Megascott Welcome to posting on FT
Originally Posted by
Megascott
First time posting here, so I hope I'm in the right spot! I'm trying to plan our honeymoon in late September. We live in Denver, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to get to Paris in business class. It's proving...difficult.
I have a little over 200k Amex points and a little under 100k Chase points. We only really need business class on the way out so that we have some chance of arriving rested (plus it'll be a nice way to start the honeymoon). Definitely don't need to use Denver as the departure airport. We can get wherever it makes the most sense to depart.
Award costs for business class seats seem to be crazy (~400k points on most airlines), so I guess I have a few questions:
- Does it make sense to book economy tickets and then pay for a business class upgrade on the flight out? (no clue how much that would cost)
- Am I looking in the wrong places for business class awards redemptions? Any tips there?
- Any departure city/airline recommendations?
Any info would be appreciated! Thank you!
What airline & hotel loyalty programs are you member of now?
Status & balance?
Have you looked at where the Amex & Chase points can be transferred to?
You can book via the Amex Chase portals with points (~pseudo cash)
No need to book a return. The out and back can be different origin and destination cities. The city in EU you arrive at does not need the city you depart EU from. In EU trains will get to many places.
Upgrades are *never* guaranteed. Even with top airline ffp status. Getting 2 upgrades on the same flight is 3 or 4 times harder than a single upgrade. Sometimes the cheapest fares are not eligible for upgrades (airline dependent)
Amex -->
Transfer Membership Rewards points to which airline or hotel program?
Chase -->
Ultimate Rewards - Airline and Hotel Transfer Partners, Rules, Timelines (2017-2026)
UR to United transfer is not reliably instant.
Booking Flights, Rooms, Cars, Cruises, Activities through Chase/cxLoyalty portal.