February 16, 2026
Planning Points Travel for Large Families: Complete Strategy from Dr. Alison Curfman
Episode Description
If you’ve ever thought award travel isn’t possible with a large family or group, this episode will change your mind.
In Part 1 of this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Alison Curfman, a pediatric emergency physician, entrepreneur, and relentless optimizer who regularly travels the world with her family—typically six to eight people depending on whether au pairs or grandparents join. After co-founding a healthcare company that scaled to a nine-figure valuation, Alison transitioned into advisory and consulting work that she could do from anywhere. Listen in as Alison walks through her exact strategy for finding business class flights for large groups, her hotel booking approach that keeps everyone comfortable without breaking the bank, and why positioning flights have become part of the adventure rather than a hassle.
We cover how she anchors her trip planning around long-haul flights, builds itineraries around award availability instead of fixed destinations, and uses spreadsheets and organization systems to keep track of multiple bookings across airlines and hotels. Allison also shares practical insights on traveling light with kids, leveraging Hyatt’s loyalty program strategically, and combining fine hotels & resorts credits with points to maximize value on family trips.
Whether you’re traveling with four people or eight, this episode offers a roadmap for making large family award travel not just possible, but truly enjoyable.
Turn your expenses into points and save tens of thousands of dollars a year on your wishlist travel. Don’t miss out! Click here to know more about my comprehensive online program, Points Made Easy.
What You’ll Learn from this Episode
- How to find business class award flights for 6+ people using flexible search strategies
- Why anchoring on long-haul flights first makes planning easier for big groups
- The positioning flight strategy that turns layovers into mini-adventures
- How to book multiple hotel rooms strategically using points and elite status
- Organizational systems that keep complex multi-person itineraries manageable
- Smart ways to combine FHR credits, Chase Luxury Hotel Collection, and points for family stays
Featured On the Show
- Follow Alison on Instagram here or connect with her on LinkedIn here
- Check out Startup Physicians here
- Follow Startup Physicians on Facebook here
- Follow me on Instagram
- Get on the waitlist for the Points Made Easy Course here!
- Get My Cash-Back Credit Card Cheat Sheet!
- If you have any questions or you want me to dive deeper into a specific topic, email me here: podcast@pointmetofirstclass.com
Click here to download the full episode transcript
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Point Me to First Class is the show for professionals and business owners with higher-than-average personal or business expenses, who want to learn to leverage these expenses into credit card points they can spend on travel.
Each week, I share valuable tips, tools, and strategies to help you uplevel your skills earning and redeeming credit card points, so you can expand your travel and expand your experiences.
