Your honeymoon is one of the most important trips you’ll ever take. But did you know you can book it using points and miles, potentially saving hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars in the process?
Whether you’re looking to score a fancy reward seat on the plane (hello, Singapore Airlines suites!) or a fifth-night-free hotel stay with Hilton or Marriott Bonvoy points, here’s what you need to know to book your honeymoon with travel rewards.
Table of contents
Figure out where you want to go
The first step in booking a romantic trip with rewards points is envisioning the type of experience you want to have. To decide on a honeymoon destination, you and your partner can narrow down your options by considering just what it is you want to do, whether it’s hiking, exploring cities, or simply lounging by the beach. Think about what’s going to make you happy, not what you think of as a “typical” honeymoon spot.
The next step is figuring out how you want to travel and what you’re okay with spending and saving money on. If you have a substantial amount of points or miles, you may want to use your larger balances on indulgent experiences, like business-class flights or high-end hotels.
For instance, if you have a significant number of points, consider treating yourself to a night at a five-star beach resort and using your leftover points or miles to book an economy flight. That will offer a much better value, no matter where you plan to travel in the world.
Popular honeymoon destinations from the U.S.
Some of the most popular honeymoon destinations for U.S. travelers include:
- The Maldives
- Hawaii
- Bali
- Bahamas
- Paris
- New York
- Iceland
- Australia
- Japan
- Greece
- Italy
You can book the Maldives with Emirates, Etihad, or Qatar; Hawaii with major U.S. airlines, like Southwest, Hawaiian, and United; Bali with Singapore KrisFlyer miles; Bahamas with major U.S. airlines, like American and Delta; Paris with major U.S. airlines and/or Air France; and New York with major U.S. airlines.
As you can see above, it’s possible to get to the Maldives from the U.S. starting at just 138,000 Emirates miles one-way in business.
Want to fly to Bali from the U.S.? That’ll cost you a little more than 111,000 miles one-way for a business class ticket on Singapore.
And if you want to stay somewhat local, destinations such as the Bahamas offer great award redemptions — in this case, just 8,000 miles one-way on American.
Plan ahead to score deals
To get the best rates on luxury accommodations, rental cars, activities, flights, and more, you’ll want to factor the cost of your honeymoon into your wedding expenses and take care of them all well in advance. Many couples plan honeymoon travel months or even a year ahead to ensure they’ll have hotel- and flight-award availability for their preferred itinerary.
When it comes to cash prices for flights, the best fares tend to pop up two to eight months in advance, while for points, the best award availability is generally much further in advance (like 11 to 12 months out, when airlines release their calendars) or much closer in, around two weeks from departure when additional seats are released.
Book flights and hotels with points and miles
When planning your honeymoon, consider using your credit card rewards to book flights and accommodations. American Express, Chase, and other card issuers have extensive lists of transfer partners, so you’ll be able to access a wide range of hotels and airlines by leveraging your points.
Whether you prefer to go through transfer partners or use points and miles to book with a credit-card program, like Amex Travel or Capital One Travel, this approach can significantly enhance your travel experience — and save you money, too.
Consider pooling your points
If you don’t have enough frequent-flier miles to nab those Singapore suites, pooling your points is a good option offered by many airlines and hotel rewards programs.
To pool your points, you’ll add the points or miles you’ve collected independently to someone else’s — an excellent solution if your significant other has a ton of miles or points or if either of you needs more miles or points individually. Pooling your resources can increase your collective balance and give you more options for booking your trip.
Earn miles on activities
Virtually every rewards program allows you to earn miles on travel activities and other purchases, such as excursions. You can also earn miles, points, and even cash back on everyday purchases.
To help you boost your bottom line, most airline and hotel programs have online shops, where you’ll earn bonus miles you wouldn’t get buying directly from the merchant. United MileagePlus Shopping and Southwest Shopping are some of the most popular of these portals.
But that’s not the only way to earn perks on activities. All the big credit-card loyalty programs — think: American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards — offer cash back on select purchases through offers on their platforms as well.
Open a new credit card
One of the easiest ways to rack up points and miles for your honeymoon is by opening a new credit card and putting the perks toward your travel costs. This helps you hit two major goals: First, you’ll get membership rewards points; and second, if you spend enough on a new credit card, it can earn you a hefty sign-up bonus, both of which can then be redeemed for travel.
Many premium credit cards issued by the four major banks offer a welcome bonus once you pay the annual fee and meet a minimum spending requirement after account opening (usually within the first three months or the first six months). Some of these welcome bonuses can be more than 100,000 points, so it’s worth shopping around for the best option.
You’ll just need to open your new card in enough time to put the bonus toward your trip. The specifics vary from bank to bank, but there’s always a lag between meeting the minimum spend and the resulting bonus posting to your account — it can be anywhere from a few weeks to six to eight, depending on the issuer. And sometimes, there’ll be restrictions around how long you have to use it, so make sure you’re clear on the details before jumping through all those hoops.
Because the credit card points you’ll earn from a sign-up bonus can be used to book directly through the loyalty program’s travel portal or by transferring points to its hotel and airline partners, it makes sense to look at various travel cards and consider how many points you’ll need for your honeymoon before taking the plunge.
If you’re heading somewhere close, like Cancun, you may only need 25,000 miles for a round-trip economy flight per person. If you want to visit the Maldives, however, you may need to spend more than 100,000 miles — even for a one-way ticket.
Cards offering some of the best current sign-up-bonus offers include:
- The Platinum Card from American Express
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Chase Sapphire Preferred
- Chase Sapphire Reserve
Many premium credit cards also include benefits, like elite status with airline partners, complimentary lounge access, and “stay four nights, get the fifth night free” hotel stays, which you and your partner can (and should!) take full advantage of on your honeymoon.
Booking your honeymoon travel with point.me
Admittedly, shopping around for the best use of your points can be a drag — and that’s where point.me comes in. Our “Explore” tool makes it a breeze to search for a flight with airline points, especially if you need help deciding where to go.
For this example, we selected destinations in the Wellness category and went with Phuket, Thailand.
Select “search live availability,” and the next page will show you available options for your travel dates.
You can sort by our picks, or by fastest or cheapest flights. If there are currently any transfer bonuses available, you’ll see them noted. Any fees associated with your trip will also be listed.
After you decide when you want to fly, you’ll then select “View Booking Options.”
Select the deal that works best for your trip.
From there, you can either book your trip yourself or bring in one of our friendly, full-service concierges to make sure you’re getting the most value from your points.
Frequently asked questions about booking a honeymoon with points
Can I use my frequent flyer miles to book flights for someone else?
Yes, you can use your miles to book flights for someone else by pooling or transferring your miles or booking a flight for them directly.
How many points or miles do I need for a free flight?
The number of points or miles you need for a free flight depends on several factors, such as airline, award availability, and flight route.
Is it possible to combine points and miles?
Yes, some loyalty programs, including those for airlines, hotels, and credit cards, allow users to combine their travel rewards. You can either pool your points with friends and family or transfer points and miles between accounts.
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