I had wanted to visit New Orleans for a long time but the prices never were in the price range I was willing to pay. One day, I was reading The Flight Deal when I saw a post stating New York (LGA) – New Orleans (MSY) was only $130 RT including taxes and fees on Delta!
The Flight = $0.00
Delta used to be my favorite airline (probably brand loyalty since it was the first airline I had ever written as a child). These days, I generally do not fly with them as their costs tend to exceed other airlines. I did however have some value in vouchers on reserve that I knew would be perfect for this low cost deal I found for New Orleans. Therefore, the $130 flight on Delta Airlines cost me a grand total of $0.00 after applying a voucher.
The Hotel = $2.00 + 44,000 points
I had gotten into the credit card churning game (CC churning can be explained here) after doing a lot of research
The hotel that I chose was 44,000 points per night (88,000 points). I booked two consecutive nights with gold points, so that earned me a bonus award night. So after earning a bonus (free) award night, my grand total for two nights in the hotel came to 44,000 points + $2.00 [see below]
There were less expensive Club Carlson properties in New Orleans [as pictured below] that would have cost me less points, but I considered the cost of having to travel back and forth between the French Quarter area to a hotel outside of the city, and it might have cost me more to commute. I had learned from previous experience traveling that choosing a cheaper option hotel or accommodation might end up costing you more in transportation costs, therefore, I decided to book the 44,000 points-per-night option right in the heart of the French Quarter.
Learning about miles and points has benefited me tremendously and I am a HUGE advocate for doing research and learning how to play the points and miles game to earn free status and rewards. As aforementioned, I encourage everyone to do independent research to determine if things like credit card churning are right for you. There are a large number of travel bloggers who write about how to do it and how to earn elite status (I too will be writing something before year’s end). If you determine it is something that you are able to do, who knows, you too might be able to travel and stay in New Orleans for only two dollars!
Share your story with me. Have you ever traveled and stayed in a place around the world for next to nothing?
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