Whether you go solo or with friends and family, one of the best excuses to travel is for a birthday. And if you have time on the calendar — and some credit-card rewards to burn — a long weekend is one of the best ways to celebrate it.
Here’s everything you need to know about booking birthday and long-weekend trips with points and miles.
Table of contents
Figure out where you want to go
The first step to booking a birthday trip with points and miles is figuring out where you want to travel — you’ll need to talk to your travel companions to find the destination that works for all parties.
How much you want to spend and your personal and group travel priorities are just as important. To help narrow down your options, you’ll want to discuss the overall budget with others traveling with you.
Flexibility is key when it comes to planning a birthday or long weekend trip. Consider the amount of time you have available for travel and the ideal duration of your trip. If you’re short on time, a closer destination might be more suitable — although scheduling around major holidays, like Memorial Day Weekend, Labor Day, or Martin Luther King Jr. Day, could open up more possibilities.
If you have more time, on the other hand, stretching the points to far-flung destinations could give you better options (think: the Maldives or Bora Bora, Tahiti).
The next thing to do is figure out how you want to travel and what you’re okay with spending and saving money on. One general rule of thumb is to use your larger balances on luxury experiences, like business-class flights or high-end hotels.
If you have a significant number of points, you could consider splurging on a five-star beach resort and using your leftover points or miles to book an economy flight. That way, you can enjoy a luxurious stay while still saving on your flight.
Best destinations for a birthday weekend from the US
Based on award availability, some of the best spots for a birthday weekend include Cancun, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, London, Paris, and Hawaii, all of which are reachable from major U.S. gateways, such as New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Houston, and Chicago.
In our experience, it’s common to find tickets to Jamaica and Mexico from 11,000 miles each way . These fares are usually so cheap because of the close distance to the U.S.
Don’t discount the idea of traveling a little further, though! European destinations, such as Madrid, London, or Milan, can also be fun spots for a birthday weekend.
Plan ahead to score deals
Proper preparation is the best way to score deals on luxury fares, accommodations (a free night is a common perk), rental cars, activities, and more, so planning ahead for your birthday or long weekend trip is essential.
If you’re booking flights in cash, you’ll tend to see the best fares two to eight months in advance. But if you’re shopping with points, it’s slightly more complicated. You’ll either find the best award availability further down the road (like 11 to 12 months out, when airlines release their calendars) or a lot closer to your travel dates (as little as two weeks from departure, when the airlines release additional seats).
Book as much as you can with points and miles
When you’re ready to commit, seize the opportunity to maximize your travel rewards. By utilizing points and miles, you can book airfare and hotels via a plethora of loyalty programs from the leading credit card issuers.
Whether you choose to book through a credit card program like Chase Travel or transfer points and miles to rewards programs like Marriott Bonvoy or World of Hyatt, you’re taking a significant step towards a rewarding travel experience.
Consider pooling your points
Points pooling is a feature that allows you to combine your points or miles with friends and family — an excellent option if someone in your traveling party has a ton of miles or points, or if most of your travel partners need more miles or points individually. By pooling your resources, you can increase your total account balance and have more options for booking your trip.
Most major airlines participate in points pooling. Some of them include:
- Air Canada
- Air France-KLM
- British Airways
- Frontier Airlines
- Spirit Airlines
- United Airlines
Earn miles on activities
Many rewards programs allow you to earn rewards on activities or eligible purchases, such as cash back or miles or points.
Most airline and hotel programs, such as Delta SkyMiles and Alaska MileagePlan, have e-shopping portals where you’ll earn bonus miles that aren’t available if you buy directly from the merchant. And many major credit card issuers, including American Express, Chase, Capital One, and Citi, offer cash-back rewards on select purchases through offers on their platforms.
An example of this would be an Amex Offer for $100 back after spending $500 or more at a particular hotel or airline. (Once you’ve met the minimum spending requirement, you’ll receive a statement credit for the cash back.) These offers are excellent ways to save money — and still earn miles and points — on birthday travel and long weekend trips.
Open a new credit card
Another smart way to use points and miles to fund a birthday or long weekend trip is by using them for high-value redemptions, such as business- and first-class tickets or luxury hotel stays.
Many premium credit cards — including the Platinum Card from American Express, the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and Capital One Venture X Card — offer a massive welcome offer after you meet a minimum spending requirement and pay the annual fee. These points can then be used to book travel, either directly through the program’s travel portal or after transferring them to airline and hotel partners.
The exact amount depends on the credit-card issuer, but it’s often enough to pay for a business-class ticket to Europe one way. Just be sure to check the fine print! You’ll need to know how far ahead to open the new card to use the bonus for your trip.
Once you meet your minimum spend, the bonus has to post to your account before you can book travel with it — some banks take just a few weeks, others six to eight — and sometimes you’ll only have a certain amount of time to use it, so you’ll want to be clear on the specifics to take full advantage.
Many premium credit cards also include benefits like hotel elite status and lounge access, which you can use with friends or family for a birthday or long weekend trip. By opening a new credit card, you can take advantage of these perks and earn more rewards for your own travel purchases.
Booking your birthday trip with point.me
Now that you know how to book birthday and long-weekend trips with points and miles, let’s look at how point.me can help simplify the process. In this example, we’ll use our “Explore” feature to search for flights and award availability.
Let’s say you want to visit a destination known for its beaches; in that case, you’ll select the “Beach” icon. (If you’re not sure where you want to go, “Anywhere” will show you available flight awards around the globe.)
You’ll first see a list of available destinations.
Selecting the “Show Map” button will take you to a map, where you’ll see domestic and international destinations.
For this example, let’s look for a flight to Rio de Janeiro. Selecting “Search live availability” will show the award availability for your preferred travel dates.
You can then sort flights by the number of points required, point.me’s picks, and the quickest flights. You can also filter by airline, number of stops, travel times, and loyalty programs.
Select your preferred flight and hit “View Booking Options.” A pop-up window will display the number of miles or points required and the program you’ll book with.
You can then either book the flight yourself or use one of our friendly full-service concierges to search for and book the best flights available with your points.
Frequently asked questions about booking with points
Can I use my frequent flyer miles to book flights for someone else?
Yes, you can use your frequent flyer miles to book reward travel for someone else.
Should I transfer or gift my points or miles to someone else for a group birthday or long weekend trip?
You can transfer or gift your points or miles to someone else when booking a group birthday or long weekend trip. You can do this by pooling your miles with family or friends, transferring miles or points to another account (which often has a fee), or simply making the booking in that person’s name.
How can I maximize my points and miles to cover a birthday weekend trip?
To maximize your points and miles — and offset the cost of a birthday weekend trip — you’ll want to be flexible with your travel dates when you search for award availability. Plan ahead to avoid incurring an extra cost, whether it’s unexpected booking fees or paying a premium for last-minute flights.
Better flights, fewer points.
point.me users get 6-12x the value of their points.
Join now
Share "How to Book Birthday and Weekend Trips with Points and Miles"
