A FF points saga - my wonderful trip
Aug 17, 2010, 7:56 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Northwest NJ
Programs: Starwood Platinum,Marriott Platinum, United Silver
Posts: 2,313
A FF points saga - my wonderful trip
Okay, you people understand me. Most people think I'm nuts to spend so much time thinking about this stuff, studying and learning and having it approach the level of a hobby. So there are very few people who might be interested in this tale but I assume at least some of you will!
First of all, let me say this this trip was a personal growth experience for me. So many of my trips these last few years have been virtually free - meaning free flights and free hotel rooms. This trip started around the idea of a cruise in the Mediterranean - which meant I would actually have to spend some money!
OK, some background. 62 year old dentist. Wife just retired in June from teaching. Run lab fees and supply bills and manage to get a bunch of points per year.
First we had to get there. I make a good living, but not nearly good enough to experience the level of luxury that points make possible. Last summer, US Air had a 50% bonus on mileage transfers. Transferred 140,000 Starpoints to them, got a total of 262,500 US Air Dividend Miles and with much planning, managed to snag two First Class seats on Swiss - outbound to Venice (thru Zurich) and return from Athens where our cruise ended.
A few months before the cruise, in looking at promotional awards I had accrued and realized I had two free Hyatt nights that had to be used by the end of August. My wife and I decided to break up our return and stay at the Park Hyatt in Zurich for a few nights. But the rules for US Air for partner tickets provided for either an open-jaw or a stopover - not both. Figured I could change the ticket to NY to Venice outbound, Zurich to NY inbound, and purchased tickets from Athens to Zurich. That's when I began to hit all kinds of walls:
1. One way tkt $800 per person
2. RT ticket $450 pp (and throw out the return)
3. Most Star Alliance partners would only sell RT awards tickets and they were 45,000 miles
4. Someone suggested bmi - Great! Sold one-way and all that was available was Business Class, but it was only 9,000 miles per person! Guess what - can't transfer from either Starwood or AMEX MR. Then found out I could purchase the points and they were having a 20% bonus! Two tickets ending up costing a total of only $290 with taxes.
So to summarize (and I know it's getting long!), we had:
2 FC tickets on Swiss - miles (Absolutely AMAZING)
2 nights at the Danieli in Venice, points and upgraded to a suite
7 nights on the Silversea Silver Spirit - cash!
1 night at the Hotel Grand Bretagne, Athens, points and upgraded to a suite
2 nights at the Park Hyatt Zurich - free nights from their BWB promotion.
Don't know how much longer the barn door will be open and we will be able to pull trips like this off - but the last 7 years or so have been amazing. And I owe much of it to those on FT who were generous enough to share their tips and tricks. I wish you all happy trails!
First of all, let me say this this trip was a personal growth experience for me. So many of my trips these last few years have been virtually free - meaning free flights and free hotel rooms. This trip started around the idea of a cruise in the Mediterranean - which meant I would actually have to spend some money!
OK, some background. 62 year old dentist. Wife just retired in June from teaching. Run lab fees and supply bills and manage to get a bunch of points per year.
First we had to get there. I make a good living, but not nearly good enough to experience the level of luxury that points make possible. Last summer, US Air had a 50% bonus on mileage transfers. Transferred 140,000 Starpoints to them, got a total of 262,500 US Air Dividend Miles and with much planning, managed to snag two First Class seats on Swiss - outbound to Venice (thru Zurich) and return from Athens where our cruise ended.
A few months before the cruise, in looking at promotional awards I had accrued and realized I had two free Hyatt nights that had to be used by the end of August. My wife and I decided to break up our return and stay at the Park Hyatt in Zurich for a few nights. But the rules for US Air for partner tickets provided for either an open-jaw or a stopover - not both. Figured I could change the ticket to NY to Venice outbound, Zurich to NY inbound, and purchased tickets from Athens to Zurich. That's when I began to hit all kinds of walls:
1. One way tkt $800 per person
2. RT ticket $450 pp (and throw out the return)
3. Most Star Alliance partners would only sell RT awards tickets and they were 45,000 miles
4. Someone suggested bmi - Great! Sold one-way and all that was available was Business Class, but it was only 9,000 miles per person! Guess what - can't transfer from either Starwood or AMEX MR. Then found out I could purchase the points and they were having a 20% bonus! Two tickets ending up costing a total of only $290 with taxes.
So to summarize (and I know it's getting long!), we had:
2 FC tickets on Swiss - miles (Absolutely AMAZING)
2 nights at the Danieli in Venice, points and upgraded to a suite
7 nights on the Silversea Silver Spirit - cash!
1 night at the Hotel Grand Bretagne, Athens, points and upgraded to a suite
2 nights at the Park Hyatt Zurich - free nights from their BWB promotion.
Don't know how much longer the barn door will be open and we will be able to pull trips like this off - but the last 7 years or so have been amazing. And I owe much of it to those on FT who were generous enough to share their tips and tricks. I wish you all happy trails!
Aug 18, 2010, 4:05 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: India
Programs: Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Trident Plat, DL Diamond, AI Maharajah
Posts: 29,655
Aug 18, 2010, 4:08 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,173
WTG
great deal on flights and hotel, but Silversea has got to be one of the most expensive cruise lines out there (crystal might be more expensive, but its close). So I imagine you still spent 10k on your vacation. Your points probably saved you 5k-10k and it sounds first class all the way.
I would have been more impressed if you had a cruise line CC and used points for the cruise too.
But lines that have those programs like carnival, royal carib, celebrity, princess, or NCL would be slumming it after silversea. In cruising i find it hard to downgrade....after you get a balcony , you never want to go with less again. We are trying all the different lines we can but will stop at Cunard, so we dont get too spoiled.
Personally I'm saving for a europe cruise, and will use points for air and hotel, but I will go with Cunard prices or less on the cruise portion. This will allow for more costly shore excursions and an extended stay before or after the cruise. Maybe after we have done it a few times, and I get near 62, we will do it totally first class like you did.
I would have been more impressed if you had a cruise line CC and used points for the cruise too.
But lines that have those programs like carnival, royal carib, celebrity, princess, or NCL would be slumming it after silversea. In cruising i find it hard to downgrade....after you get a balcony , you never want to go with less again. We are trying all the different lines we can but will stop at Cunard, so we dont get too spoiled.
Personally I'm saving for a europe cruise, and will use points for air and hotel, but I will go with Cunard prices or less on the cruise portion. This will allow for more costly shore excursions and an extended stay before or after the cruise. Maybe after we have done it a few times, and I get near 62, we will do it totally first class like you did.
Aug 18, 2010, 7:35 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Northwest NJ
Programs: Starwood Platinum,Marriott Platinum, United Silver
Posts: 2,313
You're pretty much right on. Our first cruise. The cheapest suite (and I do mean suite) went for a net cost of $ 3,950 pp with the free airfare credit so it was $8K + insurance. Of course, it's pretty much all-inclusive except for excursions, massages, etc. AMEX got us shipboard credits and some freebies. BTW, the cost of two FC tickets on Swiss was over $24,000 but I know many on FT don't want to hear that since they rightly say I would never have spent that much! But as I said in my post, it's these points that allow us to experience a level of luxury we would never pay for and that means a lot to us.
In our research, we found that equivalent cruises like Regent were significantly more expensive so while it was not cheap, there was most certainly value. CAn't wait to do it again!
In our research, we found that equivalent cruises like Regent were significantly more expensive so while it was not cheap, there was most certainly value. CAn't wait to do it again!
great deal on flights and hotel, but Silversea has got to be one of the most expensive cruise lines out there (crystal might be more expensive, but its close). So I imagine you still spent 10k on your vacation. Your points probably saved you 5k-10k and it sounds first class all the way.
I would have been more impressed if you had a cruise line CC and used points for the cruise too.
But lines that have those programs like carnival, royal carib, celebrity, princess, or NCL would be slumming it after silversea. In cruising i find it hard to downgrade....after you get a balcony , you never want to go with less again. We are trying all the different lines we can but will stop at Cunard, so we dont get too spoiled.
Personally I'm saving for a europe cruise, and will use points for air and hotel, but I will go with Cunard prices or less on the cruise portion. This will allow for more costly shore excursions and an extended stay before or after the cruise. Maybe after we have done it a few times, and I get near 62, we will do it totally first class like you did.
I would have been more impressed if you had a cruise line CC and used points for the cruise too.
But lines that have those programs like carnival, royal carib, celebrity, princess, or NCL would be slumming it after silversea. In cruising i find it hard to downgrade....after you get a balcony , you never want to go with less again. We are trying all the different lines we can but will stop at Cunard, so we dont get too spoiled.
Personally I'm saving for a europe cruise, and will use points for air and hotel, but I will go with Cunard prices or less on the cruise portion. This will allow for more costly shore excursions and an extended stay before or after the cruise. Maybe after we have done it a few times, and I get near 62, we will do it totally first class like you did.
Last edited by stevens397; Aug 19, 2010 at 9:30 am
Aug 18, 2010, 8:22 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: ORD, LAS
Programs: AA-EXP, BAEC Silver, Hyatt-Globalist, Hilton-gold, SPG-gold
Posts: 855
Everyone on FT completely understands how amazing your experience was. I think we are all love travel especially in luxury. That is why this hobby is so great. It allows us more luxury than we could afford otherwise. My friends dont really get it, but they enjoy coming along for the ride (in first)!
Aug 18, 2010, 8:41 pm
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Northwest NJ
Programs: Starwood Platinum,Marriott Platinum, United Silver
Posts: 2,313
Applied for new BA Visa last November. Came with 50,000 British Airways miles and another 50,000 after I spent $2,000. Plus when you spend $30,000 in one calendar year, they send you a voucher (no more than once a year) for two redemptions for the price of one.
We are ticketed for Newark to Tel Aviv next May in BA First Class!
BTW, for those who need miles, US Air is having a promotion right now. Buy up to 50,000 miles and they will double it. If you have no miles, 50,000 becomes 100,000 and costs $1375 - and is good for Business Class on one of US Air's partners - like Swiss of Lufthansa.
We are ticketed for Newark to Tel Aviv next May in BA First Class!
BTW, for those who need miles, US Air is having a promotion right now. Buy up to 50,000 miles and they will double it. If you have no miles, 50,000 becomes 100,000 and costs $1375 - and is good for Business Class on one of US Air's partners - like Swiss of Lufthansa.