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Share your best redemptions for airline miles / hotel points

Turkish miles gave best value for me till now.

Delhi to Oslo via Paris: Air India
1 business - 30k points + 3k taxes
1 economy - 19k points + 3k taxes

Gothenburg to Mumbai via Istanbul: Turkish airlines
2 economy - 38k points + 20k taxes

Cash price was >60k easily for economy. Did not check business class price. Only 1 business class was available and hence booked separate tickets.

In total, used 87k miles + 26k taxes. Cash booking would have cost me more than 2L for just economy.
 
Turkish miles gave best value for me till now.

Delhi to Oslo via Paris: Air India
1 business - 30k points + 3k taxes
1 economy - 19k points + 3k taxes

Gothenburg to Mumbai via Istanbul: Turkish airlines
2 economy - 38k points + 20k taxes

Cash price was >60k easily for economy. Did not check business class price. Only 1 business class was available and hence booked separate tickets.

In total, used 87k miles + 26k taxes. Cash booking would have cost me more than 2L for just economy.
Amazing. I cannot find this flight on any site except Google Matrix Can you tell me how I should go about booking this? Call or email Turkish?

Can we take a take 2-3 day stop over in paris?
 
Amazing. I cannot find this flight on any site except Google Matrix Can you tell me how I should go about booking this? Call or email Turkish?

Can we take a take 2-3 day stop over in paris?
I went through their website -> star alliance award booking. I was not able to book for family, so got it booked through customer care. It is a pain because most of the reps do not know how to search for star alliance flights. Once you find someone who can, it will take about 30 mins to complete the booking and payment.

I dont think you can book with a long layover like krisflyer. You may need to do separate bookings. The best part of booking through Turkish miles is that the miles requirements is constant at 19k to europe even with multiple layovers as long as you can find such an iterinary in their website.
 
Has anyone found great deals for north America using miles?

I found some great deals on revenue tickets - Bom - Seattle for 31k one way in June 2024 but miles tickets are far more expensive.

Here is a challenge - beat this revenue ticket using miles.

Screenshot 2023-12-05 at 12.27.08 AM.png
 
Booked IBIS hotel in Abu Dhabi for two days using Accor points. Which I got using Mangus. Room rent was about 3500 INR including Breakfast.
This is absolutely incredible! Abu Dhabi 3* hotels are over 11000 in Nov Dec 2023, the peak season.
Dubai 3* hotels are 5500-6000, almost half the price of Abu Dhabi hotels.
 
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This is absolutely incredible! Abu Dhabi 3* hotels are over 11000 in Nov Dec 2023, the peak season.
Dubai 3* hotels are 5500-6000, almost half the price of Abu Dhabi hotels.

The rate depends on the season. I can see IBIS Abu Dhabi for less then 4k in July.

Screenshot 2023-12-05 at 6.18.45 AM.png
Booked IBIS hotel in Abu Dhabi for two days using Accor points. Which I got using Mangus. Room rent was about 3500 INR including Breakfast.
Nice one. @Dragon_slayer Please share the dates.
 
Mid November to end Feb is the peak season for UAE and the middle East.
This is the only time you should go, despite the hotel prices being double of July and August
 
Amex holders, request you please share your best redemption on Amex.

Earlier I was thinking MB 1:1 is great but there is no breakfast in Asia pacific and meals cannot be redeemed by points. Outside India, property prices are too high and returns are too less.

Then I thought of redeeming for united but I can get cheaper cash tickets then in miles. Now I have lost all interest in getting Amex cards.

I am thinking the Amex card ecosystem only benefit those who collect points by referrals.
 
Amex holders, request you please share your best redemption on Amex.

Earlier I was thinking MB 1:1 is great but there is no breakfast in Asia pacific and meals cannot be redeemed by points. Outside India, property prices are too high and returns are too less.

Then I thought of redeeming for united but I can get cheaper cash tickets then in miles. Now I have lost all interest in getting Amex cards.

I am thinking the Amex card ecosystem only benefit those who collect points by referrals.
You are absolutely right!
it is like a multi level marketing pyramid scheme.

In Amex, The membership rewards card is the best .
1500 into 4, spend 96000 over 16 months and get 7000 Amazon pay.
Return is 7.29% if the first year is free.
But you have to wait for 16 months to get 7.29%
If you factor in the interest loss of waiting 16 months, the return will become much less.
This is what the top investment bankers in Amex have already calculated to make it profitable
 
Amex holders, request you please share your best redemption on Amex.

Earlier I was thinking MB 1:1 is great but there is no breakfast in Asia pacific and meals cannot be redeemed by points. Outside India, property prices are too high and returns are too less.

Then I thought of redeeming for united but I can get cheaper cash tickets then in miles. Now I have lost all interest in getting Amex cards.

I am thinking the Amex card ecosystem only benefit those who collect points by referrals.
It is only for luxury travel guys, not for budget travel.
 
You are absolutely right!
it is like a multi level marketing pyramid scheme.

In Amex, The membership rewards card is the best .
1500 into 4, spend 96000 over 16 months and get 7000 Amazon pay.
Return is 7.29% if the first year is free
I will pass on MRCC - cannot do 16 month effort for 7000 Apay.
 
All my points are in accor, itc and united. Recently used accord points in spain and switzerland for superb value including food and drinks. For inter europe travel used united to book swiss airlines for peace of mind since turkish is not stable.
@xxScriptzxx
For intereurope, can you share one example where united gives better compared to cash?
 
All my points are in accor, itc and united. Recently used accord points in spain and switzerland for superb value including food and drinks. For inter europe travel used united to book swiss airlines for peace of mind since turkish is not stable.
Can you share ur DM ur hotels in Switzerland, number of nights and how many points u paid for them?

I was looking at few options and it's damn costly. Starting price for a 3 star hotel itself is 10K points per night 😅.
 
The rate depends on the season. I can see IBIS Abu Dhabi for less then 4k in July.

View attachment 36650

Nice one. @Dragon_slayer Please share the dates.
I booked same hotel about 2 months back for December. 12K points for 3 nights non refundable with breakfast.

And around 4 months back for Grand Mercure in dubai for December was 36K points for 5 nights refundable with breakfast.

Now it will be almost double for same dates. Planning in advance is key for festival season.
 
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