Point Me To First Class

155. Planning Award Travel for Large Families with Dr. Alison Curfman (Part 1)

22 snips
Feb 16, 2026
Dr. Alison Curfman, a pediatric emergency physician and entrepreneur who travels internationally with a large family. She explains anchoring trips on long-haul award availability and building flexible itineraries around seats. Learn about positioning flights as part of the journey, Hyatt-focused hotel strategies, packing light with kids, and using spreadsheets to track complex group bookings.
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INSIGHT

Flexibility Beats Perfection For Large Groups

  • Flexibility in group composition and willingness to split trips unlock options when full-group awards aren't available.
  • Sometimes booking smaller sub-trips (parents-only) lets you explore routes that won't fit the full party.
ADVICE

Always Overnight At Positioning Hubs

  • Always spend at least one night in your positioning city to reduce risk.
  • Treat the positioning stop as part of the trip with activities and a hotel stay.
ANECDOTE

Broadway During A Positioning Night

  • Alison took her family to the Lion King in New York during a positioning stay after a bumped flight.
  • They enjoyed Broadway, late checkout, lounge access, then flew to Europe the next day.
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