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An Anniversary Trip to Kauai and Maui — Reader Success Story

May 28, 2018
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5 min read
Waianapanapa Beach
An Anniversary Trip to Kauai and Maui — Reader Success Story
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Today I want to share a story from TPG reader Rance, who used points to cover flights and hotels for a two-week vacation in Hawaii. Here's what he had to say:

My wife and I wanted to take a special trip for our (belated) 10-year anniversary. I had over 100,000 United miles from my own travel and the sign-up bonus on the United MileagePlus Explorer Card (offer no longer available), and we had never been to Hawaii, so the search was on. I found great saver award availability in April 2018, and was able to book our flights from Cleveland to Kauai, Kauai to Maui, and home from Maui to Cleveland for 104,000 miles, with a redemption rate of approximately 2.4 cents per mile. We upgraded to Economy Plus for a couple of the longer legs (and I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve card to make sure we earned 3 points per dollar on travel).

For hotels, I redeemed 198,000 Ultimate Rewards points (earned from sign-up bonuses and maximizing bonus spending over several years) for six nights in a club room at the Grand Hyatt Kauai, which worked out to about 3.1 cents per point. We wanted to stay at two places in Maui: first, we used 60,000 Starpoints (earned from the sign-up bonus and spending on the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card) for three nights at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Villas, with a redemption value of 2.6 cents per point. We then booked four nights in an Ocean View Suite at the Andaz Maui. Because we couldn't find award space, we redeemed approximately 236,000 points through the Ultimate Rewards Travel Portal at 1.5 cents per point.

We also took advantage of some other Sapphire Reserve benefits during our trip. We used Priority Pass for a fantastic breakfast at Bar Symon in Cleveland, and I used the Troon golf program for a $99 round at the King Kamehameha Golf Club on Maui (which is normally a private club). We had an amazing two-week vacation, and since the hotels and flights were covered with points, we were able to do more tours, such as a private helicopter ride on Kauai! Paying for the flights and hotels out of pocket would've cost us over $14,000! We've taken trips using points before, but this was definitely our best.

Rance's flights provide an interesting case study of how to decide which points or miles you should use for a given award. He paid 45,000 MileagePlus miles per person for United flights to and from Hawaii. Alternately, he could have transferred from Ultimate Rewards to Singapore Airlines to book the exact same flights for 40,000 points per person. In either case he gets a good redemption value, but while saving 10,000 miles total might seem like a no-brainer, the comparison isn't as straightforward as it seems.

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Transferable points generally have much greater potential than miles in an individual airline program, which is why I value them so highly. Given the choice between redeeming 80,000 Ultimate Rewards points and 90,000 MileagePlus miles, I'd rather pay a modest nominal premium (12.5% in this case) to use the less valuable United miles first. In Rance's case, the decision is a bit murkier when you consider other redemption options like booking Delta flights through Korean Air (for 25,000 miles round-trip in economy). Those itineraries would likely have involved more stops, so he'd have to weigh any points saved against the time lost in transit.

This kind of comparison is one reason why I publish valuations of major loyalty currencies: When all else is equal, you should choose the least "expensive" award based on what you think is a reasonable expected redemption value, even though it might not be the cheapest award in terms of the total points needed.

I love this story and I want to hear more like it! To thank Rance for sharing his experience (and for allowing me to post it online), I’m sending him a $200 airline gift card to enjoy on future travels, and I’d like to do the same for you. Please email your own award travel success stories to info@thepointsguy.com; be sure to include details about how you earned and redeemed your rewards, and put “Reader Success Story” in the subject line. Feel free to also submit your most woeful travel mistakes. If your story is published in either case, I’ll send you a gift to jump-start your next adventure.

Safe and happy travels to all, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Feature photo by Matt Anderson Photography / Getty Images.

Featured image by Getty Images

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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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TPG Editor‘s Rating
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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    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.