We’ve been dreaming about a long trip this summer for quite some time, and naturally, we had a few bucket list destinations in mind. So where did we start? With the flights, of course!
As big fans of miles and points, we had clear goals: travel in business class, pay as few points and fees as possible, and get maximum value.
We’re thrilled to share that we booked a business class journey across Asia, the U.S., and Europe, all for just $1,538 in taxes and fees for both of us. The best part? These flights would have cost $33,300 if we had paid in cash.
So, how did we do it?
With a well-planned points strategy, a few timely transfer bonuses, and a love for optimizing every step of our itinerary. Here’s a full breakdown of our route, the points we used, and a few tips you can apply to your own trip planning.
Booking Strategy & Transfer Bonuses
We booked six long-haul and regional business class flights through a mix of airline programs using transferable points, in our case from American Express Membership Rewards (MR) and Capital One Miles. All of these points came from generous welcome bonuses earned through our US credit cards.
Several of these redemptions were made during limited-time transfer promotions, which added a significant boost to our mileage totals. For example we transferred 100,000 MR to British Airways Avios during a 30% bonus, receiving 130,000 Avios. The advantage of Avios is that you can use them also at other air companies in oneworld alliance.
Later similar deals were available with Avianca LifeMiles (15% bonus) and Avios via Qatar Airways (20% bonus).
As you’ll notice, five out of our six flights were with airlines in the oneworld alliance—but we booked them through different loyalty programs, depending on which offered the best mileage rate and lowest fees for that specific route. This flexible approach allowed us to optimize every booking. The only exception was our British Airways redemption using the Travel Together Ticket, which required us to fly with either British Airways or Iberia.
We also used a $200 statement credit from the Chase British Airways Visa credit card, which refunded part of the taxes and fees—bringing our out-of-pocket cost down from $800 to just $600 for that booking.
Bye-Bye Status, Hello Freedom
In the last years we held oneworld status via British Airways Executive Club. But with recent changes to tier qualification and shrinking benefits, we chose not to pursue requalification.
Still, we love flying oneworld carriers, especially Qatar Airways, for their consistent premium cabins and lounges. And with transferable points, we don’t need elite status to fly in luxury.
We now focus on:
- Maintaining maximum flexibility instead of loyalty to any one airline
- Taking advantage of credit card benefits
Booking the best flights using points
Conclusion
This trip isn’t just a bucket-list experience—it is a case study in what’s possible with the right credit card strategy. We used sign-up bonuses from U.S. credit cards to unlock business class flights worth over $33,000, and all we paid was $1,538 in taxes and fees.
If you’re dreaming of business class but don’t want to pay business class prices, the first step isn’t booking a flight—it’s getting the right credit card.
American Express: when you click on the referral link, you could earn a welcome bonus, and we could earn a referral bonus. Terms apply: Refferal Link to Amex Welcome Offer
