France Case Study: Points and Miles Free Up Travel Budget for Wine, Cheese, and Pastries
Last fall, Ms. Optimizer and I traveled to Toulouse, France with two other couples to learn more about France’s Languedoc region and to sail along the Canal du Midi in a houseboat. Like most trips we have taken in the past seven years, points and miles helped us cut our expenses.
For this trip, we used Delta miles, IHG points, and American miles as follows:
- We redeemed 70,000 Delta miles for two, one-way tickets to Toulouse. With a value of $1283, we got a better than average redemption of 1.8 cents per mile.
- We stayed at an IHG property in Toulouse (Crown Plaza) located directly on the Place du Capitole, the city’s main square. The four nights cost 64,000 IHG points. Compared to a cash cost of $516, this worked out to a redemption of 0.8 cents per point which is above average for IHG awards.
- Our flight home from Paris was on American Airlines and we redeemed 85,500 Aadvantage miles for two, one-way tickets. With a value of $1213, this redemption worked out to 1.4 cents per mile, which is a bit lower than we typically get with American.
Overall, the miles and points we utilized for this one trip saved us about $3,000. However, the use of travel rewards credit cards yielded several less tangible, but useful, benefits.
- On the way to France, we were able to use multiple Delta SkyClubs and an Air France lounge through the American Express Platinum Card.
- With the Chase IHG credit card, the hotel upgraded us to a “Club Room” which overlooked Toulouse’s vibrant Place du Capitole.
The well-planned use of miles and points has changed the way that we travel. In this case, it significantly reduced what we paid for a memorable adventure with friends. It also freed up our budget for more tours, museum visits, and the wonderful wines, cheeses, charcuterie, and pastries of southwest France.
Let us create a customized Travel Rewards Optimizer plan for you to enhance your future travel.
