42. Australia Awaits: How Jess Scored Big on Her Dream Trip

Points Talk with the Travel Mom Squad

Alex, Pam and Jess

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

4.9 • 734 Ratings

🗓️ 19 September 2023

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We have an exciting podcast for you today as Jess shares her bucket-list experience in Australia! From negotiating for a room with the perfect view to taking the scenic coastal walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach, Jess packed her 10-day trip with unforgettable experiences.

First, Jess shares how she scored flights to Sydney that would have cost $24,000 for only $800 out of pocket.

Then she shares where she stayed in Sydney for three nights for FREE!

From a kayaking trip in the Sydney Harbour, to a sumptuous breakfast overlooking the opera house, it's clear that Sydney was bursting with unique experiences. And though it was winter, the Australian weather proved to be pleasantly mild.

And as if Sydney wasn't enough, Jess also took a quick hop over to Melbourne.

She shares how she used British Airways Avios to pay for the flights there, plus how Hyatt points came in clutch once again for her 5 nights in Melbourne.

Melbourne offers the perfect balance of city experiences, wildlife encounters, and scenic beauty. Whether it's through points, miles, or just splurging a little, the experiences you get are truly priceless.

I'm with Alex on this—if I wasn't already dreaming of a trip down under, I am now! But to get the full scoop, including more on Jess's Australian tales, you're going to want to tune in for yourself. So what are you waiting for? Hit play to hear the full conversation!

Links For All Things Travel Mom Squad: stan.store/travelmomsquad

Links For This Episode:

Park Hyatt Sydney: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/australia/park-hyatt-sydney/sydph?src=corp_lclb_gmb_seo_sydph
Grand Hyatt Melbourne: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/australia/grand-hyatt-melbourne/melbo?src=corp_lclb_gmb_seo_melbo
Park Hyatt Melbourne: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/australia/park-hyatt-melbourne/melph?src=corp_lclb_gmb_seo_melph
Sydney by Kayak: https://sydneybykayak.com.au/tours/sunrise-kayak-and-coffee/
Great Ocean Road tour: https://www.theprivatetourguide.com/great-ocean-road-private-tour
Yarra Valley tour: https://www.theprivatetourguide.com/private-yarra-valley-wine-tour
Phillip Island/Moonlit Sanctuary tour: https://gowest.com.au/our-tours/phillip-island-penguin-parade-small-group-eco-tour/

Episode Minute By Minute:

01:10 Jess shares all about her flights and how she booked them
04:09 Pam highlights how important it is to stockpile points for last-minute bookings
06:35 Jess shares her experience with her stepdaughter on Qantas Airlines
11:21 Here are more airline options for travel to Australia!
12:55 Jess talks about her first stay in Sydney at the Park Hyatt
27:29 From kayaking in the harbour, to touring the famous Opera House, Sydney is a dream!
29:16 Jess dives into the second half of their trip, from Sydney to Melbourne
31:28 Jess’s review of the Grand Hyatt Melbourne
32:18 Jess’s experience at the Park Hyatt at Melbourne
37:57 Jess breaks down her favorite things to do while in Australia
43:30 Hear about the fun experiences you can have in Melbourne
45:26 Jess gives her Sydney versus Melbourne take

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	You're listening to Points Talk with the Travel Mom Squad, previously known as the Travel Hacking
0:04.7	Mom Show. Follow the links in the show notes to stay up to date with what the Travel Mom
0:09.0	Squad has been up to. Want to hear all about Jess's recent trip to Australia? She scored
0:14.9	business class flights that would have cost $24,000 for just $800 in taxes and fees, and she got eight nights at luxury
0:24.3	height hotels for less than $700. Listen up as she shares exactly how she did it and how you
0:30.9	can do it too. Welcome to the Travel Hacking Mom Show. We are three moms who've discovered
0:36.6	how to leverage credit card welcome offers to get hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel expenses for
0:41.8	nearly free. We've used credit card points and miles to take vacations to places like Hawaii,
0:47.1	Paris, Greece, the Maldives, Italy, and so much more. And the best part? We each still have an
0:52.7	800 plus credit score. Imagine being able to book a
0:55.6	vacation without having to check your bank account. It's totally possible and we're here to show you how.
1:01.4	Hey, I'm Alex. And I'm Pam, Alex's mom. And I'm Jess. We are travel hacking moms.
1:09.5	Jess just returned from a 10-day trip to Australia.
1:12.2	And Jess, we want to hear all about how you got there and where you stayed.
1:16.9	So first, tell us about your flights.
1:20.9	Okay, so Australia has been number one on my bucket list for years.
1:26.7	And I was like, I'm going to be picky about how I get there because
1:30.9	obviously if I were paying cash, I would be flying economy. But as Pam always says, we all have
1:37.9	different goals in this hobby. And for me, it is go beg or go home. So if I, like, that is my personal motto. So if I am able to use my
1:48.9	points and miles to fly business class to Australia, then I'm going to wait until a really good
1:53.8	deal comes up so that I can fly business class, especially the flight over there. So when I woke up the morning that I booked this
2:02.2	trip, I didn't even plan to book a trip to Australia that day. But Zach, our friend and the founder
	...

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