You do not want me to remind you that factors and miles can get you fancy flights and posh resort stays.
However do you know that your rewards can even land you private butlers and stays on non-public islands?
Factors and miles can do wonders. This submit examines probably the most unique journey experiences your rewards should purchase. Not solely are these uber-cool experiences, however additionally they supply an honest worth to your factors and miles.
Spend an extended weekend at Richard Branson’s non-public island
You’ll be able to redeem 630,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership factors plus $5,700 to get a three-night keep for 2 at Richard Branson’s Necker Island.
Necker Island is a 74-acre non-public island oasis east of Puerto Rico within the British Virgin Islands. The resort sleeps as much as 40 individuals throughout 15 complete rooms. Facilities embrace infinity swimming pools, serene leisure areas, a number of bars, elegant eating areas, garden video games, tennis courts, water sports activities and a scorching tub straight on the seaside.
Bookings are restricted to those that have Virgin Atlantic Silver or Gold standing, although you might be able to standing match to Virgin Atlantic from one other airline or resort program.
Verify in to Etihad’s A380 Residences
The primary airline to introduce a single aisle on the Airbus A380, Etihad Airways provides first-class “Residences” with an unimaginable quantity of private area; it permits you to stroll round inside your non-public space. Every seat in an House consists of a large armchair and a separate sofa that converts right into a 6-foot, 10-inch mattress. 9 Residences alternate between forward- and rear-facing; additionally they alternate between being nearer to the window and nearer to the aisle.
Rows 3 and 4 are ideally suited in the event you’re touring with somebody, as you may decrease a partition to attach the seats. It does not type a real double mattress like you’ll find on Singapore Airways and Qatar Airways, however with the doorways closed, it is about as non-public as you may get in business aviation. First-class passengers can clean up by taking an onboard bathe earlier than touchdown.
Etihad flies the A380 between Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Worldwide Airport (AUH) and London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR), New York Metropolis’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). You will pay 160,000 Etihad Visitor miles when reserving the JFK-AUH route.
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Within the entrance of the Etihad A380 first-class cabin (the place you’d count on to see seats 1A and 1C) is the “Residence.” It is a three-room mega suite full with a separate lounge, a bed room and a rest room (with a bathe, in fact). When you can’t e book the Residence with factors and miles, you may improve with money.
Normal one-way Residence improve costs on the New York route complete $4,790 per particular person.
Keep on the North Island resort within the Seychelles
In case you’re sitting on a big stash of Marriott Bonvoy factors, you need to use them to remain on the unimaginable North Island, a Luxurious Assortment Resort, Seychelles.
You will get to remain in a two-bedroom villa that covers almost 5,000 sq. toes. Your keep may also embrace complimentary breakfast, use of an island buggy, morning yoga and children actions.
Award nights value greater than 400,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per night time, and the resort has a four-night minimum-stay requirement. This charge additionally does not embrace the 1,110 euros ($1,200 on the time of writing) you’d have to pay for a helicopter switch every approach. Nonetheless, contemplating money charges recurrently cross $7,000 per night time, this could possibly be thought of a fantastic worth — so long as you’ve an enormous stash of Marriott factors.
Retreat to the all-inclusive, non-public Calala Island resort
Hilton Honors members can redeem as few as 50,000 factors per night time to remain at uber-exclusive Calala Island, an SLH Lodge — assuming they will discover award availability.
Calala Island is an all-inclusive, non-public island retreat off the coast of Nicaragua. It is so unique that it has simply 4 beachfront suites and may solely accommodate eight company at a time.
Room charges recurrently high $4,000 per night time, so it is an absolute steal with factors. Stays embrace meals, drinks, actions and airport transfers.
Bathe on board in Emirates top notch
There are no methods to redeem factors and miles for personal jet journey, however Emirates top notch is the following neatest thing. You’ll be able to e book these awards by means of Emirates Skywards, Qantas Frequent Flyer or Air Canada Aeroplan.
If you wish to expertise gold-studded suites and onboard showers and bars, you may need to fly on Emirates’ flagship A380 plane. If fashionable sports activities car-inspired interiors are extra your type, go for Emirates’ newer 777-300ER planes with the sport changer totally enclosed suites. It doesn’t matter what aircraft you find yourself on, you may take pleasure in Emirates’ identical top-notch meals and drinks (together with caviar and Dom Perignon) and repair.
Emirates usually costs decrease redemption charges than Qantas or Air Canada, with first-class flights between JFK and Dubai Worldwide Airport (DXB) costing 163,500 miles every approach. You’ll be able to switch factors to Emirates from six transferable factors applications: Chase Final Rewards, American Categorical Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One, Marriott Bonvoy and Bilt Rewards.
Associated: Now you can use Aeroplan factors for Emirates top notch, but it surely is not low-cost
Fly in type in Air France’s La Premiere top notch
One other top-notch first-class product is Air France’s La Premiere, obtainable solely on among the service’s 777-300ERs. The cabin options simply 4 seats throughout a single row, making it one of many smallest and most unique cabins within the sky.
La Premiere seats are elegant and personal, that includes a person lamp at each seat and floor-to-ceiling curtain dividers. The meals is world-class, and the bottom expertise is unparalleled; passengers get chauffeured from an ultraluxe first-class lounge and the aircraft in a non-public automobile.
Sadly, this product is extraordinarily laborious to e book with miles. To e book La Premiere awards with miles, you could maintain Air France-KLM Flying Blue Platinum elite standing or above. Additional, eligible elite members can solely redeem on the “flex” degree (not saver), so a one-way ticket between the U.S. and Europe will sometimes value at the very least 220,000 miles.
In case you’re eligible to e book these awards, you may switch factors to Flying Blue from Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Chase Final Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, Bilt Rewards and Wells Fargo Rewards.
Associated: Bucket listing achieved: Reviewing Air France’s extremely hard-to-book La Premiere top notch
Take pleasure in double beds in Singapore’s first-class suites
In case you’re touring with a big different, you may’t beat Singapore Airways’ A380 suites.
Every suite options a formidable 50 sq. toes and incorporates not only a reclinable armchair however a wholly separate mattress. In case you’re touring with somebody, you may mix two suites to create a double mattress and have as much as 100 sq. toes of area.
Singapore does not launch first-class award area to companion applications, but it surely does make it obtainable by means of its personal Singapore KrisFlyer frequent flyer program. Sadly, Singapore Airways does not fly its A380 to the U.S., so you may should fly between Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) and someplace like LHR or Sydney Airport (SYD) to expertise it.
It is easy to get your arms on KrisFlyer miles because the program is a companion of Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Final Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Capital One.
Associated: e book Singapore Airways first-class suites with factors and miles
Unwind at luxurious Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties
You’ll be able to earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy factors at Ritz-Carlton Reserve properties. Beforehand, the model didn’t take part within the loyalty program.
Ritz-Carlton Reserve is one among Marriott’s most unique manufacturers, with simply seven properties worldwide in areas equivalent to Japan, Thailand and Mexico. It is a step above the usual Ritz-Carlton model, emphasizing luxurious, tranquility and sustainability. The properties are intimate, every composed of as few as 50 rooms, and they’re sometimes in distant areas.
Award stays usually vary from 80,000 to 240,000 factors per night time. Though steep, the money charges at these lodges are sometimes north of $800 per night time. As with different Marriott Bonvoy award stays, you may get a fifth night time free for each 4 consecutive nights you e book with factors.
Backside line
You’ll be able to redeem factors and miles for some really luxurious flights and resort stays that may usually value tens of 1000’s of {dollars}.
By capitalizing on just a few massive sign-up bonuses and being strategic together with your spending, an extravagant first-class flight or journey to a non-public island could possibly be inside attain.
