TPG Reader Hall of Fame: $605,000 in vacations for 15 million points

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

Today's Reader Hall of Fame story is absurd. And when we say absurd, we mean it in the best way possible. The story brought to you here today is courtesy of Darren and his family, who have spent the last seven years amassing points and spending them for the most far-flung vacations you can imagine.

Let's see what they did, and how they did it.

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Darren and his family have a small business, which helped them build up a massive stash of points. Aside from this, applying for nearly every top travel rewards credit card over the years has meant tons of rewards in welcome bonuses.

This includes cards for Darren and his wife and versions of credit cards in both the U.S. and Canada — so that they've got a total of 45 open cards. Here's just a sampling of some the U.S. cards they're using:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
• Chase Ink Business Plus (no longer available to new applicants, replaced with Ink Business Preferred Credit Card): Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
• Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card (x2): Earn a $750 bonus after you make $7,500 in purchases within the first three months of account opening
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card (x2): Currently offering 100,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.
  
  
• Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you use your new card to make $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of card membership.
• IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card: Earn Earn 140,000 bonus points + 1 free night after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
• The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership.
• The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card from American Express: Earn 15,000 American Express Membership Rewards points after after you use your new card to make $1,000 in eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership. Terms apply.
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership.
• Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express (x2): Earn 150,000 bonus points after after you use your new card to make $4,000 in eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership. Terms apply.
• American Express® Business Gold Card: Earn 70,000 bonus points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months of card membership. Terms apply.
• Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card (x2): Limited time offer-50,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ from $121 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $22) with this offer. To qualify, make $2,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® (x2): Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening

The information for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum, Hilton Aspire Amex card, Amex EveryDay Preferred Credit Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: The best business credit cards

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Where exactly have they gone with 15 million of these points? Darren shared an astounding (and impressive) list:

• Our first trip was just for myself to be able to visit with my mother when she had a health emergency in 2014.
• Second trip was to send my father and a helper from Edmonton to Washington, D.C. to receive an award for his wine making.
• Our next trip, my wife, four children and I flew business class from Orlando to London and return from Munich (on Lufthansa) and my mother and father-in-law from Edmonton to London and return from Munich (on Air Canada). We used 800,000 United Miles transferred over from Chase Ultimate Rewards, as well as welcome bonuses from the United MileagePlus credit cards.
• We followed that up with a trip from Orlando to Costa Rica at Thanksgiving in 2014.
• Next was a trip from Orlando to Vancouver for six of us where we had to renew our U.S. entrepreneur visas. We then went on to visit family for Christmas.
• For 2015, the six of us went to Montreal (12-hour connection to visit old Montreal and have some poutine!), Athens, Rhodes, Bodrum, Cairo, Luxor, Amman (Petra), Istanbul, London and New York.
• In 2016, our big trip for the six of us was to Hong Kong, Macao, Shanghai (we were at Shanghai Disney for the second day of it's grand opening!), Tokyo, Osaka/Kyoto, and Beijing.
• Also in 2016, the six of us took a short trip to Washington using 53,500 Southwest points (and a Southwest Companion Pass).
• In 2017, we moved across the continent, so no big summer overseas trip, but we did drive from Orlando to Edmonton over the course of 13 days.
• For Christmas, 2017, I gave my wife and two oldest children tickets to see Hamilton in Chicago (which is way better than seeing Chicago in Hamilton!).
• Also in 2017, my wife and I celebrated our 25th anniversary by taking a trip without the children to Sorrento, Pompeii, Naples, Venice, Innsbruck and Vienna.
• In spring, 2018, all six of us went to Lima, Paracas, Cusco (Machu Picchu) and Lake Titicaca.
• In the summer of 2018, we all went to Iceland.
• In the summer of 2019, all six of us went to Ireland and New York for a total of 13 days.
• Finally, in the fall of 2019, my wife and I went completely around the world without the children. We flew from Edmonton to Dubai in business, Dubai to Singapore (two-night stopover) to Siem Reap in first class and business, Siem Reap to Da Nang using Servus Circle Rewards (the rewards program at our local credit union). We also took advantage of the Cathay Pacific first class ultra-low fare from Da Nang to Vancouver for $1,600 between us and then flew onward from Vancouver to Edmonton.

Related: The top budget family destinations

If you're out of breath just reading that, you're not alone. That's a ton of travel! The logistics of flying six (or more) people together in premium cabins is practically a full-time job. Here are the total points they've spent:

What does Darren have to say about all of this?

"We have always obtained as many welcome bonuses as we could when the offers seemed particularly lucrative without knowing where we might use the points or miles. This method to our madness has served us well, as having numerous options available, especially for hotels, allows us to use the ones that are most lucrative in any given location.

With four children, our budget would not have allowed us to travel to virtually any of these places even in economy seats and budget hotels, but with points and miles, we have been able to show our children the world and, frankly, spoil them with business-class flights and luxury hotels!"

Related: How families can afford to travel (without a trust fund)

Here's how they spent their points on airfare:

Here are the points they used for hotels:

Darren and family have completely blown us away with their points savvy and incredible trips. You guys are truly an inspiration!

Updated on 9/7/22.