How Capital One miles can make your next trip to the Maldives close to free
One of the biggest annoyances about award travel to theMaldives is how pricey non-room expenses are. You may have enough points for a "free" room, but your vacation will still be far from complimentary.
Because of this, even many points and miles collectors consider the Maldives a once-in-a-lifetime trip. But if you can pair your hotel points with a healthy stash of Capital One miles, the Maldives can cost you almost nothing.
I'll show you why you shouldn't meander too deeply into the Maldives without a healthy stash of Capital One miles.
Erase pesky Maldives expenses with Capital One miles
Capital One miles have an advantage that most other travel rewards do not: They can reimburse just about any travel purchase.
You don't have to make your purchase through a special travel portal; simply use your Capital One miles-earning credit card for a travel-related purchase, and you can effectively "erase" the purchase from your transaction history (within 90 days after it posts) at a rate of 1 cent per point.
Do you know why that's a big deal? Almost everything in the Maldives can be charged to your hotel room. Things like food, fishing tours, massages, etc., magically turn into travel expenses when you charge them to your room.
Related: The secret to getting free food with Capital One miles
Capital One miles are critical for a cheap Maldives trip. Even if you book a "free" stay, the peripheral fees and expenses will drain your wallet.
For example, here's the cash price for two guests for a five-night stay at The St. Regis Maldives next spring: a whopping $10,967.
You can book the same stay with 388,000 points. But even when paying $0 for the room, you'll still pay $1,550 in "fees" — $745 per person for the seaplane transfer to the island, plus taxes.
In other words, your "free" Maldives vacation requires you and a travel buddy to pay $1,550 before you even get to the hotel — where the real expenses begin to add up.
My husband and I visited The St. Regis Maldives a few years ago. Food prices in the Maldives are jarring — and there's nothing you can do but pay, since you're marooned on a luxury island far from local dives and cheap eateries.
During our trip, we spent over $100 per person per meal. Our Marriott elite status gave us free breakfast, but we still paid more than $400 per day for food.
Here are some other random things we paid for:
- Private (and brief) visit to a secluded sandbar: $300.
- One massage: $150.
- Jungle cinema: $750 (it included dinner).
All this to say, an award stay in the Maldives will still cost more than a paid stay in most other parts of the world. The sparkling archipelago isn't for budget travelers.
But by charging all these extracurricular activities to the room, you can simply pay with your Capital One miles-earning card at checkout and then use miles to "erase" the expenses.
The $750 price for the jungle cinema was unforgivable. But the experience was unforgettable, and it cost 75,000 Capital One points. I'd say that's worth it for the experience.
Note: Chase Ultimate Rewards points can technically serve a similar purpose. You can cash them out at a rate of 1 cent each, meaning you can simply redeem Chase points for cash to offset expenses. We value Chase points more highly than Capital One miles, however, and wouldn't recommend using them this way.
Related: What are points and miles worth? Here are TPG's monthly valuations
Bottom line
If you're planning an award trip to the Maldives, it will benefit you to collect Capital One miles alongside whichever hotel points currency you intend to use.
During your trip, try to charge everything to your room — food, massages, etc. If you're purchasing an activity, confirm that you can charge it to your room as well.
Then, at checkout, swipe your eligible Capital One credit card and offset the purchases with Capital One miles at your leisure. You'll have 90 days after the expenses post to your account to "erase" them with miles.
Feature photo by Mystockimages/Getty Images.
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| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
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