The quest to maximise factors and miles has impressed hundreds of TPG posts. Whether you are new to factors, miles and bank cards or wish to enhance your mileage redemption methods, we probably have loads of articles for you.
Like many TPG readers, some TPG staffers spend their free time trying to find high-value lodge awards and flight award availability for their very own journey. Here’s a have a look at 9 award journeys TPG staffers have booked for journey in 2023.
Hola, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is considered one of my favourite cities. However, it is identified for having restricted business-class award flight choices.
Luckily, this 12 months I’m leveraging LifeMiles’ lesser-known partnership with Aeromexico to journey on one of many few daytime flights to Argentina in enterprise class from Mexico City International Airport (MEX) to Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport (EZE).
The one-way flight prices 52,500 miles and $95 in taxes and costs. Avianca LifeMiles routinely sells its miles with a beneficiant bonus, so I bought 52,800 LifeMiles for $726.This nine-hour enterprise class flight will value me a complete of $821, whereas money charges for a similar seat value $3,587 on Aeromexico’s web site.
Kyle Olsen, factors and miles reporter
Using factors and miles for the most effective seats within the skies
The information of Singapore Airlines swapping its Airbus A380 for a Boeing 777-330ER on the John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) route — and thus eliminating its luxurious Suites product from the U.S. — gave me critical FOMO (worry of lacking out).
I searched Singapore KrisFlyer and was completely happy to search out Advantage house on the Frankfurt to New York route for 143,500 miles earlier than Singapore pulls its A380 from the route in May. I transferred Amex Membership Rewards factors to KrisFlyer for this reserving.
Sign up for our each day publication
To get to Europe, I discovered Emirates enterprise class award house on the Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Athens International Airport (ATH) fifth-freedom flight for 70,000 Air Canada Aeroplan factors.
With Aeroplan, you’ll be able to add a stopover for a further 5,000 factors, so I made a decision to make Athens my stopover. I’ll proceed to Malta on Aegean Airlines after spending just a few days in Athens.
I transferred 75,000 Amex Membership Rewards factors to Aeroplan for this reserving. I’ll probably both redeem miles or discover a cheap money one-way ticket from Malta to Frankfurt for the Singapore Airlines flight again to the U.S.
Also, since I stay in Texas, I’ll probably redeem miles for my positioning flights to and from the New York City space.
Senitra Horbrook, bank cards editor
Related: Did your bank card factors simply get extra worthwhile? Air Canada and Emirates develop partnership
Austrian allure
My household is planning a reunion in Austria, so I spent a while over the vacation break arranging award flights. I used to be nervous about discovering availability since we’re locked into a particular week in August on account of everybody’s schedules.
I used to be thrilled to make use of United MileagePlus miles and British Airways Avios to safe well-timed flight pairings for my nieces flying out of Washington, D.C. They’ll fly Austrian Airlines in economic system class to Vienna Airport (VIE) for 33,000 miles and $41.30 every. Aer Lingus will ferry them dwelling for 27,500 Avios plus $211.55.
My husband and I opted to fly enterprise class, and I used to be completely happy to attain one-way flights (United and Austrian Airlines in a single course and Austrian and Lufthansa within the different) for 66,000 MileagePlus miles plus about $100 per individual every method.
Now, I would like so as to add my nieces as authorized customers on The Platinum Card® from American Express in order that they will acquire lounge entry throughout this journey. After all, it prices simply $175 so as to add as much as three approved customers on this card (see charges and costs).
Andrea Rotondo, director of content material
Related: Why it is best to add approved customers in your Amex Platinum
Southeast Asian luxurious
Over the brand new 12 months, I booked a two-week journey to Japan and Vietnam, my first journey to Asia in over three years. I redeemed 65,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles for a one-way Japan Airlines enterprise class flight to Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport (HAN).
I’m utilizing the Mileage Plan free stopover in Tokyo to go to Disneyland. I additionally used my $200 Fine Hotels & Resorts/The Hotel Collection credit score from The Platinum Card® from American Express to e-book a three-night keep at a luxurious lodge in Hanoi.
On the best way dwelling, I’ll fly EVA in enterprise class from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). I booked this utilizing my favourite frequent flyer foreign money, 75,000 Air Canada Aeroplan factors.
Matt Moffitt, senior bank cards editor
Related: 7 causes EVA Air is probably the most neglected transpacific business-class possibility
Heavenly honeymoon
My spouse and I are headed on our honeymoon in 2023 to Hanoi, Bali and Singapore.
We transferred Amex factors to Singapore KrisFlyer to e-book flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Hanoi by way of Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), flights from Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) to Singapore after which flights from Singapore again to New York.
Best of all, our flights ought to all be in lie-flat business-class seats.
Ben Glidden, director of built-in advertising
Related: Comparing the world’s 2 longest flights in Singapore enterprise class
Barbados executed proper
I’ve been planning a weeklong journey to Barbados with my husband for summer time 2023 utilizing factors and miles I collected throughout the pandemic. This shall be our first worldwide journey since 2019.
I booked our Even More Space seats on JetBlue flights between JFK and Bridgetown’s Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) with a mix of TrueBlue factors I’d earned by flying and Citi ThankYou factors I earned with my Citi Premier® Card.
We’ll take Amtrak between New York and Washington, D.C. earlier than and after our flights. However, to provide us sufficient time, I booked one-night stays at a Marriott by JFK and a Kimpton by Penn Station utilizing Marriott Bonvoy and IHG One Rewards factors.
While we’re in Barbados, we’ll keep on the Fairmont. I plan to e-book this keep quickly by means of Capital One Travel. To assist pay for this keep, I’ll redeem Capital One miles I’ve collected through the years from a no-annual-fee card and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card I added to my pockets late final 12 months.
Depending on what number of extra Capital One miles I’ll earn within the subsequent couple of months, I may additionally use some to pay myself again for our Amtrak tickets.
Christine Gallipeau, coordinating editor
Related: Ouch: It’s not simply you, Marriott stays now value extra factors
New Zealand with a stopover in Fiji
My schedule is full of all kinds of journey this 12 months. One journey I’m particularly enthusiastic about is New Zealand with a stopover in Fiji.
My husband and I redeemed 60,000 United miles plus $46.20 per individual to fly Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in United home first, Houston to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) in United Polaris enterprise and Sydney to Wellington International Airport (WLG) in Air New Zealand economic system.
We’re retaining our time in New Zealand versatile as we hope to snag an inexpensive RV rental to discover the nation. However, we have booked freely cancellable resorts as a backup if we won’t discover a good campervan relocation rental.
For our return to the states, we redeemed 55,000 Alaska miles and $108.87 per individual to fly from Auckland Airport (AKL) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Fiji Airways enterprise with a stopover in Fiji.
While in Fiji, we’ll keep in easy lodging booked by means of Airbnb on both aspect of a two-night keep at Hyatt’s Nanuku Resort (the place we redeemed 30,000 Hyatt factors plus a Category 1 by means of 7 free night time certificates).
Katie Genter, senior factors and miles author
Related: Sweet Spot Sunday: Fly from the US to Australia with a cease in Fiji
Did somebody say “hockey?”
While it is a less complicated journey than many others mentioned on this story, I redeemed United miles for a flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to see the NHL Stadium Series recreation at Carter Finley Stadium.
Taylor Stephenson, technical challenge supervisor
Related: Redeem for sports activities occasions, concert events and extra by means of Marriott Bonvoy Moments
Dedicated to the northern lights
My spouse continues to be attempting to see the northern lights for the primary time. I’ve seen it twice, however we struck out on earlier journeys to Alaska and northern Sweden.
We had an Alaska Airlines companion fare expiring not too long ago, so we used this to e-book one other journey to Fairbanks, Alaska, in mid-March 2023, which we have learn is peak viewing time for the aurora.
We redeemed World of Hyatt factors for 5 nights at a Hyatt Place, which value us simply 6,500 factors per night time.
Ryan Smith, bank cards author
Related: 4 classes realized from trying to find the northern lights above the Arctic Circle
Bottom line
Points and miles encourage journeys for a lot of vacationers, together with many on the TPG workers.
Whether it is a difficult reserving leveraging the greatest transferable factors currencies to e-book premium-cabin seats on a accomplice airline with a free stopover or only a easy journey to a sporting match, every of us makes use of factors and miles for what’s vital to us.
With frequent devaluations, factors and miles are traditionally a dangerous long-term funding. We advocate retaining to an “earn it and burn it” philosophy. In different phrases, let 2023 be the 12 months the place you may have plenty of enjoyable along with your factors and miles.
For charges and costs of the Amex Platinum Card, click on right here.