Family travel certainly has its challenges. School, sports schedules, and finances tend to be at the top of my family’s list of obstacles when we are vacation planning.
Airfare can definitely be one of the biggest cost barriers, especially during peak travel times. But what if I told you there was a way for your family to fly for free?
Families Fly Free is a program designed by family travel expert Lyn Mettler. Her family flies for free six times a year on average, and her goal is to teach you how to get your family flying for free as well!
Members of this program save an average of $7,500 in the first year with some members hitting $10, $11 and $12,000. Lyn personally saved $14,000 in 2022 booking her flights in points!
I get asked all the time to review products or recommend services, but I usually pass because I only want to share things with you that I really believe are worth recommending.
I was so impressed by the Families Fly Free program and feel that it will be of tremendous value to many of Trekaroo’s readers, so I am eager to share what I have uncovered and refer you to her program.
How Does Families Fly Free Work?
Truth be told, I was skeptical when Lyn reached out to me to see if I would review her program. I wasn’t sure what the catch would be, but I was certain there would be a catch.
I was happy to discover that I was wrong and there is no catch. There is, however, a smart strategy that Lyn has put into place after many hours of research and practice, and she is eager to walk you through it step by step so that your family can enjoy free travel as well.
In the simplest of terms, Families Fly Free uses a system of credit card points and the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program to help families gain airline status and credit so that they can use that credit to travel for free. However, there is much more to it than that.
I consider myself to be rather savvy in the credit cards and airplane loyalty program department, but Families Fly Free taught me several new tricks and showed me how simple it would be for my family to travel for free! I was shocked at how easy it will be for us to visit destinations like Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Europe without having to pay for airfare.
Hawaii sounds pretty amazing right now, doesn’t it? Here are our favorite things to do in Hawaii with kids.
Lyn breaks the entire system down is simple, easy to follow steps, and she even does a personalized, 30-minute phone consultation with each of her clients to help them reach their family’s specific goals and consider their individual needs. Color me impressed!
Who Should Consider Joining Families Fly Free?
Families Fly Free definitely is not for everyone. It is for people who are comfortable using credit cards and responsible about paying them off every month.
And while Lyn does have courses on her website about using strategies for a variety of airline rewards programs to travel for free, it really is best suited for people who live near an airport that Southwest flies into.
Luckily, Southwest does fly into most major cities in the US, and is now flying to popular destinations like Hawaii, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Costa Rica in addition to major urban centers around the country.
Discover 20 Incredible Things to do on a Costa Rica Family Vacation.
But don’t think that by using her program, you can only fly where Southwest flies. Quite the contrary! Lyn and her family fly to Europe regularly- for free!
Business travelers can definitely benefit from this program as well. Use those points you earn to help you fly to even more destinations for free! Here are some great tips for business travelers.
Are you new to flying with little ones? Here are great tips for flying with a baby.
What is Included in Your Families Fly Free Membership?
Families Fly Free offers quite a bit of bang for the buck.
There are several, easy to follow courses on the membership-only Families Fly Free content hub. These include a breakdown of the step-by-step “How to Fly Families Free Process”; digital courses on using frequent flyer miles on Southwest, American, United, and Delta; and courses on specific travel credit cards that will maximize your savings.
While there are courses included as part of your membership, Families Fly Free is an experience, NOT an online course, that offers the simplest, most organized and most supported way to use travel rewards to fly for free. They teach you how to build a bank of travel points and then use them to book flights for the fewest amount of points
There are frequent webinars (that you can watch live or on your own time), packing lists, itineraries, and amazing email alerts that will make sure you know when special deals are happening or new flights are being released (which is typically when they cost the least amount of points).
There is also a Families Fly Free Community page where you can ask questions and get answers from fellow community members or Lyn herself.
The entire platform is well-organized and easy to use. Membership offers 1-on-1 personal support from our team of experts via email, text, our community forum and monthly live Q&As with Lyn.
NEW for 2024- 5 BONUSES: How to Stay Free in Hotels, Guide to Plan Your Perfect Trip, Get Organized Miles & Points Toolkit, Itinerary Pack (itineraries to some of the most popular family destinations around the world), 5,000 Southwest points upon completion of their New Member Series in the first 30 days
How Much Does Families Fly Free Cost?
Families Fly Free costs $1,695 for access to to the platform for the entire year. I know, I know. That is quite a big chunk of change, especially when the goal is to save money. But here is why I think it is worth it:
- The Families Fly Free program has a money back guarantee. Lyn guarantees that you will save at least $1000 while using her program or else she will refund your money. So with that guarantee, the program is basically free. And truthfully, anyone who follows this program should easily be able to save a couple thousand dollars at minimum.
- You could probably figure some of Lyn’s program out on your own, but it would take you hours and hours and hours. And if you are a parent like me, you don’t have that kind of time. And she breaks things down to keep it simple.
- Once you learn these tools, you can keep using them for many years to come, so your savings will continue many years into the future.
- Lyn has a great referral program. If you refer someone to her program, you will get a 50% referral bonus. So do that twice and your membership is paid for!
Even if you are on the fence or just have more questions, I highly encourage you to reach out to Lyn at [email protected] and she will personally answer any questions you might have and help you decide if the program is right for your family. Her accessibility is part of what makes this program so unique and special.
I am so excited that Trekaroo is now an affiliate of Families Fly Free and I am happy to answer any questions you might have as well. Just reach out to me at [email protected]. Since we are an affiliate, if you do click on one of the links in this article and join the program, Trekaroo will received a commission.
I have two kids that will be in college ($$$) in a few short years, so mentioning Trekaroo when you join is greatly appreciated. Remember, the cost to join will made up quickly in travel savings.
How Has Families Fly Free Helped My Family Already?
In the short time since I have been a member of Families Fly Free, I have learned so much. I have decided to use Lyn’s strategy to easily earn my Southwest Companion Pass at the beginning of 2023 so that I can have a companion fly for free with me until the end of 2024!
Just this cost savings alone has helped me strategize for where I want to travel with my family in 2023. And I have already started stockpiling points using her tips to make sure that the other two members of my family fly for free with us as well.
I plan on using my savings to enjoy more special experiences on our family vacations and take more trips than we might otherwise would have been able to afford. Where will your travel savings take you?
Disclosure: The author was given complimentary access to the Families Fly Free program for the purposes of this review. She was not asked to express a particular point of view and all opinions are her own.