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Reader Success Story: New Zealand on Points for a Family
Thanks to Lyana from MatchPointTravel for sharing her story about how to visit New Zealand on points!
My name is Lyana, and I’m a mom of three kids (ages 15-21). We have seen a lot of the world while being stationed overseas with the Air Force, but never used credit cards for travel until we returned to the US.
For the last two years, I have been learning as much as possible about credit card points as we love to travel as a family and I wanted to make it more affordable.
New Zealand has been on our bucket list for many years! In early 2023, I set a goal to figure out how to fly us over there on points so we could save money on tickets and do more expensive activities during the trip.
I knew it was going to be a challenge with five people, especially because our travel dates were completely inflexible, squished between college, school, and work schedules.
Two Things that Helped the Most:
- Research: I explored the routes available and read all about the “Sweet Spots” to New Zealand.
- Advance Planning: I planned our dates WAY in advance (11 months).
Focus on Keeping Things Simple
After doing my research, I decided to keep things simple and focus on earning United Airlines miles as I was interested in the SFO-AKL route.
I knew we could transfer our Chase Ultimate Rewards® to United Airlines, but I also aided my earning of the United Airlines miles by opening a United Explorer℠ Card (it had an elevated offer). Then we opened two Ink Business Unlimited® Cards (I referred my husband) which helped a ton as well.
We started with a good base of 300K Ultimate Rewards points after having a Chase Ink Preferred® card for a couple of years.
Raleigh to Queenstown (South Island)
Our home airport is Raleigh, NC (RDU). I was completely expecting to have to reposition somewhere on the West Coast, but United Airlines was showing me a great deal from Raleigh all the way to Queenstown (South Island). So we flew RDU to QZN (Queenstown) for 48K United points each, booked through the United Airlines website. Our TOTAL for 5 people was 240,000 miles + $250 in taxes.
Landing in Queenstown was part of the experience! We rented a car and explored the South Island for a week. It was a bit rushed, but we knew we wanted to cover a lot of ground.
We visited the Millford Sound, Wanaka and its famous tree, and drove up to Mt. Cook village where we took the Glacier Boat tour. We stayed the night at the Hermitage (with a pretty expensive but delicious buffet dinner), went star gazing, and did lots of hiking in between.
For accommodations on the South Island, we used Airbnb and Booking.com to find family-friendly options with kitchens and laundry facilities. In Christchurch, I was able to use my IHG points for a stay at the Crown Plaza hotel right in downtown. We had to get two rooms—one king and one double.
North Island Adventures
We did have to pay cash for our flight from Christchurch to Rotorua, on the North Island, but it was under $100 a person.
We also had to rent another car but we lucked out and got the exact same model so it was an easy transition. By the way, if you have a large family, a Hyundai Staria is your car—it was perfect for my three tall kids!
On the North Island, we did more touristy activities on the way to Hamilton like the Maori dinner in Rotorua, zip lining (was pretty amazing) and Black Water Rafting (exhilarating adventure in the Waitomo Glowworm Caves).
We only stayed in Hamilton for one night, but enjoyed an awesome Bed and Breakfast called Rua Resort. It was fun to see how the locals live (they have llamas, bunnies, and all sorts of animals that you can feed in the morning).
Auckland Luxury with Points
We then headed to Auckland where we stayed at an amazing newly opened IHG property—InterContinental Auckland, across from the harbor.
It was a fancy stay for us but I was able to use my TWO Free Night Certificates (up to 40K points) that came from having both the IHG® Rewards Premier Credit Card and Business Credit Card. Then I was able to book two more rooms with my IHG points. It was perfect for our needs! We did have to pay for parking as we still had our rental car.
While in Auckland, we explored the city and the Rugby museum but also drove out to Piha beach for some beautiful views. Auckland War Memorial Museum was a great finishing touch on our last day in New Zealand.
Flying from New Zealand to the US
On the way back, we flew directly from Auckland to San Francisco and then repositioned to Raleigh (separate tickets). My husband and I treated ourselves to United Polaris business class (100,000 miles + $50 each – so worth it!). The kids flew comfortably in economy (48,000 miles + $50 each).
Bonus Perk: Lounge Access
My husband and I were able to use the Star Alliance lounge in Auckland before we departed as well as the United Polaris Lounge at SFO. That lounge felt simply luxurious because of the opportunity to shower after a long flight!
At the same time, my kids were able to use the three United Airlines day passes to enter a United Airlines lounge to hang out and get food (we used two that came from my United℠ Explorer Card and one from my grandma’s UA credit card).
Repositioning to Raleigh on Delta
To reposition from San Francisco to Raleigh, we used Delta SkyMiles® for cheap tickets. SFO-RDU was 13,000 miles + $6 in taxes per person.
I still had Platinum Medallion status with Delta which meant that I always had a complimentary upgrade to Comfort+ if I purchased a main cabin ticket. So I split us up again and bought a ticket for my husband and I, separately from my three kids. That way he and I had Comfort+ (it’s a nice perk for my tall husband).
Our New Zealand Trip Total in Points and Cash
Total points used (roundtrip, considering business class for 2): 584,000 United miles + $500 and 65,000 Delta miles + $30.
The Estimated Cash Cost
The total price for that same itinerary would have cost us $1,800 roundtrip per person in economy and at least $3,600 per person with the United Polaris ticket on the way back (there is no way I would have paid cash for it though).
This was definitely a trip of a lifetime! There’s nothing like having your whole family together exploring beautiful places and having adventures you will never forget!
Points and Cash vs. Cash Only: A Cost Comparison
To really understand the savings Lyana achieved on her incredible New Zealand family trip, let’s look at a detailed cost breakdown. Below is a comparison of what they spent in points and cash versus the estimated cost if they had paid entirely in cash for the same trip.
New Zealand Points+Cash vs. Cash Prices
| Item | Points Used | Cash Paid | Estimated Cash Price |
| Flights | |||
| 5 One-way Flights (RDU-ZQN) | 240,000 United miles | $250.00 | $9,000.00 |
| 5 One-way Flights (CHC-ROT) | - | $450.00 | $450.00 |
| 2 One-way Flights (AKL-SFO Business) | 200,000 United miles | $100.00 | $7,200.00 |
| 3 One-way Flights (AKL-SFO Economy) | 144,000 United miles | $150.00 | $5,400.00 |
| 5 One-way Flights (SFO-RDU) | 65,000 Delta miles | $30.00 | $750.00 |
| Total Flights | 649,000 miles | $980.00 | $23,050.00 |
| Accommodation | |||
| Queenstown Accommodation (3 nights) | - | $835.00 | $835.00 |
| Wanaka Accommodation (2 nights) | - | $330.00 | $330.00 |
| Mt. Cook Accommodation (1 night) | - | $236.00 | $236.00 |
| Lake Tekapo Accommodation (1 night) | - | $216.00 | $216.00 |
| Christchurch Accommodation (1 night) | 50,000 IHG points | $0.00 | $282.00 |
| Rotorua Accommodation (2 nights) | - | $369.00 | $369.00 |
| Hamilton Accommodation (1 night) | - | $222.00 | $222.00 |
| Auckland Accommodation (2 nights) | 160,000 IHG points + 2 Free Night Certificates | $0.00 | $1,296.00 |
| Total Accommodation | 210,000 points + 2 Free Night Certificates | $2,208.00 | $3,786.00 |
| Activities | |||
| Milford Sound Cruise | - | $757.00 | $757.00 |
| Glacier Explorers | - | $546.00 | $546.00 |
| Maori Dinner | - | $412.00 | $412.00 |
| Rotorua Canopy Tours | - | $479.00 | $479.00 |
| Black Water Rafting | - | $0.00 | $487.00 |
| Total Activities | $2,194.00 | $2,681.00 | |
| Grand Total | $5,372.00 | $29,517.00 |
The Verdict:
As you can see from the table, Lyana and her family expertly leveraged credit card points and miles to significantly reduce their travel expenses. They spent a total of 859,000 points (combined IHG points plus United and Delta miles) and $5,372 in cash.
Now, consider the “Cash Only Estimate.” If they had paid cash for the same itinerary, we estimate it would have cost them a whopping $29,517!
That means by strategically using points and miles, Lyana potentially saved her family approximately $24,145 ($29,517 – $5,372) on this trip! This incredible saving allowed them to take a dream trip to New Zealand, experience amazing activities, and even enjoy some luxury along the way, all while making their travel budget go much further.
This detailed breakdown really highlights the power of travel rewards and strategic planning. Lyana’s story is a fantastic example of how families can make their travel dreams a reality without breaking the bank by learning about and utilizing credit card points and miles.
Important Note: The “Cash Only Estimate” is based on reasonable estimations of typical travel costs. Actual cash prices can fluctuate, but this comparison provides a strong indication of the significant value Lyana unlocked by using points and miles for her family’s New Zealand adventure.
Cards Lyana used for her trip
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What time of year was this NZ trip?