Loyalty! A little word with a lot of length to it. If you want to be a road wanderer, or a frequent flier like ourselves, it's best to be loyal. Many friends over the years have asked me how as a single income family we have been able to travel as we do around North America with the kids. It's because we are loyal! We always use the same airline. We always use the same hotel chain. We always use the same car rental company. And because of it they have also loyally stepped us for us as well. We have been reimbursed for flights, earned points, and earned companion cards. We have earned an entire week vacation of free hotel stays, and we have received free upgrades for car rentals as well. Jason's travels for work take him almost weekly away from home, and all over the Unites States. When he is away he earns points! He makes sure he always checks into a Hilton hotel ( Our hotel chain choice) Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns are just a few hotels under the company, so there is always a variety to choose from depending if its for business or travelling with the kids. A few nights stay with the chain can earn us a free stay for another time. 6 or 7 business trips in the year and suddenly we have free rooms for a long weekend away. www.hilton.com Southwest is our airline. Yes, there are not a lot of direct flights with southwest! Connections are plenty, and we are almost always delayed flying home from out west somewhere. But on those occasions when we have been delayed and have to spend the evening in the airport, they have reimbursed us on multiple occasions. They have even given us some points back, and even gave me a free companion pass to fly with Jason anywhere he travels for the next year. We have been loyal, and so have they. We won't be leaving them. www.southwest.com Like Hilton and Southwest, National is the chain we use each and every time. Earning points every time Jason rents a car with them. A free SUV upgrade for driving in the Rockies in 2015, instead of a small sedan! YES PLEASE! www.nationalcar.ca So we are lucky that Jason has to travel for work in some ways. We would always rather have him home with us, but if he has to be away, we make the most of it and save up for when he can take some time off and we can all travel the road together. Now we don't always fly, and rent cars. 75% of the time we drive to wherever we are going. We load up our Ford Escape and we hit the road very early in the morning and put many miles on her between point a and b in a day. It is actually our preferred method of travel. Without air and rentals, you can save yourself a bundle, pack your own picnic lunches, and wander off course without worrying about mileage, or flight times. Try it!!! You'll love it! ... by the way... Southwest may not be taking us to Europe, and it feels very weird to be choosing a different airline. But those Hilton points are getting us there. Not having to pay 300- 500$ a night for hotel rooms while we are there is the entire reason we can afford to go at all! See LOYALTY PAYS!!!!
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