Many dream of a European vacation, but it costs money. Bengaluru-based Sanket Garg and Manasi Jaiswal saved Rs 8 lakh on their dream vacation. In fact, they flew business class, too! The couple shared how they did it in a post on X (earlier Twitter). And if they can, you can, too!
They did this in two ways.
Using Airmiles To Book Flights
The first leg of the journey from Bangalore to Paris had a revenue rate of Rs 2.8 lakh. This flight was booked using 50,000 miles and a cash payment of Rs 17,000.
For the next segment, from Paris to Amsterdam with KLM, the revenue rate was Rs 16,800. This was booked using 10,000 miles and an additional Rs 6,000 in cash.
The third segment from Amsterdam to Rovaniemi, flown in KLM Business Class, had a notably high revenue rate of Rs 3.2 lakh. This premium flight required 80,000 miles and Rs 24,000 in cash.
Finally, the return journey from Amsterdam to Bangalore had a revenue rate of Rs 1.9 lakh. It was booked with 50,000 miles and Rs 17,000 in cash.
In total, the revenue rate across all flights amounted to Rs 8.8 lakh. This entire itinerary was booked using a total of 1.9 lakh miles and Rs 64,000 in cash.
Redeeming Points To Book Hotels
Starting with the ApartHotel Adagio in Paris, offering a stunning Eiffel Tower view, a room with a revenue rate of Rs 17,000 was booked by redeeming 8,000 points along with Rs 2,600 in cash. Another Paris booking at the Ibis Hotel, valued at Rs 31,500, was arranged by redeeming 16,000 points plus an additional Rs 2,400.
Continuing to Luxembourg, the Novotel Suites booking presented another opportunity for smart spending. With a revenue rate of Rs 11,300, this reservation was secured with only 6,000 points and Rs 500. Lastly, in Amsterdam, the Mövenpick hotel, valued at Rs 13,300, was reserved using 6,000 points and Rs 2,500, showcasing yet another effective points-and-cash booking.
Altogether, these four hotel stays amounted to a total revenue rate of Rs 73,000, achieved by redeeming 36,000 Accor points along with Rs 8,000.
In all, the overall travel plan reached a substantial revenue rate of Rs 8.8 lakh, facilitated by redeeming 2.26 lakh miles/points and Rs 72,000.
The post further says, “We were able to fly directly and in Business Class on some flights because we had enough points to use. If we didn't have those points, we would have probably flown Economy and may have taken one-stop flights, which would have just saved us approximately Rs 2.4 lakh instead of Rs 8 lakh.”
While Sanket Garg and Manasi Jaiswal had enough points to redeem which may not be possible for everyone, this goes to show that by collecting and redeeming points for air and hotel bookings, one can save a lot of money on their dream vacation.
