Credit cards and I have always had an amicable relationship bound by mutual expectations: I pay on time, they give me rewards. Recently, though I’ve realized that I really have not been taking advantage of all the great things that can happen with credit cards.
In this case, a good thing is my honeymoon airfare. For two round-trip flights from Los Angeles to Buenos Aires, business class on the outbound flight and economy class on the return flight, I paid $418.20. Per Kayak.com, the cheapest flights on those dates would be $1,205 per person, economy class. For a mixed flight like ours (business class one-way and economy the other), the cost was $1,800 per person.
For airfare that would cost at least $2,400 for the both of us, we paid just over $400. A $2,000 saving does wonders for our honeymoon budget. All thanks to British Airways Chase credit card and the 100,000 miles sign-on bonus I picked up in May. Even if I include the $95 annual credit card fee in the airfare, it would still be just over $500 for two people, an incredible deal.
I’ve had my first taste of points experience and I think I’m hooked! I never really signed up for credit cards for the bonuses before, but I think I am a changed women. My Blog Reader is now filled with points and miles blogs such as The Points Guy, Million Mile Secrets, Mommy Points, Help Me Travel Cheap, and Frugal Travel Guy.
The Points Guy’s guide on British Airways miles helped me figure out how to book an award (and convinced me to do so before November 12, which is when a big devaluation on British Airways miles is supposedly due). After 2 hours of playing with dates on the British Airways website, I finally found this deal…. with the departure date a full week-and-a-half after our wedding date. A small hiccup, but for less than $250 per person I can wait a few days to go on our honeymoon.
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Wow that savings is amazing!
That's pretty awesome. It's hard to beat a deal like that!
For the last 20 years, I use frequent flier miles to travel overseas flying business or first class. I am planning a trip next summer and already have enough miles for my wife and to fly business class.
Kudos to you! I hope the miles/reward systems are around for the next 20 years so I can take advantage of them as well. Where are you going for the trip?
That's so awesome! I'm starting to think that I'd really like to be the type of person who can benefit from credit card rewards… but first I'm working on paying off my credit card debt! I only have a couple months left, and then I'll start considering how I can take full control over my finances. I must work on the discipline required to use credit cards for perks without carrying a balance and getting screwed with interest though!
Hmm sounds like you hit the jackpot with all those bonus points just in time. I never thought about mixed flights where I would do business one way and economy on return sounds like a plan. Now the question is with the 2k you save did you actually SAVE it or SPEND it on the honeymoon?
Think of it this way, instead of a comparable honeymoon costing us $6,000, it will cost $4,000. The $2,000 that we didn't have to spend is $2,000 that we can put towards something else. I am eying some Starwood promotions to see if I can get enough points to get a few free hotel nights, which will save us about $150 per night.
This is a great deal (and Argentina is amazing). I have to check out some of those websites as I've never tried to maximize points/airline miles before. I'm still not sure it's worth the time/hassle but sometimes we have flexibility with travel dates so it's worth checking out at least.
Before this deal, I thought the same way. But after reading those blogs (really, check them out), it's amazing what people have been able to do with diligence, attention to detail, and disciplined credit use. Definitely check it out. There is the hassle factor, but I'm willing to deal with that if I can keep getting deals like this!
I am planning to use mine before the deval too, also for a honeymoon , and possibly also to buenos aires (or maybe rio!) but I have to get engaged first!
Well hurry up and do it before November! I have around 15,000 miles left with BA and I'm wondering what, if anything, I can do with them. Did you sign up for Hilton Free Certificate or Double Points promotion? Thanks to some business trips, I should get one night's free stay from the promotion.
That is AMAZING. I could use some assistance…we have been talking about getting a card where we could get points, specifically to use on the honeymoon.
Wow. That's a great deal!
I got the VISA Aeroplan card last year which came with 15,000 bonus miles, but I didn't want to pay the $120 annual fee this year.
I should do some more research into reward point cards, since I usually spend about $8,000 a year on it.
How are you booking your accommodations? I just used a new site Wimdu to book accomodations for my vacation in Hong Kong this November. It's similar to Air BnB where you can book accommodation with locals. But maybe you and your fiance want something a little more romantic
?
Wow that is such a great story you shared with us. I completely agree with you that using the points towards a flight can save you a ton of money. we spent 200 per person when we flew to San Diego from Cleveland and used our points and it saved us so much money
Congrats, that is an awesome deal! It pays to do research before purchasing anything!
I just used my points a couple months ago (for the first time) to get a flight to Atlanta (leaving in 2 weeks).
I LOVE IT! I have never used points before but since using them for that I am hooked on using my card for EVERYTHING.
Did you pick Argentina because of Tango? I read a book once about Tango in Argentina, I think it was called Kiss and Tango. Does your fiance dance? I have a *secret* obesssion with Tango, though I have never taken lessons, or even tried it. My husband really isn't into dancing, and I don't want it to take away from my time with him. I just wondered how you balance it all. Thanks-love your blog!
Glad you found my blog helpful in saving money for travel! I've been doing this for years and it is so addictive. Plus it saves me money!