Families Fly Free With Lyn Mettler

Southwest has made a flurry of changes in 2025 — from charging for bags and introducing assigned seats to rolling out brand-new fare types and tweaking credit card perks, including increasing their annual fees. And they’ve managed to make things very complicated. But here’s the good news: I’ve cut through the clutter to get to the heart of what actually matters in my trademark "keep it simple stupid" approach 😉.

In this ep...

Ever stood in front of a famous painting and wondered, “What am I supposed to do here?”

In this first episode of my new Wander in Wonder series, I dive into how to truly appreciate art — even if you don’t consider yourself an expert (I certainly don’t!). Inspired by a class I took at Notre Dame on Theology, Art and Beauty and my professor Dr. Sarah Maple (https://sarahelizabethmaple.academia.edu/), I share simple, thoug...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Chad Pennycuff (My DVC Points Podcast), we’re diving deeper into Universal Orlando’s brand-new theme park: Epic Universe — and there’s so much more to explore! After attending the Grand Opening event for media, I share my insight on the parks along with Chad's an Orlando local and "theme park junkie."

This episode covers:

• 🍕 The best food in the park (hello, truffle pizza, mango corn...

In this episode, I’m joined by Chad Pennycuff of the My DVC Points podcast to break down everything you need to know about Universal Orlando’s brand-new theme park, Epic Universe — starting with where to stay, what to skip and how to save. I share my experiences attending the Grand Opening event for media.

We also recap Chad’s incredible theme park tour across Asia, including Shanghai Disney, Universal Beijing, Tokyo Disney...

Join me for an insider’s journey to London as I share my favorite travel tips, hidden gems and even a few things I wish I’d done differently. In this episode, you’ll hear how I flew to London for (almost) free, where we stayed (and why it mattered), the must-see spots I recommend and how to get around the city stress-free — all from the perspective of a professional travel journalist.

From Big Ben to Oxford, Harry Potter to...

College visits, auditions, move-in weekends and campus drop-offs — they’re all part of the college journey… and they can get really expensive, really fast. But what if you didn’t have to stress about the cost?

In this episode, I share how I recently visited Notre Dame using points and stayed right on campus without spending a dime — plus how Club members like Heather, Amylee and Yolanda have used my system to fly their ...

Chase Sapphire Preferred is my FAVORITE Travel card — and right now, it’s offering a limited-time 100,000-point bonus (worth at least $1,250 in free travel) that ends May 15 at 9am ET. Thanks for using my personal affiliate link to support the podcast if you decide to apply for the card:
https://www.familiesflyfree.com/favorite-card

But beyond the big bonus, this card quietly packs in some powerful perks that mo...

Southwest Airlines is shaking things up—starting with assigned seating in January 2026 and a new policy that could mean paying for checked bags. 😲

But don’t panic! In this episode, I’ll walk you through exactly what’s changing, what’s not changing, and most importantly—how you can still get your checked bags free and snag a great seat without paying extra.

We’ll cover:

• ✈️ How to navigate the new bag fee rules
• 🧳 The t...

Ever feel like travel is more stressful than it should be? You’re not alone — and you’re not imagining it.

In this episode, I unpack the real reason travel feels overwhelming: No one ever taught us how to do it well. From not knowing if you passport will pass muster to panicking when a flight gets canceled, most of us are just guessing our way through trips — and that leads to stress, wasted money and missed experiences.

But...

Unfortunately, it's commonly recommended to open a lot of travel cards in order to earn the "sign up bonus" (SUB), but this can quickly lead to overwhelm, getting banned by banks and cause you to miss out on the truly great deals and a simpler system that could save you thousands on travel. In this episode, I outline the problems with opening too many travel cards and what the alternative is.

 Want to travel more—without th...

Fresh off my family’s trip to London, I’m sharing 5 travel insights you can use on your next international adventure. These simple but powerful tips helped make our trip smoother, more memorable — and more fun!

You’ll learn:

1. My #1 strategy to beat jet lag
2. Why flexibility can be your travel superpower
3. How to stay on top of major travel news (and why it matters!)
4. When it’s worth splurging — and how to do it guilt-free
5. The mind...

If you love shopping at Costco (who doesn’t?), you might be missing out on a hidden travel perk. In this episode, I’m breaking down how to make your Costco spending — and even your Costco credit card — work harder for your travel goals.

Whether you’re earning points or planning your next trip, I’ll show you how Costco fits into a smart travel rewards strategy.

✨ Join me inside my Secrets of a Travel Journalist Club, wher...

No one loves writing a check to the IRS — but what if it could help fund your next vacation? With the tax deadline approaching, I’m sharing smart ways to earn valuable travel points when paying your taxes. If you owe money this year, don’t miss this chance to turn a painful payment into free flights!

💡 It’s one of my favorite creative ways to rack up rewards — and it might just change how you look at tax season.

✨ Join me i...

We continue our discussion with more information now available about Southwest's big changes announced on March 11, 2025. We discuss the answers to questions like:

• Is there an easy way to still get my checked bags free? Yes!
• Do these changes affect flights I've already booked or will book before May 28?
• Should I stop booking the cheapest Southwest fare?
• Would I get points back if I canceled a Basic fare booked with points ...

Southwest ends free checked bags and announced other MAJOR changes recently, including a new "Basic" fare. While much of these changes are very disappointing, in reality, they only requires a few minor adjustments for those of us flying Southwest using travel rewards. I explain the changes and what shifts you need to make in this episode.

After recording this podcast, Southwest did confirm that they will "introduce variable...

Is Southwest's surprise reduction in the number of points you can earn on certain fares when you book paid flights a big deal? It's not, trust me. I explain in this episode...

✨ Join me inside my Secrets of a Travel Journalist Club, where I’m pulling back the curtain on 25+ years of insider travel know-how to help you fly smarter, score luxury perks and unlock unforgettable experiences for less.

👉 Grab your spot + start pla...

If you follow my simple system to use travel rewards to fly for free, you know that Chase cards are some of my favorite travel cards. That makes doing all, or most of, your banking at Chase a no-brainer. As a longtime Chase banker, I explain some of the benefits of banking with Chase, especially if you use travel rewards on the regular.

If you decide to open a checking account at Chase, you can use my referral link to e...

A lot of people have mistaken assumptions about travel rewards that simply aren’t true. In this episode, Lyn lays out what you “think” travel rewards involves, versus the reality of what is actually the case.

✨ Join me inside my Secrets of a Travel Journalist Club, where I’m pulling back the curtain on 25+ years of insider travel know-how to help you fly smarter, score luxury perks and unlock unforgettable experiences for l...

Lyn shares the latest about the changes coming to Southwest Airlines this year and next year, including assigned and extra legroom seating, their partnership with Icelandair, credit card changes, hotel partnerships and more.

✨ Join me inside my Secrets of a Travel Journalist Club, where I’m pulling back the curtain on 25+ years of insider travel know-how to help you fly smarter, score luxury perks and unlock unforgettab...