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Points Talk with the Travel Mom Squad

126. Jess’s Family Trip to Japan on Points—Spring Break for $200?!

Points Talk with the Travel Mom Squad

Alex, Pam and Jess

Places & Travel, Education, Society & Culture, How To

4.9 • 734 Ratings

🗓️ 29 April 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, Jess takes us step-by-step through her family’s spring break trip to Japan—a points and miles masterpiece that cost just $200 total out of pocket for four round-trip flights and multiple hotel stays. From first class flights to washer/dryers in hotel rooms, this trip had it all. Whether you’re dreaming of cherry blossoms, bullet trains, or Hello Kitty cafés, this episode is packed with tips for making Japan happen—without breaking the bank.

Flying to Japan in Style with AA Miles

Jess booked her family’s flights using American Airlines miles, flying on Japan Airlines from Chicago to Tokyo, and shares her tips for snagging first-class saver award seats, business-class seats, and also premium-economy seats. 

Staying in Tokyo, Family Style

For the Tokyo leg, Jess chose the Hyatt House Shibuya, a new property that has quickly become her top recommendation for families. 

Kyoto on a Budget with Hyatt Place

After Tokyo, the family took the bullet train to Kyoto and stayed at the Hyatt Place Kyoto, a Category 2 gem offering amazing value. 

Activities included exploring Fushimi Inari Shrine, tasting local snacks at Nishiki Market, and spending several hours with deer at Nara Park—Molly’s favorite part of the trip!

Luxury Final Night at the Conrad Tokyo

For their final night, Jess used Hilton free-night certificates to stay at the Conrad Tokyo, a luxury property with top-tier service. From Hello Kitty water bottles at checkout to executive-lounge cocktails, it was the perfect way to end the trip. Jess doesn’t recommend it for the location alone, but if you’ve got free night certificates, she says it’s 100% worth it.

A trip to Japan for a family of four with flights and hotels for $200? This is the power of points and miles. Hit play now and hear how Jess pulled it off—and how you can too.



Links:

Episode Minute By Minute:

  • 00:30 – Flights to Japan: AA miles, upgrades, and flight tricks
  • 07:00 – Booking first class seats and handling premium economy changes
  • 12:00 – Transportation in Tokyo and using transit cards for kids
  • 16:00 – Hyatt House Shibuya: why it’s perfect for families
  • 23:00 – Favorite Tokyo experiences: TeamLab, shopping streets, latte art & cat cafés
  • 29:00 – Kyoto stay at Hyatt Place + must-dos like Nara Park and local markets
  • 36:00 – Final night at Conrad Tokyo with Hilton free-night certificates
  • 42:00 – Recap of highlights, family takeaways, and why Jess is ready to go back

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Want to hear all about Jess's recent trip to Japan?

0:02.8

She scored first and business class flights and got seven hotel nights for $0 out of pocket.

0:10.1

Listen up as she shares exactly how she did it and how you can do it too.

0:14.2

Welcome to Points Talk with the Travel Mom Squad.

0:17.1

We are three moms who've discovered how to leverage credit card welcome offers to get hundreds of thousands of dollars of travel expenses for nearly free.

0:25.6

We've used credit card points of miles to take vacations to places like Hawaii, Paris, Greece, Maldives, Japan, and so much more.

0:33.5

And the best part? We each still have 800 plus credit scores.

0:40.9

Imagine being able to take the vacation of your dreams for nearly free.

0:43.8

It's totally possible and we're here to show you how.

0:46.5

Hey, I'm Alex.

0:48.0

And I'm Jess.

0:49.3

Let's talk points.

0:50.0

All right.

0:54.1

So Jess just returned home from a spring break trip to Japan. And Jess, we want to hear all about how

0:57.1

you got there, where you stayed. I know you've been before with two of your stepdaughters. This time

1:02.8

you took Molly and Ted. So I know it was probably a little bit of a different trip. More people,

1:08.9

younger traveler. So tell us how it went traveling to Japan

1:13.4

with younger kids. But first, let's hear about your flights. Yeah. So last time it was me,

1:19.4

Ella, and Olivia. We went in January of 24. We have a podcast episode about that trip also

1:25.7

if you want to check it out. But as soon as we got home,

1:29.6

I was like, I have to go back to Japan because it is my favorite country I've ever been to.

1:34.8

And I knew that Molly would love it. She's 11. She's super into all the San Rio characters,

...

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