How Ultimate Rewards Points Saved the Day to Get Me Home in Style
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
A couple weeks ago, I was in Toulouse with TPG Editor-in-Chief Zach Honig for a tour of the Airbus facilities and to see (and fly on) the delivery of the 10,000th Airbus aircraft — an A350 to Singapore Airlines. I'd been on the road for a couple weeks straight and was really straining my body and health, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to fly on a delivery flight. Unfortunately, the day before we were supposed to leave, I got sick and couldn't possibly imagine continuing on to Singapore for 12 hours, then on to Seoul and back to New York. I got really sick with an increasing sinus cold that would not get better by flying around the world, so I made the tough decision to skip out on the delivery flight to head home and get some rest.
There was only one small issue — I had flights from Toulouse to Singapore, Singapore to Seoul and Seoul to New York, but I needed to be in Miami. For the last-minute booking that I'd need, one-way tickets from Europe to Miami were astronomically expensive (about $8,000). Airline fare rules are crazy and they're really expensive last minute and for one-way flights like the one I needed. But, thankfully for me, I have a ton of points that really came in to save the day.
I originally looked to Aeroplan to book Lufthansa's first-class product, which is one of my favorite ways to cross the Atlantic. You can book an Aeroplan award flight on this route for 70,000 miles and $350 one-way transferred from Amex Membership Rewards. Unfortunately for me, however, when I went to look for a ticket, the Aeroplan website was down — and I confirmed on United's site that there was only one seat left to book. Better not to wait.
Fortunately, I also have a fairly healthy balance of Chase Ultimate Rewards points. United is a partner of Chase and also a member of Star Alliance with Lufthansa, and there just happened to be one seat available in Lufthansa first class from Toulouse (TLS) to Miami (MIA) via Frankfurt (FRA) for 110,000 miles and $200.
I instantly transferred points from Ultimate Rewards to make up the difference — the miles appeared in my account right away. With the 110,000 miles in my United account, I booked the award and was all set to go on the A380 for the following day.
It's quite easy to search for award availability with United, especially for such a straightforward routing. All you need to do is go to the carrier's website, search for award travel on your desired route and look for saver award availability. Lufthansa is notorious for not releasing first-class award space to partner programs (like MileagePlus) until within 15 days of departure, at which point there are often many open seats, making it a fantastic option for last-minute award travel in particular.
Unfortunately in that scenario, it also means that you'll have to pay United's close-in booking fee of $75 — unless you have elite status with the airline (though you can typically save on the fee by booking an award for far in the future and then changing the dates for free within 24 hours of ticketing).
When you look at this redemption as a whole, paying just $200 and 110,000 miles for a ticket that costs about $8,000 is a great use of miles. Of course, it also begs the question if it's worth it to splurge on first class, especially considering Lufthansa's business-class product is pretty good and only costs 70,000 United miles.
It really depends how many points and miles you have. I have tons (thanks, in part, to the superior earning on the Sapphire Reserve), so I wanted to go big on my flight home — especially because I wasn't feeling well. And, in this case, economy and business awards weren't available, making it even easier to justify the redemption.
In general, I'd prefer to pay the 70,000 Amex Membership Rewards points (plus ~$350) transferred to Aeroplan, but having the option to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to United was no bad redemption in my book. Plus, when the Aeroplan site was down, it was a relief to be able to fall back on my Ultimate Rewards points.
As for the flight itself, it was great — something I've come to expect with Lufthansa. The carrier's first-class product is solid in every respect — superior service, great food and wine (when you can drink it) and a comfortable lie-flat bed in a 1-2-1 configuration on the A380. The treatment was just what the doctor ordered, and the flight attendants were so friendly — I was treated like a prince, slept like a baby and ate like a king.
An example like this is exactly why I work hard to maintain a large stockpile of Chase Ultimate Rewards points. With the new Reserve Card (and soon the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card), it's much easier to do just that. Reserve comes with a sign-up bonus of 100,000 points, which I used for a one-way flight in first class on Korean Air. However, because I earn 3x points on both travel and dining — the two categories I spend the most in — I'm able to continue adding to my balance of Ultimate Rewards points. I'm already looking forward to my next trip in Lufthansa first class.
Have you ever used Ultimate Rewards points for emergency last-minute travel?
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 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
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.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.
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.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.