Reader success story: Using points and miles to tour 3 European countries

Dianna and Michael Norton both dreamed of visiting the U.K. She’s an English history buff fascinated by things like the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels, and Michael had always wanted to see Stonehenge. But Michael’s leg swelling prevented them from flying more than six hours at a time — a serious hurdle when most transatlantic flights start at around seven hours.

When the Nortons saw TPG’s articles on Icelandair’s free stopover option, they realized there might be a way for them to get to Europe. They ended up planning a two-week, three-country trip in July 2024, mostly on points and miles. Here’s how they did it.

Related: Reader success story: How this reader visited 8 countries in 3 years using points and miles

A positioning flight with Southwest points

Given Michael’s leg swelling, the Nortons knew flying to the U.K. from their home in Texas would require multiple stops. They started by booking a positioning flight from Austin to Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS) on Southwest, which cost around 30,000 Rapid Rewards points round-trip per person. Cheaper award seats were available, but they were happy to spend more points to avoid an early-morning departure. And since the Nortons are avid Southwest flyers and each holds a Southwest credit card (the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card), they had a healthy stash of Rapid Rewards points to redeem.

Dianna is also a Marriott loyalist. She paid 33,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for a night at the Courtyard Boston Logan Airport. This hotel was perfect for a break between flights since it has a complimentary airport shuttle and a restaurant where Dianna and Michael could sample local specialties like clam chowder and lobster rolls.

The next morning, the Nortons used Dianna’s The Platinum Card® from American Express to access the Air France lounge in BOS for a nice breakfast before their flight to Iceland. Then they were rested and refueled for their flight to Iceland.

Related: Best hotels in Boston

A ‘golden’ stopover in Iceland with Marriott points

The Nortons took advantage of Icelandair’s stopover program to book flights from Boston to London with a two-night stopover in Reykjavik. Since cash prices were relatively low ($549 per person) and Dianna could get more value using her Amex Membership Rewards points for hotels in Europe, she decided to pay cash for the Icelandair flights. She used her Amex Platinum card to book the flights, earning 5 Amex points per dollar that she could use toward her next trip (5 points per dollar on the first $500,000 spent each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel).

For their first night in Iceland, Dianna found a sweet spot at the Reykjavík Edition, which was low enough to use the up-to-35,000-point annual Marriott free night certificate on her Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card. She used 53,000 points to book their second night at the same hotel, and got upgraded to a more spacious room with a beautiful harbor view thanks to her Marriott Gold status provided by her Amex Platinum (enrollment required).

The information for the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is no longer accepting new applicants.

In total, Dianna spent 88,000 Bonvoy points for a stay that would have cost at least $1,500, giving her a value of over 1.7 cents per point — well above TPG’s September 2024 valuations of 0.85 cents each for Bonvoy points.

This stopover not only made it possible for the Nortons to reach Europe, it also turned out to be a highlight of the trip. They spent their extra day in Iceland touring the waterfalls, geysers and lava fields of Iceland’s breathtaking Golden Circle.

Related: Airline stopover flights: A complete guide to maximizing your flight itinerary

A luxurious London stay on Hilton points

When the Nortons reached their dream destination, they wanted to stay long enough to explore sights like Big Ben, Stonehenge and the historic wellness hot spot of Bath. But during prime tourist season, lodging in London wasn’t cheap. Thankfully, they were able to book their entire stay on points — and get plenty of perks in the bargain.

After hearing about an elevated welcome offer on TPG, Michael applied for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and met the spending requirements of $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership to receive an added 130,000 bonus points to his Hilton Honors account. This gave him enough to book five nights at the Waldorf Hilton London. He got the fifth night free thanks to his Hilton Honors Gold status, a perk of the Surpass card. Michael’s Gold status also earned the couple a room upgrade and free daily breakfast, and his card provided a $50 on-property Hilton statement credit to use on other hotel purchases.

A paid five-night stay at the Waldorf Hilton London in July would have set the Nortons back at least $2,500. Instead, they spent 340,000 Honors points, giving them a value of 0.7 cents per point — not bad compared to TPG’s September 2024 valuations, which peg Hilton points at 0.6 cents each. And, as Dianna said, “Who doesn’t love a doorman with a top hat and tails greeting you each day?”

Related: Surprising ways to use your on-property credits at hotels

Using Amex points to explore Ireland

The next stop on the Nortons’ dream vacation was Ireland. Again, because flights were cheap — they snagged one-way tickets from London to Dublin for $100 per person — Dianna paid for the flights in cash using her Amex Platinum and instead put her points toward free hotel stays.

Dianna had recently taken advantage of a 100,000-point offer to upgrade to the Amex Platinum from her American Express® Gold Card. She used those points toward a 200,000-point redemption for five nights at the Conrad Dublin through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, which was offering one free night. She also received up to a $200 statement credit, one of the Amex Platinum’s annual perks, as well as several elitelike perks through Amex Fine Hotels.

“On its face the Amex Travel portal gives you 1 cent per point,” Dianna said. “But when you factor in the $200 statement credit, the free night, the $100 experience credit, room service or other hotel services, the free breakfast and the room upgrade, you’re getting so much more.” The Nortons found the experience credit particularly useful for late-night dinners when they were too tired to go back out.

Between all the perks and discounts and the hotel’s top-notch service, Dianna considers this one of her best redemptions. The concierge helped them book restaurants, wrapped and shipped their souvenir purchases, and even found a specialized private tour of the Irish countryside that would allow Michael to rest and elevate his leg.

After Dublin, the Nortons had just enough points left to stop in Iceland and Boston on the way home. They used 43,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to spend one night at the Courtyard Reykjavik Keflavik Airport and enjoy the Blue Lagoon, and 33,000 Amex points to stay another night at the Courtyard Boston Logan Airport.

Related: Beautiful destinations to visit in Ireland beyond Dublin

What’s next on these readers’ points and miles journey

The Nortons have their eye on Portugal and Spain for their next big trip. They’re hoping to catch a business-class deal on American (the lie-flat seats would make a long-haul flight possible for Michael) or fly to Lisbon from Philadelphia (a six-hour flight that would be at least manageable).

The Nortons were already preparing for the next trip during this one. They booked all their Viator tours via the American Airlines shopping portal, which was offering 7 AAdvantage miles per dollar on Viator purchases at the time — netting them over 10,000 miles, in addition to the miles earned on the credit card they used for the purchase (Michael’s Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®). They also earned 5 transferable Amex points per dollar by paying for their flights with the Amex Platinum (on the first $500,000 spent each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar). Plus, they earned roughly 47,000 Hilton Honors points for their stay in Dublin, even though they booked it with Amex points.

Between the rewards they’ve earned and the experience they’ve gained using their rewards strategically, the Nortons are well on their way to another vacation on points and miles.

The information for the Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Your guide to maximizing shopping portals for your online purchases

Bottom line

At TPG, we believe travel is for everyone — but medical issues and other challenges can sometimes get in the way. This story shows that with a little extra planning, you can book the dream trip that works for your family. Understanding stopovers made this trip possible for the Nortons, and points and miles helped them book luxury lodging and get valuable perks to make their trip unforgettable.