My dad and mom are usually not large vacationers. It is not essentially that they do not need to journey; it is simply that they’ve all the time equated touring — notably flying outdoors of the U.S. — with being too far outdoors their monetary means.
However as descendants of Italy, they’ve all the time had that nation on their bucket record.
So, after I launched my dad and mom to the world of factors and miles, they deliberate an aspirational worldwide journey to the “pasta capital of the world.”
Not one to be unnoticed 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 charges. Here is how I received nearly 2 cents per level in worth for each award flight redemption.
Associated: The very best methods to journey to Italy with factors and miles
Half 1: An ideal storm of an awesome switch bonus and a superb award deal
As a factors and miles fanatic, I discover it onerous to not bounce on a superb award redemption when it comes throughout my display screen. Again in October 2024, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership carried out a dynamic pricing mannequin. Whereas dynamic pricing sometimes 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 charges) cardholder, I started trying to find award flights from Orlando Worldwide Airport (MCO) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) and located one-way financial system flights accessible for simply 7,500 Flying Membership factors.
Due to 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 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 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 by way of their on-line chat perform and was simply ready so as to add my then 2-month-old to my reservation. Virgin expenses 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 received 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 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 far completely different from its southern counterpart. With snowcapped mountains, lovely blue-green lakes and the Tyrolean affect, which will 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 lovely mountain surroundings. Rising up, household holidays had been restricted to close-by amusement park sights like Busch Gardens. So, with my mother continuously telling me that she “cannot imagine she’s right here, in Italy,” it was yet one more reminder that the factors financial savings and redemptions had been all value 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 lease a automobile to drive to the Dolomite area. British Airways provided 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 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.
Due to this fact, I saved a bit over $700 for these flights to Italy, which gave me a redemption worth of about 2.4 cents per Avios — effectively 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 approach via Italy, our European trip would conclude alongside the enduring Amalfi Coast. Although the websites had been breathtaking and the meals was unmatched, it was the smaller household moments that basically 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 homeowners.
Notice 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. Due to this fact, family-owned companies all the time 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). 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.
I presently maintain the AAdvantage® Aviator® Crimson World Elite Mastercard®, and my dad and mom have the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Choose® World Elite Mastercard®. Due to this fact, 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 accessible to e book on associate airways at a greater worth, resembling British Airways Membership, Iberia Membership and different Oneworld airways.
TPG tip: Use a search device resembling Seats.aero to seek out airline award availability throughout completely different loyalty applications.
Since this flight was not even accessible 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 shouldn’t be a given, this specific flight was accessible for simply 27,500 American miles plus $43 per particular person in taxes and charges. For the reason that money price 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 await the welcome bonus on my Aviator Crimson 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 price dropped to about $770.
Even with the award worth enhance and money worth 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 superb redemption price. 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 expenses 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 might have spent nearly $3,600.
Associated: How you can redeem American Airways AAdvantage miles for optimum worth
Backside line
The burdensome money price of a trip can deter anybody from venturing outdoors their rapid space. Plus, once you consider the price of accommodations, rental vehicles 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, resembling 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 had been capable of splurge in different areas, resembling on lodging and souvenirs.
Total, I can fortunately say that the pasta and recollections had been value each single level and mile.
