What Family Travel Has Taught Me About Redeeming Miles

In the points-and-miles world, business class is often treated like the ultimate goal. Lie-flat seats, predeparture Champagne, lounge access — it’s the experience many of us are chasing.

But real-world travel doesn’t always follow the always-fly-business rule. After years of booking award trips for myself, my family, and clients, I’ve learned that the smartest redemptions aren’t always the most luxurious ones.

Here are 4 important takeaways I’ve learned when it comes time to redeem those hard-earned points and miles for family travel.

1. Economy Sometimes Makes More Sense Than Business Class

Even with hundreds of thousands of points spread across programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Points, and airline programs such as American AAdvantage and Alaska Atmos Rewards, I don’t treat business class as an absolute necessity.

One of the fastest ways to burn through points is by insisting on premium cabin seats regardless of routing or availability. I’m more practical than that.

There are many trips where booking economy tickets simply makes more sense. Sometimes, the nonstop flight I want only has economy award space. At other times, business class is available, but it requires a stop or costs 5 times the economy price. In those cases, I favor what’s most convenient, even if it means sacrificing a bit more comfort.

If a lie-flat seat isn’t critical — like a daytime flight from Europe back home to the U.S. where I won’t realistically sleep — I’m usually comfortable booking economy or premium economy and moving on. I’d rather save those points for a redemption where the premium cabin actually enhances the experience, rather than overpaying just to say I flew business class.

2. Traveling Together Often Beats Flying Business Class

When I travel alone, securing an award ticket in business class is effortless. But once I’m booking for more than 1 person, especially family, the equation changes fast. Finding multiple business-class award seats on the same flight is one of the biggest constraints in the points world, even when you’re sitting on a large balance.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen 1 or 2 business-class seats available but not enough for everyone traveling with me. At that point, I have a choice: I can split up the group, force awkward routings, or downgrade the cabin. More often than not, I choose to keep everyone together.

Traveling on the same flight makes way more sense matters more to me than the cabin itself. I’d rather book economy or premium economy for everyone on a nonstop than put a couple of people up front and scatter the rest of the group across different flights or connections.

For family trips in particular, simplicity is key. Fewer connections, fewer moving parts, and everyone arriving together set the tone for the entire trip. Business class is great, but it’s not worth complicating the itinerary — or the experience — just to say we flew up front.

3. The Right Route Matters More Than the Premium Seat

As I mentioned earlier, routing is often just as important, and sometimes even more important, to me than the seat itself. There are plenty of times when business class is technically available but just not on the flight I actually want. Maybe it adds a connection when a nonstop exists in economy, or the departure time turns a straightforward trip into an all-day commitment.

In those situations, I almost always choose the better route over the better seat. A nonstop economy flight that leaves at the right time and gets me where I need to go efficiently often beats a business-class itinerary with a long layover or awkward timing. Time matters, especially on trips where I want to arrive and immediately enjoy the destination instead of feeling like the travel day took over everything.

I’ve also learned that not all comfort gains are created equal — something my wife reminds me of often. She always prefers a nonstop flight from Point A to Point B, even if that means skipping a premium cabin.

When you’re traveling with kids, adding a connection just to access a lie-flat seat can cancel out the very benefit you’re chasing, especially with more time in airports or shorter rest windows in the air. At that point, the premium cabin starts to feel more like a trade-off than a true upgrade.

For me, the best itineraries are the ones that fit naturally into the trip, even if that means sitting in economy. I care more about being on the right flight at the right time than forcing business class into an itinerary that doesn’t really make sense.

4. I’m Careful About How Fast I Burn Through Points

Premium cabins are one of the fastest ways to drain a points balance. Business class can be an amazing redemption, but it can also wipe out points and miles that took years to build in a single booking.

That’s why I try to strike a balance. I don’t avoid business class, but I don’t default to it, either. Not every trip needs a premium cabin, and in many cases, economy or premium economy delivers the same outcome with far less damage to my points stash.

This matters even more because some rewards aren’t easy to replace. Once certain airline miles are gone, rebuilding those balances takes time (looking at you, Atmos Rewards), which makes me think twice before burning a huge chunk on 1 flight when economy would get the job done just fine.

When I’m booking for my whole family, the math is even clearer. A handful of business-class tickets can erase a balance overnight, while economy keeps more trips on the calendar. More often than not, I choose to save where I can so I can travel more overall.

Business class still has its place, but being selective about when I spend big has helped me stretch my points further and take more trips in the long run.

Final Thoughts

I love flying in business and first class cabins, but I don’t always book them, even when I have the points to do it.

My approach is simple: I look at the big picture. Who’s traveling with me? Which route makes sense? How many points am I burning? And what does that decision mean for the next trip? Sometimes that leads me to a lie-flat seat up front. Other times, it means booking economy or premium economy and keeping more points in my account.

That flexibility has let me travel more often, book smarter, and stay ready for whatever comes next. And in the points-and-miles game, having options is often the real luxury.