Using Points to Pay for a Palm Springs VRBO
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You may have noticed a few pics in my @aunt.kara Instagram stories that were from a recent 50th birthday getaway I took from the Midwest to Palm Springs. I joined my three friends of 37 years and the experience was just what I needed in a busy 2021! 🙌 And now that I’m back, I of course feel compelled to share info about the points that made it all happen! 😄
The unique thing about this trip is that: 1) I flew American Airlines and didn’t actually have enough American Advantage miles points to cover the entire roundtrip (shocking, I know); and 2) I didn’t stay at a chain hotel (whaaaat?!) — I stayed at a 3-bed/2-bath VRBO house with a backyard pool and spa. So that means no affiliated loyalty program! These travel arrangements not something I’m used to at all. I usually have all my ducks in a row when I strategize and book future trips, but this trip wasn’t all about me and determining which hotel and airline brands I have the most points with. Since I was traveling with others who are not really into points like I am, we instead focused on cost and convenience as our priorities! We needed to find the best routes and best prices, as well as the right type of property for our 4-night stay.
Ok so then how was I able to hack this particular trip under those circumstances? Enter Chase Ultimate Rewards! 🙌 These are bank card points that can be earned through the Chase Ink Business, Chase Freedom Flex, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and Chase Sapphire Preferred credit cards. With this travel loyalty program, one UR point has a monetary value of at least 1-1.5 cents, depending on which card(s) you hold. There are multiple ways to earn these points, as well as redeem them. It is my absolute favorite travel loyalty points program!
There are four Ultimate Reward point redemption methods:
Cash back. Not the best value at 1 cent per point.
Booking travel through the Chase travel portal. The most well-known way to redeem points.
Converting UR points to other travel loyalty program partners. This can often give you the best value.
Last but not least, the INDIRECT method I used to cover this particular trip - the Pay Yourself Back option.
Let me tell you more about how Pay Yourself Back works. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve cards, you have the option of “reimbursing” yourself for any grocery, dining, or home improvement purchases you’ve made with your card. You log into the Chase Ultimate Rewards website, select an eligible transaction, and redeem your points as a credit for the amount of the purchase.
So as I’ve mentioned many times on Instagram, my Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card is my most used card in my wallet (It also has a FANTASTIC 100k point sign-up offer out there right now). I use it for most purchases including grocery, restaurants, and home improvement. That means that if I ever want to use the Pay Yourself Back option, I have a lot of transactions I choose from!
Ok so what’s the connection between this redemption option and my latest trip to Palm Springs? Here ya go:
Accommodations: I booked the entire cost of the VRBO 4-night stay with my Chase Preferred card, had my three friends pay me for their portion ($531 a piece). I then logged onto Chase Ultimate Rewards. I searched and selected several Pay Yourself Back qualifying transactions (groceries, dining, and home improvement purchases) that totaled approximately $531 - the amount I paid for my portion of the VRBO. Chase then deducted 42,480 points (1.25 cents per point) from my account. And now my portion of the VRBO was (indirectly) covered by Ultimate Rewards points!
Flight: We flew American Airlines. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough American Advantage miles for a roundtrip on the itinerary we wanted, but I did have enough for one way! I used 22,500 AA miles for the outbound flight ($180.21). The return flight was $205.20. Again, I used the Pay Yourself Back option on the Chase website to reimburse myself for the cost! 16,400 Ultimate Rewards points.
So the total value of this travel hacked trip for one was $916! I spent $5.60 for one-way airline tax. Note: This brings my running 9 year total of travel hacking savings to $71,000! 🔥 The various trips I’ve taken over the years using points have been absolutely fantastic and the fact that I was able to travel for next to nothing makes them even better! If you ever have any questions about traveling using points and miles, send me an email or DM on Instagram (@aunt.kara). I love to teach others about my favorite hobby!!