My mother and father usually are not massive vacationers. It isn’t essentially that they do not need to journey; it is simply that they’ve at all times equated touring — notably flying exterior of the U.S. — with being too far exterior their monetary means.
However as descendants of Italy, they’ve at all times had that nation on their bucket record.
So, after I launched my mother and father to the world of factors and miles, they deliberate an aspirational worldwide journey to the “pasta capital of the world.”
Not one to be ignored of journey plans, I tagged alongside — and introduced my associate and toddler alongside for the journey.
Utilizing mixed rewards, 4 adults and a (then) 5-month-old child traveled to Italy, redeeming 194,500 factors and miles for flights, plus $837 in taxes and costs. This is how I acquired nearly 2 cents per level in worth for each award flight redemption.
Associated: One of the best methods to journey to Italy with factors and miles
Half 1: An ideal storm of an awesome switch bonus and a great award deal
As a factors and miles fanatic, I discover it onerous to not soar on a great award redemption when it comes throughout my display. Again in October 2024, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership applied a dynamic pricing mannequin. Whereas dynamic pricing usually yields low-value award redemptions (cough, Delta SkyMiles, cough), the airline loyalty program started pricing financial system saver award flights beginning at 6,000 factors.
With a stroke of luck, Chase Final Rewards was additionally providing a 40% switch bonus to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership. As a Florida resident and a Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) cardholder, I started looking for award flights from Orlando Worldwide Airport (MCO) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and located one-way financial system flights obtainable for simply 7,500 Flying Membership factors.
Because of the bonus, I transferred simply 23,000 Final Rewards factors to my Flying Membership account and obtained an extra 9,200 Virgin factors, rounding out my whole to 32,200 factors.
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I redeemed 30,000 Flying Membership factors and paid about $73 per individual in taxes and costs for our nonstop financial system flights from MCO to LHR.
Now, once I booked this nice flight deal, my child had not but been born. Fortunately, including a lap toddler to my reservation was a painless course of.
In February 2025, I contacted Virgin Atlantic through their on-line chat operate and was simply ready so as to add my then 2-month-old to my reservation. Virgin fees 1,000 factors for a lap toddler, and I paid about $5 in taxes and costs.
If I have been to have paid money for 4 adults and one child to journey from MCO to LHR, I’d have spent round $2,300. Since I solely needed to switch 23,000 Chase factors (to redeem 31,000 Virgin factors), I acquired about 8.7 cents per level in worth. Since TPG values Chase factors at 2.05 cents apiece and Flying Membership factors at 1.3 cents per level (per our August 2025 valuations), this was an awesome redemption.
Not solely was I maximizing my factors, however establishing a positioning flight to London earlier than flying to Italy helped us save our rewards.
Now, onward to Italy.
Associated: Present bank card switch bonuses
Half 2: Flying from London to Venice, Italy, utilizing British Airways Membership Avios
The primary leg of our Italian trip would start within the northern a part of Italy, the place my dad’s household descended from. The panorama of the Dolomite area is far totally different from its southern counterpart. With snowcapped mountains, stunning blue-green lakes and the Tyrolean affect, which may be described as a fusion of Austrian and Italian delicacies and tradition, this area of Italy was a favourite for my household.
One main spotlight was strolling round Lake Carezza and taking within the stunning mountain surroundings. Rising up, household holidays have been restricted to close-by amusement park sights like Busch Gardens. So, with my mother continuously telling me that she “cannot consider she’s right here, in Italy,” it was one more reminder that the factors financial savings and redemptions have been all price it.
Since we began within the northern a part of Italy, we deliberate to fly into Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) from LHR after which hire a automobile to drive to the Dolomite area. British Airways supplied a number of same-day, nonstop flights for about $178 per grownup, and including a lap toddler price 10% of the bottom fare plus relevant taxes and costs.
I transferred 20,000 Chase factors to guide 4 grownup flights to Venice for 19,065 Avios plus $251 in taxes and costs. Moreover, I paid about $50 (10% of the bottom fare plus taxes and costs) for my son to be added as a lap toddler.
Subsequently, I saved slightly over $700 for these flights to Italy, which gave me a redemption worth of about 2.4 cents per Avios — nicely above the 1.4 cents apiece valuation TPG lists for August 2025.
Half 3: Flying again throughout the pond utilizing American Airways AAdvantage miles
After touring (and consuming) our manner by means of Italy, our European trip would conclude alongside the long-lasting Amalfi Coast. Although the websites have been breathtaking and the meals was unmatched, it was the smaller household moments that basically caught out for me on the journey, like my mother and father holding my child in entrance of the Roman Colosseum or the hospitality and generosity of restaurant house owners.
Observe that our favourite meals on this journey have been at family-owned and -operated locations, and, in some circumstances, a home-turned-restaurant. Rising up, my grandfather owned a luncheonette in Philadelphia, and my dad and his 5 sisters all labored there. Subsequently, family-owned companies at all times maintain a sentimental worth to me.
Since our journey concluded on the Amalfi Coast, we determined to fly house out of Naples Worldwide Airport (NAP). Nonetheless, since we had a number of further trip days, we first determined to fly nonstop to Philadelphia Worldwide Airport (PHL) to go to household. American Airways operates a nonstop route from NAP to PHL.
I at the moment maintain the AAdvantage® Aviator® Crimson World Elite Mastercard®, and my mother and father have the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Choose® World Elite Mastercard®. Subsequently, we each had a stash of American Airways AAdvantage miles.
The data for the Aviator Crimson World Elite Mastercard and the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Choose World Elite Mastercard have been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuer.
However, since I even have Chase Final Rewards factors and American Specific Membership Rewards factors, I cross-referenced to see if this particular American Airways flight was obtainable to guide on associate airways at a greater value, akin to British Airways Membership, Iberia Membership and different Oneworld airways.
TPG tip: Use a search instrument akin to Seats.aero to search out airline award availability throughout totally different loyalty packages.
Since this flight was not even obtainable on associate airways, I used to be on the mercy of American Airways’ dynamic pricing. Although scoring an awesome deal on an American award flight just isn’t a given, this specific flight was obtainable for simply 27,500 American miles plus $43 per individual in taxes and costs. Because the money charge was about $940 per individual, this gave me a redemption worth of over 3 cents per mile.
My mother and father had sufficient miles of their account to guide three flights, whereas I needed to watch for the welcome bonus on my Aviator Crimson World Elite Mastercard to hit my account earlier than I may guide my flight. Sadly, inside that point, the award value jumped 10,000 miles, however the money charge dropped to about $770.
Even with the award value improve and money value drop, this redemption gave me a worth of 1.9 cents per mile. Since TPG values AAdvantage miles at 1.55 cents apiece, per our August 2025 valuations, this was nonetheless a great redemption charge. Plus, I saved $770!
In all, I paid 38,000 miles plus $43 to guide my flight from NAP to PHL. As for my son, American additionally fees 10% of the bottom fare plus relevant taxes and costs for lap infants on worldwide flights. So, I paid about $119 for a lap toddler to be added to my reservation.
Mixed, for 4 adults and one child to fly nonstop from NAP to PHL, we redeemed 120,500 American miles and spent about $290 in taxes, charges and the extra cost for the added lap toddler. If we had paid money for these flights, we’d have spent nearly $3,600.
Associated: redeem American Airways AAdvantage miles for optimum worth
Backside line
The burdensome money price of a trip can deter anybody from venturing exterior their quick space. Plus, if you consider the price of lodges, rental automobiles and spending cash on meals, it may be onerous to justify the out-of-pocket bills to go on trip.
Fortunately, factors and miles can actually assist even probably the most budget-focused traveler discover solace in an awesome redemption.
With out using versatile bank card reward currencies, akin to Chase Final Rewards factors or our American Airways miles, I’d not have been capable of take a memorable multigenerational trip with my household. Since utilizing rewards saved us over $6,500 on our flights, we have been capable of splurge in different areas, akin to on lodging and souvenirs.
Total, I can fortunately say that the pasta and reminiscences have been price each single level and mile.
