If you’ve ever tried to book four (or six!) seats on the same plane for a school-break trip, you know the feeling…the price jumps while you’re still comparing flight times, and suddenly that long-awaited vacation feels out of reach.

Points changed that for us. Not because I’m chasing every shiny deal, but because I’ve learned to focus on just a few programs that make real family travel easier.

We flew to Italy on points for our 17-year anniversary. Here’s how we booked business class using 60K points instead of $2,800 per ticket.

I’ve come to love IHG properties for family travel, not because they’re flashy or influencer-trendy, but because they are often:

The only chain hotel in smaller destinations (like the Columbia River Gorge or near national parks)

Way more likely to offer suite-style rooms or sofa sleepers

Loaded with perks like free breakfast or kitchens, which is huge when feeding multiple kids

I felt bad the other day when I posted a ski week we took due to the Epic Pass that was limited to Utah moms because of the School Kids program they have. So, I got curious and wanted to give you a list of some of the best ski trips I could find that you could book on points. Yes, skiing itself can be a bit pricey, but when you know how to book the hotels for your winter wonderland vacation on points, it suddenly gets a whole lot easier to book.

I used to watch school-break fares jump overnight and think, “Maybe next year.” The turning point was learning how to aim American Express Membership Rewards® points at the right partners, and only transferring once seats and fees checked out. That’s when “someday” trips started turning into actual vacations.