Power of Points & Miles I recently got back after completing a 20 days long trip from the land down under, almost entirely funded by miles and points. Here’s a quick log of all the redemptions that were a part of the this. The goal? To demonstrate what’s possible.

Flights (all figures are for 2 pax) Route: PNQ - BLR Airline: Vistara (UK) Cabin: Economy (Y) FFP: Club Vistara Status: CV Gold Points: 8000 CV Points Taxes & Surcharges: 1660 INR

Route: BLR - SYD - MEL Airline: Qantas (QF) Cabin: Business FFP: Asia Miles Status: OW Sapphire (through AA) Miles: 140,000 Taxes & Surcharges: 31,276 INR

Route: MEL - SIN - BOM Airline: Singapore Airlines (SQ) Cabin: Business (J) FFP: KrisFlyer Status: *A Gold (through TAP) Miles: 168,000 Taxes & Surcharges: 11,255 INR

Hotels Loyalty Program: Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status: Platinum Elite Hotel: Four Points by Sheraton, Docklands Nights: 10 Points: 160,000 Hotel: AC Marriott Melbourne Nights: 5 Points: 97,000 Hotel: Element, Richmond Nights: 5 Points: 75,500 Total Points : 3,32,500

While I am not particularly fond of determining the monetary value of miles and points but I know a lot of people see it that way so, at the time of booking, the total revenue cost for this entire trip stood at around ~7L INR (Flights + Hotels).

As you can see, miles and points can offer outsized returns and more importantly excellent experiences. Cashback saves you money, miles and points gives you experiences. Choose what’s of more value to you.