Did you know? You can get to the Galapagos on points and miles
This is the second edition of “Did You Know?” — a series of weekly posts exploring lesser-known corners of the world of points and miles, rewards credit cards, and air travel. Check back every Wednesday for a new article! The first post explores how to get to Greenland.
While we are all grounded, you might as well be planning your next adventure. Typically, the hardest part of going to a pretty remote destination is the journey itself. But, as we'll see, it's actually not that hard to get to the Galapagos — even if you plan to use points and miles.
The Galapagos is an archipelago roughly 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. It was declared the country's first national park in 1959, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978. Though it's become more popular over the years, it still remains one of the best spots for viewing a variety of unique animal and plant species.
The Galapagos comprises dozens of islands and islets formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago. Charles Darwin remarked that the "the archipelago is a little world within itself," and having been there myself, I concur.
So, now let's dive into your options for getting to this "little world."
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The government of Ecuador is encouraging the gentle development of tourism there by subsidizing the construction of new lodgings and increasing ferry service among the islands. However, it is also taking protection and sustainability seriously.
To start, there are just two main airports in the Galapagos. The first, Seymour (GPS), is on the island of Baltra, which connects to the neighboring island of Santa Cruz by water taxi and bus. The second, San Cristobal (SCY), is on San Cristobal Island.
There are no direct commercial flights to these islands from the U.S. You'll need to pass through mainland Ecuador in order to get to either of these airports.
Both Seymour and San Cristobal see daily service from Ecuador's two largest cities, Guayaquil (GYE) and Quito (UIO). Guayaquil is better connected to the Galapagos than Quito, so you'll probably end up flying from GYE to either GPS or SCY to begin your adventure.
Three airlines serve these routes: Avianca, LATAM and Ecuadorian flag carrier TAME. Fortunately for miles and points collectors, the former two airlines are both members of major alliances. Avianca calls Star Alliance its home, and LATAM was a member of Oneworld, but is on its way out (though it's still keeping many of its frequent flier partnerships).
That means that redeeming miles for the intra-Ecuador flights is really easy. Some popular redemption options for Avianca flights are with Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca Lifemiles or United MileagePlus. And for LATAM, I'd consider using British Airways Avios or Delta Skymiles.
Related: How to maximize Aeroplan miles
Before redeeming miles, though, make sure to take a look at the paid fares for these short, two-hour flights. It often makes sense to either pay for them outright (since they can be quite cheap) or redeem Amex or Chase points through the respective travel portals.
Related: How to use the Chase Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal
For instance, I was browsing a random date in July, and found an Avianca flight from GYE to GPS for $78. United wanted 8,000 miles and $11 for the one-way, which at a rate of 0.8 cents per point is well below our TPG valuations.
Using your miles and points is often a much better value when you book all your flights together — both from the U.S. to Ecuador and those within Ecuador. You see, since you can't get from the U.S. to the Galapagos directly, you're going to need to stop in either Guayaquil or Quito (and maybe connect in the U.S. to a major international gateway).
The cost of tickets on the major U.S. carriers to Ecuador can add up quickly. But, with points and miles, you can redeem a single one-way or roundtrip award from the U.S. to the Galapagos with one or more stops without (typically) needing to pay more miles. Plus, you can combine carriers within an alliance to create the perfect award redemption.
Related: Maximizing stopovers and open jaws on award tickets
American Airlines (from Dallas and Miami), Eastern Airlines (from JFK and Miami), JetBlue (from Fort Lauderdale and JFK), LATAM (from JFK), Spirit (from Fort Lauderdale) and TAME (from Fort Lauderdale) all fly to Guayaquil. American Airlines (from Dallas and Miami), Delta (from Atlanta), JetBlue (from Fort Lauderdale) and United (from Houston) all fly to Quito. (Those flights are mostly suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.)
American, Delta, LATAM and United are the only carriers that belong to major alliances, so you'll want to try searching for award availability on those carriers that you could combine with one of the intra-Ecuador flights.
Related: What are airline alliances, and who's in them?
The following are all excellent combinations for mileage redemptions: Delta and LATAM flights booked with Skymiles, United and Avianca flights booked with Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca Lifemiles or United MileagePlus and American and LATAM flights booked with British Airways Avios.
The other thing to note is that JetBlue and Spirit have built up a presence in Ecuador. They don't belong to an airline alliance, but you can often find great deals on these airlines — make sure to follow TPG on Twitter and Facebook for these breaking deals! In that case, it could make sense to pay for your flight from the U.S. to Guayaquil or Quito, and then book the intra-Ecuador flight separately.
Plus, JetBlue flies its brand-new Airbus A321neo to Guayaquil from JFK, so at least you'll even have a comfortable ride if you score a deal.
Bottom line
All in all, there are a plethora of points-friendly options for getting to the Galapagos. However, you're going to need to stop in mainland Ecuador on your way to the islands. Though you may consider adding a multi-day stopover in either Guayaquil or Quito, others will want to continue directly to the Galapagos.
Either way, as we've seen, miles and points can take you to one of the finest places for wildlife exploration.
Eric Rosen contributed reporting.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.