Using miles to score business and first class tickets can save you a lot of money, especially a round-the-world adventure. Here are three secrets what Brady from TripPlus did to make the most of it:
- See an award availability but short on miles? He found the great award availability but didn’t have enough miles. He bought the extra miles and locked in the award tickets. Booking it was the goal!
- Take advantage of credit card transfer bonuses: Those 10% to 30% bonuses might seem small, but they really added up. It was a great way to boost his miles without extra effort.
- Use airline travel portals: When he booked the hotels and car rentals, he used the airline’s travel portal. Combining this with any ongoing promotions could lead to some fantastic deals.
“A 36-Day, 750,000 Points-And-Miles Journey Was Born, All Because Of A Flight Search,” Said Brady
What started as our simple trip to Japan before a family reunion quickly turned into a whirlwind global adventure. Finding a flight from Taiwan back to North America in late July – right in the middle of summer vacation – turned out to be a real challenge. But then it hit me: if crossing the Pacific wasn’t an option, why not take the scenic route through Europe and the Atlantic instead?
While planning my European detour, I had a brilliant idea – if I was already in Europe, why not explore a bit more? July is lavender season in Provence, located in south France. My wife had been dreaming of immersing in the blooming lavender fields since many years ago. So I had flights and a cozy guesthouse all lined up.
But just as I thought I had it all figured out, an exciting offer popped up: an 8-day, 7-night Virgin Voyages Cruise in the Adriatic Sea for just 160,000 Virgin points. With an opportunity like this, I had to revise my plans and dive into this new adventure.
How I Booked Round-The-World Trip?
Vancouver to Tokyo
I used 50,000 Cathay miles per person – so 100,000 miles total – to score 2 business class award tickets on Japan Airlines. I snatched these up on the day the award tickets were released in 2023. If you weren’t quick, you probably missed out since these award availability went fast! Here’s a bonus: In the year of 2023, there was a deal where you could transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards to Cathay Pacific with a 10% bonus, so I actually spent just 91,000 points. 🎉 You’ll need 126,000 miles for two tickets or 63,000 miles for one nowadays because of the devaluation.
Tokyo to Taipei
I used 21,500 Virgin Atlantic miles one way – so 43,000 points total – for 2 business class award tickets on China Airlines. Thanks to a 30% transfer bonus from American Express Membership Rewards, it costed us 33,000 points. What a great deal for a three-and-a-half-hour flight! That’s just 16,500 points per person on business class even if the hardware of the plane was a bit dated. Comfort still won over economy class.
Taipei to Frankfurt
I went all out with Virgin Atlantic at 85,000 miles one way – so 170,000 points total – for 2 business class award tickets on China Airlines. I got these Virgin Atlantic miles during a special deal: purchasing 340,000 points for £3,015. It worked out to just $960 per one-way business class ticket, plus taxes. That was a bargain worth flying for!
👉 Further reading: Best Ways To Use Virgin Points For Reward Flights
👉 Further reading: Flying Blue Insider Tip: How To Redeem More Than Four Award Tickets For Families
Frankfurt to Athens
I used 25,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points per person – so 50,000 points total – to book 2 business class tickets on Swiss International Air Lines and Aegean Airlines. I’d usually choose the economy class or even budget airlines for European flights. Factoring in the extra cost like luggage fee and the surprisingly high ticket prices in the summer, using Air Canada Aeroplan for a route from Frankfurt to Zurich, with a stop in Mykonos, Greece, and then to Athens turned out to be much cheaper. European business class might not be mind-blowing. It was for just an extra 7,500 points per person and saved us tons of money. Believe me, it was definitely worth it!
👉 Further reading: DIY Hacks To Best Maximize Air Canada Aeroplan For Your Dream Trips
Athens to Frankfurt to Seattle
I used 91,000 Lufthansa miles each – so 182,000 miles total – to book 2 business and first class award tickets on Lufthansa. Lufthansa miles can be tough to accumulate, and I don’t have their co-branded credit card from Barclays. A friend shared a great hack last year about the Lufthansa Miles & More 30th anniversary promotion. When we booked the hotels through the Lufthansa portal on Booking.com, we earned 30 miles for every €1 spent. I strategically planned our accommodation and spent €6,067 on hotels, I ended up with enough miles for two one-way Lufthansa first-class tickets! It’s like getting first class for free with a hotel bonus.
The only drawback was that Booking.com took a bit of time to credit the miles. I bought an extra 100,000 miles at 1.4 cents each as I needed to snag our award tickets fast. Even with that, it was a bargain compared to the usual cost of first class.
Using Miles To Book Tickets: How Much Did I Really Save?
Let’s break down the savings and see just how much I scored!
How To Earn American Express Membership Rewards points?
Here are the credit cards earning American Express Membership Rewards points:
The Platinum Card
Amex Gold Card
Final Thoughts
If your goal is to fly better for less, understanding how to master your miles and points and using smart strategies: (1) buy the extra miles and lock in the tickets, (2) take advantage of credit card transfer bonuses, (3) use airline travel portals and combining this with any ongoing promotions would help you realize your premium travel without a hefty price tag!
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About Authors
- Maria Fung is the founder of Maria Points The Way. She is an award travel writer, miles and points strategist, coach and speaker, in specific to “self-defined “ family travel across Asia pacific. Visit mariapointstheway.com for more miles and points tips.
- Brady Yu is an award travel aficionado and the co-founder of TripPlus. By earning and burning millions of points and miles every year, his team dedicates their blog and community to facilitate know-how sharing.
