I just booked a round-trip flight from Turkey to Australia entirely with miles. Here’s how.
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 1:41 p.m. UTC June 20, 2024
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Points and miles can be a fantastic way for travelers to explore dream destinations. As a full-time digital nomad, I spend most of my time bouncing between Europe and South America. I’ve always loved the idea of visiting Australia, but I wasn’t sure when I’d have the opportunity because it’s so far away. From South America, flights can take almost 20 hours and cost more than $2,500 in economy, which is unattainable for many people.
However, I knew I’d have to make it work to visit a close friend living in Melbourne for her 40th birthday in September 2024. At that time, I’ll be based in Istanbul, Turkey, a solid starting point for long-haul flights. Luckily, I have a few hundred thousand miles tucked away in several loyalty programs for times like this, and I put them to good use. Here’s how I’m making the trip entirely with miles earned on my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card * The information for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. .
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Identifying the flight options
To start, I looked for flights from Istanbul to Melbourne for my desired dates. I knew I wanted to stay for around two weeks to make the most of the long trip. I also knew I wanted to avoid having more than one layover. Using Google Flights, I found that I had a few options for airlines, including Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai and Emirates. I wanted to use my Capital One miles because I had plenty to spare, but I wanted to be smart about how I used them.
Capital One has 14 airline partners that transfer at a 1:1 ratio:
- Aeromexico Club Premier
- Air Canada – Aeroplan®
- Cathay Pacific – Asia Miles
- Avianca LifeMiles
- British Airways Executive Club
- Emirates Skywards
- Etihad Guest
- Finnair Plus
- Flying Blue
- Qantas Frequent Flyer
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
- TAP Miles&Go
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- Virgin Red
Based on the transfer partners and airlines that fly the route I wanted, my options were Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines.
Checking each program for redemption availability
Once I had narrowed it down to three main options, I logged into each account to see how many miles my desired route would cost. I am 6’3”, so I prefer premium economy for added comfort during an almost full day of travel. Although I likely had enough miles for a business-class redemption, I opted to save them for a future trip, booking premium economy instead.
Emirates does not offer premium economy on the route I selected, so I had to choose between redeeming 290,750 miles plus $2,418 in taxes and fees for business class and redeeming 147,500 miles plus $588 in taxes and fees for economy. Neither of these options felt suitable, so I ruled out Emirates.
Turkish Airlines seemed like the obvious choice, as I’ll fly out of Turkey. However, availability was pretty low, and they also only had economy or business options: 60,000 miles and 210,000 miles, respectively, for a one-way fare. Again, not the best offering.
Transferring Capital One miles to Singapore KrisFlyer
Finally, I checked Singapore Airlines, which saved the day with wide-open availability in premium economy. Plus, when you redeem KrisFlyer miles, you can add a stopover in Singapore at no extra cost. On my way to Australia, I will fly from Istanbul to Singapore, which will take around 10 and a half hours. Then, I’ll have an almost three-hour layover to enjoy a meal at one of the many Priority Pass lounges before boarding my seven-and-a-half-hour flight from Singapore to Melbourne. Singapore Airlines is known for its fantastic premium economy service and has recently updated its product to include new meal options, dishware and a revamped amenity kit on flights of seven hours or longer.
On my way back, I chose to add a stopover at no additional charge. I’ve never been to Singapore and thought this would be the perfect opportunity. So, I will fly from Melbourne to Singapore in about eight hours and spend two and a half days exploring before boarding my middle-of-the-night flight back to Istanbul. This trip costs just 148,000 miles in the Saver fare, plus just $166.50 in taxes and fees. It would have cost slightly less, 109,000 miles, to fly in economy. It��s only 39,000 extra miles to be more comfortable during such a long journey, and it felt more than worth it.
Saver redemptions can fill up quickly, so booking well before your trip is best. Once I decided which flight I wanted to book, I logged into my Capital One account and transferred the necessary miles to my KrisFlyer account, which was instantaneous. Then, I immediately booked my flight to ensure I wouldn’t lose the deal.
Final verdict
All in all, 148,000 miles is very attainable for most travelers, especially considering the 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening welcome bonus for the Venture X, plus 10,000 bonus miles each account anniversary and up to 100,000 miles each year for referring friends. Between the bonuses and my regular spending, it took me no time to accumulate enough miles to make this possible. I’m thrilled to experience so many firsts in such a short period — my first time visiting Singapore, flying Singapore Airlines and going to Australia — all funded using my Capital One miles.
*The information for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
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