How We Booked 9 Flights to Thailand Using Points (And Only Points)

How We Got to Thailand: 9 Flights, 0 Dollars

What does it take to book 9 round-trip flights to Thailand entirely on points? Strategy, patience, and a whole lot of planning.

When we first dreamed up this big international trip, I knew I didn’t want to drop tens of thousands of dollars on airfare—especially with a group of 9. So we started building our points plan nearly a year in advance.

Step 1: Set the Goal—and Get to Work

About 14 months before our departure, we began intentionally collecting points. That meant prioritizing the right cards, maximizing category bonuses, and even looping in family members to help us hit the goal faster.

I treat points like a currency—just like with money, I budget how many I’m willing to spend on a flight. And when you’re working with 9 tickets, that’s a lot of budgeting.

Step 2: Monitor Award Availability

Around 9 months before the trip, we got serious about finding the flights. I used Roame.travel and Point.me, two award travel search engines that help track and compare points redemptions across airline alliances.

My hope was to find business class seats for the long journey—but the redemption rates were just too high. So we pivoted and settled on economy, staying focused on getting great value.

Step 3: Plans Shifted—And So Did Our Flights

Originally, we were going to stop in Tokyo on the way to visit Disneyland. But about 5 months out, we had to shift our departure date by 2 days to attend my sister and brother-in-law’s med school graduation. (They were part of our travel crew, after all!)

That change ended up leading us to the best redemption option: Qatar Airways.

Step 4: The Booking Breakdown

Outbound:

• I booked our flights to Bangkok directly through Qatar’s site.
• Since Qatar Airways and British Airways both use Avios, I transferred points from American Express to British Airways during a 30% transfer bonus.
• Then, I moved the Avios from British Airways to Qatar and booked the flights.
• What would have cost 55,000 points per person only cost us 38,500 points each thanks to the transfer bonus.

Return:

• For our flight home from Phuket, Thailand, I found the best redemption via Alaska Airlines, also flying on Qatar Airways.
• Since Alaska and Qatar are both in the Oneworld Alliance, I was able to use Alaska Mileage Plan miles to book Qatar-operated flights.
• Each return ticket cost 42,500 miles in economy.

The Final Tally:

• Total Points Used: 729,000
• Source: American Express Membership Rewards (used transfer partners)
• People Flown: 9
• Cash Spent on Flights: $0

Want to Do This Too?

• Pick the right cards for your goals
• Maximize transfer bonuses
• Strategically save points for dream trips
• Travel as a family for way less