2024 Points Breakdown for Flights and Hotels

2024 was a busy travel year for both the family and me (work travel). During 2024, we used 1.7 million points and miles. The cash value of the flights and hotels we used those points and miles for was $63,000. I am completely stunned by that total.

2024 Travel In Review

My Flighty Passport shows both personal and business travel but for this article I will only discuss the personal trips. During 2024 we were able to use points and miles to take four amazing family trips.

March – Snowmass, Colorado

For Spring Break, we went to Snowmass, Colorado.  I was able to book a huge three-bedroom condo for 212,000 points for 4 nights through Hyatt. I am very sad to report the location is no longer bookable through Hyatt. 

I booked flights to and from the tiny Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE) so we would not have to drive from Denver. 

My kids did take ski lessons on this trip, and those cost a TON, so I am extra thankful that I saved thousands on our flight and hotel!

April-Caribbean Cruise

I love the idea of gifting experiences. My kids were born in April, so we used Capital One Miles to “erase” the cost of a three-night cruise out of Miami. The night before the cruise, we flew to Miami for 33,000 British Airways Avios for four people. 

We used a Hilton free night certificate for one night at the Hilton Cabana Miami Beach Resort.  Because this is a resort, I could also use my Hilton Aspire resort credit, which covered snacks and room service breakfast.

The location of the hotel was great, my kids enjoyed some time playing in the ocean before we headed to the cruise ship.  Unfortunately the location was the only good thing about this hotel.  I will never stay there again.

After our cruise, we flew home from Miami on United Airlines. This was my first time flying on United. I purchased the ticket with the Amex Platinum Airline credits I have been saving for a few years. I used $1400 from my United travel bank for our flight home.

May/June-Paris, France

In May, we took our kids to Paris.  My husband and I had been to Paris way back in 2007. I was excited to return and thankful for the points and miles that made the trip possible.  My husband and I each transferred Amex Membership Reward points to Air France during a transfer bonus to book our flights.  Because Air France allows a 25% discount on tickets for kids between the ages of two and eleven, the business class tickets were 245,000 each way (490,000 total) for four people.  The cash price for these tickets is $28,000. 

In Paris, we took advantage of Hyatt Globalist Status and stayed at Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile. Our 7-night stay was booked with 150,000 Hyatt points instead of $4,200. We booked the Regency Suite, which is essentially two connecting rooms—plenty of space for a family of 4. 

Because our flight home was early, we stayed at the Hyatt House Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport for our last night. That room cost 6,500 points.

November – Hawaii

My family LOVES Hawaii so we decided to take the kids out of school the week before Thanksgiving and go to paradise. 

We flew in American Airlines Premium Economy both ways for a combination of 165,000 British Airways Avios and 163,000 American Airlines Miles.  The cash price for these flights would have been around $6,000.

We stayed in three different locations during this vacation.

First, we used 162,000 Wyndham points to book a two-bedroom house through Vacasa Vacation rentals. The house was amazing. It was on the golf course in Princeville, had 2 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms and a huge loft with 4 twin beds. The cash price of the 6 nights in this house would have been $4,000, i paid $0. Points are amazing.

Next, we moved to the Grand Hyatt Kauai for three nights.  Originally I booked one room and because I have Globalist status I was hoping for an upgrade. When an upgrade did not happen I booked an additional standard room so we ended up with adjoining standard rooms. Two rooms for 3 night required 180,000 Hyatt points instead of $6,000. 

Our last stop in Hawaii is one I wish we had skipped. To break up a long travel day I decided to overnight on Oahu. The Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort was booked for 1 night 180,000 Hilton points; the only good thing about this hotel is that I was able to use the Hilton Aspire card resort credit. 

Final Thoughts About 2024 Travel

In 2024, we made so many amazing memories from these vacations.  I’ve come a long way with my ability to use points since I started tracking in 2021. Only one of these trips would have been possible without using points and miles. 

I share about how I used points and miles and how much I saved not to brag but to show that I kind of know what I am doing when it comes to points and miles. I would never call myself an expert, award travel is a hobby for me.

It wasn’t that long ago that I knew absolutely nothing about how to use points and miles. Now, I am saving TONS of money every year and taking the most amazing vacations with my family. Anyone can learn how to earn and use points and miles. Even if you only earn enough to get one free flight a year, its worth it.

Thank you for reading, friends. Happy Travels!