These are the apps, services, and travel resources we actually use to plan our trips, find better deals, stay organized, and make family travel easier.
We’re constantly asked what we use to book our trips, find flight deals, keep track of our points and miles, and plan activities once we arrive—so we put all of our favorites in one place.
Everything on this page is something we personally use, have used, or genuinely recommend
POINTS & MILES
The Free App We Use to Track Our Credit Cards
Once you start earning points and miles, keeping track of everything can get confusing—especially when you’re using a two-player strategy with a spouse or partner.
Travel Freely is the free app we use to keep our credit card strategy organized. It helps track important dates, annual fees, card-opening history, and where you are in your overall card strategy.
If you’re just getting started with points and miles—or you're already earning points but feel like you need a better system—this is one of our favorite tools.
FLIGHT DEALS
The Flight Deal Service We Use
One of the biggest misconceptions about points and miles is that you need to know exactly where and when you want to travel before you start.
Sometimes the best trips start with an incredible deal.
We use Thrifty Traveler Premium to find cheap cash fares and points and miles deals. They send the deals directly to your inbox, including award availability that can be difficult and time-consuming to find on your own.
Use code MCM for $20 off your first year.
We’ve used flight deal alerts as inspiration for our own travel plans, and it’s one of the first resources we recommend if you want to stretch your points further.
AWARD FLIGHT SEARCH
The Tool We Use to Search for Flights With Points
Knowing how to earn points is only half the equation. The next step is figuring out how to actually use them.
Roame is one of the tools we use to search for award flights across multiple airline loyalty programs without having to search every airline website individually.
Use code MCM25 for 25% off your first year.
Instead of spending hours checking different programs one by one, we can search for points and miles availability in one place and compare different options for getting where we want to go.
We especially love using tools like this when we’re trying to find international flights or premium cabin availability using points.
If you have points but aren't sure how to find the best ways to use them for flights, this is a great place to start your search.
TOURS & EXPERIENCES
Where We Book Tours and Activities
Some of our favorite travel memories have come from the experiences we’ve booked along the way—from food tours and cooking classes to boat trips, private guides, and day trips.
We use both Viator and GetYourGuide when planning our trips. We like being able to compare different experiences, read reviews from other travelers, and find activities that work for our families.
We always recommend checking both sites when planning a trip. Tour options, availability, and pricing can vary, so we compare our options before deciding what works best for us.
Already know where you’re going? Start browsing experiences and see what catches your eye.
HOTELS & STAYS
Where We Search for Hotels When We’re Paying Cash
We love booking hotels with points, but points aren’t always the best option for every trip.
Sometimes we’re traveling somewhere without a good points hotel option, sometimes we need more space for a family or group, and sometimes the cash price is good enough that we’d rather save our points for another trip.
When we’re paying cash, we usually compare options on Expedia and Hotels.com for hotels, and check Vrbo or Airbnb when a vacation rental makes more sense for our family or the group we’re traveling with.
We always recommend comparing the total price, location, room setup, and cancellation policy before booking. The cheapest option at first glance isn’t always the best fit once you look at all the details.
READY TO TRAVEL MORE?
We truly believe travel doesn’t have to be reserved for people with unlimited budgets.
We’re two moms with regular families who learned how to use points and miles, find better travel deals, and be more intentional about the way we plan our trips. These are the same tools and resources we use along the way, and we hope they help make planning your next adventure a little easier.
Want to learn how we use points and miles to make more travel possible for our families? Our Family Travel Rewards Academy walks you through the entire process step by step—from earning your first points to actually using them to book trips.
Affiliate Disclosure
Some of the links on this page are affiliate or referral links. This means we may earn a commission or referral bonus if you click a link, sign up for a service, or make a purchase or qualifying booking through one of our links. This comes at no additional cost to you.
We only share tools, services, and resources that we personally use, have experience with, or genuinely believe may be helpful to our audience. Any opinions shared are our own.
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