The Deal Mommy

Travel with kids is not only possible, but necessary. By sharing the world with our children, we expand both their minds and our own, creating a lifetime’s worth of wonder that can come no other way.

I’m thrilled to announce that the 2nd “Family Travel for Real Life” conference will be held on March 7, 2015 at the Hyatt House Center City in Charlotte, NC. Registration will begin at 9AM and sessions will run from 9:30-5:00 with a lunch and afternoon snack break included in admission. Ticket info here.

One of the strengths of FT4RL 1 was the group of vibrant, diverse, and passionate speakers on the subject of family travel. That diversity continues as over half the panel this time contains new speakers, and every session will present new topics. Another strength is affordability: general admission tickets are $69 and a limited number of early bird tickets are available at $59.

Our Panel:

Phil from Miles Abound on Current Events and Sweet Spots in Miles and Points

Kenny from Miles4More on National Parks and Destination Ideas Off the Beaten Path for Families (and how to get to them with awards)

Bonnie from Frugal Travel Lawyer on the New Frontier (Airlines): Southwest, Jetblue, and the rest of the game changers

Shawn from Miles to Memories on Immersive travel: family adventures, educational experiences, and ways to give back

Leslie from Trips with Tykes on Disney: Mastering the International Houses of Mickey

FT4RL is the first seminar for frequent travelers (and those who wish to be) specifically tailored to the needs of families. Created by Dia Adams, who writes the family travel blog The Deal Mommy, FT4RL brings together a community of travelers with experts in various aspects of family travel to teach and, more importantly, to learn from each other. The event fills a giant hole in travel advice for families, which tends to swing from “Sleeping at your in-laws house is a great vacation” to “Fly your baby in First Class or stay home”.

If you’ve never stayed at a Hyatt House, you’re in for a treat! All rooms are full suites and breakfast is complimentary and includes fresh omelettes. I’ll definitely be there Friday and Saturday nights and will be happy to co-ordinate a dinner or happy hour. Charlotte has lots of family friendly attractions if you want to make a weekend of it. There’s also a Charlotte Hornets NBA game on the evening of March 6th at the arena right next door.

The Hyatt House has offered us a group rate of $139 for the 5-8th of March. Code is G-FTRL. No need to have a car as there’s an express bus from the airport for $2 and downtown attractions are all nearby.

For those who couldn’t make it to FT4RL 1: Here’s a recap.