🌍 The program making Europe cheaper

Happy weekend, mis amigos! 🏀

March Madness is officially here, which means productivity is… low, at best.

Before I fully disappear into games (and more importantly… snacks), here’s everything you may have missed this week in the sweet, sweet world of travel.

💳 Mike recently added this co-branded Hilton business card (and here’s why). 

🌟 This is the simplest card setup for everyday spending.

🔁 There are a LOT of transfer bonuses happening right now… like a LOT.

🏨 Marriott Bonvoy’s current global promotion is one of the best we’ve seen in a while. 

🎥 Learn about the most useful travel app (and how to use it) in this week’s Daily Drop YouTube video. 

🏆 Our Favorite Pick: Our “new” ideal program for European travel

If you’re even thinking about a Europe trip this summer (or fall), then listen up!

There are a few loyalty programs that get all the attention… and then there are the ones quietly offering great value if you know where to look.

Enter: Lufthansa’s Miles & More. 

It’s not the easiest program to earn points with; there aren’t a ton of transfer options, and at first glance, it doesn’t look super compelling.

Stick with me. Stick with me.

Once you actually dig into the award pricing, one thing becomes clear: You simply don’t need that many miles.

For example, we found a Los Angeles (LAX) to Warsaw (WAW) flight pricing out at just 86 miles (plus about $300 in taxes).

Ok, so that’s obviously not a “free” flight, but when cash fares on that same route are sitting around $450 to $500, it’s a pretty efficient way to use a very small number of miles to offset a chunk of the cost.

Where this program really starts to stand out, though, is within Europe.

We’re talking flights like Vienna to Copenhagen for around 350 miles and about $60 in fees, or Munich to Zagreb for just over 500 miles.

This makes it super easy to build out a multi-city itinerary without breaking the bank.

Even more standard routes (like Bologna to Nice) were pricing around 2,800 miles when cash tickets were over $400.

And this is where the timing is your new BFF. The peanut butter to your jelly.

If you’re planning a Europe trip for summer or early fall (when flights between cities can get expensive quickly), having a small stash of these miles could help.

Instead of planning waaaay far ahead, or overpaying later, you’ve got a flexible, low-mileage option to fill in the gaps as your plans come together.

The catch, of course, is earning the miles in the first place.

Right now, the main way to build a Miles & More balance is through Rove Miles, primarily by booking hotels and earning miles back on those stays.

It’s a bit different from the usual credit card transfer route, but it also means you can build a decent stash of miles pretty quickly if you have travel coming up.

And again… the program isn’t perfect. Taxes on long-haul flights (especially heading back to the U.S.) can still be high, and it’s not a program you’d rely on for everything.

BUT as a way to stretch a relatively small stash of miles into multiple flights, especially once you’re already in Europe, she’s more useful than she looks at first glance.

So like… can we all go to Europe? I hear Lufthansa’s paying. 💅 

💳 Buying points: yes or no?

Buying points is usually a no.

But every now and then… it’s worth a few quick minutes of math.

This week, Mike walked through two examples (one flight, one hotel), where it might actually work out in your favor.

Example One: A Finnair Avios sale could get you a lie-flat business-class seat for under $1,000 all-in, which feels borderline illegal.

👉 Read more about this week’s Avios points sale.

Example Two: On the hotel side, IHG was offering a 100% bonus, dropping a 4-night stay by nearly $300.

👉 Read more about this week’s IHG points sale.

These aren’t “frequent” plays, and they only work if you’ve got a specific trip in mind.

But when the timing works out, buying points can sometimes (again… sometimes) become a very good deal.

Before you get back to your weekend, these are worth a look, especially if you’ve ever wondered when buying points actually makes sense.

🌍 Week in Review

• Monday: 🤝 Fly with seven travel buddies (for free)

• Tuesday: 💳 The newest card in my wallet (and why I got it)

• Wednesday: ✈️ The most underrated program for European travel

• Thursday: 🤯 Business class to Europe for $653

• Friday: 🍇 The easiest low-hanging points fruit

Alright, friends! I’m signing off for the week.

My bracket needs my full attention (and possibly a miracle).

Byeeeeeee,

40°39'41.4"N 73°56'22.0"W

With contributions by Sam Anthony and Mike Dodge