Many of us in the miles and points hobby are used to jumping through hoops. For example, last year I burned Avianca Lifemiles for a flight from JFK to Brussels, and I happen to live in Florida. I really wanted to use up these miles, and this was the most efficient way to do so. Plus, I’m always up for spending a night in NYC, as there is so much to do there. And this is nothing compared to creative routings some folks put together in order to secure a specific redemption.
But the truth is, most people outside of our little bubble don’t think that way. They want to get from point A to point B with minimum amount of hassle, and they want to do it on specific days. They also rarely plan their trips 11 months in advance. More like 5-6 months or even less. That’s why when a “normal” person with kids in school asks me about ways to get to Hawaii via miles, I’m not telling them about Turkish Miles and Smiles program.
Yes, you can redeem 10k miles one-way from Florida to Kauai on United (in theory). But how likely are you to get that redemption if you are stuck with a school calendar and decide to visit Hawaii during spring break? More importantly, will a normal person be prepared to jump through potential hoops of dealing with Turkish program? I don’t want to go down that rabbit hole based on some data points. I might someday if the stars align, but I’m not going to tell an average Joe who never redeemed miles in his life that they should go for it.
Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards for a trip to Europe
The other day a family friend contacted me asking for advice. She has recently booked a cruise in Europe departing in October of this year. It would leave from Rome and end in Venice, and she wanted to spend a few nights in Italy before and after the cruise. This couple lives near Albany, NY and she wanted my input on how to utilize her 115k Ultimate Rewards in order to cut costs (she currently has Chase Sapphire Preferred).
Some additional background information on this couple. They are both retired and rarely fly. They mostly enjoy doing leisurely road trips around the US and spend winters in Florida. It’s my understanding that this will be their first trip to Europe, and they are unlikely to ever go back. They strongly prefer to fly from Albany, as it’s the closest airport to where they live.
Even though I knew that flying from NYC would likely be a no-go, I decided to check a few possible options. The two programs that came to mind were Virgin Atlantic and Air France Flying Blue. Both partner with Chase, and sometimes they have very low rates on economy redemptions to Europe. Yes, both add fuel surcharges, but often the overall price is still better compared to US-based programs. Unfortunately, Flying Blue program would run at 80k miles+ taxes and surcharges for the dates we needed. Virgin Atlantic didn’t have any award availability. There were award seats bookable on surrounding days and the couple would be on a cruise ship by then.
But this is what I mean when I say that paying fuel surcharges can be worth it at times. Getting from JFK to Rome (via connection in Paris) for 12k miles+$173 is actually not a bad deal if your plans align.
I also checked United program for flights from Albany as well as Newark (United hub). Once again, there were no deals to be had. The award rate was 90k-105k miles roundtrip, plus taxes.
Ok, I did my due diligence. Lets check what the revenue flights are running at for our dates.
Having to make two connections isn’t ideal, but it is what it is. And at least they would be leaving out of Albany. I contacted this person and told her that the best course of action would be to use her Ultimate Rewards through Chase travel portal by getting 1.25 cents per point. The first ticket would cost 82k points (including all taxes), and she could use a combination of points and cash for the second ticket. Of course, it would be up to her if she decided to hold off on booking the flights in the hopes of snagging a better deal. October is off-season in Europe, so a cheaper price may pop up in the next few months. On the other hand, their dates are pretty much set, so it would be a gamble.
I also told her that she may consider converting her Chase Sapphire Preferred to Reserve card. That way she would get 1.5 cents per point on airfare, and having Priority Pass access may come in handy as well. I did explain that she would also get $300 travel credit and a slew of other benefits, so the math would work out favorably.
But I could tell that $550 annual fee was a deal breaker, which is OK. We all have a certain comfort zone, and for most normal folks a $550 fee that they have to pay upfront is outside of the perimeter. I’m not mocking this attitude in any way, but simply stating a fact. Once again, being inside of miles and points echo chamber can skewer our perception of what’s normal and what’s not.
I did recommend that she considers applying for Capital One Venture Rewards card (our affiliate link) and she was receptive to this idea. The offer is 75,000 Capital One miles after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months, $95 fee is not waved. What’s nice is that she can buy the airline ticket for her husband right after she receives the card, and then she would have 90 days to apply 75k points as a $750 credit against the charge. Of course, they would need to make sure to spend $4k in the next couple of months, something she said would not be an issue. And even if she misses the deadline, she can use the points towards hotels in Europe. It’s not like they will go to waste.
Final thoughts
While using Ultimate Rewards through Chase travel portal is rarely discussed, the truth is, it’s a perfectly good option. Like I said earlier, this couple rarely flies. Let’s say they transfer the points to Air France and have to cancel the trip for whatever reason. They would now be stuck with miles in a foreign program, which is less than ideal, to put it mildly. This is something to think about if you are an infrequent traveler. On the other hand, if they bought revenue tickets, they would just get a refund in actual cash. I did recommend they invest in package travel insurance with medical evacuation, since they are going on a cruise.
I love miles, but they are not always the right tool for the job.
Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
@Boonie Oh yes, most of my friends would faint if they knew how much I spend on annual fees each year! And I’m more conservative than most folks in this hobby.
The annual fees are definitely a no for most “normal” people , a friend recently got a AA card with $99 annual fee I think it is (I have it and not even sure!). She couldn’t believe she was going to pay a fee it seemed so unusual to her. I became embarrassed to tell her how many I pay!
@Aleks That’s totally what I would do! I will text her this information, thanks. It appears that TAP Portugal can fly from Venice with connection in Lisbon for the same price.
Doesn’t look like Norse is listed on UR portal, but they can always redeem points on hotels and just pay cash for flights. Charging the tickets to Capital One and using the points to offset the costs would also work.
Though again, I have a feeling they will stick with flying from Albany despite much higher cost.
Another option: Norse flies directly NYC-FCO for ~$500 RT sleeper flight, with EasyJet or other lowcoster from Venice to Rome. That would save some money and reduce layovers greatly. Although not sure if Chase Portal will show Norse as a redemption option.
@Aleks Unfortunately, that option via Virgin Atlantic didn’t fit their schedule. I simply included it to illustrate that paying relatively moderate fuel surcharges can sometimes be worth it.
I definitely agree that starting in NYC is a good option to at least eliminate the second connection. But I understand they don’t feel comfortable driving into the city. So someone would have to take them, and that really complicates things. For significant savings it would likely be worth it, but that’s not the case here.
It’s a good example. Although I would reconsider the NYC option you came across: JFK to Rome (via Paris) for 12k miles+$173/pp. It is faster and your friends can get from Albany to JFK within 3+hrs in couple of ways: train, Uber, bus. One of your searches turned Delta as an option – I would check it for award tixs too.
2 connections can be hard for elderly people especially with long layovers (23 hrs travel time).
@R Johnson Yes, absolutely! Points are there to be used. I feel that people often overthink it and hold out for better CPM while sitting on large piles of miles and points. Nothing wrong with redeeming UR points at 1.25 cents if it helps you accomplish your goal.
I like your note. I use a lot of point programs, but I’m not always on the search for the best deal because of work schedules, etc. Had a 14 day air and hotel in Waikiki only on points and miles in 2019 – it was super memorable. Could not have done it otherwise. Just use them when you feel the need and enjoy the trip.