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Last spring, I had a mom DM me in a panic.
Her kids were out of school in three weeks. She had plenty of points and a destination picked. When she finally sat down to book, every flight she wanted was gone, the hotel she’d been eyeing had no award availability, and suddenly her “free” spring break trip was going to cost thousands in cash.
That’s the part of points travel nobody warns you about: points don’t guarantee availability — but timing can.
Spring break is one of the busiest travel windows of the year for families. If you wait until everyone else is planning, you’re often stuck with scraps. My goal with this post is to help you think ahead now so March and April don’t turn into a stress spiral.
If you’re still getting comfortable with how points actually work, my Beginner’s Guide to Points and Miles is a great place to start before you dive into planning.
The One Thing That Changes Everything: Set These Alarms
If you only do one thing after reading this post, do this:
Set booking alarms based on your actual spring break dates.
This is how families with points get options instead of leftovers.
School Break Booking Alarms (Save + Reuse Every Year)
Pick your departure date and your hotel check-in date, then set these phone alarms so you get the best availability.
Flights
Set from departure date| Alarm | Set this many days before |
|---|---|
| Flights open (most airlines) | 330–331 days (best availability) |
| Flights open (Southwest) | 240–270 days (released later, in batches) |
| Recheck flights | 120 days (schedule changes + better times) |
| Final check | 60 days (last chance to improve) |
Hotels
Set from check-in date| Hotel type | Set this many days before |
|---|---|
| Hyatt (many properties) | 395 days (about 13 months) |
| Most major hotel brands | 365 days (about 12 months) |
| Marriott | 350 days (about 50 weeks) |
| Disney World (room-only) | 499 days (opens very early) |
| Recheck hotel pricing | 180 days (points + refundable rates change) |
| Final hotel check | 30 days (room types / upgrades may appear) |
How to use this chart (fast)
Choose the first day you want to fly out and set the flight alarms above. Then choose your hotel check-in date and set the hotel alarms above. Book early for availability (refundable if you can), then use the later alarms to improve your options.
Quick note before we keep going: yes, last-minute deals exist (especially for business class). They usually require flexible dates and flexible destinations. Most families don’t have that luxury, so this post is for the planners who want spring break to feel calm.
Why Spring Break Is Different When You’re Using Points
When you’re paying cash for travel, you typically have unlimited inventory- you just pay more as prices go up.
Points don’t usually work the same way.
Many programs limit award seats. The ones that do only release a certain number of rooms or seats for points bookings. Once those are gone, they’re gone, even if cash rooms are still available.
So especially if you aren’t flexible on your destination and dates- it can feel really frustrating when you wait till the last minute.
Spring break hits every pressure point at once.
- Families traveling on fixed school calendars
- Peak demand for warm-weather destinations
- Higher competition for larger hotel rooms and connecting flights
- Fewer “deal” opportunities because everyone wants the same dates
If you have specific dates and destinations in mind, I encourage most families to plan big trips early, whether it’s spring break, summer travel, or holiday travel. I talk about this mindset a lot in Do You Plan the Trip First or Follow the Deal? because timing can change everything when you’re using points.
Family-Friendly Spring Break Ideas
If you’re still deciding where to go, these tend to be the most mentioned:
Warm-Weather Favorites
- Florida beach destinations
- Southern California
- Hawaii (requires earlier planning, but great family value- steal our strategy HERE)
Desert + Pool Resorts
- Phoenix / Scottsdale
- Palm Springs
- Las Vegas (surprisingly family-friendly resorts outside the Strip)
National Parks + Nature
- Utah parks (Zion, Bryce, Arches)
- Arizona (Sedona, Grand Canyon)
City Trips With Easy Day Trips
- San Diego
- Washington, DC
- Orlando (especially if pairing parks + resort days)
Cruises
Spring break cruises price differently than flights and hotels and can sometimes be easier to lock in early with points-adjacent strategies. Read more on how to save on cruises HERE.
Or, join our Facebook group to crowd source ideas, or steal someone else’s strategy!
My Spring Break Booking Strategy (Flights First, Always)
If you’re flying during spring break, flights are almost always the hardest part, especially for families booking more than two seats.
This is why I always:
- Search flights before booking hotels
- Check a few nearby departure airports if driving is reasonable
- Look at one-way pricing instead of round-trip
- Check multiple airlines instead of locking into one option
I also use tools like FlightConnections to see every airline that flies a route, and apps that help track availability so I’m not searching for hours. I cover my favorite booking tools in this article.
One strategy that dramatically increases options is positioning flights — flying from a different city where award availability is better. It sounds intimidating, but it’s one of the ways we stretch our points the farthest as a family.
Then Hotels (And How to Protect Yourself)
Hotel availability often disappears quickly once spring break travelers start booking. In high-demand periods, I’ve even seen hotels hold back rooms for cash bookings.
If you don’t find what you want immediately, all is not lost.
My approach:
- Book something refundable early
- Monitor availability using tools like MaxMyPoint
- Improve your booking later if better options open up
If you’re looking at brands like Hyatt (my favorite for family value), checking early matters even more because award inventory can be limited.
A Common Mistake I See Every Spring
The biggest mistake I see families make is assuming that having points means they’ll automatically be able to use them whenever they want.
Points are only powerful when you pair them with:
- Availability
- Flexibility
- A little bit of advance planning
This is also why understanding the difference between flexible points and cash-back rewards matters, and why I encourage families to build points with intention, not just sign up randomly.
If you’re still building your points balances, here’s a list of cards I recommend for flexible travel rewards when it makes sense for your situation.
(As always, only apply for cards that fit your budget and long-term plans.)
How I’d Start Planning Your Spring Break This Week
This doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. I’d focus on just a few intentional steps:
Your simple 4-step plan to start booking with points
Use this like a checklist: fast, realistic, and way less overwhelming.
-
1
Take inventory of your points + miles
First, take inventory of what points and miles you already have. Knowing what currencies you’re working with helps narrow realistic destinations quickly.
-
2
Sketch your ideal dates (plus 1–2 backups)
Second, sketch out your ideal dates and one or two backup options. Even small flexibility gives you leverage when searching.
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3
Start flight searches now (even if you’re not booking today)
Third, start running flight searches now, even if you’re not ready to book today. This gives you a feel for availability trends instead of guessing later.
-
4
Check hotel award space and monitor it
Fourth, check hotel award space for the same dates and monitor it consistently if you’re not ready to lock in yet.
If you’re feeling stuck, pick one destination to test first: inventory → dates → flights → hotels. Momentum beats overwhelm.
If you are still feeling a bit intimidated, read this on how to set goals to start using your points.
Come Hang Out With Us
If you love this kind of practical planning and real-life points strategy, you’d love our community.
You can:
- Join my weekly newsletter.
- Follow along on Instagram.
- Join our Facebook group for daily questions and wins.
Our community is one of my favorite parts of this whole journey.
Don’t Let Spring Break Sneak Up on You
Spring break doesn’t have to feel rushed, expensive, or stressful, even when you’re traveling with kids and using points.
The families who enjoy spring break the most aren’t the ones who find a last-minute miracle deal. They’re the ones who planned a few months ahead, locked in good options, and gave themselves flexibility.
If you want to start earning and using points more confidently for trips like this, grab my free beginner’s guide.
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