Thanksgiving is just around the corner, when many Americans will sit around the dinner table and enjoy a large turkey feast with friends and family. But as one of the most popular times to travel, spending the holiday with loved ones that live a plane ride away can be challenging.
Fortunately, if you have yet to book your Thanksgiving travel, there's still an opportunity to get away — especially if you're looking to use your frequent flyer miles. And while finding those unicorn deals can be challenging, Points Path makes the process significantly easier.
So, if you're trying to figure out a way to get away for Thanksgiving, take a look at these 5 opportunities we found to get a great deal with your points and miles.
Is attending the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on your bucket list? Frequent flyer miles can truly make this dream come true — especially with Air Canada points.
Since Air Canada is part of the Star Alliance with United, you can book a flight on United from Charlotte to New York City using your Air Canada points, and it's just 10,000 miles one-way, or 20,000 miles roundtrip.
Don't have Air Canada points? You're in luck. Air Canada is a transfer partner with all the major bank credit card programs, including American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Capital One miles. So there are ample opportunities to book these flights if you have points in one of those flexible bank programs.
While not as famous as Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, Chicago also offers a top-notch parade with performers and floats. Then afterwards, you can head over to Chicago's Magnificent Mile to enjoy the lights and decorations and continue on with the holiday spirit.
Alaska is part of the OneWorld airline alliance, which means you can book a flight on American Airlines from Philadelphia to Chicago using your Alaska miles. And it's currently just 14,500 miles roundtrip.
If you were to book this itinerary directly with American, the same exact flights would cost 22,000 miles roundtrip. And without frequent flyer miles, you'd pay $305 in cash. That makes this a great way to save money and put your miles to work.
If you're looking to spend time with friends or family members soaking up the sun, it’s not too late to book a trip to South Florida.
With Delta miles in your back pocket, you can score a nonstop itinerary from Atlanta to Miami at just 22,000 miles roundtrip. And while you can get a similar deal by flying American, Delta has significantly more flight options throughout the day.
Plus, it can be easier to get Delta miles instead of American miles, since you can transfer Amex points to Delta. And while you might prefer to use cash for this trip since it only costs $236 right now, booking it with miles is a great way to save the cash for a hotel or something else down the line.
With time off from work, Thanksgiving can be the perfect opportunity to take an extended long weekend vacation. And with many flight options, ample hotels and ideal weather, Cancun is a great destination to relax.
While you may not find a fantastic deal to Cancun at Thanksgiving, it's the perfect time to use JetBlue points. Since JetBlue points are loosely tied to the cash price of a ticket, you can score a significantly better deal with JetBlue points instead of using miles from another program.
You'll also find that many hotels in Cancun partake in the feast and offer a traditional Thanksgiving meal, so you won't feel like you're missing out on the usual holiday trappings.
While the French don't celebrate Thanksgiving, November is a beautiful time in Paris with mild weather and smaller crowds. You'll also find the city illuminated with holiday decorations, making it even more beautiful than usual.
While a last-minute vacation across the pond can cost as much as $2,000 roundtrip in economy during Thanksgiving, you can snag a great deal with your frequent flyer miles.
For instance, by utilizing Points Path, we found this nonstop flight from Washington, DC to Paris on United. While that flight would cost a hefty 140,000 United miles roundtrip (plus $88 in taxes and fees), you can get the exact same flight with just 86,700 Air Canada points (plus $168 in taxes and fees). That's a substantial savings, and a great deal for the holidays.
Thanksgiving will be here before you know it, but there's still an opportunity to lock down plans with friends and family or plan a real vacation — and even bake in a turkey dinner.
If you're interested in any of the above flights, here are the links to them in Google Flights. You'll also need to install Points Path to view the prices in frequent flyer miles as well as cash.
Remember that both cash and mileage airfares change over time. The prices in this story were accurate as of the date it was written, but you may see different pricing if you search later down the line.
And if none of these trips fit your needs, try a few searches of your own. With a little bit of work, you can find plenty of options to use your frequent flyer miles to enjoy one last summer getaway.