4 Days in Cancun for $140: How This Family of 3 Did It

If you ever needed an excuse to go on a luxurious vacation, your birthday might be an obvious choice. But what if you could take such a trip, one that would normally cost $2,860, for only $140? Andres Garcia, an active member of our FBZ Elite - Travel and Points Facebook group did just that.

Andres was able to travel with his wife and son on a vacation to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in February of 2019 to celebrate his birthday. He paid for nearly the entire four-night trip on points and miles, and it was nothing short of a luxury experience from start to finish.

They experienced the beautiful white-sand beaches of Mexico, along with the famous Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. For a trip that would normally come with an equally “luxurious” price tag, they got it all for a fraction of the price — and all because of points and miles.

If that piqued your interest, read on to find out how Andres did it — and how you can too.

Flights

Because Andres knew exactly where he and his family wanted to go for his birthday, he began his research on Google Flights about four months before the trip. He was mainly looking to see the cash rates for the flight, as well as which airlines flew from Orlando to Cancun. By finding the cash rates, Andres could better determine and compare the value of each reward point he would need to cover the costs of airfare.

Initially, he thought his family would fly JetBlue economy because of the ease of transferring points. However, Andres then discovered Delta was flying the same route, and seats in business class would cost only $450 per round-trip ticket. With his son being under two years old at the time, Andres needed only to pay taxes for him. Paying $900 round trip for two people and an infant in business class didn’t sound like a bad deal to Andres.

In addition, Andres knew that choosing to fly business class with Delta meant they would have access to the Delta Sky Club in Orlando. In fact, any business class customers traveling on a same-day, international flight operated by a SkyTeam alliance airline get access to Delta Sky Club. Delta Sky Club offers guests a variety of food options; complimentary wine, beer, and spirits; complimentary WiFi; and satellite TV; among other things. Andres and his family took advantage of the lounge’s breakfast options prior to their flight.

Although Andres searched for his flight to see the cash rates, he paid for the flight using points he earned through a mixture of American Express cards, including his The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express and American Express^® Gold Card.

And, as an American Express Business Platinum Card cardholder, Andres took advantage of an airline bonus perk that would return 35% of his Membership Rewards after he booked his flight using Pay with Points. So the 90,000 points needed to book the two tickets was reduced to 58,500 points. With his son’s lap infant fare included, they ended up paying just over 60,000 Membership Rewards points for round-trip airfare for three people. So Andres got a very healthy 1.5 cents per point value of his rewards.

Expense category	Regular price	What Andres paid
Flights	$900	$0

Hotels

Andres and his family decided to celebrate his birthday in style by staying at the Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen, just outside of Cancun. They selected this hotel based on recommendations from friends and because of the proximity of the property to the beach, bars, and restaurants.

He booked the entire four-night stay using World of Hyatt points, 80,000 of which he earned using his The World of Hyatt Credit Card. To have enough to complete the booking, Andres transferred the rest over from his Chase Ultimate Rewards balance.

With the World of Hyatt Credit Card in his possession, Andres is automatically granted Hyatt Discoverist status; however, he had enough points and stays at Hyatt that he was bumped up to the next tier status, Hyatt Explorist. As rewarding as this status is, it would go unused — and for good reason. Andres’s friend is one level up in the World of Hyatt program, which is the Hyatt Globalist. This status allows you to designate a friend or family member as a “guest of honor,” and this guest of honor is awarded all the perks of Hyatt Globalist status during their stay.

Hyatt Globalist perks include a room upgrade (if available), early check-in, late check-out, waived resort fees on eligible rates (room rates published by Hyatt without the use of a discount code) and free night awards, premium internet, club access, and more.

What’s all that mean in real-world terms? Well, as a designated guest of honor, Andres and his family were upgraded for free to a suite with an ocean view. The price for this room at the time of booking was $380 per night, which works out to $1,520 for the entire four-night stay. But because Andres paid with his World of Hyatt points, he paid $0 for their hotel stay.

Expense category	Regular price	What Andres paid
Hotels	$1,520	$0

Rental cars

Andres and his family flew into the Cancun International Airport, which is about a 45-minute drive away from the hotel. While there was a shuttle service available to and from the hotel, it would have cost an estimated $100. And since his family wanted their own transportation during their vacation anyway — primarily so they could drive to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza — a rental car priced at $140 total for four days made the most sense. Andres also brought his own car seat for his son rather than renting one from the car rental agency to continue the savings.

Andres used his Chase Sapphire Reserve^® to pay for the rental car since the expense would fall under the 3X earnings rate for other travel and dining. This earned him 420 Chase Ultimate Rewards points in the process ($140 x 3X rewards). In addition, he opted out of the insurance offered by Avis as the car was covered with rental car insurance through the card. This saved him even more money, and all he would have to pay was $140 for the rental car itself.

Expense category	Regular price	What Andres paid
Rental car	$140 rental + what he would have paid for insurance	$140

Other special deals

One of the most expensive parts of being on a trip can be eating out. However, Andres was able to use the Hyatt Globalist status given to him by his friend to save his family quite a bit of money on meals. With Hyatt Globalist status, Andres and his family were able to get breakfast and dinner for free at the Hyatt Grand Club in their hotel for the three full days of their stay. Andres estimates that this saved him $100 per day.

Of course, not everyone has a friend with Hyatt Globalist status. To attain this status yourself, there are three ways to go about it: reach the 60-night mark at participating World of Hyatt locations, accumulate 100,000 base points from qualifying World of Hyatt purchases (hotel stays, dining, spa, etc.), or hold 20 qualifying meetings/events in a calendar year.

Expense category	Regular price	What Andres paid
Breakfast and dinner for 3	$300	$0

The travel credit cards Andres used

If you’re interested in taking a trip like Andres and his family, then you’re probably curious to learn more about the specific credit cards he used, as well as why he used these. Here’s what you need to know.

Card name	Sign-up bonus	Earnings rate	Annual fee	Special perks
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months	5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on Amextravel.com; 1.5X points on eligible purchases at U.S. suppliers of construction materials and hardware, U.S. retailers of electronic goods, U.S. providers of shipping, software and cloud systems, and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million per year, then 1X); and 1X points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases	$695 (Terms apply)	Access to American Express Global Lounge Collection Fee credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry $200 airline fee credit Complimentary status at Hilton and Marriott Hotels Enrollment required for select benefits
The World of Hyatt Credit Card	Earn up to 60,000 bonus points: 30,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening, plus up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent	up to 9X points on stays at Hyatt hotels (4 bonus points plus 5 base points as a World of Hyatt member); 2X points on restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships; and 1X points on all other purchases	$95	Automatic Discoverist status Free annual night One free annual night at any category 1-4 hotel each year of card membership Trip cancellation insurance No foreign transaction fees
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 3X points on other travel and dining & 1X points per dollar on all other purchases	$550	$300 annual travel credit TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit Various travel coverages Access to Priority Pass airport lounges
American Express® Gold Card	Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases within the first 6 months of card membership	4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X) and at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on Amextravel.com, and 1X on all other eligible purchases	$250 (Terms apply)	$120 annual dining credit Enrollment required for select benefits No foreign transaction fees

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

As a small business owner, Andres takes advantage of earning travel rewards through business credit cards. The Business Platinum Card from American Express came in great use for Andres and his wife on their round-trip flight from Orlando to Cancun.

Andres booked two business class flights on Delta using his American Express Membership Rewards and enjoyed one of the card’s premium travel perks in the process. As a Business Platinum cardholder, you receive 35% of the points you spend on all or part of your eligible fare back as a rebate. Eligible fares include business and first class tickets with any airline booked through American Express Travel, as well as any fare class with the airline you select for your annual $200 airline fee credit.

For any business person who travels for either business or pleasure, the Business Platinum Card from American Express is an outstanding card. Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months. In addition, this card is great if you frequently book flights and/or hotels. You will earn 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on Amextravel.com; 1.5X points on eligible purchases at U.S. suppliers of construction materials and hardware, U.S. retailers of electronic goods, U.S. providers of shipping, software and cloud systems, and eligible purchases of $5,000 or more (up to $2 million per year, then 1X); and 1X points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. This card does come with a $695 annual fee.

Outside of earning points, this card can make traveling a luxury experience with features such as access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, up to a $100 fee credit toward enrolling in TSA PreCheck or Global Entry to expedite your security screening, and automatic hotel status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Explore more benefits at our American Express Business Platinum Card review.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card

Because of his World of Hyatt Credit Card, Andres was able to stay at the Grand Hyatt Playa del Carmen completely paid for with points. The World of Hyatt Credit Card is one of the best travel credit cards for travelers who enjoy hotels that run from economical to ultra-luxury.

To start, you will have the opportunity to earn up to 60,000 bonus points: 30,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening, plus up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2 points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 bonus point, on up to $15,000 spent. As you use the card for purchases, you will earn up to 9X points on stays at Hyatt hotels (4 bonus points plus 5 base points as a World of Hyatt member); 2X points on restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships; and 1X points on all other purchases.

While the earning potential is great, simply having the card itself delivers great value for those who frequently stay at Hyatt properties. You will have automatic Discoverist status in the World of Hyatt program, one free night every year at select hotels, and trip cancellation insurance. All of these perks come with a reasonable $95 annual fee.

Explore more benefits at our World of Hyatt Credit Card review.

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

Andres used the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card to book his rental car during his time in Cancun. Since he used this card, he was covered with the auto rental collision damage waiver and could skip the insurance through Avis to save money. He also used points he had earned on this card to transfer to his World of Hyatt account so he had enough rewards to book the hotel in Mexico.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the best credit cards for travelers because of the outstanding rewards, perks, and insurance coverages. As you use the card, you will earn 5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 3X points on other travel and dining & 1X points per dollar on all other purchases. You can also earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Along with valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards, you will have additional perks to make your travels even more enjoyable. You will earn a Priority Pass Select membership to over 1,000 airport lounges around the world, a $300 annual travel credit to help with travel costs, and up to a $100 credit toward enrollment in TSA Precheck or Global Entry.

As a part of Chase’s rollout of new benefits for the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can also enjoy two free years of Lyft Pink All Access (activate by Dec. 31, 2024), 10X points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Ultimate Rewards® (after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually), and $5 monthly DoorDash credit.

To add even more perks to the mix, you will also have rental car coverage, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, and lost luggage reimbursement.

Explore more benefits at our Chase Sapphire Reserve Card review.

American Express^® Gold Card

While Andres did not use this card specifically to book this trip, he regularly uses it to earn valuable American Express Membership Rewards points. It is actually his favorite card to earn Membership Rewards. He also used it throughout the trip on dining costs to earn more points.

The American Express Gold Card is an outstanding card for travelers and self-proclaimed “foodies.” With this card, you earn 4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year, after that 1X) and at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., 3X on flights booked directly with airlines or on Amextravel.com, and 1X on all other eligible purchases. Once you are approved for the card, you can earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $4,000 in the first first 6 months of card membership. The Amex Gold card does come with a $250 annual fee.

And if you are also a foodie, the perks of this card will be perfect for your lifestyle. Each year of card membership, you will receive a $120 dining credit. Don't forget to enroll to receive this core Amex Gold card benefit.

Explore more benefits at our American Express Gold Card review.

Bottom line

Expense category	Regular price	What Andres paid
Flights	$900	$0
Hotels	$1,520	$0
Rental car	$140	$140
Meals	$300	$0
Total	$2,860	$140

The key for Andres booking a successful birthday trip with his family was using hotel status and points to his advantage. He used his points to book a free room, and then doubled down on it with his friend’s gift of Hyatt Globalist status to get a room upgrade and enjoy multiple free meals.

In addition, he was economical in not paying for a hotel shuttle, but rather paying a few extra dollars for his own vehicle to enable his family to explore around Mexico — and avoid any further taxi or rideshare expenses. While their birthday celebration was a quick trip, Andres enjoyed it and is already itching to get back to Cancun.

This story is a fantastic example of what points and miles can do for you. You too can travel luxuriously without spending luxuriously. So where should you begin? If you’re not sure, give our Ultimate Guide to Travel Rewards a read.