Episode 127
How David Morrow Booked 7 Business Class Seats and More to Travel the World With a Large Family (Ep. 127)
In this episode of the BoldlyGo Podcast: Revolutionizing Your Journey, DeAndre Coke sits down with David, a longtime points-and-miles enthusiast who has spent the last decade mastering family travel for a household of five. From booking business class seats for seven people on a multi generational Asia trip to navigating the realities of traveling with kids, David shares a refreshing and practical perspective on what family travel actually looks like in the world of points and miles.
The conversation dives deep into the unique challenges families face when trying to book award travel. David explains why family travel requires a completely different strategy compared to solo or couples travel, especially when searching for multiple premium cabin seats on the same flights. He shares how flexibility, patience, and long term planning have helped his family visit more than 20 countries using points and miles.
David also opens up about how his career in nonprofit work pushed him to discover points and miles as a way to create meaningful experiences for his family without spending a fortune. He discusses the importance of starting small, focusing on achievable wins early on, and avoiding the trap of comparing your journey to flashy luxury travel content online. From economy flights to Puerto Rico to international business class trips years later, David walks listeners through the gradual evolution of his travel strategy.
Throughout the episode, listeners will learn practical strategies for booking award seats for larger families, how to think about earning points at scale, why flexibility matters more than perfection, and which airline programs have worked best for David over the years. The conversation also explores the value of exposing children to different cultures, helping kids become global citizens, and creating lifelong memories through travel experiences together.
This episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone trying to figure out how to make points and miles work for a family. David’s thoughtful approach proves that family travel does not need to look perfect to be unforgettable.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro: Why family travel with points is a completely different game
(03:17) DeAndre introduces David and the family travel focus
(06:55) Biggest misconceptions about family award travel
(09:19) Booking flights for five and seven people with points
(11:34) Keeping the family together in the same cabin
(15:36) Best airline programs for larger family award bookings
(17:34) Earning enough points for premium family travel
(24:20) How David planned a trip to Asia for seven people
(32:58) David’s highlights from trips to Hong Kong, Singapore & Japan
(39:28) Creating meaningful experiences for kids through travel
(43:36) David’s family trip to Europe to visit Switzerland and Austria
(47:32) Advanced strategies for finding premium cabin availability
(54:07) Starting small with family travel redemptions
(57:21) Final thoughts and advice on family travel
Key Highlights:
- Family travel realities: Booking five or seven award seats requires a completely different strategy than solo travel, especially for premium cabins.
- Start with small wins: David explains how their first family redemption was economy flights to Puerto Rico and a Hilton Embassy Suites stay using fifth night free benefits.
- Flexibility matters most: Successful family award travel often requires flexibility with dates, airports, cabins, and even destinations.
- The trip starts on the plane: David and his wife prioritize traveling together in the same cabin so the family experience begins the moment they board.
- Patience pays off: Many family trips involve multiple bookings, rebookings, alerts, and adjustments before everything finally comes together.
- Long term strategy wins: It took years before David’s family consistently flew international business class using points and miles.
- Airline programs that help families: KLM, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and LifeMiles have been particularly valuable for larger family bookings.
- Earning enough points: Everyday spending alone is rarely enough for premium family travel. Welcome bonuses and business spending are critical.
- Travel expands perspective: David believes international travel helps children grow, gain responsibility, and develop a broader worldview.
Resources:
- BoldlyGo LIVE! Miami 5-7 Registration
- Check out our Podcast Library
- Become a BoldlyGo Blog contributor
- Start here to learn how to unlock nearly free travel
- Sign up for our newsletter!
- BoldlyGo Travel With Points & Miles Facebook Group
Need Global Travel Insurance? We recommend World Nomads
Some of Our Favorite Tools For Elevating Your Points & Miles Game:
Note: Contains affiliate/sponsored links
- Get Autopilot: Never Overpay for a Flight or Hotel Again
- Card Pointers (Saves the average user $750 per year)
- Zil Money (For Payroll on Credit Card)
- Travel Freely
- Point.me
- FlightConnections.com
- Thrifty Traveler Premium
- LTH Online Points & Miles In Depth Course:
- Use coupon code "BOLDYGO" for a 50% discount!
Connect with DeAndre & Taryn:
- Instagram: BoldlyGo.world
- TikTok: BoldlyGo.world
- Website: BoldlyGo.world
- YouTube: BoldlyGoWorld
- YouTube: BoldlyGo.Travels
Connect with David Morrow:
Mentioned in this episode:
Check out the Smart Travel Podcast
This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:
Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the world
This podcast is part of the Voyascape Travel Network, that brings together the world's best travel podcasts. You can find all of our podcasts from around the world at Voyascape.com. If you are interested in advertising or sponsered content on any of our shows you can find out more at the link below.
