How I Saved $33,087 on Premium Class Flights for a Family of 4: A Travel Hacking Success Story

Why I Wanted to Learn to Fly Premium Classes for Less

Flying has always been a thrilling adventure for me. From my very first flight as an anxious solo traveling teenager where I clutched the emesis bag as if it were my most prized possession, to all the journeys since, the mere thought of soaring through the skies, exploring new destinations, and embarking on unforgettable journeys fills me with excitement. However, up until now, my in flight experiences have been limited to the cramped confines of economy class. I’ve always walked the ever narrowing aisle of my long haul flights to the back of the plane, anxiously searching for an available overhead bin to stuff my bag in, and then slumping into the cramped seat where I’d spend the next 10 plus hours questioning all of my life choices.

This summer, that all changes. I’ve unlocked the secret to flying upper class cabins and I won’t be turning back now!

Why Fly Premium Class Cabins?

If you’ve never flown a long haul flight before, you might be wondering why it matters if you fly in economy or business class. On a flight less than 4 hours, economy class is pretty manageable, although I’d still rather level up when it makes sense! But for long haul flights, especially transcontinental flights, economy flying is brutal. You land at your destination exhausted, grumpy, and likely holding your head sideways from the cramp in your neck. But flying premium classes is an entirely different world compared to economy. It offers a level of comfort and luxury that elevates the entire travel experience. From the moment you step onto the plane, you're greeted with a warm welcome, plush seats, and an ambiance that exudes sophistication. The extra legroom, lie-flat beds, upgraded meal service, designated bathrooms, and personalized service allow you to relax and arrive at your destination feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world. This is what I’m most excited about!

But the allure of upper class cabins extends beyond the onboard amenities. It's the little touches that make all the difference – from priority check-in and boarding to access to exclusive lounges. Upper class passengers are treated like VIPs every step of the way, ensuring a seamless and stress-free journey.

The Cost of Flying Premium Class

Flying business class or other premium classes may seem like a luxury reserved for the elite, but it doesn't have to be. Personally, I always thought I’d need to be a millionaire in order to fly in classes other than economy, but it turns out I was wrong. While the price tag of premium class tickets can be daunting, there are ways to make it more affordable. One of the most powerful tools in achieving this is through the strategic use of points and miles.

Our family will be flying two long haul flights in business class this summer as well as one long haul flight in premium economy. While we aren’t flying the most luxurious business class products on the market, we will have lie flat seats, premium amenities and upgraded service, and ultimately arrive at our destinations in much better shape than we normally do after a long flight in economy. After every long economy flight, my husband and I would vow to figure out how to fly business class next time, and we finally did! I cannot wait to experience this dream come true for the first time and I’ll be sharing all the juicy details here on the blog

The Power of Points and Miles

So, just what are points and miles and why are they so powerful? Points and miles are a currency that can be earned through various means, such as airline loyalty programs, credit card rewards, and strategic partnerships. By accumulating these points, you can unlock incredible travel opportunities, including the ability to fly in premium classes for a fraction of the cost.

Over the last few months I’ve immersed myself into the world of points and miles, learning the ins and outs of loyalty programs, credit card sign-up bonuses, and how to maximize earning potential. Through careful planning and strategic spending, I was able to accumulate a substantial number of points and miles in just a few short months, which ultimately allowed my family of four to fly in business class and slash an astonishing $33,087 off the total cost of our flights.

So–Exactly How Did I Save $33,087 for My Family of 4?

In the coming days I’ll be sharing additional posts on how to find award availability and how I booked each flight, but for now, I wanted to provide a real life example on just how powerful points and miles can be.

Before I do, I want to add a short disclaimer. I am just beginning my journey in the points and miles world. Since I’ve booked these flights, I’ve learned even more and I know there are definitely better deals and ways I could’ve avoided excess surcharges by avoiding certain airlines, etc. But my husband and I just started collecting miles in November of last year and when I booked these flights, I did the best I could with the knowledge and points I had available at the time. With that said, I am still beyond thrilled with my redemptions and so excited to see how I can continue to learn and grow and get even better award flights and nights in the future! But for now, I’ll celebrate the victories below! (And any haters can keep on hating because I’ll be too busy relaxing in the skies to care!)

Our family of four will be taking our very first Business Class flight from Boston to New Delhi India in July. Personally I’ve flown from the US to India 5x now, always in economy, and always in misery. But this time, we are going to get to enjoy the luxury of a lie flat business class seat! For this flight, I booked British Airways Business Class via Cathay Pacific and paid a total of 300,000 points and $2,558 in taxes and fees total for all 4 of us. Because this flight goes through the UK, the taxes and fees are high. But, we still paid less out of pocket than we would have for economy cash fares from Boston to Delhi. As a newbie, I am super happy with this redemption. The cash cost for this flight would have been $18,936 on the day I booked it! That’s a savings of $16,378 and a 5.5 cent per mile redemption rate on our points! To put this in perspective, when you use your credit card points to get cash back, you are typically getting one cent/point (of course some exceptions do apply). This equates to over 5x more value for my points by transferring them to a partner airline to book award flights.

The second premium class flight I booked for our travels this summer is a Gulf Air Business Class flight from Dubai to Paris. I booked this flight using Aeroplan miles. For this flight, we paid a total of 144,000 points and $775 in taxes and fees for all 4 of us. The cash cost would’ve been $8,832 for a savings of $8,057 and again a 5.5 cent per mile redemption rate on our points!

The last premium class flight I booked for our trip is our flight home after our cruise. We will again be flying via London so the taxes and fees were high, but also unavoidable due to our itinerary. I booked a Virgin Atlantic Premium Economy flight from London to Boston for 110,000 points and $1,984 for all 4 of us. The cash cost for these tickets would’ve been $10,636 for a total savings of $8,652 and a redemption rate of 7.9 cents per mile! While it won’t be as comfortable as a lie flat seat, it will still be better than economy class with extra wide seats, extra leg room, and other premium services.

Overall if you add up the savings, we saved a grand total of $33,087 by using a total of 554,000 points!

Now what?

You might be wondering: How did we get all of these points? What cards did we use? What rewards programs did we transfer to? What is this game of points and miles and how can I play it? These are all questions I’ll be answering in upcoming posts!

If you're ready to unlock the secrets to flying premium classes, I encourage you to join me on our 45-day journey across 9 countries. Sign up for my email list below to follow along and learn alongside me! Together, we can embark on a world of luxury travel while saving money and create unforgettable memories.