Reader Success Story: A Journey of Points, Miles and Adventure

Hi, my name is Vue, and I live in Minnesota. I love to travel, and my journey with points and miles began in the summer of 2015. At that time, I had no idea about the world of points and miles.

Around this time, I met Max, a fellow traveler from the US, during a boat cruise in Halong Bay, Vietnam. We didn’t talk much and went our separate ways after the cruise.

However, as fate would have it, a couple of days later, we coincidentally met again in Sapa, Lao Cai. It was during this second encounter that Max introduced me to the world of points and miles.

We grabbed a drink at a bar, where he explained how he could afford to travel several times a year using credit card points and miles.

At the time, it seemed like a whole different language to me, as I had never heard of such a concept and was completely clueless. Although the concept was foreign to me at the time, his words stuck with me.

In 2018, while scrolling through Facebook, I came across Bryce’s Thailand trip ads, where he shared how he traveled for almost nothing. Intrigued, I read his story and was amazed at how he achieved it. This sparked my curiosity, and I began my journey into the world of points and miles.

How I Earned the Points and Miles

Since 2018, my wife and I have opened numerous credit cards from Amex, Chase, Citi, and Barclays, accumulating millions of points and airline miles. We’ve taken multiple trips to San Francisco, Oahu, Kauai and Puerto Rico for little to nothing.

Due to the pandemic, we hadn’t been able to travel internationally. However, we recently made our biggest trip to date in January 2024 to Singapore, Thailand and Laos.

After using some of our points and miles from previous trips, I still had 442K Chase Ultimate Rewards (UR) points and 453K Amex Membership Rewards (MR) points. My wife, who’s my travel partner, had 449K MR points. We accumulated these points from various cards we use for daily spending.

For our international trip, we used our Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees) for lounge access, rental car insurance and $0 foreign transaction fees.

Flights I Booked

Booking economy class flights is easy, but finding business class flights is like finding hidden treasure. So, I enlisted the help of 10xtravel Award Booking Services to book my business class flights.

With their assistance, I transferred 257,000 MR points to my Singapore Airlines account, allowing me to book two business class tickets to Bangkok. The cash price for these tickets would have been $11,030, but I only paid $105 in taxes and fees.

For the return flight, I transferred 214,000 MR points from my wife’s Amex account to her Singapore Airlines account, booking two one-way business class tickets back to SFO for $95 in taxes and fees.

The cash price for these tickets would have been $5,014.

Singapore Airlines delivered an exceptional experience.

The service was top-notch, with attentive and courteous flight attendants. The seats were spacious, provided ample legroom and full-flat beds, ensuring a comfortable journey. The food was delicious, offering a variety of options catering to different tastes.

The entertainment options were extensive, though the system was not touchscreen.

The airline provided excellent amenities, including blankets, pillows and amenity kits. Access to the business class lounges added another level of luxury and comfort to the overall experience.

All the food was delicious, but the highlights were the seabass and roast beef ribs!

This was a repositioning flight to facilitate flying Singapore Air business class. Once I booked the business flight, I knew I had work to do. I searched and found a good deal on Delta Airlines, flying from MSP to SFO round trip for 56K SkyMiles for two economy tickets. It cost only $22.40 in taxes and fees.

The first lounge we visited was the Delta Sky Club in MSP.It offers travelers a sleek and modern retreat with amenities like complimentary Wi-Fi, comfortable seating and a selection of snacks and beverages, making it a convenient and relaxing space for passengers to hang out pre-flight.

For our departure flight, since Thai Airways is part of Star Alliance, I found and transferred 35,200 UR points to my United account and redeemed four one-way economy tickets to Vientiane, Laos. I paid a total of $120 for taxes and fees. The cash price per person was $130. For four people, it would have cost me $520, but I opted to save money by using miles instead. It’s not the best redemption, but still very pleasing.

Again, I searched and found a flight to Chiang Rai, Thailand on United Airlines, but flying Thai Airways, so I transferred another 38,600 UR points to my UA account and redeemed for two one-way economy tickets from Vientiane, Laos. I paid just $51.80 for taxes and fees. The cash price was $379 if purchased through Thai Airways. I wanted to save money as much as possible, so I opted to use miles instead of cash. This is below redemption, but I saved over $300 in cash, so I was still happy.

There weren’t any options to use points or miles for the flight from Chiang Rai to Phuket, so I paid cash instead. I booked a one-way flight with budget airline Thai Vietjet Air, which cost $185.50 for two people, including checked baggage.

Since my return flight home was from Bangkok, I booked two one-way tickets via Thai Airways for $83, which included checked baggage. The total Cost for Thai Vietjet Air and Thai Smile was $268.50

Thai Airways offers a satisfying travel experience, and provides a light meal on all flights. While it doesn’t excel in every aspect, its meal service definitely adds value to the journey.

Thai Vietjet Airways offers a functional service, despite dated aircraft and some lingering odors. The airline efficiently transports passengers from point A to point B, and is a satisfactory, budget-friendly option.

The Coral Executive Lounge in Chiang Rai and Phuket offers a comfortable pre-flight experience, with amenities like comfortable seating and complimentary snacks and beverages.

Hotels I Booked

For our first stop, we booked Andaz Singapore for a suite room. The Andaz has modern vibes, cool furniture, a spacious bedroom and bathroom, and we were on a high floor. We spent three nights here, using 32,000 Hyatt points per night, for a total of 96,000 points, transferred from UR. This would have been $1,852.58 in cash.

Our next stop was the Courtyard Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. I booked two rooms with 10,000 Marriott points each per night using my Marriott Bonvoy Business card. It’s a steal at $244, using 20,000 points. Everything about the new hotel is very modernized and clean. One nice thing was that it was less than a 10 minutes drive away from the airport, so it’s great for your last night’s stay before departure.

Our next hotel was the Crowne Plaza Vientiane. This is probably the nicest and cleanest hotel in Vientiane. I booked two rooms for two nights using 41,744 UR points. It cost me $626.16, but I was fine with that, especially since I saved some cash using the UR portal.

S Park Design Vientiane was chill, even though it was a little outdated. I booked two rooms for three nights with 36,000 UR points on the travel portal. The total cost was $540. I could’ve been better, but hey, it saved me some money.

Keemala Phuket was a dream and the highlight of our trip. The grounds are a dreamscape of serenity and seclusion. Each room offers spacious comfort, inspired by traditional Thai architecture and surrounded by lush rainforest and stunning sea views.

You can sink into plush king-sized beds, enjoy lavish ensuite bathrooms, and unwind on private terraces or balconies as you soak in the natural beauty.

Whether it’s a villa with a private pool or a room with panoramic vistas, every stay at Keemala Phuket is a serene escape from the ordinary.

Our booking cost 40,000 Hyatt points per night for two nights, totaling $2,006. I transferred and redeemed 80,000 UR points.

We booked an ocean view hilltop suite at the Hyatt Regency Phuket for $721 per night. The view is what makes the points worth it—truly stunning. I wished I could’ve stayed here a couple more nightsI enjoyed the free drinks and breakfast.

Bangkok’s Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit was a blast. This booking cost 13,000 points per night for three nights at $1,245. Our room was spacious and clean.

Additionally, we had access to the Hyatt Regency Club, which allowed us to enjoy complimentary drinks, breakfast and light meals during the 5 pm to 7 pm happy hour. We loved everything about this hotel!

When we landed in SFO, I had to book the Grand Hyatt SFO for a long layover. Nothing beats a restful sleep from a 15 hour flight before returning home.

This booking cost 17,000 points per night, or $345 transferred from my Chase UR. Not bad for a comfy end to a great trip.

I had a blast on my trip to Southeast Asia using miles, points and cash to maximize value and affordability. By redeeming a total of 954,544 miles/points, I was able to cover flights with Singapore Air, Delta Airlines and United Airlines, as well as several hotel stays.

The total cash value of these redemptions amounted to $25,338.34, providing significant savings. Additionally, my out-of-pocket expenses for fees and taxes was only $662.70. This approach allowed me to enjoy a luxurious and memorable trip while minimizing costs.

Total Points Used

Here’s the total for miles, points, and cash value of everything in my trip:

Miles/Points Redeemed:

• Singapore Air (Departure): 257,000 miles
• Singapore Air (Return): 214,000 miles
• Delta Airlines: 56,000 miles
• United Airlines: 73,800 miles
• Andaz Singapore: 96,000 Hyatt points
• Courtyard Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport: 20,000 Marriott points
• Crowne Plaza Vientiane: 41,744 UR points through portal
• S Park Design Vientiane: 36,000 UR points through portal
• Keemala Phuket: 80,000 Hyatt points
• Hyatt Regency Phuket: 24,000 Hyatt points
• Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit: 39,000 Hyatt points
• Grand Hyatt at SFO: 17,000 points

Total Miles/Points Redeemed: 954,544

Total Cash Value:

• Singapore Air (Departure): $11,030
• Singapore Air (Return): $5,014
• Delta Airlines: $815.60
• United Airlines: $899
• Andaz Singapore: $1,852.58
• Courtyard Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport: $244
• Crowne Plaza Vientiane: $626.16
• S Park Design Vientiane: $540
• Keemala Phuket: $2,006
• Hyatt Regency Phuket: $721
• Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit: $1,245
• Grand Hyatt at SFO: $345

Total Cash Value: $25,338.34

Total Cash Out Of Pocket (OOP):

• Singapore Air: $200
• Delta Airlines: $22.40
• United Airlines: $171.80
• Thai Vietjet Air: $185.50
• Thai Smile: $83

Total OOP: $662.70

Final Thoughts

In the end, it’s all about the adventure. Each point, each redemption—it’s like painting a picture of the journey. Memories made, stories told, and still some points left for the next adventure. Cheers to that!

I highly recommend leveraging miles, points, and strategic planning to enhance your travel experiences and make them more affordable. With careful planning and research, you can enjoy incredible journeys without breaking the bank.

With all that said, here are my tips:

1. Pick your destination.
2. Decide how long you will stay.
3. Choose which cards to open and determine how many you need to hit the spending requirement.
4. Obtain the welcome bonus.
5. Plan and execute your strategy well in advance.
6. Most importantly, join the 10xTravel group on Facebook, read travel blogs, listen to travel’s podcasts (especially 10xTravel), watch Youtube videos on how credit cards work, and be willing to listen and learn.

Happy Travels!