It will be hard to book award travel during any Christmas break, any year. What I did one time was arrange a 2-week trip for my daughter and me over spring break. She had one week off and took the additional week, the school was very cooperative. The trip was to Bali and the school personnel were amazed that one of their students was going there. My daughter was 13 at the time.

I talked individually to her teachers and they sent work with her and she did written reports on the trip (plus kept a journal) for her English and Social Studies classes. It's now 14 years later and that trip is a real highlight for her. At age 16 she traveled alone and spent several weeks in Paris on a summer program, the next summer she traveled to Moscow to visit Armenian relatives who live there. When she was in college she traveled alone to Japan on spring break. We met her at the Osaka train station and she traveled with us around Japan by train then flew home alone.

Travel is a life-changing experience for young people. It may take you several years to accumulate enough points for your trip, but it will be worth it. Keep in mind Japan is fairly expensive, especially for getting around the country. I suggest being open to other destinations that are less expensive, like central America, Spain, and Portugal. Getting there and back is a small part of the trip. Food and lodging for a family costs a LOT in many countries, especially Japan.

Good luck on your quest.