Hey {{first name | reader}},

Happy Friday!

Today I wanted to do something a little different.

Instead of just sharing one deal or one award alert, let's build a trip.

The destination: Paris. The goal: show a few different ways someone could fly to Europe using points, and then look at a couple of hotel options once they arrive.

Points and miles can feel complicated from the outside. Different currencies, transfer partners, taxes, fuel surcharges, award charts, dynamic pricing, and a million ways to book the same flight. But once you start getting comfortable with the logic, it becomes much easier.

You do not need to memorize everything. You just need to learn how to compare.

Here's what's inside today's post:

Let's start with Vietnam Airlines from Hanoi to Paris.

I found Vietnam Airlines business class bookable for 69,000 Flying Blue miles plus about $450 in taxes. Flying Blue miles can sometimes be bought for around $16.90 per 1,000 during sales.

The math: 69,000 miles x $16.90 per 1,000 = $1,166 Taxes = $450 Total: around $1,616

That is not free, but for a 12-hour nonstop business class flight to Europe, it can be very interesting.

But here is where it gets fun.

The same Vietnam Airlines flight can sometimes be booked through Virgin Atlantic for 85,000 points plus about $450 in taxes. Virgin points are more expensive in number, but can sometimes be bought for around $12 per 1,000.

85,000 points x $12 per 1,000 = $1,020 Taxes = $450 Total: around $1,470

Even though Virgin charges more points than Flying Blue, it may work out cheaper if you are buying during a promo. That is the lesson. The lowest mileage number is not always the cheapest option. It depends on how easy those points are to acquire and how much each program charges in taxes.

Another Asia option I really like: Singapore Airlines from Singapore to Paris, bookable through Air Canada Aeroplan for 92,500 points plus around CA$110 in taxes.

Aeroplan points can sometimes be bought for around $12.70 per 1,000.

92,500 points x $12.70 per 1,000 = $1,174.75 Taxes = around $85 USD Total: roughly $1,260

This would probably be my favorite Asia-to-Paris option in this post. Singapore Airlines is one of the best airlines in the world, it is a nonstop flight, and Aeroplan is a program well worth understanding.

One of the most interesting examples I found: Air France business class from New York JFK to Paris, bookable through Virgin Atlantic for 48,500 points plus $300.

48,500 points x $12 per 1,000 = $582 Taxes = $299 Total: about $881. Whaaaaaaat?

That is excellent for a nonstop business class flight from New York to Paris, and it is the kind of number that makes people do a double take.

You could also book American Airlines business class from JFK to Paris through Alaska Atmos Rewards for 55,000 points plus $26.

55,000 points x $18.90 per 1,000 = $1,039.50 Taxes = $25.60 Total: about $1,065

Personally, this would not be my first choice. The taxes are low, which is great, but Alaska points are more expensive to buy, and American Airlines is not exactly the reason I get excited about crossing the Atlantic. Still, if you already have Alaska points or need this specific routing, it can work.

From Atlanta, Air France through Flying Blue prices at 60,000 miles plus $345.

60,000 miles x $16.90 per 1,000 = $1,014 Taxes = $345 Total: about $1,359

Not as cheap as the JFK example through Virgin, but a useful option from a non-New York gateway. And a reminder: always verify availability directly with the program before buying or transferring points.

And then there is the fun one: Air Tahiti Nui from Los Angeles to Paris, bookable through Alaska for 70,000 points plus $26. I am not mentioning AAdvantage because those points are expensive to buy.

70,000 points x $18.90 per 1,000 = $1,323 Taxes = $25.60 Total: about $1,349

More expensive if you are buying points, but Air Tahiti Nui is a wonderful and unusual way to fly to Paris. It is not the obvious choice, which is exactly why I like it.

For my friends down under, Qatar Airways is always one of the first places I would look.

I found Perth to Paris in business class for 90,000 Avios plus around AU$500 in taxes.

90,000 Avios x $12 per 1,000 = $1,080 Taxes = around AU$500 Total: roughly $1,460

An amazing way to enjoy one of the best airlines in the sky on the way to Europe. Qatar awards can be tricky and the best seats disappear fast, but when you can make it work, flying Qatar business class to Europe is still one of the most enjoyable ways to travel.

Once you land, hotel offers can add real value too.

Sofitel Le Scribe Paris Opéra has a 3rd night free offer on some rates. A polished Paris stay near Opéra without going into the ultra-expensive palace hotel category. A very good option if you want quality and location without the most extreme price tag.

For something more elevated, Shangri-La Paris has a Stay 4, Pay 3 offer for 2026. The hotel is in Prince Roland Bonaparte's former home, and it is the kind of property you choose when you want the hotel to be a major part of the trip, not just a place to sleep.

Both are properties we can book with added perks at no extra cost, like:

That’s the benefit of booking through us!

This is how I want you to think about points. Not as one fixed answer, but as a toolkit.

Sometimes the best option is Flying Blue. Sometimes it is Virgin Atlantic. Sometimes it is Aeroplan, Alaska, or Avios. Sometimes the program with the lowest mileage price is not the cheapest when you factor in how expensive those points are to acquire. Sometimes the taxes matter more. Sometimes the airline product is worth paying a little extra for.

And sometimes a good hotel offer is just as valuable as a good flight redemption.

The more you compare, the more confident you get. And once you get confident, this whole world starts to feel a lot less complicated.

That's it for today. Enjoy the weekend, and more deals, news, and trip ideas coming your way on Monday.

Catch you in the clouds,

Tomi from Points Master

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