When TPG Senior Author Ben Smithson alerted me to Air France-KLM Flying Blue’s July Promo Reward sale — flights from Denver Worldwide Airport (DEN) to Europe began at 15,000 Flying Blue miles every approach — I used to be excited. Offers like this aren’t precisely uncommon, however most of them depart from both the East Coast or West Coast, and I’m primarily based in Colorado. I’ve thought of reserving positioning flights to benefit from previous offers, however the price and trouble by no means ended up being price it.
Evidently, I jumped on the prospect to fly straight from Denver to Europe for under 30,000 miles round-trip later this 12 months. However since my accomplice and I have been already planning — and paying for — our marriage ceremony and honeymoon in October, we determined we might solely e book the journey if we may get all of it (together with airfare and lodging) for mainly free utilizing factors and miles. Right here’s how we did it.
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Reserving Air France award flights with Capital One miles
Not solely did Flying Blue’s July Promo Rewards embrace flights to and from our residence base, Denver Worldwide Airport (DEN), however additionally they included a number of European locations. We had our choose of cities in France, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Norway and extra.
We finally narrowed down the record primarily based on which dates labored greatest for us and which cities had loads of lodge choices that we may e book with our Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt factors. We additionally thought of European prepare routes as a result of we knew we wished to examine an in a single day prepare off our bucket record.
We settled on flying into Prague a number of days earlier than Christmas and flying out of Brussels every week later. We might spend three days exploring Prague’s magical Christmas markets, then take the European Sleeper to Brussels and finish our journey with two days within the Belgian capital. As an Agatha Christie fan, I used to be notably excited to discover Brussels, the house of one among my favourite fictional characters: detective Hercule Poirot.
Our flights from DEN to Prague value 15,000 Flying Blue miles plus $116 in taxes and costs, and our flights from Brussels to DEN value 15,000 miles plus $182 — for a complete of 30,000 miles and $298 per particular person.
Our tickets are financial system customary, which means we’ll every get a free checked bag, carry-on and private merchandise. Apparently, our journey residence from Brussels is one among Air France’s mixed plane-plus-train tickets, which means we’ll depart from the Brussels South/Midi Prepare Station (ZYR) and take a prepare to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) for our flight to DEN.
I’m not a frequent Air France-KLM flyer, and my Flying Blue account held a whopping 0 miles. No drawback — I acquire Chase Final Rewards factors and Capital One miles, each of that are switch companions with Flying Blue.
Chase has a wider number of switch companions that I typically use, like United Airways MileagePlus, Southwest Airways Fast Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt. I’ve a more durable time redeeming my Capital One miles as a result of they don’t switch to most of my favourite packages. Due to this fact, I made a decision to make use of Capital One miles for this redemption as a result of I’m much less more likely to discover different makes use of for them.
I occurred to have simply over 60,000 miles in my Capital One account, so I fortunately transferred these to Flying Blue and saved my Chase factors for future redemptions. I spent a grand whole of 60,000 miles and $596 for 2 round-trip flights to Europe — not dangerous for tickets that may have value roughly $3,200 whole in money. I ended up getting a price of round 4.3 cents per mile, considerably greater than TPG’s October 2024 valuation of 1.3 cents for Flying Blue miles and 1.85 cents for Capital One miles.
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Reserving an upscale Prague lodge with Hyatt factors
As a Hyatt loyalist who holds the World of Hyatt Credit score Card, I scoped out my Hyatt lodging choices in varied European cities earlier than reserving our flights. One purpose we selected Prague was that it had two well-reviewed Hyatt properties close to the downtown space.
I may have gotten nice worth from my World of Hyatt factors on the Class 1 Lindner Lodge Prague Fort, the place fundamental rooms have been going for $140 or 6,000 factors per night time on our dates. This may have offered a wonderful worth of two.3 cents per level, effectively above TPG’s October 2024 valuation of 1.7 cents every for World of Hyatt factors, exhibiting that Class 1 Hyatt motels are an effective way to get most worth out of your factors.
However the Lindner Lodge wasn’t as centrally positioned as we have been hoping. Since we solely had a few days to discover Prague and we’d be visiting within the coldest month of the 12 months, I used to be prepared to spend extra factors on a extra handy location. We ended up reserving three nights on the Class 6 Andaz Prague, a snazzy lodge inside straightforward strolling distance of every little thing from the prepare station to the Christmas markets, for a complete of 83,000 factors. For the reason that money price was $1,266, we bought a price of 1.53 cents per level — on the low aspect for Hyatt factors. Nonetheless, it was the best choice for our wants and nonetheless saved us over $1,000.
I had round 50,000 Hyatt factors saved up from latest stays and spending on my World of Hyatt Credit score Card; the remainder I transferred from my Chase Final Rewards account. Since World of Hyatt doesn’t cost taxes or charges on award stays, I didn’t must pay a dime out of pocket.
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Reserving a historic Brussels lodge with Marriott free night time certificates
My fiance had simply added the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit score Card to his pockets, and the welcome bonus on the time included three free night time certificates price as much as 50,000 Bonvoy factors every (supply now not obtainable), which have been burning a gap in his pocket. Since Brussels had loads of Marriott properties to select from, he determined to make use of two of his shiny new free night time certificates to cowl lodging for our two nights in Brussels.
We selected The Dominican, Brussels, a member of Marriott’s Design Motels assortment that began as a monastery in 1465 and now gives luxurious lodging within the heart of the town. Award charges on our dates have been 46,000 factors per night time, permitting us to nearly maximize our free night time certificates. Since money charges have been round $580 on these dates, that welcome bonus saved us over $1,100 — and we nonetheless have one other free night time to make use of on our subsequent journey.
In contrast to World of Hyatt, Marriott Bonvoy does cost some charges on award stays, however these have been minimal. Our whole value for the two-night keep was 8.50 euros, or simply beneath $10 on the time of writing.
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Different bills
The most important expense for our Christmas journey was the European Sleeper prepare, which value about $465 for a non-public provider for 2. We booked it with our Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card as a result of it earns 2 factors per greenback spent on journey, has no overseas transaction charges, and contains journey insurance coverage. We’ll arrive in Brussels in true “Homicide on the Orient Categorical” type (although hopefully with out the homicide half) and earn bonus factors whereas we’re at it.
I’m contemplating reserving a guided bike tour of Prague by way of Hyatt’s Discover Experiences platform, the place I may earn 4 factors per greenback spent with my World of Hyatt Credit score Card. And if we eat any meals at our motels, we’ll pay with my World of Hyatt card or my fiance’s Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card, which earns 6 factors per greenback spent on Marriott purchases.
For all different eating, the Chase Sapphire Most popular will give us 3 factors per greenback spent. For actions, souvenirs and different purchases that wouldn’t fall into any bonus spending class, I’ll use my Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card as a result of it earns 2 miles per greenback spent on all purchases and has no overseas transaction charges (see charges and costs).
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Backside line
Generally, you have already got a dream vacation spot in thoughts and factors and miles may help you get there for much less — like when my fiance and I deliberate our lemur-iffic honeymoon in Madagascar utilizing rewards. Different instances, if you discover an awesome deal utilizing factors and miles, it may possibly encourage you to go to an sudden vacation spot or attempt a brand new expertise. Both approach, staying versatile in your journey plans may help you get probably the most worth out of your factors.
