⭐ POINTS AND MILES MY REAL ADVENTURES HUB

Written By Julie Davis

Real trips I’ve booked using points, miles, and clever travel hacks

When I first started learning points and miles, I remember wondering if people really booked entire trips for almost nothing. Now I know the answer is yes — and this page is where I share every single redemption I’ve made.

These are real trips I’ve booked for myself and my family using points, miles, casino offers, transfer bonuses, and smart stacking strategies. My goal is to show you what’s possible and help you recreate these wins for your own adventures.

This hub will keep growing as I book more trips.

Transparency time: I may earn a commission if you shop through my links. Think of it as fueling my next travel hack story while you score your own deals

✨ FEATURED REDEMPTION: Norway Fjords Cruise + Round‑Trip Flights to London

🇳🇴 Norway Fjords Cruise + Flights — Saved Over $11,000 Using Points & Miles

Norway Fjords Cruise points and miles hub

My son and me in Skjolden Norway

Cash Price: $12,000+ What We Paid: $675 in taxes & fees Total Savings: Over $11,300

Points & Miles Used:

  • 135,000 points transferred to Virgin Atlantic and Flying Blue

  • Airlines flown: Delta + Virgin Atlantic

  • Transfer partners: Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserve + Amex Platinum

  • Award type: Round‑trip economy from Nashville (BNA) → London (LHR)

How I Booked It

Flights to Europe in peak season — especially from a non‑hub like Nashville — can be brutally expensive. Cash prices for our dates were over $8,000, which is absolutely wild.

Instead, I transferred a mix of Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, one of the best sweet spots for Delta flights. Virgin often prices Delta flights far cheaper than Delta itself, and this redemption is a perfect example.

We booked round‑trip flights to London for 135,000 points + $675 total, flying a combination of Delta and Virgin Atlantic metal. This got us to Europe comfortably and affordably before our Norway Fjords cruise.

Why This Was a Win

  • Saved over $8,000on flights alone

  • Used one of the best Delta sweet spots in the points world

  • Took advantage of multiple transfer partners for maximum flexibility

  • Flew from a smaller airport (BNA) without paying a premium

  • Turned a bucket‑list Norway cruise into an affordable, dream‑level trip




Full Trip Guide → Explore Norway by Cruise: Fjords, Ports & Travel Tips


✨ FEATURED REDEMPTION: Alaska Cruise + Flights + Free Hotel Night

Alaska Cruise points and miles adventures

My mom and me on our Alaska cruise Summer of 2025

🧊 Alaska Cruise — Saved Over $3,700 Using Points, Miles & a Casino Deal

Cash Price: $4,040+ What We Paid: $1,000 (flights + cruise) Total Savings: Over $3,700

Points & Miles Used:

  • We flew to Seattle on United Points and Back on Southwest Rapid Rewards

  • Airlines flown: United + Southwest

  • Transfer partners: None

  • Hotel: Free pre‑cruise night using Hyatt points

  • Cruise: Casino offer + Capital One travel credit

How I Booked It

Alaska cruises can get expensive fast — especially when you factor in flights from the East Coast or the South. For this trip, we kept things simple and used straight airline miles (no transfer partners needed) to book our flights on United and Southwest, saving $1,000 right off the top.

Then came the big win: We stacked a casino offer with a Capital One travel credit, bringing our cruise fare down to just $325 instead of $3,040.

To top it off, we used Hyatt points for a free pre‑cruise hotel night, which is one of the easiest and most valuable ways to save money on cruise travel.

This trip is a perfect example of how you don’t need complicated transfer charts or premium cards to save big — sometimes simple redemptions + smart stacking = massive value.

Why This Was a Win

  • Saved $1,000 on flights using basic airline miles

  • Turned a $3,040 cruise into a $325 cruise

  • Free pre‑cruise hotel night thanks to Hyatt points

  • No transfer partners, no complicated award charts — just smart stacking

  • Perfect beginner‑friendly redemption that anyone can replicate

Full Trip Guide → Royal Princess Review: Our Alaska Cruise Experience




✨ FEATURED REDEMPTION: South Beach Miami Anniversary Trip

🌴 South Beach Miami — A $2,158 Trip for the Cost of Taxes & Fees

Hyatt Centric South Beach point and miles hub

Cash Price: $2,158+ What We Paid: $22.40 in taxes & fees Total Savings: Over $2,135

Points & Miles Used:

  • Southwest points for one ticket

  • Southwest Companion Pass for the second ticket

  • 46,000 Hyatt points for two nights at Hyatt Centric South Beach

  • Transfer partner: Chase Ultimate Rewards → Hyatt

  • Cards involved: Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserve + Southwest cards

How I Booked It

Miami can be an expensive long‑weekend destination, especially in February. But this redemption is the perfect example of how powerful simple, beginner‑friendly strategies can be.

For flights, we booked one ticket using Southwest points and got the second ticket free thanks to the Southwest Companion Pass. That alone saved us $1,088.

For the hotel, we transferred 46,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt and booked two nights at the Hyatt Centric South Beach, a property that would’ve cost over $1,070 in cash. And because Hyatt waives resort fees on award stays, we saved even more.

The result? A luxury anniversary weekend in Miami for the cost of lunch.

Why This Was a Win

  • Saved $1,088 on flights

  • Saved $1,070+ on hotel

  • Used beginner‑friendly points (Southwest + Hyatt)

  • No complicated award charts or transfer gymnastics

  • Perfect example of how families can take real trips for almost nothing

Cruises Booked With Points, Miles, or Casino Offers

My Virgin Voyages

Hotels Booked With Points

Family Trips & Weekend Getaways

New to points and miles? You’ll fit right in. Join my Travel Hacking Moms Facebook group — it’s a supportive space to learn, ask questions, and start saving on your next trip.


Julie Davis
Next

Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa Review