire. My biggest regret is that one time a fellow blogger was bullied because of something I said. It wasn’t intentional, but I feel responsible nonetheless.
Ten years later, I’m still the same crazy broad, though I try to think before I speak. Oh, and I also weigh ten more pounds than I did in 2013, but my husband says I still look hot, so who am I to argue? Over the last decade, I’ve lost people who were dear to me. To be honest, I dread to think what the next decade will bring. But time waits for no one, and it’s up to us to make it count.
I want to thank Nancy, my friend and blogging companion, for keeping this site going despite various difficulties over the years. Not only is she responsible for most of the content nowadays, but she takes care of technical things and frustrating behind-the-scenes compliance issues. Basically, stuff I have no desire to deal with. But someone has to do it, and she handles it all without a complaint. But my admiration for her has very little to do with blogging, and everything to do with what type of person she is. Nancy is a devoted mother, who adopted her two sons from Russia. She has a big heart, and that is what truly counts.
I hope that our posts have changed your lives in a small way and helped you get more out of your miles and points. Awhile back a reader told me that she has decided to plan a trip to Montenegro due to what I wrote about the country. It honestly blew my mind. I love travel, and sharing my family’s adventures with you has been a privilege.
We are not trying to change the world here, and I’m the first one to admit that in the grand scheme of things miles and points are at the bottom of the proverbial totem pole. But they bring happiness by allowing those on a budget to visit amazing destinations, and that’s something. Just don’t let them take over your lives.
Happy 10 years!
Author: Nancy
Nancy lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three kids. Her favorite vacations include the beach, cruising and everything Disney.
Congratulations! So exciting 10 years. I’d love to see any info on large family trips. I am always trying to plan for our family of 16.
Congrats! Would also love to see more posts on off the beaten path trips
Happy anniversary. Others have said it, so I’ll just reiterate: reviews, esp for new found locations with lots of charm; badly designed, uncomfortable airplanes to try to avoid when booking; great biz class sales, cash or points. Thanks!
Congrats! Travel Deals please…
Awesome work keeping this going for 10 years, and I think its gotten better over the 4 years or so I’ve been reading. I don’t have kids, but I really like Leana’s straightforward takes on the whole spectrum of points enabled travel, especially the family dynamics involved in every stage of planning, earning, redeeming, traveling.
Might be wrong, but if she is able to avoid the guilt, it seems she might be ripe for an individual trip to somewhere the rest of her family isn’t really up for, all the way into Asian/”exotic” food, lots of steep walking, other cultures, etc 😉 As an example, Bhutan for a week. She deserves to do the “what she wants” trip, she’s done so much around her family’s wants already.
I discovered your blog from Million Miles Secret. I’m wondering how Darius and Emily (separately) are doing, too.
I’d love to read about strategies for redemptions a family of 5. I’ve given up on business class flights in order to have more travel. I’m hoping you’ll one day have a trip report on Belarus.
Congratulations! love your blog for all the reasons people have been saying.
I’d like to hear more about strategies for flying internationally in business class as a family. Especially how to coordinate different itineraries because enough award seats (more than 2) are not available. I love reading about how you cobble together flight itineraries because it gives me ideas.
Thanks for keeping it real (especially traveling with kids). I check boarding area periodically, but unless I’m looking for the answer to a specific question, your blog is the only one I read consistently.
Congratulations. I’d love to see more trip reports. Thank you and best of luck on the next 10!!
Love any off the beaten path destinations or hotels.
ECR
I was redirected from Millions Miles secrets after your write up in that site . I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since you started wringing . Good luck
Here’s to another 10+ years of happy travels!
Congratulations! I love how your blog focuses on realistic redemptions for business class tickets for two from US west coast to Asia, such as; Japan or Hong Kong
Congratulations! I would enjoy more posts on low cost travel suggestions inside the US.
Great website! Thank you for all the travel tips!
Congrats on making it to ten years! I love trip reports and also noting what went wrong and what you would do differently on a trip so people can plan better or possibly learn from mistakes.
I would love to see content about useful family travel gear and strategies for traveling with all that gear.
I love how your blog (as opposed to many other points and miles blogs) focuses on realistic redemptions for families. I’d love to see more specific details on how you search for business class flights for larger parties (ie family of 4)
Congrats. I would like to see more trip reports. Thanks!
I am loving it as it is but I would love to see more strategies as in how to find the flights specifically…Maybe like a step by step, how I do this…I know it can get kind of hairy but I would love it. I am a teacher and basically, my hubby uses Delta Amex a lot for his business. He is not wild about getting more credit cards but I have gotten a few extra. I am wondering how canceling affects your credit when it comes to average time of having a card. I was told by my bank not to cancel cards but when you are hoping to get more points, you are going to have to do that. Anything along those lines would be great. That being said, I would love others to post on their great finds too! Sharing is always a wonderful idea!
Just keep posting as honestly as you do. I follow you because I can relate to you and to the experiences you are sharing with your families. I guess in the future, it would be fun for the two of you to create a bucket list of places to see with some added info on the best way(s) to get to those locations. My kids are aging as quickly as yours and I’m excited for so much travel ahead (with kids and without!)
Best family city hotels.
Congrats! That’s a huge milestone! Excellent content!
Would love more travel deals
Congrats! More hotel deals.
Congratulations! 🎊 More articlea on the best ways to make use of your points.
I’d like to see more big picture/long term strategies regarding credit cards.
Thanks for all the great info over the years. I had hair when I first found this site
I am in the same boat. Big picture/long term strategies. How to help others from the very beginning!
Congratulations! I like reading your reviews, hotel information is great!
Happy 10 year anniversary! That’s an amazing achievement! I would love to continue to see more travel deals and hotel reviews!
I love that Leana is frugal, honest and tries to incorporate everyone’s likes and dislikes into the trip. That’s how I plan a trip, and I’ve used some of Leana’s ideas to work on my own trips to different locales. Nancy takes a different approach, but with her three kids, it is easier to apply the difficulties of traveling in a family with four kids for booking planes and hotels. I appreciate seeing how each apply tips and tricks to see what I can do for my own travels. Keep on posting how you plan the trips. I enjoy the thought process.
I am planning a trip to Hawai’i for 2025. I would love a straight forward post about the top couple of credit cards I could get to help off set costs and in what order/timeframe would make the most sense to have the points in time to make the bookings. I know Hawai’i is a topic you have covered in the past but I would love more and even broken down for us newbies/inexperienced folks.
Happy 10 years. It’s been refreshing to read content untinged by Instagram filters. To see how real people travel. I would like to just keep reading about your real adventures and gain inspiration from those.
Happy 10th anniversary! I remember reading Leana’s blog back in the very beginning, but then somehow lost track of it. I found it again a few years ago, and now it’s one of the very few that I follow! Nancy and Leana, you both do a great job, and I very much enjoy reading your articles.
I only found your site a couple years ago after getting involved in the credit card churning game. As a single dad of two kids, it’s been liberating traveling on miles and points. I appreciate the trip reports on your blog, and in fact, we just returned from a two-week trip to France, Italy, and Switzerland – and the Switzerland part of the trip, I was able to use a lot of the info provided from your posts of your trip last summer. It was our first trip as a family in biz class and the kids loved it!
i’d like to read more about lounge access for normal folks who aren’t elites. i love your site. thank you.
Congratulations!!
I would like to see more details on the tools you use to find award flights, hotel deals, ets.
Congrats on 10 years! I would love to see more content on how you find and book your award flights and stays.
Happy 10 years, Leana & Nancy. Here to another ten! Thank you for making it real for us, regular family. Step by step on how to fly Europe using partner award is appreciated, now that United miles devalued.
Congrats! I enjoy reading your posts. I travel on a budget in order to travel more frequently or bring more family with me, so I’m always looking for ways to make the points go further.
Congrats… would love to see more trip reports
Happy 10 years anniversary! I don’t have kids but stumbled on your site several years ago and LOVE the middle class thrifty tips and redemptions. Several of the sites have gotten downright snobby and are just too rich for me. Many of thier goals are way out of my reach. All they do is push opening cards with thier links and there is not much real content. I love how you have shared your income range and ways you have saved for trips. I apreciate the humble honestly and realizing many people have a very low travel budget. I feel welcome and comfortable commenting on your site and have always appreciate the great advice. Thank you for all your HARD WORK! It is truely appreciated.
Happy 10 years. Would like to see content similar to the decision post regarding Roatan vs. Bora Bora. Love to see alternatives to “popular” destinations with ones that are more affordable/less crowded. More importantly, would love to see how much more/less miles and points it would be to get to said alternative.
Happy ten years! I’ve been reading since before Nancy came onboard. I really enjoy how Leana cobbles together points from multiple places to plan and execute trips. It always astonishes me how her mind works. Thank you for all you two do!
congrats on 10 yrs, just stumbled on your site recently. would love to see more trip planning scenarios from start-to-end timelines, inclusive of decision-making on locales, airlines, hotels for families.
Congrats on 10 years! I love seeing info about little-known or quirky sights or quiet corners in well-known places.
Happy 10 years! I think I’ve subscribed to you guys at least a year now and I rarely subscribe. I hate things filling up my inbox. But you guys really keep it real. I don’t have specific posts wanting to see, I just hope you guys continue to be real and honest. Thank you!
Congrats on your anniversary! Even though I don’t have kids, I like reading your posts because you often focus on sights and activities, which are some of my primary interests for traveling (food being another one), and just because something is kid-friendly or even geared towards kids, it can still be very interesting and fun for adults. For example, I just got a great tip from a previous post about seeing a maiko performance in Kyoto where I’ll be visiting in September.
Congratulation on 10 years. I think I have been along for all those years and I must say, I really enjoy when Leana or Nancy reports on a trip and give specific sources of hotels, activities., etc. Thank you for all the inspirations.
Congrats on 10 years! I’ve only started reading and connecting with y’all, as I’m sifting through the massive amount of miles/points information out there in the interweb. Right now, my biggest interest is always hearing more about traveling with young kids, best places and things to do – especially that a bit more “off the beaten path” ideas.
Congratulations! I would love to hear more how you guys are successful in finding BA redemptions on AA. It seems like you always have great luck with availability!
Congratulations ladies! Always a pleasure.
Congratulations ladies! Your advice and tips have proven invaluable to me over the past several years! It’s been an eye-opener to have this fabulous way to save money and be able to travel on such a strict budget as i have. I really appreciate the advice on what credit cards to go for in different scenerios. Lately, i’m wishing for more tips on exactly how to use my airline points to get those difficult flights. I’m probably just not understanding it completely, or perhaps hoping for too much, but i still dont get how to use my big bonus stashes to get those super duper flights by doing the clever connections and stuff. All i know is i have to get from west coast to point b and it cost an arm and a leg so i spend all my points on the flight plus whatever cash they require. Either way, thanks so much for all your well-presented content and tips!!! <3
Been reading your blog for many years & really appreciate that you focus on family travel. Keep up the great work!
Congrats. Would love to hear more about how to get the most use of my points.
Really enjoy the site as it provides honesty and not just trying to generate commissions and referrals. I’m primarily a domestic US traveler so any content on road trips, national parks, places to stay (enjoy the lodging reviews) is great.
Happy ten years Nancy and Leana. I’ve been here for a long time, and reading this post made me reflect on my own life/miles and points journey. There are so many memories I was able to create and cherish forever, thanks to this community. I feel we are like pen pal friends.
My favorites were to fly my late grandmother from Brazil to NY on business class so she could meet my newborn son. Also, I took my former mother-in-law to the Fairmont Mayakoba in Mexico for four nights, and she was so impressed with the hotel (it was her first time in a super fancy hotel).
I would love to see more travel reports because, as a parent to, juggling the school calendar is always a considerable challenge.
I miss the days I could hop on a flight deal, and my son could skip school without problems.
came across this site randomly and truly enjoyed it since! Congrats for the 10 year anniversary!
Congrats on the anniversary! Love the blog, been reading for a while now. I’d like to see more posts on suggestions for activities at destinations for teens/younger adults. Also if there are any recommendations for starter credit cards as the kids turn 18 (where there is a greater chance they’d get approved).
I would live to see more about the premium fares and deals
I’ve been here since day one. ☺️ I’ve booked many trips based on Nancy and Leana’s trip reports. I’ve found destinations and hotels I wouldn’t have found otherwise.
One area where I lack confidence in transfer partners from Chase and Amex. I mean, I know about SW and Hyatt but I’d like to know more about how my points can stretch with other partners and sweet spots.
Thanks for letting us come along for the ride!
Congrats on 10rh year! It’s not easy but worthwhile keeps going. I love reading the miles redemption for the whole family, not just targeting the single or couple. How to plan and use the point wisely for the family as I have two small kids now.
Hi, I would love more information on lounges. Which ones do you think are best for a family of five? Is it worth getting a premium credit card (one that has a large annual fee)? On another topic… Is it better to take a break to get back down to 5/24 or continue with obtaining AMEX cards or another brand? Thanks for all the info. I really enjoy your blog.
Love your blog! Very down to earth with great tips! As your kids are getting older I love the teen content you add (what the kids liked/didn’t like) so keep that coming! Thanks for a great blog!
More about how to travel in J using rewards for larger families.
Love your info! I’d be interested in some more theoretical ways to use points, instead of just your trip reports (which I also enjoy!). Thank you
I would love to see more reports of your travel. Thanks!
Love your blog. I would enjoy more hotel deals.
Like your blog. Maybe more info about lounges you use.
Enjoyed the comment about teaching your child how to drive – have fun!
Like your site. A long time blogger wanna-be. Please publish more travel reports. Thank you
More info on hotel deals
Happy 10 years – read it almost everyday. I LOVE your articles about cruise excursions and hotel specifics (Not even points related TBH) ahh 2013, a simpler time!
Really like the site. You seem to fill a different niche than most other blogs. Keep doing what you’re doing, I enjoy reading your more “down to earth” articles.