To the point
Find out how Viviane saved $5630 on her trip for three to Curaçao with credit card reward points and loyalty programs.
Through a series of testimonials from our readers, Milesopedia presents what you can achieve with credit cards and loyalty programs.
Here’s Viviane and her family’s plan for a trip to Curaçao, and the savings she’s made with her reward points.
Viviane's testimonial - Who are you?
I’m 35 and have been a loyal Milesopedia reader since 2018.
With my partner and my child, I like to travel in many different ways. We are open to opportunities with points and follow our family’s wishes. We’re interested in the whole world!
Viviane - Your travel project with points : Curaçao
We traveled as a family with my partner, our toddler and a baby on the way. I was pregnant on that trip.
During the 2021-2022 holiday season, we visited the island of Curaçao for 15 days. We did a combination of hiking, gastronomy and a very intense tour to explore more than twenty of Curaçao‘s thirty beaches.
Transportation
Our three round-trip plane tickets were paid for entirely with Aeroplan points. We paid 77,000 points and $387 in taxes for these Montreal-Curaçao flights on Air Canada.
Transportation savings
The market value of the tickets when I bought them was about $1,000 each. So we saved over $2,600 on our flights by booking with Aeroplan points.
Accommodation
By using three different types of points, we were able to fully cover the cost of accommodation. We used points:
Here’s a summary of our reservations and savings:
| Accomodation name | Number of nights | Number and type of points used | Money saved |
| Bed & Bike Hostel Jan Thiel | 2 | 40,000 RBC Avion Rewards | $400 |
| Airbnb | 7 | 125,000 HSBC Rewards | $615 |
| Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort | 5 | 160,000 Marriott Bonvoy | $1,800 |
As we booked the Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort with points, we took advantage of the 5th night free offer. This tip saved us even more money!
Savings on accommodation
In total, our savings on the hotel and our Airbnb came to $2,815.
Activities and other
To cover certain expenses such as tips, resort fees and drinks, we used HSBC Rewards points. We earned a $125 statement credit by redeeming 25,000 points.
Testimonial - Credit cards used
In order to accumulate all these points, my partner lent me a hand. We have each signed up for the following credit cards:
| Credit card | Accumulation period | Number of points used | Points redemption method |
| TD Visa Infinite* CardMD AeroplanMD x2 | 3 months | 77,000 Aeroplan points | Flight booking |
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card x2 | 3 months | 40,000 RBC Avion Rewards points | Statement credit |
| American Express Cobalt® Card x2 | 12 months | 134,000 Membership Rewards points | Transfer to Marriott Bonvoy |
| HSBC World Elite® Mastercard® x2 | 6 months | 125,000 HSBC Rewards points | Statement credit |
The benefits
With our credit cards, we offer many additional travel benefits, such as
- A $100 travel credit and no conversion fees for foreign currency transactions with the HSBC World Elite® Mastercard®. We used this credit to pay for access to the VIP Lounge at Curaçao Airport.
- Free checked baggage on Air Canada flights, a 25% discount on in-flight meals and free access to the new Wi-Fi service with the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card.
Tips to help you save more
The hunt for points may seem complex, but I didn’t use any special tricks.
Organization and patience alone can work wonders.
The Milesopedia beginner’s guide is also a goldmine of information for familiarizing yourself with the accumulation and use of reward points:
Summary
The portion of our trip where we saved the most money was lodging, with 14 free nights valued at $2,815. Here is a breakdown of the amounts saved in each category:
| Grand total | 5 630 $ |
| Type of expense | Savings |
| Transportation | $2,600 |
| Accommodation | 2 815 $ |
| Other | $215 |
To save big on travel, you need to be flexible and diversify your rewards programs. In total, we used five different programs:
The final word
Since that trip, I’ve continued the hunt for points and signed up for other credit cards. If I could keep only one card in my wallet right now, it would be the National Bank’s World Elite Mastercard®.
Read on for more testimonials from members of the Milesopedia community:
