Don's Journey: Securing Award Travel from Paris to Buenos Aires
Family event next week in Buenos Aires called Don for a quick trip down under. Wrapping up some Paralympic Games in Paris - he needed some award availability
Don saved $2,090.50 on his First Class trip from Paris to Buenos Aires by strategically using United MileagePlus miles instead of Air Canada Aeroplan points.
Cash Cost:
😲 First Class Airfare Purchase Value: $10,679 (Round-trip from Paris to Buenos Aires)
Points/Miles Opportunity:
✅ 165,000 United MileagePlus miles (valued at $2,227) + $137 in taxes and fees calc
💰 Savings of $8,315 💰
✴️ Alternative 1: 130,000 Air Canada Aeroplan points (transferred from AMEX points at 1:1) + $165 in taxes and fees is valued at $3,300
✴️ Alternative 2: Paying all cash for the First Class ticket would have cost $10,679.
🛎️ Don utilized his Up+ subscription discount to book this award trip search, for $125.
Background
Don, an avid sports enthusiast, reached out for help in booking a trip from Paris to Buenos Aires. Don needed to find the best award travel options for a family event in Argentina. The cash ticket price for a one-way from Paris to Buenos Aires (EZE) was $1,080 in coach, $3,377 in Business, or $10,679 in First Class, prompting Don to explore the use of his miles to offset the cost.
To set the context: as a business owner Don quickly accumulates both United Miles and American Express Points on a monthly basis. Once he reviewed the points redemption in all three classes he quickly leaned into splurging and enjoying the First Class trip.
The question became how to go about it...
