Trying to Choose Between Various Mileage Options for Kids’ Trip to Michigan

As a general rule, I try not to hoard miles of any kind. The height of the Covid-19 pandemic has  been an obvious outlier, where I was earning points way faster than I was spending them. However, that has changed recently, as I’ve started to redeem miles like there is no tomorrow. So, as a result, my balances have been dwindling, and I now have to carefully consider which miles to burn and which to save for a possible future trip.

Recently, I had one such dilemma, and I figured it may be helpful to write it all down. Anyway, as some of you know, my sister-in-law is getting married this March and will be moving to Michigan state. We are a very close family, and she has basically been like a second mom to my kids. So, needless to say, this is the only wrinkle to the otherwise extremely happy occasion. She is getting depressed at the thought of not seeing my kids on a regular basis.

That’s why when she asked me if I could send them this summer to Michigan for a visit, I just couldn’t say no. It also helped that my husband and I are planning to fly to Saba for our wedding anniversary. I figured we might as well let my MIL take the kids to Michigan while we are gone. That way they will have their own adventure.

My SIL offered to help me pay for their tickets, but since I have some miles, I politely declined. I asked my MIL if she insists on having nonstop flights, and she told me that it’s not that important to her. Her only request was that she would fly from Fort Myers airport, as it’s easy to get to from our neck of the woods.

The cheapest option for flying from Fort Myers to Detroit via points was on Southwest (12.5k points per person). There is a connection, but the flight leaves at a convenient time. It was a no-brainer, so I booked it. Choosing the best option for a return flight was more of a challenge. My three options were:

1. Paying  22k Delta miles per person for a nonstop flight at a convenient time (I currently have 77k Delta miles)
2. Paying 17k Southwest points for a flight with a connection, arriving in the evening (I have 64k points left).
3. Paying 9.5k AA miles for a flight with a 30-minute connection in DCA airport (I have 50k AA miles).

I did have other mileage balances in foreign programs, but they were of no use due to lack of “saver” award space. I also didn’t list Jet Blue here, because all the routes presented were super expensive and very inconvenient.

Obviously, the first option listed is ideal. It’s also the most expensive. If I only had to cover one ticket, it would probably be a no-brainer. But we have three people going to Michigan. The last option is the cheapest, but it’s also the one most likely to turn into a nuisance in case of a missed connection. Still, it’s hard to argue with the price, right? I asked my MIL if she would be OK spending a night in DC if it comes down to it, and she said it would be no problem. I  like the fact that unlike Southwest, the AA flight arrives during the day, because I don’t want her driving at night.

I did pay award taxes with Chase World of Hyatt Visa where she is listed as an authorized user,  since the card comes with built-in travel insurance (including Trip Delay). In all likelihood, American Airlines will cover the cost of the hotel , but it’s nice to have this protection just in case.

Planning a trip to Michigan to see 2024 solar eclipse

Aside from price considerations, there is another reason I chose to go with the above mileage options. Even before my SIL got engaged and made plans to move to Michigan, I was thinking about flying to one of the states where it will be possible to view the upcoming solar eclipse that will take place on April 8th, 2024. That’s a Monday, by the way.

I really regretted missing out on this spectacle in 2017, and decided to make more of an effort the next time around. Unfortunately, my kids will have to miss two days of school, which my husband originally said would be a dealbreaker. But my son managed to convinced him, and he reneged. It’s not like we are planning to send our kids to Harvard anyway.

Of course, since it will take place in the spring, there is no guarantee when it comes to visibility. I was originally thinking we would go to San Antonio, Texas to maximize our chances at having clear weather. But my SIL getting married and moving to Michigan changed that plan completely. I looked at the map and saw that Mount Clemens (north of Detroit) is only about 50 minutes from the path of totality. So, I figured we would kill two birds with one stone: a family visit+chasing solar eclipse. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, it’s not like the trip will be a waste.

Since we will be flying during school year, I insist on having nonstop flights from Detroit to Florida. There is no room for error, plus, my husband will need to be back to work the next day. That’s why Delta miles are so valuable in this plan, since Detroit is their hub. If I don’t have enough miles for five tickets, I can always top off my account with the help of Amex Membership Rewards. So, I don’t want to touch that stash until those tickets are booked. That will hopefully take care of our return flight.

A reminder: Delta Amex offers are currently increased (see Nancy’s post for details), and there is a new benefit of 15% off mileage costs for cardholders. We greatly appreciate it when readers use our affiliate links, since it helps to keep the blog in business. Thank you!

For flying to Detroit, I plan to utilize my leftover Southwest stash, plus some Southwest gift cards I got awhile back. It appears that Southwest does have nonstop flights from Orlando and Tampa to Detroit on Saturdays, but only in the spring. That makes sense, since it’s when most leisure tourists want to come here. Hopefully, this schedule will stick around, but I won’t know until sometime this fall. So, our return flight on Delta will have to be booked first.

Fortunately, canceling domestic Delta award tickets is free now, so I can always rebook the flight if needed. And even if we have to make a connection on Southwest, it’s not a dealbreaker for the outbound flight. But it is absolutely critical for me to have a nonstop option for coming back.

I’ve never considered Delta miles to be worthless, and right now they are probably the most valuable mileage currency I have. Again, it has to do with our future travel plans. None of us have a crystal ball, but there is an extremely good chance that we will be in Michigan next April. So I have to plan accordingly.

You may say that I need to rethink my plan of not hoarding miles. Not a chance! I try to accumulate them as cheaply as possible via sign-up bonuses and occasional spending when there is a clear incentive to do so. But I don’t go out of my way to earn more via manufactured spending, and usually have what I need regardless. It may not always be the most convenient option, but it gets us where we need to go with very little out-of-pocket cost. That’s my main goal with this hobby and so far, I can’t complain.