I’ve been earning and redeeming travel rewards for flights and hotels for more than a decade. Many readers see articles about earning airline miles and hotel points but don’t know what those rewards can do for them. I’ve collected a few of my favorite redemptions to illustrate the amazing experiences that I’ve been able to get using my credit card rewards.
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Flights to Madrid for 86,000 Miles
My family will travel to Spain this summer for my daughter’s soccer tournament. Rather than paying cash for our flights, I redeemed airline miles to cover the cost of our trip. Researching prices among airlines, I found a departure from Nashville, Tennessee, to Madrid for $585 per person. While you can find cheaper tickets in the winter, traveling during the summer is generally pretty expensive. Since we have to be in Spain by the start of the tournament, we don’t have the flexibility of shifting our travel dates.
I have miles with multiple airlines, and flexible points from American Express, Chase and others that I can transfer to dozens of partners. Having so many choices makes it easier to find good deals when redeeming airline miles. Luckily, American Airlines had an appealing price of just 21,500 AAdvantage miles plus $5.60 in taxes per ticket. In total, we used 86,000 miles and $22.40 for flights that would have cost $2,340. That’s a redemption value of 2.7 cents per mile, which is well above the average value of 1.6 cents.
Takeaway: When redeeming miles, you don’t need to book round-trip flights. Mixing and matching flights from different airlines allows you to select the best routes, travel dates and departure times to meet your needs and find the best deals. If you don’t have enough miles for round-trip tickets, you can still book one-way flights to save money.
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Fifth Night Free When Using Points at Hilton
For part of our stay in Spain, we’re redeeming Hilton Honors points to cover five nights at the Arima Hotel & Spa in San Sebastian. It is an SLH hotel, a luxury brand in Hilton’s portfolio that features a luxury spa, indoor and outdoor pool, fitness center and complimentary parking.
There are five room options at the Arima Hotel, with prices starting at $658 per night. Booking five nights would total almost $3,300, and award nights start at 70,000 points per night.
However, when you book five consecutive nights and have Hilton Honors Silver status or higher, the fifth night is free*. Since we have Diamond status from the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, we only need 280,000 points instead of 350,000. This gives us a redemption value of almost 1.2 cents per point, which is roughly three times the average of 0.4 cent per point. Takeaway: Elite status benefits can improve your stay, even when booking award nights. Benefits may include early check-in, late checkout, complimentary upgrades and free breakfast.
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Points for a Weekend Mountain Getaway
In Tennessee, a popular weekend getaway is Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. While there for my son’s high school soccer tournament, I still found time to enjoy local restaurants, hike a nature trail and ride a few of the famous mountain coasters. On busy weekends, hotel prices can skyrocket with teams, families and conventions all jockeying for space.
Hotel options where you can redeem points in Gatlinburg are fairly limited. I was able to book a room at the Country Inn & Suites Gatlinburg for just 20,000 Choice Privileges points per night. This saved me from having to pay around $400 for the weekend for a room I wouldn’t be using much. From this redemption, I got almost 1 cent per point, which is higher than the average of 0.6 cent.
Takeaway: It doesn’t have to be a luxury vacation for you to find excellent value when redeeming hotel points. Popular destinations and high-demand weekends can increase cash prices and boost the value of your redemptions.
Beach Weekend for Just 8,000 Points a Night
It gets cold in Nashville during the winter, so I try to take the family on beach vacations to thaw out whenever I can. Tampa, Florida, is a short flight away, and Southwest Airlines offers affordable direct flights. I’m a Hyatt Globalist and always on the lookout for cheap nights to redeem points and get closer to requalifying for elite status. While the hotel itself doesn’t have much to offer besides free breakfast and a heated pool and Jacuzzi, the beach is just a short drive away.
The Hyatt Place Sarasota/Bradenton Airport is a steal at just 8,000 World of Hyatt points a night during the winter months. Normal cash rates are around $175 a night, which adds up to almost $400 for a two-night stay. This equates to a 2.4-cent-per-point redemption value, which is about 50% higher than the average of 1.7 cents. Since this property is a Category 2, you can also redeem your annual free night certificate (valid up to Category 4) from the The World of Hyatt Credit Card for part of your stay.
Takeaway: Beach destinations tend to be more expensive year-round. Summertime attracts families on vacation, while winter months are popular with people escaping the cold weather back home. Redeeming points on fixed award charts is an excellent way to counter those higher prices.
A $500-per-night Hotel for Free
Years ago, I flew my daughter to Madrid over a Thanksgiving break to attend a soccer camp with one of the best soccer teams in Europe. While she camped out in the dorms with her teammates, I booked a stay at the Thompson Madrid. It would have cost over $500 a night to stay at this property when paying cash. However, I booked it for free using the annual free night certificates I got from my World of Hyatt Credit Card.
Thanks to my Hyatt Globalist elite status, I received a complimentary upgrade to a room with a massive terrace that overlooks the city and the park below. During my stay, I enjoyed complimentary breakfast each morning. I also visited the gym and was pleasantly surprised to see a personal trainer there waiting to offer tips on how to use the equipment and provide workout instruction to guests.
Takeaway: Traveling internationally helps your free night certificates go further since many high-end properties are in low enough categories to qualify for redemption.
The Bottom Line
I am grateful I started learning about the power of credit card rewards more than a decade ago. Our family has created amazing memories exploring the world for a fraction of the price that others pay. We focus on earning miles and points to reduce the cost of flights and hotels so we can splurge on once-in-a-lifetime experiences that we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. If you’re looking to travel more, using credit card rewards can reduce the cost of your vacation by covering flights, hotels and other travel expenses.
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My Credit Card Rewards Got Me These Amazing Experiences originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 05/05/26: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.