How I saved over $6,500 utilizing bank card rewards for a household trip to Italy

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 charges) cardholder, I started trying to find award flights from Orlando Worldwide Airport (MCO) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and located one-way economic system flights accessible 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 a further 9,200 Virgin factors, rounding out my complete to 32,200 factors.

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I redeemed 30,000 Flying Membership factors and paid about $73 per particular person in taxes and charges for our nonstop economic 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 by way of their on-line chat perform and was simply in a position 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 charges.

If I had 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 obtained 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 important redemption.

Not solely was I maximizing my factors, however organising 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 way completely 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 had been restricted to close-by amusement park points of interest like Busch Gardens. So, with my mother consistently telling me that she “cannot consider she’s right here, in Italy,” it was one more reminder that the factors financial savings and redemptions had 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 automotive 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 value 10% of the bottom fare plus relevant taxes and charges.

I transferred 20,000 Chase factors to e book 4 grownup flights to Venice for 19,065 Avios plus $251 in taxes and charges. Moreover, I paid about $50 (10% of the bottom fare plus taxes and charges) for my son to be added as a lap toddler.

Half 3: Flying again throughout the pond utilizing American Airways AAdvantage miles

After touring (and consuming) our approach via Italy, our European trip would conclude alongside the long-lasting Amalfi Coast. Although the websites had been breathtaking and the meals was unmatched, it was the smaller household moments that actually caught out for me on the journey, like my dad and mom holding my child in entrance of the Roman Colosseum or the hospitality and generosity of restaurant house owners.

Word that our favourite meals on this journey had 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 dwelling out of Naples Worldwide Airport (NAP). Nevertheless, since we had just a few additional 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.

The data for the Aviator Purple 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 accessible to e book on companion airways at a greater worth, equivalent to British Airways Membership, Iberia Membership and different Oneworld airways.

TPG tip: Use a search software equivalent to Seats.aero to seek out airline award availability throughout completely different loyalty applications.

Since this flight was not even accessible on companion airways, I used to be on the mercy of American Airways’ dynamic pricing. Although scoring an important deal on an American award flight will not be a given, this explicit flight was accessible for simply 27,500 American miles plus $43 per particular person in taxes and charges. For the reason that money fee was about $940 per particular person, this gave me a redemption worth of over 3 cents per mile.

My dad and mom had sufficient miles of their account to e book three flights, whereas I needed to look forward to the welcome bonus on my Aviator Purple World Elite Mastercard to hit my account earlier than I may e book my flight. Sadly, inside that point, the award worth jumped 10,000 miles, however the money fee dropped to about $770.

Even with the award worth enhance and money worth drop, this redemption gave me a price 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 superb redemption fee. Plus, I saved $770!

In all, I paid 38,000 miles plus $43 to e book my flight from NAP to PHL. As for my son, American additionally fees 10% of the bottom fare plus relevant taxes and charges 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 virtually $3,600.

Associated: Easy methods to redeem American Airways AAdvantage miles for max worth