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One of the things I love most about being The Points Guy is getting to hear stories from readers about how award travel has affected their lives — the exotic vacations they’ve planned, the trips they’ve made to be with family and friends, the premium seats and suites they’ve experienced and so much more, all made possible by points and miles. I love to travel and explore, and it’s an honor to be able to help so many of you get where you want to go.
Recently, I posted a success story from Christopher, who leveraged renovations on his condo to earn points for a 24-day trip to Asia. Today I want to share a story from TPG reader Michael, who recently traveled to Europe for his birthday using points and miles. Here’s what he had to say:
In my opinion, Lufthansa offers one of the best ways to fly to (or from) Europe in first class, and awards booked through Aeroplan remain reasonably priced despite the recent devaluation. For more on Lufthansa’s premium service, check out Eric Rosen’s review of Lufthansa A380 first class, as well as Zach Honig’s post on his experience at the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt.
Many people dread layovers, but that extra time on the ground doesn’t have to be wasted. Michael did a lot with his 12 hours in Paris, but some airlines will let you build a longer stopover into certain awards, which means you can effectively visit two (or more) destinations for the price of one. Routing rules vary from one carrier to another (and are constantly changing); make sure you know what options are available when planning your next trip so you can use them to your advantage.
I love this story and I want to hear more like it! To thank Michael for sharing his experience (and for allowing me to post it online), I’m sending him a $200 Visa gift card to enjoy on his travels (purchased from Office Depot with my Chase Ink Plus, of course), and I’d like to do the same for you.
Again, if the strategies you’ve learned here have helped you fly in first class, score an amazing suite, reach a far-flung destination or even just save a few dollars, please indulge me and the whole TPG team by emailing us with your own success stories (see instructions above). You’ll have our utmost appreciation, along with some extra spending money for your next trip.
Safe and happy travels to all, and I look forward to hearing from you!
Source: thepointsguy.com