I’ve had a few people ask me just how many points and miles we used altogether during our nine months of travel. So I went through our Africa Nine Month Trip! page and added up all the points and miles expenditures.
The total hotel points spent were 2,295,559 plus 14 FNCs (Hotel Free Night Certificates) plus 9 FHRs (Amex $300 Fine Hotels & Resort credits) and 1 THC (Amex $300 The Hotel Collection credit).
The total airline miles spent were 1,229,772 plus a 25K companion certificate.
Point redemptions and transfer ratios/bonuses are always changing. But if you were able to get the same point redemptions and transfer ratios/bonuses that we had, then the 18 countries that we visited over nine months would cost you 2,295,559 points and 1,229,772 miles (plus a 25K companion certificate). Plus, you would still have to pay cash ($6,053) for all the airline taxes and the airlines, hotels and Airbnbs where we weren’t able to use points and miles for. And there would be additional costs for taxis, Ubers, Bolts, buses, trains, ferries, food and tour costs.
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So the above covers traveling for two persons (Kate and myself). Here is the total of the additional points and miles we paid when we brought six members of our family over for ten days of safaris in Kenya: 804,000 points and 495,000 airline miles. Plus, we spent $17,570 in cash for airline taxes, one of our four tent camps at Finch Hattons, three of the four tent camps at Kuboto lodge, a VRBO in Lake Naivasha and ground transportation.
The 18 countries that Kate and I went to were: Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mauritius, Seychelles, Egypt, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia, Italy, Vatican City, Namibia, South Africa, Madagascar and England. Additionally, we ran across the Victoria Falls Bridge and were in Zambia for a few minutes, we spent one night in Gibraltar (a British protectorate) and we briefly crossed through Spain when we travelled from Gibraltar to Portugal.
As I’ve gotten more into this, I’ve learned to do a better job at documenting where every SUB (Sign Up Bonus) and every transfer came from so that I can provide details on everything. I didn’t have all of that information at the start of the trip. But whatever I did have information on, I have detailed it below.
Here are the breakdowns:
Amex
9 FHRs and 1 THC spent.
394,500 Amex points were spent. Of these, 24,500 were transferred to Etihad. 236,000 Amex points were transferred to Virgin when a 40% bonus was in effect to become 330,000 Virgin Red points. 62,000 Amex points were transferred to Marriott when a 30% bonus was in effect to yield 80,600 Marriott points. 72,000 Amex points were transferred to Virgin Atlantic when a 40% bonus was in effect to yield 100,800 Virgin miles .
Chase The Edit
One $250 credit redeemed
Citi
75,000 points were transferred to iPrefer at 1:4 to become 300,000 iPrefer points.
Choice
81,000 Choice hotel points spent
Hilton
4 FNCs plus 920,000 Hilton points spent
Hyatt
20,500 Hyatt points spent
IHG
3 FNCs plus 645,459 IHG points spent
Marriott
7 FNCs plus 99,100 Marriott points spent.
We got six of the FNCs from opening Marriott Bonvoy cards and one from having the Ritz Carlton card). We got 80,600 of the Marriott points from a 62,000 Amex point transfer with a 30% bonus. And we got 100,000 Marriott points from the SUB from the Marriott Bonvoy cards. Yes, we still have points left over.
Wyndham
60,000 Wyndham points spent
Air Canada Airlines
60,000 Air Canada miles spent
Alaska Airlines
85,000 Alaska miles + a 25K Alaska companion certificate spent.
American Airlines
165,000 American miles spent
Avianca Airlines
127,000 Lifemiles spent
Lufthansa Airlines
25,772 Lufthansa miles spent
United Airlines
250,000 United miles spent. Part of this was from a Wyndham 102,000 point transfer which yielded 61,000 United miles. I also transferred 26,000 Chase points at 1:1 which yielded 26,000 United miles. The other miles were earned from a SUB and from spend promotions.
Virgin Atlantic/Virgin Red miles & points
517,000 Virgin miles spent. (I transferred 72,000 Amex points when they had a 40% transfer bonus. I transferred 200,000 Chase points when they had a 25% bonus. I transferred 38,000 Chase points to Virgin Atlantic when they had a 40% bonus. I transferred 80,000 Chase points to Virgin Atlantic when they had another 40% bonus).
Additional Points and Miles spent to bring six members of our family over for ten days of safari in Kenya.
Alaska Airlines
55,000 Alaska miles
American Airlines
214,000 American miles
KLM Airlines
172,000 KLM miles spent
Virgin Airlines
54,000 Virgin miles
IHG
124,000 points spent
Virgin Red
680,000 points spent (We transferred 708,000 Amex points with a 40% bonus to Virgin Atlantic which yielded 990,000 Virgin points. Some of those extra points were used for Kate and myself, which is separately detailed in our personal section above).