Planes, Points & Passports: The Story Behind 3 Million Miles
Milestone Reached: Over 3 Million Travel Points USED!
We officially crossed the 3 MILLION travel points redeemed milestone! This isn’t just about free flights and hotel nights—it’s about using every tool in our travel hacking toolbox to unlock unforgettable experiences with family and friends. Here’s how some of our recent redemptions helped push us over the line:
Staycations
- Wedding in Tacoma – 12,000 Chase points for a night at a Marriott
- Usher Concert in Seattle – 11,000 Chase points for a Hyatt stay downtown
Spring Break 2025 – Naples, Ischia & Amalfi Coast
- Hilton Naples Italy:
- 36,000 Amex points transferred to Hilton Honors
- 19,000 Amex points transferred to Hilton Honors
- Hyatt Ischia and Sorrento Italy:
- 40,000 Chase points transferred to World of Hyatt
- 44,000 Chase points transferred to World of Hyatt
- 20,000 Chase points transferred to World of Hyatt
Bella’s Spring Break 2025 Senior Trip
- Delta flight to Puerto Vallarta: 21,000 Amex points transferred to Delta Skymiles for one leg of the trip
25-Year Anniversary Celebration booked for Sedona, Arizona
- Hyatt Sedona: 15,000 Chase points transferred to World of Hyatt, Also used two free night certificate from opening a Hyatt Credit Card
- Flights (Seattle to Phoenix, RT): 77,000 Amex points transferred to Delta Skymiles
Victoria 6 + 3 Significant Others: Tokyo Dec 2025 – Jan 2026
This is our biggest international family trip yet—with 9(3 of the significant others joining in on the fun) of us heading to Japan!
- Flights: 410,700 Chase points redeemed via the Chase Travel Portal at 1.5x value for Japan Airlines tickets for 6. At least $6K worth of flights on ANA for 6 passengers. Not the best redemption but 1.5x to Asia and about 70K per person round trip wasn’t too bad.
- Hotels in Tokyo: 221,151 Chase points redeemed via the Chase Travel Portal for 5 hotel rooms, $5780 for 5 rooms and 10 nights. (15% bonus in addition to 1.5x multiplier)
Looking Ahead: Spring Break 2026 Planning Underway
- Flights to Lisbon on Air France:
- 59,000 Venture X points transferred to Air France/KLM Flying Blue
- 16,000 Citi ThankYou points transferred to Flying Blue
- This was a little pricey for my liking, ended up being about 39K per person
- Return flight from London to Seattle (Upper Class, Virgin Atlantic): 82,300 points (combo of Citi & Venture X transferred to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club) and there was a bonus transfer at the time on Citi!
- We decided to splurge a little on this one, flying Upper Class(Like first like) 47000 per person, got hit with $700 per person on taxes though, ouch.
2025: Another Year of Travel on Points
From milestone moments like our 25th anniversary to unforgettable adventures with the Victoria 6, hitting the 3 million mark in travel point redemptions is a reminder of just how far strategic travel planning can take you—literally!
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to explore the world, one redemption at a time.
