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How to Book the 17 Best 2026 Destinations Using Points and Miles

UUnknown

2026-02-24

13 min read

Step-by-step playbook to book The Points Guy's 17 2026 destinations with points — award routes, low-fee cards, timing hacks.

Stop wasting time hunting expired deals — get on a flight (or into a suite) using points this year

Travel rewards can feel like a scavenger hunt: expired award space, surprise fees, and confusing reward charts. In 2026 those problems are solvable with a concise playbook. Below you’ll find a step-by-step points-and-miles plan that matches each of The Points Guy’s 17 must-see 2026 destinations with the easiest award routes, low-fee card options, and timing hacks that actually work in late 2025–2026.

Quick executive summary — what to do first (inverted pyramid)

Set flexible windows: search +/-3 days and use 3-month calendars in Google Flights or airline search. Flexibility beats hoarding.
Use transferable points (Chase, Amex, Capital One) as your hub — they unlock the most partner award routes.
Pick one low-fee earn card to maximize returns quickly — examples below per route.
Run free trials of award tools: AwardHacker, ExpertFlyer trial, and Award Nexus (where available) to identify award space.
Act on transfer bonuses: 2025–2026 has seen frequent 20–40% transfer bonuses between banks and airline partners — move points when a match appears.

Free tools & trials you should use right now

Google Flights & ITA Matrix — free, flexible date search to identify routing and cash price anchors.
AwardHacker — free quick checks of likely mileage costs across alliances.
ExpertFlyer (trial) — set award-space and upgrade alerts; critical for premium cabin redemptions.
AwardWallet (free) — track multiple programs so you don’t miss expiring miles.
Airline newsletters & waitlist features — sign up for preferred airlines and use free award hold windows if offered.

Pro tip: Don’t transfer points until the award is bookable — but temporarily reserve or hold when the airline allows it. Transfer bonuses change the math quickly.

Timing & 2026 trends that matter

Dynamic award pricing is now the baseline. Late 2025 showed more variable pricing across major airlines; flexible-date searches and multiple partner checks are essential.
Transfer partners expanded. Capital One and Chase added a few new partners in 2025—giving alternate award routings that can be cheaper than the carrier’s own program.
Midweek award space is improving as airlines try to fill flatter demand; target Tuesday–Thursday for best availability.
Short-haul premium cabins are often better value than long-haul dynamic awards — consider piecing premium short segments with economy long segments.

How to use this guide

Below are 17 destination-specific playbooks. For each destination you’ll find: easiest award routes (alliances or partners to search), a suggested low-fee card to earn transferable points quickly, practical hotel/free-night options, and a short list of timing and booking hacks to save the most.

17 Destination Playbooks — step-by-step

1. Lisbon, Portugal

Fast route: Star Alliance via TAP Air Portugal or United; Oneworld via Iberia off-peak. Expect 35–60k roundtrip economy from the U.S., 60–90k business on sale/partner awards.

Low-fee card: Chase Sapphire Preferred — transfers to United and Iberia and often has 60k+ sign-up offers during promos.
Hotels: Use World of Hyatt free nights (if you have them) — Lisbon has a growing Hyatt footprint. Alternatively leverage Marriott Bonvoy low-cost off-peak nights.
Timing hacks: Book Lisbon for shoulder months (Apr–May or Sep–Oct); watch Iberia off-peak award calendar and hop on 30–40% transfer bonuses to Avios found in 2025–2026.

2. Kyoto, Japan

Fast route: Japan Airlines (oneworld) via American/Oneworld partners or ANA via United/Star Alliance. Business class often 90–120k one-way on partner space.

Low-fee card: Chase Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture — both transfer to partners that book ANA/JAL via intermediaries.
Hotels: Use Hilton and Hyatt award nights — Japan has competitive standard award pricing post-2024 Hyatt changes.
Timing hacks: Cherry blossom and autumn are peak; use off-peak shoulder months and set ExpertFlyer alerts for business award release windows (usually at schedule load and 1–2 weeks before departure).

3. Reykjavik, Iceland

Fast route: Icelandair/Delta options with economy award space from many US hubs; Star Alliance via United codeshares. Roundtrip usually 30–60k points in economy.

Low-fee card: Capital One Venture — easy flat-rate earning and flexible transfers to Icelandair partners when available.
Hotels: Use Marriott or Hilton short-stay award nights; consider cash + points for more flexibility.
Timing hacks: Book in winter for cheaper cash and awards; use Icelandair stopover rules to add value (two-city tickets in one award route when possible).

4. Oaxaca, Mexico

Fast route: Domestic carriers (AeroMexico partners) or use Avios-style short-haul awards on American/United with connections. Often 12–25k one-way from U.S. on sale.

Low-fee card: Bank of America Travel Rewards or Capital One Venture (no annual fee variants when available).
Hotels: Use Marriott Category finds; Oaxaca boutique hotels sometimes price at lower-category award levels.
Timing hacks: Fly midweek and use off-peak festival windows (avoid Guelaguetza unless you want to pay premium).

5. Tbilisi, Georgia

Fast route: Star Alliance via Turkish Airlines or Lufthansa partners into Tbilisi with a single connection. Expect 60–85k roundtrip economy in many programs; partner business can be competitive.

Low-fee card: Chase Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture — Turkish has been a sweet spot for partner awards.
Hotels: Use World of Hyatt points or cash + points at international boutique hotels expanding in 2025–26.
Timing hacks: Look for Turkish Airlines cash sales and then search partner award availability—sometimes they release premium award space late.

6. Zanzibar, Tanzania

Fast route: Star Alliance via Ethiopian or Qatar Airways via Doha (Qatar uses oneworld partners for bookings). Long-haul business is often 70–120k one-way depending on partner dynamics.

Low-fee card: American Express® Gold for transfer flexibility to Qatar or partner networks (or Capital One if you prefer lower fees).
Hotels: Use IHG or Marriott award nights; smaller resorts sometimes partner with major programs for weekday availability.
Timing hacks: Book early for December–February demand; consider staggered routing: long-haul award to Nairobi, cash/cheap regional hop to Zanzibar.

7. Dubrovnik / Croatia

Fast route: Oneworld via British Airways/Iberia Avios (short-haul Euro legs can be cheap using Avios), or Star Alliance with Austrian/Lufthansa partner connections.

Low-fee card: Chase Sapphire Preferred (Avios partner access via transfer to Iberia/BA through Avios when available).
Hotels: Use Marriott off-peak awards or small free-night certificates from Chase Hyatt co-brand promotions where available.
Timing hacks: Shoulder season (May/Sept) provides best award availability and cash prices; split search into long-haul award to a European hub then Avios for the short-haul leg.

8. Cartagena, Colombia

Fast route: American Airlines (AAdvantage) or Avianca (LifeMiles transfers are frequently a sweet spot). Roundtrip economy often 20–35k points.

Low-fee card: Citi Premier or Capital One Venture — both have partners that book Avianca/LifeMiles or AA cheaply.
Hotels: Use Radisson/Choice/Marriott awards; boutique stays can be cheap with cash + points.
Timing hacks: Use LifeMiles sales (occasionally 20–35% off) which returned as a strong 2025 trend for Latin America redemptions.

9. Seoul, South Korea

Fast route: Korean Air (SkyPass) or Asiana via Star Alliance partners; JAL/JAL partner redemptions to regional hubs. Business classic awards often range 85–130k one-way.

Low-fee card: Chase Sapphire Preferred or Amex Membership Rewards (if you’re chasing transfer bonuses to Korean/Asiana partners).
Hotels: Hyatt and Marriott both have strong inventories in Seoul; look for short-stay award sweet spots.
Timing hacks: Watch for transfer bonuses to Korean Air SkyPass and target midweek outbound dates for business award availability.

10. Santorini / Greek Islands

Fast route: Oneworld/Avios for intra-Europe short-haul legs (Athens to Santorini with Aegean/other partners). For transatlantic, Iberia/BA Avios to Europe then Avios short-haul is often best.

Low-fee card: Chase Sapphire Preferred (transfer to British Airways Avios or Iberia makes intra-Europe inexpensive).
Hotels: Use Marriott and Hyatt — many small boutiques convert to loyalty programs; cash + points is common and useful in peak season.
Timing hacks: Book the long-haul award early and buy the intra-Europe Avios legs when Avios sales or off-peak windows appear; fly shoulder months (May/Oct).

11. Cape Town, South Africa

Fast route: Star Alliance via South African Airways partners (when available) or Qatar/oneworld via Doha. Business class sweet spots exist via Qatar with transfer bonuses.

Low-fee card: Amex or Capital One Venture for flexibility to transfer to Qatar and Star partners.
Hotels: Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton offer reliable award inventory; use off-peak award nights to save.
Timing hacks: Southern Hemisphere summer is peak (Dec–Feb). Book at least 6–8 months out for award space and leverage 3-4 day midweek stay to reduce award cost.

12. Amalfi Coast / Positano, Italy

Fast route: Oneworld via BA/Iberia to Rome/Naples then short domestic or ferry legs; Avios for the short-haul leg is often the cheapest.

Low-fee card: Chase Sapphire Preferred (Avios transfers are the standard play).
Hotels: Use Marriott and small independent hotels; consider Villa rentals paid with points if program partnerships exist.
Timing hacks: Off-season (Oct–Apr) gives room and award flexibility; buy short domestic flights with Avios close-in if award calendars are thin.

13. Queenstown / New Zealand (South Island)

Fast route: Oneworld via Qantas on partner awards or Star Alliance via Singapore Airlines and partners; expect 80–140k roundtrip depending on cabin and season.

Low-fee card: Capital One Venture or Chase Sapphire Preferred — both transfer to partners with transpacific access.
Hotels: Marriott and Accor have solid southern island options; free nights from sign-up bonuses are high value here.
Timing hacks: Ski season and summer are both peak — use shoulder months for cheaper award pricing and look for multi-city awards that combine Australia and New Zealand.

14. Cairo & the Nile (Egypt)

Fast route: Star Alliance via Turkish or Lufthansa partners; oneworld via Qatar. Off-peak business awards can be an excellent value if you can land at a hub with space.

Low-fee card: Chase Sapphire Preferred or Amex for transfers to Qatar and Star partners.
Hotels: Use Hilton or Marriott award nights for Cairo; consider river cruise upgrades with hotel points for Nile segments.
Timing hacks: Winter months are peak for weather and cultural visits — book awards 6–9 months early; consider split-ticketing into Cairo via a major European hub for better award availability.

15. Hanoi / Northern Vietnam

Fast route: Asia-based alliances (Cathay Pacific, Qatar, EVA via Star Alliance partners). Business class between U.S. and Asia can be found through partner routings for 85–130k one-way in 2026.

Low-fee card: Capital One Venture or Amex — use transfer partners for Asia redemptions.
Hotels: Small chain and independent hotels often take points via Marriott and Accor; Accor made notable program changes in 2025 improving value in Southeast Asia.
Timing hacks: Avoid Tet (Vietnamese New Year) unless you want festival crowds; book award seats into Hanoi through nearby hubs with partner award releases.

16. Barcelona, Spain

Fast route: Oneworld Avios to Europe then low-cost or Avios intra-Europe legs. United/Star Alliance also competitive via partner redemptions.

Low-fee card: Chase Sapphire Preferred — flexible for Avios and United transfers.
Hotels: Hyatt and Marriott have strong Barcelona footprints; use free-night certificates on off-peak dates.
Timing hacks: Late fall and early spring offer great award availability; use Avios short-haul awards for point-efficient intra-Europe hops.

17. Buenos Aires, Argentina

Fast route: Oneworld via American Airlines or LATAM partner awards; Star Alliance via Copa and partners can also be surprisingly cheap for South America.

Low-fee card: Citi Premier (if available) or Capital One Venture — both can access partners with good South America routes.
Hotels: Use World of Hyatt and Marriott; boutique hotels are often competitive with cash + points options.
Timing hacks: Spring (Oct–Nov) in the Southern Hemisphere is perfect for award deals; monitor LifeMiles and Avios promotions—2025 saw frequent regional promotions that returned in early 2026.

Common booking patterns and one-click plays

The hub-and-spoke Avios play: Get to a major European hub with a transfer-friendly card (Chase/Capital One/Amex) and use Avios for short intra-Europe segments.
Star Alliance routing for Africa/Asia: Transfer Chase or Amex points to Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, or United for complex routings that avoid high carrier-imposed surcharges.
Transfer-bonus arbitrage: If a 30% bonus to a partner appears, move points and book — bonuses in late 2025 frequently created outsized value opportunities.
Cash + points for flexibility: When award space is thin, use cash + points for hotel stays or flight upgrades; often cheaper than buying outright premium cash fares.

Sample mini-case: Booking Lisbon in 72 hours (realistic workflow)

Search Google Flights to find the cheapest cash anchor and likely routings.
Open United and Iberia award calendars — find any 60k roundtrip economy or 40–60k Avios combos.
Run AwardHacker to confirm which programs will charge the fewest miles.
If you have Chase points and a current 30% transfer bonus to Iberia (example from 2025–2026 cycle), transfer right away and book the Iberia award.
Top up hotel free nights using Marriott/Hyatt certificates or use a no-annual-fee card’s 1–2x points to cover incidental costs.

Red flags & trust signals

Avoid promises of guaranteed award space — availability changes minute-by-minute.
Watch for carrier-imposed surcharges (British Airways long-haul can add heavy fees). Use partners like Iberia or Aeroplan to avoid them when possible.
Validate multi-carrier itineraries — partners sometimes block interline awards that look bookable online.

Advanced strategies for 2026 (for experienced redeemers)

Mixed-cabin routing: Maximize long-haul comfort by buying or bidding for one segment in premium and using points for the rest.
Two-step routing: Book a long-haul award to a hub, then use cheap cash or low-cost carrier for the last leg — often cheaper than direct premium award pricing.
Stopovers & open-jaw tricks: Use partners that still allow free stopovers (Aeroplan occasionally enables routing with stopovers) to visit two cities on one award.
Leverage business/free-night certificates: If a card gives a free night certificate (mid-tier and premium cards do in 2026), combine with points for a long-stay luxury night.

Final checklist before you press book

Do you have the exact points in the program you’ll transfer to? If not, is there a same-day transfer option or a safe hold?
Have you compared partner award calendars (two or more) to avoid carrier surcharges?
Did you run free trial tools for alerts and availability confirmation today?
Can you move travel dates by 1–3 days to save 10–40% in points? If yes, shift and recheck.

Closing thoughts — why act now

Travel in 2026 rewards nimble planners. Transfer partners and award charts are more fluid than ever, and small timing advantages (transfer bonuses, midweek travel, and short-haul Avios routing) unlock massive value. Use the free tools and trials recommended above, choose one low-fee earn card to build a balance quickly, and follow the destination playbooks to turn points into confirmed trips — not wishlists.

Ready to book? Start with two actions: run a 30-day flexible-date search in Google Flights for your chosen destination and sign up for free trials of AwardHacker and ExpertFlyer. If you want a personalized route, reply with your home airport and two target dates and I’ll map the top award routings and the exact points math.

Call to action

Save time and avoid expired offers — subscribe for our curated weekly alerts on transfer bonuses, award sales, and no-fee card deals. Get the exact playbook for your home airport and chosen week so you can book with confidence this year.

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