Reader success story: How this couple toured 3 European countries using points and miles

11.09.2024 - 19:20 / thepointsguy.com

Dianna and Michael Norton both dreamed of visiting the U.K. She's an English history buff fascinated by things like the Tower of London and the Crown Jewels, and Michael had always wanted to see Stonehenge. But Michael's leg swelling prevented them from flying more than six hours at a time — a serious hurdle when most transatlantic flights start at around seven hours.

When the Nortons saw TPG's articles on Icelandair's free stopover option, they realized there might be a way for them to get to Europe. They ended up planning a two-week, three-country trip in July 2024, mostly on points and miles. Here's how they did it.

Related: Reader success story: How this reader visited 8 countries in 3 years using points and miles

Given Michael's leg swelling, the Nortons knew flying to the U.K. from their home in Texas would require multiple stops. They started by booking a positioning flight from Austin to Boston's Logan International Airport (BOS) on Southwest, which cost around 30,000 Rapid Rewards points round-trip per person. Cheaper award seats were available, but they were happy to spend more points to avoid an early-morning departure. And since the Nortons are avid Southwest flyers and each holds a Southwest credit card (the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card and Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card), they had a healthy stash of Rapid Rewards points to redeem.

Dianna is also a Marriott loyalist. She paid 33,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for a night at the Courtyard Boston Logan Airport. This hotel was perfect for a break between flights since it has a complimentary airport shuttle and a restaurant where Dianna and Michael could sample local specialties like clam chowder and lobster rolls.

The next morning, the Nortons used Dianna's The Platinum Card® from American Express to access the Air France lounge in BOS for a nice breakfast before their flight to Iceland. Then they were rested and refueled for their flight to Iceland.

Related: Best hotels in Boston

The Nortons took advantage of Icelandair's stopover program to book flights from Boston to London with a two-night stopover in Reykjavik. Since cash prices were relatively low ($549 per person) and Dianna could get more value using her Amex Membership Rewards points for hotels in Europe, she decided to pay cash for the Icelandair flights. She used her Amex Platinum card to book the flights, earning 5 Amex points per dollar that she could use toward her next trip (5 points per dollar on the first $500,000 spent each calendar year, then 1 point per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel).

For their first night in Iceland, Dianna found a sweet spot at the Reykjavík Edition, which was low enough