I read a post on Threads the other day that essentially said, “If you’re flying economy, you’re not travel hacking.” In other words, if you’re not in lie-flat business class seats, you’re wasting your time. She also stated that if you’re not getting 3-5 cents per point for your travel redemptions, then you might as well be cashing your points out for a cent per point.
My first instinct was to unfollow her, because I don’t need that kind of negativity in my social media feed. But, frankly, while many of her posts seem a little elitist to me, she actually has a lot of very helpful tips. In general, she’s a quality influencer, but on this issue, she’s incredibly wrong.
This attitude isn’t unique. If you follow points and miles content on blogs, Instagram, or podcasts, you will hear that most influencers have a repulsive or visceral reaction to flying economy or, God-forbid, staying at a budget hotel. For people who diligently collect points and miles to take their families on vacation, these attitudes can be counterproductive and harmful. Should they put off going on the trip until they have enough points to fly in business class, or stay in that Instagram-worthy hotel?
Economy vs Business Class
The obsession with flying business class for international flights in the points and miles community needs to be studied. It’s borderline weird. Would I rather sit in business class than in economy? Yes, of course, I’m not crazy. However, acting like a ten-hour flight in a seat with a 32-inch seat pitch is the same as being waterboarded for ten hours is an exaggeration of epic proportions. I was just listening to a podcast where one of the contributors was complaining that she was finding it difficult to find a ticket to Europe with less than $700 in taxes and surcharges, and I thought, “Then sit in the back of the plane where the taxes will be $5.60.” Problem solved – you won’t burst into flames in economy, I swear.
The Inventory Problem
The biggest issue with business class flights is that they are difficult to find for a reasonable price. I recently booked six one-way economy tickets on a direct flight in early July from Chicago to Paris for 21,000 AAdvantage miles and $5.60 each. The best flight I could find in business class from Chicago to Paris in that time frame was 115,000 JetBlue miles and $160. The most tickets I could find near that price was five, not the six tickets I needed. Even if I could find six tickets, that would cost me 690,000 points and $960 instead of 126,000 points and $33.60, and frankly, comfort just isn’t that important.
The argument always is that you can find transatlantic flights for less than that, and it’s true, but you generally need a positioning flight. The influencer I referenced earlier pointed out that she found a flight from Atlanta to Paris for 60,000 Flying Blue miles and $341. That’s great, but again, that would be 360,000 Flying Blue miles and $2,046 for me and my five family members, assuming they had six tickets, of course. Do you really think I’m going to pay an additional 239,000 miles and $2,013 and have to book a separate positioning flight to Atlanta just to be more comfortable for ten hours? Yeah, I’m not spending $200 an hour to nap comfortably.
Don’t Worship at the Altar of Cents per Point
The flight I booked for Chicago to Paris would have cost around $3,573 for six people. This works out to around 2.8 cents per point on that redemption, which, in my book, is pretty good. The influencer referenced above stated that it’s not travel hacking unless you get 3 to 5 cents per point, so she wouldn’t have approved of it. However, let’s think about this logically: for around 120,000 points, she could get two people to Europe with around $700 in fees. I got six people to Europe for around 120,000 points and $33 in fees. Sure, my redemption isn’t worth as much in cents per point, but saving over $3,500 on a flight isn’t a travel hack?
Cents per point is a good guide to determine whether you’re getting good value for your points, but if it’s the only thing that’s important to you than you’re going to miss out on some great redemptions that make sense for you. The fact of the matter is that I needed to get six people to Europe and that was a deal that made sense, who gives a damn if it’s at least 3 cents per point?
If I Hear One More Thing about the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, I’m Gonna Snap
The Waldorf Astoria in Los Cabos is one of the most sought-after redemptions for Hilton uncapped certificates. It is a five-star resort overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It’s also one of the most reviewed hotels on Earth. Every major points blog has a review of this hotel. Typically, the hotel is booked by points enthusiasts with a certificate earned from big-spend bonuses on Hilton credit cards or by opening the Hilton Aspire card or when paying the annual fee when the card renews. It’s also boring.
Seriously, people who go out of their way to stay at a particular hotel bore me. You flew to Mexico because you wanted to sit by the pool and get a massage in ultra-luxury? Okay, cool, I guess. I don’t want to hear about it.
Tell me a story! Did you leave your hotel? Did you do the hike to the top of Mt. Solmar? It’s right there by the hotel.
Did you go to Los Guacamayas and have tacos so great that you couldn’t wait to come back for lunch the next day? Did you spend so much time at The Porch that the bartender let you try his special spicy mezcal made by his friend? Did you take a boat ride out to the Arch, watch the sun go down from the deck at Baja Brewing, or party at the Mango Deck? Did you even bother to swim in the ocean? Or did you stay at the hotel and get a stone massage?
In March of 2025, we spent a week hiking from Valenca, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, Spain on the Portuguese route of the Camino de Santiago. We stayed in hostels, we ate in local cafes along the route, and we walked until our whole bodies ached. If you told me right now that you would pay for me to stay at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos or for a week on the Camino, I would happily take the Camino. While relaxation is important, I would rather be stopping for a Galicia Estrella in a village along the Camino than sipping a craft cocktail in a chair by the pool because the Waldorf Astoria is boring.
I can only imagine Rick Steves’s reaction if you said the highlight of your trip to Paris was staying at the Park Hyatt. Stop worrying about the hotel and whether you got upgraded, and start worrying about what you’re doing while you’re there. If you’re using points and miles, chances are that you’re not rich. You don’t need to pretend that you are.
For me, points and miles are just a tool, a way for our family to visit places we couldn’t afford. It’s opened a world to us that wouldn’t be available to us without it. It’s allowed me to run a 50K in France on trails perched high above Monaco and the Mediterranean Sea. My son and I hiked parts of the Painter’s Way in Saxon Switzerland National Park in Germany, including crossing the gorgeous Bastei Bridge. The whole family hiked at the Blue Falls of Costa Rica, which might be the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.
If you’re into points and miles, why did you get into it in the first place? Did you want to see the world, or were you just curious what it felt like to be rich? If it’s because you want your vacation to be a taste of luxury and wealth, and that’s what you love and that’s what you want to do with your time, I’m not here to yuck your yum. But turning your nose up at those of us who are maximizing our points for experiencing the world rather that first class amenities is elitist. It’s actually worse than elitism; it’s elitism from someone who isn’t even rich.
So, if I catch you on the plane sitting by yourself, sipping champagne in business class on that flight to Paris, just know that me and my five favorite people are headed to the back of the plane. We’ll be sipping beer out of the can, with our seats reclined ten percent and we’ll be having an absolutely amazing time. Enjoy Paris – I hope you leave your hotel.
Newby to Expert Traveler 