How to visit london free with miles and points
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Having a stash of points means deciding to take a last minute trip to Europe is not only possible, but it’s totally doable too! Payton and I just got back from a ten day trip to Europe. We used points to pay for our flights (we only had to pay the fees and taxes) and eight of the ten days we stayed were free with hotel points.
We started our trip in London (even though we were just here in March) because my sister was wrapping up her twenty-day trip and we wanted to catch up with her and spend a few days together. And really, can one ever get enough of London?
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How we booked our flights:
We booked two roundtrip flights for 60k American Airline miles per person plus fees under $200
I booked this trip just a few weeks before departure. Luckily, I was able to find Saver awards on American Airlines. Because I like to fly into one city and out of another, I booked a multi-city trip. All airlines offer this option on their search engine and when booking with points the cost is the same as a roundtrip flight.
We booked the outbound flight for 30k American Airlines miles plus $5.60 per person.
The return flight was a non-stop flight from Amsterdam to DFW and was just 30k AA miles per person plus $78.
We earned American Airlines miles from the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive Platinum Select Mastercard® (non-affiliate link) and the Barclay AAdvantage Aviator (non-affiliate link).
The Barclay AAdvantage Aviator (non-affiliate link) is hands down the easiest sign-up bonus there is to earn. No minimum spend, just make one purchase in any amount, pay the annual fee to earn the welcome bonus. Make sure that the sign-up bonus is at least 60,000 points when you apply for the Aviator. That’s how many points you need for a round-trip flight to Europe in economy.
All information about the Citi AAdvantage Executive Platinum Select Mastercard, Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Barclay AAdvantage Aviator has been collected independently by Points for Family Travel. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Still under 5/24? Start with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. This earns enough points to book two roundtrip flights to Europe if transferred to Flying Blue. Here’s a complete guide to booking flights to Europe for just 15k points each way.
OTHER OPTIONS FOR FLIGHTS WITH POINTS TO LONDON
When I first started redeeming credit card points for flights I focused on what was easy and what I knew - U.S. airline programs like AA and United. But you can find better award redemptions sometimes with looking outside the box. Almost every airline program will get you to London with points. There are some that require fewer points each way, like Virgin Airlines and Air France - where award flights start at just 12k-15k points each way, but they charge higher fees to booking on Air Canada where you can fly United, Swiss or Lufthansa for fewer points than what United charges. Take advantage of transfer partners if you have a transferable points card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Amex or Capital One Venture.
Where We Stayed:
While nothing beats staying in the center of town where the city is at your doorstep, that comes with a hefty cost. Even when paying with points. Because it was just Payton and I, I really wanted to spend as few points as possible. Points hotels that I looked at in the Westminster area were either sold out (looking at you Hyatt) or 80K points a night (um, no thank you!). Luckily, the hotel that we stayed at in March had award availability so I booked it quick.
The Residence Inn Kensington
We booked three nights for just 35k Marriott points a night. We used a combination of points and a 35k free night certificate we earn every year we keep our Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and pay the annual fee.
This hotel is a great option for those looking to stretch their miles out a little bit more. Located in Kensington, the Residence Inn is just a block or two from the Earl’s Court tube station and a couple of tube stops away from Westminster and Piccadilly Line stops.
Since our stay, the price per night has increased to around 40k-50k points a night. A standard room has a double bed or two twin beds and sofa and books for just 35K Marriott points a night.
All information about Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card has been collected independently by Points for Family Travel. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Since Marriott award nights in London city center start at 60k points a night this property is still a great option for families (remember my motto: spend less, stay longer). Plus, you get free breakfast, even if you don’t have elite status, which we value greatly, especially when traveling when kids.
Resident Inn Kensington
All rooms have a full kitchen. There is a full size Tesco grocery store right next door where you can stock up on drinks, snacks and quick service meals. This was pretty handy to make small meals after returning to the room late at night. Another great perk of staying here is the on-site laundry. We only travel with carry-on bags so it’s nice to have the option to do laundry half-way through a trip.
We booked one standard room with a double bed and a sofa and were upgraded to a two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite by applying my husband’s Suite Night Awards (he earned these by staying at Marriott 50 nights a year - 30 of these come from just holding the co-branded credit cards).
How we earned Marriott Points:
Marriott has a huge global footprint and luckily there is more than one way to earn Marriott points. While the offer has changed on the cards we applied for (we earned points vs free night certificates), both Chase and American Express offer cards that earn Marriott Bonvoy points.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card: The welcome offer on this card varies between points and free night awards.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card
In addition to Chase, American Express also has several Marriott co-branded cards. If you qualify for a business card (remember, selling on eBay/Facebook marketplace, having a blog, etc. qualifies as a business) these cards are worth looking at and don’t take up 5/24 spot. Consider that many Marriott properties in larger cities book for 70k-100k points a night, so make sure that you can book 2-3 nights from a welcome bonus when you do apply.
All information about the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card has been collected independently by Points for Family Travel. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
OTHER POINTS HOTELS IN LONDON
While there are quite a few other Marriott properties in London, many have become out of reach when Marriott switched to dynamic pricing. Some recommendations include:
Sheraton Grand London Park Lane - With many nights starting at 62k points a night, this is a great option for those with the free night awards
London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square - free nights start around 65k
The Dixon Tower Bridge - award nights start at 60k - great location by Tower Bridge
London Hotel Marriott Kensington - award nights starting around 52k points/night.
Another great hotel option for families is through IHG. Many people don’t know what IHG is. They are the hotel group that owns Holiday Inn, Intercontinental, Kimpton, Staybridge Suites, etc. You can earn IHG points from the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
All information about IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card has been collected independently by Points for Family Travel. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Some properties we like are:
Holiday Inn Express Southwark - great location, rooms for three, free breakfast and award nights starting at just 37k points/n.
Kimpton Fitzroy London - a bit more upscale than a Holiday Inn, but only room for 2 people
Staybridge Suites London
Holiday Inn Express London Victoria - room with a double bed plus sofa starting at 42k points/n
You guys know how I feel about Hyatt and there are a couple of great options for award nights in London.
In 2022, Dan and I stayed a few nights at the Great Scotland Yard in Trafalgar Square for just 25k Hyatt points a night. The location cannot be beat. We transferred points earned from Chase to Hyatt to book.
In 2023, I stayed at the brand-new Hyatt Regency Blackfriars for just 20k points a night on two different trips. That is an incredible deal. You can stay three free nights with just one sign up bonus from the Chase Sapphire Preferred or stay longer with the sign-up bonus from a Chase business card.
My favorite way to book Hyatt hotels is by transferring points from Chase to Hyatt. Cards that earn points that can be transferred to Hyatt are:
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card - you must have either the Sapphire Preferred, or the Ink Preferred to transfer these points to Hyatt.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card This card earns the same points as the CSP and can be transferred to Chase’s travel transfer partners without needing another card.
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card - you must have either the Sapphire Preferred, or the Ink Preferred to transfer these points to Hyatt.
There are two Hyatt credit cards issued by Chase. You can see the best current offer by clicking on this link.
All information about the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Ink Business Cash, Ink Business Unlimited and Ink Business Preferred has been collected independently by Points for Family Travel. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Happy Travels!
Learn how to fly your family to Europe for just 30k points roundtrip here.
