Reading Time: 3 minEver wanted to do something crazy for your birthday? As someone who specializes in maximizing points and miles, I knew I had the opportunity to do something unique.
That’s how I landed on flying around the world in (mostly) first class. We’re talking showers in the sky, copious quantities of caviar, exclusive Japanese whiskies, and a special birthday dessert in Etihad first class.
You may think that flying first class around the world is all well and good for some people, but completely inaccessible to you. Not true!
Through a combination of credit card sign-up bonuses and buying miles, I accrued enough points to get myself all the way around the world in (almost entirely) first class.
To be clear, I also spent cash where it made sense, which was on short-haul flights — and those were in economy. I’m all about maximizing my redemptions, so if it was going to be prohibitively expensive to redeem miles but would only cost $160 in cash, the choice was obvious.
All told, I spent 317,000 miles and $1,486 on these flights, which spanned a period of 18 days.
Here’s how I booked them and the rewards that I used. Note that the cost for Lufthansa first class when redeeming Avianca Lifemiles has since increased to 128,000 miles one-way.
Airline programs vary wildly.
If you're considering a trip like this, you'll quickly learn that the same route can cost wildly different amounts depending on the airline program you go through.
Some points currencies are much easier to earn.
Take, for example, All Nippon Airways first class. I paid for my flight using 72,500 Virgin Atlantic points, which can be earned via a variety of credit card rewards, including American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, Bilt Rewards, and Citi ThankYou points.
It’s much easier to earn these points than, say, United MileagePlus miles, which can only be transferred over from Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Always compare programs before you book.
If I wanted to pay with my United miles, the cost would skyrocket; instead of redeeming 72,500 Virgin Atlantic points, I’d need to use 220,000 United miles.
That kind of variance is why checking multiple partners before booking is one of the most valuable habits you can adopt when planning an ambitious trip like this.
Don’t worry if you don’t know which award-booking option is the best — finding this information is simple.
My preferred method is to simply Google “best way to fly to X using points and miles.” There’s plenty of information out there that breaks down the best program and how to earn the rewards to do it.
