John sent us his reader success story where he and his wife took a $28,000 trip to Tokyo and Vietnam for just over $2,500. Here’s how it went.

My wife and I are both educators, so we’re stuck traveling during peak seasons—and that usually means peak prices. But thanks to points and miles, we turned what should’ve been a $28,000+ trip into a 22-day dream adventure through Tokyo and Vietnam—for just over $2,500 out of pocket.

We started with three nights in Tokyo at the Hyatt Centric Ginza, booked with World of Hyatt points transferred from our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Ink cards. The hotel was perfectly located and made an awesome jumping-off point for exploring the city.

 

 

 

From there, we flew to Hanoi and traveled south through Da Nang, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City—each leg optimized for value without sacrificing comfort.

Flights Breakdown

• Seattle to Tokyo in business class on Japan Airlines, booked with American Express Membership Rewards® transferred to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
• Tokyo to Hanoi in business class on Vietnam Airlines, booked with Capital One Venture Miles transferred to Flying Blue (KLM)
• Hanoi to Da Nang paid in cash (the flights were incredibly cheap)
• Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, booked through the Capital One Travel Portal using the $300 annual travel credit from our Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
• Ho Chi Minh City to New York, one business-class seat and one economy seat on Air India, booked with Aeroplan using American Express Membership Rewards®.

The flights alone had a cash value of over $23,000, and we paid almost nothing for them (just taxes).

 

 

In Vietnam, we paid cash for all our lodging because prices were just too low to justify using points. We stayed at:

• Hanoi – Emerald Waters Hotel
• Ha Long Bay – Dora Cruise (3 days, 2 nights)
• Hoi An – Paddy Boutique House
• Da Nang – HAIAN Beach Hotel & Spa
• Ho Chi Minh City – La Vela Saigon

Every place we stayed was high-end, comfortable, and full of character—and all for far less than what we’d pay in the U.S.

 

Bottom Line

We first started using points and miles in 2022 with a beginner trip to Costa Rica. That trip opened our eyes to the possibilities, and we’ve been learning, earning, and building smarter redemptions ever since: we’ve also used points and miles for trips to the Dominican Republic, Cozumel, and Scotland.

This 22-day journey was our biggest success yet—$28,000 worth of flights and hotels for just over $2,500. It proved that with the right strategy, even two public school educators can travel the world in luxury during peak travel season.

 

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