From 7,500 American AAdvantage miles to a 564,000-point IHG stay at Six Senses Con Dao, TPG staffers are spotlighting the redemptions that delivered standout value so far in 2026—spanning domestic flights, premium-economy Europe, and multi-night luxury escapes
For one reader, points and miles are a spreadsheet hobby. For the TPG team, they’re something closer to a travel shortcut—one that can turn a pricey trip into a redemption story worth repeating.
This year. with 2026 nearly halfway over. the staff polled co-workers on what they’ve booked using points so far—and the answers run the gamut: domestic flights that beat cash prices. premium seats across the Atlantic. and multi-night stays where the bill would have been hard to justify without rewards.
Olivia Mittak is ticking off the 50-state list. This Thanksgiving. she’s visiting Phoenix to knock Arizona off her bucket list. leaving from Portland International Airport (PDX) and using Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) as the other end. While searching Seats.aero for award tickets. she found what she called an “amazing deal”: a one-way American Airlines flight from PHX to PDX.
Her redemption used 7,500 American Airlines AAdvantage miles plus $11 in taxes and fees. Without miles, she would have paid $364—making the value roughly 4.7 cents per mile. That sits well above TPG’s June 2026 valuation of AAdvantage miles at 1.6 cents per mile.
The next redemption pushes back against a common assumption that high-value redemptions only appear in long-haul or international business-class bookings. Matt Moffitt’s favorite of the year so far is a KLM Premium Comfort itinerary from Austin to Madrid. via Amsterdam. booked for travel just after Halloween.
He secured the flights using 40,000 Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles plus $265 in taxes and fees. The trip includes a three-hour layover in Amsterdam, and he said he’s hoping to visit the new American Express Centurion Lounge if it opens before he travels.
There were also extras tied to elite status and seat selection. Matt was able to select a bulkhead seat at no additional cost thanks to one year of Flying Blue Silver status that he received through a welcome offer on the Air France-KLM Visa Signature Credit Card—an offer he notes is no longer available.
Because he’s flown KLM Premium Comfort before. Matt described it as one of the best ways to cross the Atlantic. pointing to comfortable seats. solid service. and positive experiences with KLM’s customer service. For him. premium economy is a “sweet spot” to Europe too—an upgrade over economy without the points pressure that often comes with business class.
Zoe Jablow’s pick is a stay that looks made for slow mornings and long walks. In mid-July, she booked Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa in Pacific City, Oregon for two nights via Chase’s Points Boost feature. The cost was 98,000 Ultimate Rewards points plus $250.
Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa is part of Chase’s The Edit hotel collection. That means Zoe receives that $250 back as a statement credit via the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s The Edit credit. up to $500 annually (with details that two credits of up to $250 each are available. with a minimum prepaid two-night stay required).
Zoe also compared it to the cash price: $2,213 for the stay. With points, she got roughly 2 cents per point in value.
For Lyndsey Matthews, the best redemption came with the least planning. She described her Key West trip as an impulse booking, made recently. For 12. 500 Atmos Rewards points plus $18 in taxes and fees. she booked a one-way American Airlines flight from LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Key West International Airport (EYW).
The flight would have cost $331 in cash, leaving her with a valuation of 2.5 cents per point. That’s higher than TPG’s June 2026 valuation of Atmos Rewards points at 1.4 cents per point. She also used a transfer: she moved Bilt Points from her Bilt Palladium Card to Atmos Rewards for the redemption.
Priyan Desilva went a different route—one with a longer runway and a beachfront kind of reward. In March, he used 92,000 World of Hyatt points for a four-night stay at Dreams Playa Esmeralda in the Dominican Republic. The cash value for those dates was roughly $1,800, giving him value of approximately 2 cents per point. He said that’s above TPG’s June 2026 valuation of Hyatt points at 1.55 cents per point.
He combined sources too, using the welcome bonus he earned on his World of Hyatt Credit Card (see rates and fees) plus 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points transferred from his Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (see rates and fees).
There’s a timing detail that matters: Chase recently announced a devaluation for Sapphire Preferred cardholders transferring to World of Hyatt, and Priyan made this redemption before those changes were announced.
Katie Genter’s redemption is built for a different kind of travel brag: business class at a price that doesn’t match what it looks like. She redeemed 145,000 Atmos Rewards points plus $214 for two one-way tickets from Melbourne to Vancouver via Sydney in Qantas business class. She applied a 25,000-point Global Companion certificate from her Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite credit card.
When the tickets were booked, the comparable cost was $17,406 for the two tickets. That works out to a redemption rate of over 10 cents per point—described as incredible value, especially because TPG values Atmos Rewards points at 1.4 cents per point.
Christine Gallipeau’s favorite redemption is the kind that turns “someday” into a booked calendar entry. She redeemed 564,000 IHG points for a four-night stay at Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam. As an IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (see rates and fees) cardholder. she was able to use the card’s fourth-night-free perk for the redemption.
When she booked, cash prices were $1,113 a night, meaning she would have paid $4,810 (including taxes) without points.
And Giselle Gomez’s pick reads like a family-trip win with timing. She redeemed 25. 000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (transferred to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club) plus $618 in taxes and fees for two adults and one lap infant to fly Air France Economy Comfort from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Miami International Airport (MIA) during Roland Garros—one of Paris’ busiest travel periods.
At the time of booking, the same itinerary cost $3,823 in cash. That gave her a redemption value of 12.8 cents per Chase point. She described it as extraordinary value, given TPG values Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2.05 cents apiece as of June 2026.
For readers who want to chase their own “favorite redemption” moment. the team also pointed to welcome offers that can help build point balances. The list includes a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offer of 100. 000 bonus points after spending $5. 000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
There’s also an American Express Gold Card offer that can be as high as 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership, with the reminder that welcome offers vary and eligibility depends on the applicant.
The American Express Platinum Card has an offer that can be as high as 175. 000 bonus points after spending $12. 000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. again with welcome offers varying. For Atmos Rewards. the Atmos Rewards Summit credit card offers 100. 000 bonus points and a 25. 000-point Global Companion Award after spending $6. 500 on purchases in the first 90 days from account opening. plus a 50% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening the account.
The message running through all these bookings is simple: from domestic routes to multi-night stays at high-end properties, the redemptions the team highlighted so far in 2026 helped turn travel plans into something they could actually book.
And if you already have a stash of points waiting, the hope is that these wins spark ideas instead of sitting in an app. If you’re still short, the team urged readers to look at bestwelcome bonuses to earn more before your next trip takes shape.
points and miles travel redemptions TPG American Airlines AAdvantage Flying Blue KLM Premium Comfort Atmos Rewards World of Hyatt IHG points Six Senses Con Dao Chase Ultimate Rewards
Points are basically free money right?
564,000 IHG points for that Six Senses place sounds insane but also like the article is just flexing. Also how do you even find deals anymore like they make it sound easy.
So they’re chasing redemptions… but isn’t that just the same as spending? Like I thought points are only for when you run out of cash. And Portland to Phoenix for Thanksgiving sounds like a nightmare, flights are usually overpriced anyway.
I don’t get why they need to “poll co-workers” for stuff they already know. Like if you have 7,500 American miles why not just use it on any flight? The “Seats.aero” mention makes me think it’s all just search tricks and not actual savings. Also Six Senses Con Dao?? I feel like that hotel is only accessible if you live in a different country or something.