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Wisconsin to Munich to Bangkok to Munich to Wisconsin
Total Cost for Flight Tickets: $250/pp
In 2018, Dave and I toured four countries on two continents in 3 1/2 months. Our flight cost was around $250/pp using frequent flyer miles. Since then, we have used frequent flyer miles to visit San Diego, the Island of Granada, and Mexico. With two vaccines and booster shots in 2022, we are excited to plan future international travels and collect the bonus miles that will get us there at a fraction of the flight cost. The frequent flyer programs used and flyer miles required, fees and taxes required, and the benefits enjoyed will be recorded here for your reference. This will be fun!
MEXICO 2022-2023:
The cost of two round-trip tickets to Puerto Vallarta in December 2022 using the United Explore MileagePlus Card.
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70,000 flight miles for two round-trip tickets
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$229.12 (taxes and fees) for two round-trip tickets
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Two complimentary checked bags (50 lbs./23 kg)
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TIP #1. Be aware that you must bypass the self-service kiosk and check your bags at the ticket counter to get the free checked bag offer.
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TIP #2. To qualify for the complimentary bag, you must use the United Explorer MileagePlus Card to pay for the $229 taxes for the flight tickets.
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TIP #3. Have a highlighted printout of the complimentary bag benefit, and keep it with your tickets and passport. This will save time and confusion at the ticket counter.
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Two complimentary United Club one-time passes each year
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TIP. If your selected trip has a long connection, make sure there is a Club Lounge at the airport. If not, you may want to compare other connection flights.
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Check back often to see other destinations we plan for and how we use the frequent flyer miles to get there.
United Explorer MileagePlus: We chose and applied for the United Explorer MileagePlus Card.
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70,000 bonus miles (60,000+10,000 see details)
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0 annual fee for the first year, then $95/per year
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One complimentary checked bag (50 lbs/23kg)
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2 United Club one-time passes each year
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No blackout dates
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No expiration dates
Default all payments: Use this card to pay for all bills and purchases until 70,000 miles are in your account. (Pay off the card every two weeks to avoid paying interest fees.)
TIP: Each person in the family can have their card. I applied for the first card. When 70,000 is in my account, Dave can apply for another United Explore card. Keep a spreadsheet to track when annual fees are scheduled for each card and avoid having all annual fees due in one month.
TIP: Once you have reached the desired miles, you do not have to use the card further. Put it away until the month before the next annual fee is due. Call and ask for a no-fee card, if available. Avoid closing the card before the one-year date. (See link for details. https://thepointsguy.com/news/close-credit-card-one-year/)
TIP: There is a 5/24 rule that Chase Bank uses when processing an application. You can only have four other credit cards in 24 months for your application to be approved. If you are starting to apply for credit cards with bonus miles, keep it simple and consider applying for the next United Personal Credit Card to keep all loyalty miles with one carrier under one account to get comfortable with redeeming miles for vacation flights.
United Gateway Card: We also applied for the United Gateway Card to collect the extra miles on gas purchases.
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15,000 bonus miles
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0 annual fee
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2 miles for every $1 spent at gas stations
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No blackout dates
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No expiration dates
Gas: Use this card to pay for all gas purchases as long as it is available. Great for RVing and all commutes.
TIP: Each person in the family can have their own card. I applied for the first card. When 15,000 is in my account, Dave can apply for another United Explore card. Be sure to keep a spreadsheet to track when annual fees are scheduled for each card and avoid having all fees due in one month.
TIP: Once you have reached the desired miles, you do not have to use the card further. Put it away until the month prior to the next annual fee is due. Call and ask for a no-fee card, if available. Avoid closing the card before the one year date. (See link for details. https://thepointsguy.com/news/close-credit-card-one-year/)
Capital One Venture Card: The 2020 world pandemic stopped all international flights, so we stopped collecting miles during that time. As we planned our flight to Mexico in 2023 we knew we wouldn't have enough miles (award points) in our United MileagePlus account for two-round trip flight tickets.
No worries. We turned to the accrued miles in our Capital One Venture Card. The Venture Card's best perk makes it easy to transfer the exact amount of Venture miles needed directly to our United MileagePlus account, book the flight with United and receive the bonuses described above. (click here to review our trip points and fees for two round-trip tickets to Mexico.)
Capital One Venture New Cardmember Offers
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75,000 bonus miles
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received after spending $4000 (See card details here)
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$95 annual fee
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2 miles per $1 spent
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plus 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars
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2 Capital One one-time passes to Capital One lounges or to 100+ locations through Capital One's Partner Lounge Network.
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Receive up to $100 credit for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck when you pay with Venture Card.
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No expiration dates
TIP: Each person in the family can have a card. I applied for the first card. When 75,000 is in my account, Dave can apply for another Capital One Venture card. Keep a spreadsheet to track when annual fees are scheduled for each card and avoid having all payments due in one month.
TIP: Once you have reached the desired miles, you do not have to use the card further. Put it away until the month before the following annual fee is due. Call and ask for a no-fee card, if available. Avoid closing the card before the one-year date. (See link for details. https://thepointsguy.com/news/close-credit-card-one-year/)