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TPG Reader Hall of Fame: $145,000 worth of vacations for 5.3 million points
Carissa is freelance writer and points and miles expert.
January 10, 2020 • 22 min read
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Related stories
Quick summary
A couple accumulated and redeemed over 5.3 million points and miles for extensive luxury travel, including stays in the Maldives, Italy, Greece and Maui.
They leveraged a diverse mix of travel rewards cards and loyalty programs to maximize value, using both points and free-night certificates for high-end hotels and premium flights.
Their strategy included booking travel far in advance, maintaining respectful relationships with hospitality staff and seeking authentic local experiences.
The article details specific redemption values, routes and properties, illustrating the real-world impact of strategic points and miles use.
What to consider
Some card offers and products mentioned are no longer available to new applicants.
Redemption values for points and miles vary by program, with TPG's valuations as of June 2024 ranging from 0.6 to 2 cents per point.
Booking early and holding elite status can improve availability and flexibility for award travel.
What you'll miss from the article
Detailed examples of how to structure complex award trips and maximize hotel and flight redemptions across multiple loyalty programs.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Today's incredible TPG Hall of Fame story comes to you courtesy of Tom, who went all-in on the points and miles game with his wife to earn and redeem an whopping 5.3 million points over the last couple of years.
A self-professed TPG nut, Tom (and his wife) used a mix of credit card welcome bonuses, travel and spending to earn their points. Here are the cards they used:
Chase Sapphire Reserve: Earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: Earn 150,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening ($450 annual fee, see rates and fees)
British Airways Visa Signature Card- Earn 100,000 bonus Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Additionally, cardmembers can earn 5x Avios on eligible flights within the first 18 months of account opening (thereafter 3x Avios) and 3x Avios on hotels booked directly with the hotel within the first 18 months of account opening (thereafter 2x Avios). Of course, cardmembers continue to earn 1 Avios for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Wells Fargo Propel American Express® card: Earn 20,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. (Card no longer available for new applicants)
Citi Premier® Card: Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.
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. ($95 annual fee; see rates & fees)
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first three months. Plus, earn up to $200 in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants within the first six months of card membership. ($450 annual fee, see rates and fees)
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening (they actually used the discontinued Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express, but this is the closest comparison)
United Explorer Card: Earn up to 70,000 bonus miles. Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open. Plus, earn an additional 10,000 miles after you spend $6,000 total on purchases in the first six months your account is open.
Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card: Earn 100,000 Avios after you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex 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.
If you're thinking this is an insane amount of points and traveling, you're right. After years of making their way around the world, Tom and his wife have a lot of travel tips and tricks to share:
Book as far in advance as possible — 48-50 weeks when possible — as you can usually cancel for free with status — this yields the lowest points/ miles and best availability.
Show the utmost respect to everyone who works on planes and hotels from front desk person to GM. Get to know them. It pays off and it’s the right thing to do. If there’s a service issue, handle it professionally and with respect.
Get off the beaten path to experience the real country as locals do.
Talk to locals but more importantly listen to them.
La dolce vita.
Take time to do the special things in each place that are a fit for you. In Venice for us, get out on the water into the lagoon; in Maui, in or on the water or into nature; in Greece, out on a catamaran or the seven-mile Santorini hike, etc.
United Airlines miles. Used Excursionist perk for free stop in Venice/Florence.
Totals
$43,700
779,000
And here's how they used them for hotels:
Hotels
Location
Name
Cash value
Points used
Comments
Hotel
Nusa Dua
St. Regis Bali
$4,500.00
240,000
5 nights
Hotel
Singapore
JW Marriott Singapore
$600
N/A
3 nights (cash)
Hotel
Maldives
St. Regis Maldives
$25,000
680,000
10 nights
Hotel
Rome
St. Regis Rome
$5,000
240,000
5 nights
Hotel
Perugia
N/A
$400
N/A
2 nights (cash)
Hotel
Orvieto
N/A
$450
N/A
2 nights (cash)
Hotel
Pienza
La Bandita Townhouse
$2,000
240,000
5 nights
Hotel
Siena
Hilton La Bagnaia
$500
N/A
2 nights (used free night certificates from Hilton Surpass)
Hotel
Florence
St. Regis Florence
$5,000
240,000
5 nights
Hotel
Venice
Gritti Palace
$7,500
240,000
5 nights
Hotel
Crete
Domes, Marriott
$2,500
240,000
5 nights
Hotel
Santorini
Mystique, Luxury Collection
$6,000
240,000
5 nights
Hotel
Paros
N/A
$600
N/A
2 nights (cash)
Hotel
Mykonos
Santa Marina Luxury Collection
$5,000
240,000
5 nights
Hotel
Wailea, Maui
Grand Wailea Waldorf Astoria
$9,800
380,000
7 nights (including two free night certificates from Hilton Surpass)
Hotel
Wailea, Maui
Marriott Resort
$3,500
200,000
5 nights
Hotel
Kaanapali
Westin Nanea Villas
$1,400
N/A
2 nights (used free night certificates from Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant)
Hotel
Maui
Courtyard
$900
N/A
2 nights (used free night certificates from Marriott Chase Visa)
Hotel
Lima
AC Hotel by Marriott Lima Miraflores
$200
N/A
1 night (cash)
Hotel
Cusco
JW Marriott Cusco
$1,000
N/A
2 nights (used free night certificates from Marriott Chase Visa)
Hotel
Urabamba, Peru
Tambo Del Inka
$3,000
240,000
6 nights (used free night certificate from American Express Bold)
Hotel
Quito, Ecuador
Hilton Colon Quito
$170.00
1 night (cash)
Hotel
Ecuador
Mashpi Lodge
$4,000
N/A
3 nights (cash)
Hotel
Quito, Ecuador
JW Marriott Hotel Quito
$170
N/A
1 night (cash)
Hotel
Santorini
Vedema, Luxury Collection Resort, Santorini
$2,500
240,000
5 nights
Hotel
Santorini
Mystique, Luxury Collection
$6,000
340,000
5 nights
Hotel
Naxos
N/A
$750
N/A
3 nights (cash)
Hotel
Mykonos
Santa Marina Luxury Collection
$6,000
280,000
5 nights
Hotel
Athens
Hilton Athens
$750
N/A
3 nights (cash)
Hotel
Venice
JW Marriott Venice
$3,600
240,000
6 nights
Hotel
Florence
St. Regis Florence
$2,500
N/A
Comped stay due to services issues May 2019
Totals
$111,290
4,520,000
We have no words. Amazing job, Tom!
Feature photo by Kathleen Porter Kristiansen/ The Points Guy.
For the rates and fees of the Amex Hilton Aspire, please click here. For the rates and fees of the Amex Hilton Surpass, please click here. For the rates and fees of the Amex Bonvoy Brilliant, please click here.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
