How a Family of 3 Saved $4,346 on a 7-Day Portugal Trip

Brian H., of Lake Elmo, Minnesota, isn’t technically new to the points-and-miles game. Back in 2001, he started traveling for the military and federal government. Through those trips, he began racking up points and miles that he used for free flights and hotels. But it wasn’t until about 18 months ago that Brian stumbled upon the FBZ Elite - Travel and Points Facebook group — and realized he could have been doing a much better job at the points-and-miles game.

Brian dove into articles on award travel and began implementing what he learned. His family’s seven-day Portugal trip, which we will discuss shortly, was his first award trip done “right” from start to finish. And it wasn’t even a trip his family had planned to take; the deal they got was just too good to pass up.

Brian’s Portugal trip with his wife and son, Amanda and Maxx, took them to the dramatic landscapes of the Azores, an archipelago in the mid-Atlantic and autonomous region of Portugal. There, they hiked and visited three different hot springs and a slew of thermal gas vents. Then, they grabbed a flight to Portugal’s coastal capital city, Lisbon, where they strolled the streets of the historic town of Sintra, visited the Pena Palace, and indulged in the delicious local food and wine.

Sounds good, right? And it didn’t cost a fortune. Here’s how Brian’s family saved $4,346 on this adventurous trip to Portugal — a trip that would prove less complicated once Brian utilized his new-found knowledge about award travel.

Flights

Brian and his wife had been paying attention to Delta’s flash sales for some time, planning to use their travel rewards to go somewhere they’d always wanted to visit. But after one of the flash sales featured flights to the Azores — a place that wasn’t on their list but that they had also never been — they figured, why not? Captivated by photos of the islands, Brian and his wife decided to jump on the deal. It was a decision they would not regret.

Brian took advantage of a Delta SkyMiles flash deal to secure two roundtrip tickets from Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport to João Paulo II Airport in the Azores for 40,000 Delta SkyMiles each, or 80,000 SkyMiles total. While the 80,000 miles covered the airfare to the Azores, they did have to pay taxes out of pocket as well as a 10% lap infant charge on one of the tickets. This all came out to around $140 total for the three of them. Had they had used cash instead of miles, it would have cost around $1,040 per person at the time of booking, plus the $104 lap infant charge.

Additionally, Brian purchased their roundtrip fare from the Azores to Lisbon Portela Airport on Azores Airlines for $230 per person roundtrip, or $460 total. This amount included the charge for having a lap infant.

The miles Brian and his wife used to book their flights to the Azores came from a mix of organic spending and a 50,000-mile welcome offer Brian received with the Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card. 

This card has a $350 annual fee and the current welcome offer is: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in eligible purchases in the first 6 months.

Hotels

During their seven-day trip to the Azores and mainland Portugal, Brian and his family stayed at three different Marriott properties. They did this by using Marriott Bonvoy points Brian earned from a credit card bonus and from regular spending during his business travels.

Brian received 40,000-point bonus points when he upgraded his Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card to the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus (now known as the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card). For new cardholders, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless comes with a potential bonus: Earn 3 Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (each night valued up to 50,000 points).

There was limited hotel availability in the Azores, but Brian knew he wanted to stay in luxury for at least part of the trip. So, they stayed:

• The first three nights in the Azores at Furnas Boutique Hotel, Thermal & Spa for 75,000 Marriott points
• Three nights on mainland Portugal at Penha Longa Resort (The Ritz Carlton) for 105,000 points
• One night back in the Azores at Azor Hotel for 25,000 points

After all was said and done, Brian saved over $2,000 in lodging costs by using his Marriott Bonvoy points.

Rental cars

Brian and his wife wanted a car to get around on both the Azores and in Lisbon, so Brian rented vehicles through AutoSlash. AutoSlash is a website that searches all the car rental companies in a given area to find the least expensive option and then continues to monitor inventory for lower rates from the time you make the reservation until you pick up your car. Since you don’t pay until you pick up your vehicle, this helps ensure you’re getting the best price possible.

From the time Brian originally made his reservation, AutoSlash found him a better price three times. He finally booked his vehicle using Priceline but made sure to go through Rakuten (formerly Ebates) to score cash back for his purchase.

Their rental car on the Azores cost $180 total for three days ($250 originally before the final price drop) and the car in Lisbon cost $114 total, also for three days ($200 originally before the final price drop).

The travel credit cards Brian used

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

Brian’s Chase Sapphire Reserve is one of the best travel credit cards and was the primary card that he and his wife used for any regular spending during his trip, as it comes with no foreign transaction fees and offers 5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ 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. Brian also used the Chase Sapphire Reserve for his car rentals to take advantage of the card’s car rental insurance coverage.

Since Brian opened the card just prior to the trip, he needed to hit the minimum spend to receive the bonus offer of points he could use on future award travel adventures — another reason this card was what he and his wife primarily spent with. He used it to cover meals, for lounge access in the airports, and for their rental cars, all of which fell under the 3X category of other travel and dining.

If you applied for this card now, you could earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening from account opening. While there is an annual fee of $550, you get a $300 travel credit each year, as well as a statement credit for your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee, and access to Priority Pass lounges. So, if traveling is in your future, this card easily pays for itself.

Check out our Chase Sapphire Reserve review.

Ink Business Preferred^® Credit Card

Brian used his Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card to cover any incidentals during their stays at the various Marriott properties and to pay for their tickets to Lisbon on Azores Airlines. He chose this card because he was working toward hitting the minimum spend necessary to receive this card’s welcome offer as well.

Right now, you can earn 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening from account opening. There is an annual fee of $95, but the Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card gives you access to a list of valuable travel partners (hotels and airlines that allow you to transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to their loyalty programs) that will allow you to get even more value out of your credit card points.

Furthermore, this card comes with a slew of travel and purchase protections, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance, primary rental car insurance, and cell phone protection to name a few.

Check out our Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card review.

Delta SkyMiles^® Platinum American Express Card

To pay for their flight from Minnesota to the Azores, Brian used a combination of miles he earned from a welcome offer and from regular everyday spending with the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card. He received 50,000 miles at the time — the current offer is 60,000 bonus miles, which is a great opportunity to build up your rewards.

With this card, you’ll pay an annual fee of $350, and you’ll receive a welcome offer of 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Purchases at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., and U.S. supermarkets will earn you 2X miles, and your first checked bag is always free.

Check out our Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card review.

Bottom line

Brian’s seven-day family adventure to Portugal was his first award trip done right from start to finish, saving him and his family more than $4,000. As amazing as the trip was, it was still a learning experience. Since this trip, Brian has planned and gone on more trips and continues to learn and hone his award travel skills.

Brian took advantage of a flash sale to get airfare he just couldn’t turn down, not to mention the inspiration of going on a trip his family hadn’t planned to take in the first place. He used points and miles to save money on many steps of this trip and made purchases for food throughout to continue earning rewards for future travel.

All this goes to show that saving on travel is accessible to everyone through the right credit cards, and with a little planning and an adventurous spirit, you too can bask in the thrill of traveling more for less. To get started on your next trip, give our Ultimate Guide to Travel Rewards a read.

Easy-to-Earn Unlimited Rewards

Bank of America^® Travel Rewards credit card

Benefits

Card Details

• $0 annual fee
• Simple, flat-rate rewards
• Flexible redemption options
• Up to 75% preferred Rewards bonus potential
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• Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
• 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
• Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
• Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
• If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases.
• Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
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Earn 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases

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• The Bank of America^® Travel Rewards credit card is great for individuals who enjoy earning rewards and traveling.

• Cardholders will enjoy the flexibility to redeem points with no blackout dates and receive a statement credit to pay for travel and dining purchases.

• Earn 1.5X points on all purchases everywhere, every time.

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