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What are you bucket list travel destinations? There are so many places on this beautiful earth and I would love to visit each and every one of them. I’m sure it’s possible to do so with the help of points and miles, however for the purpose of this story, I’ll narrow it down to 5 bucket list destinations that I want to visit. On top of that, I’ll mention what currencies I would use to get there with points and miles. Of course, that could change from the time of this writing to when I actually go, but let’s pretend I can go to these destinations now!
ICELAND
I really want to visit Iceland! Of course, Instagram has helped fuel the interest with pictures of black beaches, wild horses, amazing waterfalls and unique landscapes. Ideally, I would like to visit during the summer months to increase the possibility of driving around as much of the country as possible. Also, we would definitely have to throw in a few workouts at Crossfit Reykjavik.
To get from the US to Reykjavik, I would probably consider a cash ticket if the price was low enough in economy. The flight isn’t terribly long, especially if you fly out of the East coast. If I find saver availability, I would consider the Denver to Reykjavik route on Icelandair and book with either AA or Alaska miles for 22.5K miles one way per person. You must consider the taxes and surcharges though, which is why I would check for a cheap cash ticket first.
SOUTH AFRICA
A safari is one of those experiences that would be once in a lifetime for us. By leveraging points and miles for flights and hotels, affording a safari becomes much easier. Also visiting Cape Town and Johannesburg are a must. South Africa has some nice wine country too that is not to be missed!
If I’m short on miles and want to “tough” it out in economy, I would consider either AA or United. AA charges 37.5K miles one way and United charges 40K one way. But, if I do have the extra miles and would like a very comfortable way to get to South Africa, I would gladly pay 75K AA miles to fly in business class on Qatar Airways!
PORTUGAL
The charm and the affordability of Portugal is very appealing. It’s one of the most affordable Western European countries which is important to us. Many travel bloggers rave about the cuisine and of course they have some amazing wine too. Catching a Benfica or Porto soccer match would be awesome. I learned some Portuguese when we’ve visited Brazil, so I’d love the opportunity to practice it some more in Lisbon and Porto.
TAP Portugal is expanding their US routes and often offer some great economy and business class sales to Lisbon. If a great sale isn’t available, I would still consider flying TAP Portugal with miles. You can spend 55K Aeroplan miles for a one way flight in business class or 27.5 Singapore miles in economy. My preferred way would be to use 35K Asiana miles one way in business class!
ARGENTINA
This enormous country would require 2 visits I’m sure. One visit would be to check out Buenos Aires and the Mendoza wine country. We could enjoy as much beef as our hearts desired and experience some of the best soccer the world has to offer. During the second visit we would have to visit Patagonia. Checking out the beautiful scenery and hiking some glaciers would be on the agenda for sure!
Asiana is also the way to go with this route in my opinion. For 35K Asiana miles you can fly business class one way on Star Alliance and arrive ready to feast on some steak! ANA is also a winner for this route but you need to find award space round trip. If so, it will cost you 88K ANA miles round trip in biz!!
AITUTAKI
We’ve been to Bora Bora and we’re planning on heading to the Maldives in March 2020. Aitutaki would be another one of those exotic, tropical destinations that will leave you in awe with its beauty. The plan here is pretty much to eat and be beach bums!
This one is tough, but possible if you’re willing to spend the time to find award space, or spend the money to have someone find award space for you. Air New Zealand is the only airline to get you there from Los Angeles and they’re super stingy with award space. If you’re fortunate enough to find award space, take advantage of it. 80K United or Aeroplan miles will get you there in business class.
BONUS BUCKET LIST DESTINATION: The Northern/Southern Lights
I’ve wanted to see the Northern/Southern lights for quite some time and I hope to make that dream a reality soon. There are several destinations where one could witness this spectacle, but I think Alaska is going to be our best bet. Due to when the increased chances of seeing the Northern lights are and when we could get some vacation time to see them, we may burn a spring break week to do this.
If Alaska is the chosen destination, I’d look for flights to Fairbanks. Again if cash prices are cheap, that would be my preferred option. If cash prices are too expensive, then I’d burn some Singapore Airline miles to fly there in economy. From Dallas to Fairbanks, it would cost 25K Singapore Airline miles per person, each way.
CONCLUSION
As mentioned before, there are a number of places we would love to visit and this hobby makes getting there so much more affordable. I’m hoping to cross off at least one of these destinations from the list in 2020. What are some of your bucket list destinations?
