This trip recap breaks down exactly how we planned and booked our trip with points and miles, from flights and hotels to the total points and out-of-pocket costs. I’ll also share our full itinerary, what we loved, what we’d change, and the tours and experiences we chose along the way.

You can also check my Instagram highlights for video walkthroughs and more details on the rooms and destinations. My goal is to show you exactly how we did it so you can recreate this trip yourself or use it as inspiration to plan your own.

Trip Overview

• Destinations: Hong Kong, Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, & Frankfurt
• Dates: Friday to Monday- 10 days over spring break (March 13th-23rd, 2026)
• Travelers: Family of Five (Kids are 14,11 & 9)
• Flights & Hotels: 8 flights, 6 hotels (12 rooms)
• Total points used for flights: 726,000
• Total points used for hotels: 273,000 + 5 Free Night Awards
• Total Out-of-Pocket cost for hotels and flights: $2,628

How We Booked Our Flights with Points

For this trip, we used a mix of flexible points, including Chase Ultimate Rewards®, American Express Membership Rewards®, and Capital One Venture Miles.

For most of our long-haul flights, we primarily used American Express points, along with some Venture Miles.

Booking Our Long-Haul Flights

We always start by booking the hardest flights first, in this case, our long-haul international segments.

LAX → Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific)
We transferred American Express points to Cathay Pacific and booked this flight for 27,000 points + $125 per person. We were able to book bulkhead seats for FREE! This is huge because many international programs charge you for any seats.

This is one of my favorite “hidden” programs. Cathay Pacific doesn’t show up on popular award search tools, but it often has incredible pricing, so it’s always worth checking directly. If you’re new, simply create a free loyalty account and start searching.

Booking Our Return (The Hardest Part)

I was determined to find business class seats for the flight home, but availability was limited, especially for five seats.

Eventually, I found 4 business class seats from Singapore to Frankfurt for 80,000 points plus $78 each through Air Canada Aeroplan. This is a 13.5-hour flight, and Aeroplan is one of the best ways to book Singapore Airlines business class for fewer points than booking directly.

This routing wasn’t ideal (I would’ve preferred flying straight back to the U.S. to maximize time in Singapore), but the value was too good to pass up.

Booking the 5th Seat

Since only 4 business class seats were available, I initially booked my husband in premium economy with around 70,000 miles on the same Singapore Airlines flight directly through the Singapore Airlines website.

Shortly after, a business class seat opened up, and I was able to upgrade him for a small change fee (about $25).

That seat cost 123,000 points plus $50, which is higher than the other seats, but securing all 5 seats on the same flight was worth it, plus I got a great deal on the first four seats!

I transferred additional American Express points to Singapore Airlines to book this ticket.

💡 Tip: If available, you can often add a connection to JFK for just 7,500 additional points, but that option wasn’t available for us this time. There are several additional cities that Singapore flies to in Europe for just 80,000 points.

Getting Home to Phoenix

From Frankfurt, we booked an American Airlines flight:
Frankfurt → Charlotte → Phoenix

This costs 19,000 miles + $171 per person.

Not the most ideal routing, but it gave us an overnight stop in Frankfurt, which actually worked out well after such a long flight from Singapore.

Shorter Flights Throughout the Trip

Phoenix → LAX (Southwest, positioning flight)
Booked with ~5,000 points per person + $5.60 in taxes
We used the Companion Pass, so one ticket was essentially free.

Hong Kong → Bangkok (Cathay Pacific via Qatar Airways booking)

• 2 business class seats: 16,500 points each + ~$11
• 3 economy seats: 9,000 points each + ~$7

This was an amazing value, especially for a flight with lie-flat seats on the A350. Not all Cathay Pacific aircrafts on this route offer lie-flat seats, so be sure to double-check if that’s what you’re hoping for.

You can easily confirm this on Google Flights by selecting business class, as it will show whether the seat is lie-flat before you book.

Bangkok → Phuket (Thai VietJet)
Booked through Capital One Travel using our Venture X $300 credit
Paid about $112 out of pocket

Phuket → Singapore (Scoot)
Also booked through Capital One Travel using another Venture X $300 credit
Paid about $324 out of pocket

💡 For these shorter flights, we packed carry-ons, but always end up paying for checked bags due to weight limits, which adds some extra cost. I’ve included all of those totals in the overall out-of-pocket amount above.

When did I book?

For trips with fixed dates—like spring break, fall break, or Thanksgiving—I typically book as soon as the flight schedule opens, which is about 11 months in advance.

This trip was no different. I booked our outbound flight at the end of March and our return flight in mid-April 2025.

For high-demand travel dates, booking early gives you the best chance of finding the flights you want—especially if you’re trying to book multiple seats using points.

While some of the smaller, in-country flights can wait, the long-haul international flights are the priority and should be booked as early as possible.

💡 Tip: If you’re traveling with a family (especially 4–5 people), timing matters even more. Award availability is limited, and the best options tend to get booked quickly once schedules open.

• Total points: 726,000
• Total Out of Pocket Cash: $2,345

How We Booked Our Hotels with Points

For this trip, we used a mix of hotel points, free night awards, and credit card benefits to cover our stays across multiple countries.

We like to diversify our hotel strategy, especially as a family of five. Since we often need two rooms, we rely heavily on free night awards from our credit cards, which we receive each year just for paying the annual fee.

For this trip, we used:

• Chase Ultimate Rewards® → transferred to Hyatt
• Marriott 50K Free Night Awards
• IHG Free Night Awards
• American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts credits

This combination allows us to stay at a mix of luxury and family-friendly properties without paying high out-of-pocket costs.

Hong Kong — Grand Hyatt Hong Kong (1 night)

• 2 rooms: 25,000 points per night each (Hyatt)

We loved this property, especially the club lounge access, which had amazing food! They allowed us to get breakfast from the club when we arrived at 9 am. The included “happy hour” is a full dinner spread.

We received a view upgrade, and the service was excellent. This hotel is on the higher end in terms of points, but overall, we would absolutely stay here again.

💡 Tip: I emailed the hotel in advance to confirm whether my Globalist status would include club access for all five of us, and they said yes. However, at check-in, they initially told me only 3 guests were allowed in the club.

I showed them the email, and they honored it with no issue.

This is actually the second time I’ve run into this; some hotels will limit club access to just one room (I do understand that Globalist covers 2 adults and 2 children, but most Hyatt’s have been generous). If that happens, one workaround is to put the second room under your spouse’s name and use a Club Access Award for that room.

In most cases, we’ve been able to get access for all of us, but it’s definitely something to confirm ahead of time.

Bangkok — Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok (1 night)

• 2 rooms: ~$311 per night each
• Used Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts $300 credits (x2)
• Paid about $11 per room out of pocket

Booking through Fine Hotels + Resorts gave us:

• $100 resort credit per room
• Breakfast for 2 per room (we only paid for 1 child, because we booked through our separate cards)
• Upgraded Room

The food here was incredible, and the service was top-tier. We were welcomed with drinks and cool towels, and the kids even received little gift bags with a scavenger hunt.

We believe our rooms were upgraded (though not connecting, which was a downside). There’s also turndown service, a beautiful pool, and complimentary bikes (which we didn’t have time to use).

💡 One note: we didn’t fully use our resort credits, because they didn’t charge us for everything. They said there would be a rollaway charge, but it wasn’t billed.

10/10—would absolutely stay here again.

Phuket — Keemala (1 night)

• 2 villas: 100,000 Hilton points per night per room

This was one of the most unique stays we’ve ever had.

Related: Full Review of the Keemala Phuket Resort booked with Hilton points

Each villa has a private pool, and the service was incredible. After emailing the hotel, we were given the option to upgrade one villa, which also included breakfast.

• Upgrade cost: ~$300 (used Hilton card + $60 credit → ~$240 total)

Everything here, from the food to the service to the overall experience, was amazing.

We also did a foot massage for 5,000 baht for two people and ate dinner at the resort, which was about 2,000 baht.

👉 Our favorite hotel of the trip.

Khao Lak — JW Marriott Khao Lak (3 nights)

• 3 nights using 3-50K Marriott Free Night Awards (from welcome bonus)

This is such a great family-friendly resort that allows 5 per room! Please verify over email, as you cannot put in 5 people when booking.

We were originally booked into a standard room (king + sofa bed), but were upgraded to a two-story duplex suite, which was incredible. We have Marriott Platinum status (from the American Express Bonvoy Brilliant card), which likely helped with the upgrade.

The service here was next level:

• Welcome sorbet + towels on arrival
• Free shakes for everyone while waiting for our room
• Fully set up beds for all 3 kids
• Lots of welcome gifts

This resort has so much to do and is right on the beach, perfect for families. The food here was pretty good, too!

Singapore — Crowne Plaza Changi Airport (1 night)

• 2 rooms using IHG 40K Free Night Awards (earned annually from holding their credit card)

This stay was all about location.

The hotel is directly connected to the airport and right next to Jewel, which made it perfect for our short (less than 24-hour) stay.

• Rooms sleep 3 (no connecting rooms available)
• No major perks despite Platinum status
• We did receive 2 welcome drinks

Not a luxury stay, but incredibly convenient and exactly what we needed at this point in our trip.

Frankfurt — Kennedy 89 (Hyatt – Unbound Collection) (1 night)

• 23,000 Hyatt points per night for a suite
• Booked directly into a suite that sleeps 5

This hotel completely surprised us—in the best way.

Related: Full Review of the Brand New Kennedy 89 Hyatt Hotel in Frankfurt

We had:

• Free breakfast for all 5 (thanks to Globalist status)
• Tons of welcome gifts
• Beautiful design
• Easy walk into town

This ended up being one of our favorite stays, especially for a quick stop.

• Total points: 273,000 + 5 Free Night Awards
• Total Out-of-Pocket cost for hotels and flights: $282

Full Itinerary, Day by Day

Day 1: Travel Day (Phoenix → Hong Kong)

We started our trip with an evening flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles on Southwest.

• PHX → LAX: Departed at 5:30 PM
• LAX → Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific): Departed at 11:30 PM

This was a 16-hour overnight flight, and we booked bulkhead seats, which gave us a little extra space. We settled in, watched movies, ate, and tried to get as much sleep as possible before landing.

Day 2: 24 Hours in Hong Kong

We arrived in Hong Kong around 6:50 AM and hit the ground running.

Getting into the City

Right after landing, we purchased Octopus cards at the Airport Express counter for everyone. These are a must in Hong Kong; you can use them for trains, trams, ferries, and even store purchases. Keep in mind you need cash to reload them.

We took the Airport Express train into the city and then Ubered (5-10 minutes) to the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, arriving around 9:00 AM.

One room was ready, which was great, and we headed straight to the club lounge for breakfast, which was such a great way to start the day after such a long flight!

Victoria Peak + City Views

After freshening up, we Ubered to Victoria Peak around 10 am.

• Purchased tickets for the Peak Tram + Sky Terrace (~$95 total for 2 adults + 3 kids)

The views were incredible and definitely worth it.

Exploring the City

From there, we walked down toward the Central–Mid-Levels Escalators (the longest outdoor escalator system in the world), stopping at a few shops along the way. I’d skip this next time.

We then:

• Hopped on the Ding Ding tram (used our Octopus cards)
• Rode over to the Star Ferry
• Took the ferry across to Kowloon

Kowloon Highlights

Once in Kowloon, we:

• Walked along the waterfront promenade (amazing skyline views)
• Visited the K11 Mall
• Took the subway to explore more of the city

Of course, we had to try some local favorites:

• Mr. Softee ice cream
• Milk tea
• Bubble waffles

We also stopped by the Ladies Market, which was super fun for shopping. Most vendors took credit cards, but having some cash would’ve been helpful. We purchased fun souvenirs like knock off coach purse, Fjallraven backpacks, tshirts and miscellaneous souvenirs.

Wrapping Up the Day

By this point, we were exhausted, so we skipped the Temple Street night market and headed back to the hotel via subway and walking.

We ended the day at the Grand Hyatt club lounge, which had an amazing dinner spread! We watched the light show on the water from our room.

Day 2 Takeaway

Hong Kong is an amazing city to explore in a short amount of time, especially with efficient public transportation. The Octopus card made everything incredibly easy, and we were able to pack a lot into just one day. The weather was perfect!

Day 3: Travel to Bangkok + Temples & Canal Tour

We started the day with a quick breakfast in the club lounge before heading back to the airport.

Getting to Bangkok

• Ubered to the train station
• Took a 20-minute train ride back to the airport

At the airport, we had time to check out a few lounges:

• Plaza Premium Lounge
• Centurion Lounge
• And Devyn and I visited the Cathay Pacific business class lounge since we were flying business class

The Cathay lounge was definitely the highlight, with a full buffet, noodle bar, coffee bar, and tea house. Even with limited time, it was a great experience.

Arrival + Customs in Bangkok

When we landed in Bangkok, customs took about 1.5 hours.

One thing to note:
They separated our kids from us after scanning passports and photos and told my husband and me to move ahead, which was frustrating. This has never happened to us at customs before.

💡 Tip: If traveling as a family, have one adult go first and one go last to avoid getting separated.

Getting to the Hotel

We had a ride scheduled from the airport to the Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok booked via Viator.

• Travel time: ~45 minutes
• Cost: under $50

We arrived around 2:00 PM, and thankfully, one of our rooms was already ready.

Private Tour + Exploring Bangkok

We had a private tour scheduled for 3:00 PM (cost $190, booked via Viator), so after quickly freshening up, we met our guide in the lobby. This was perfect for us since we only had half a day in Bangkok.

She walked us through the plan, and then we headed out.

Canal Tour (Kids’ Favorite!)

We started with a private long-tail boat canal tour:

• Cost: ~$60 total
• Kids fed fish for 10 baht

This ended up being one of the kids’ favorite experiences.

Temples

We visited:

• Wat Arun
• Wat Pho: The temple with the Reclining Buddha

The temples were stunning and definitely worth seeing.

Getting Around

• Took a ferry across the river
• Grabbed a tuk tuk to dinner

Dinner + Night Market

Dinner was incredible at Methawalai Sondeang. Our tour guide ordered for us and made recommendations, which made it so easy. Everyone loved their food.

We originally planned to visit Chinatown, but since it was Monday, most things were closed.

Instead, we walked through a nearby street, Khao San known for nightlife and street food, including bugs 😅.

Getting Back + Hotel Credit

We took a Grab (similar to Uber—definitely download the app) back to the hotel.

Before ending the night, we grabbed more food at the hotel to use up our $100 resort credit, and it was honestly so good.

I have to admit—we spent quite a bit for just half a day in Bangkok. In addition to the private guide of $190, I used about $200 USD in Thai baht, paid around $95 for dinner on a credit card, covered a couple of Grab rides, and even had to take out more cash to tip our tour guide. Definitely not a cheap day!

The private tour guide was a splurge, but completely worth it to me. We could have used Grab to get around (it’s very affordable and Bangkok is fairly walkable), but it was fun and easy having everything planned for us.

Day 4: Travel to Phuket + Resort Day

We started the morning with an amazing breakfast at the Kimpton, seriously, one of the best. They had everything from noodles to pastries and fruit.

We scheduled a transfer through Viator to head back to the airport.

💡 One thing to note:
We couldn’t get our boarding passes online, so I had to wait in line at the counter, and the lines were long. Security and customs were also very busy, so definitely allow extra time.

We arrived in Phuket around 1:00 PM, where we had a driver waiting for us, booked through Viator.

• Transfer time to Keemala: ~45 minutes

One of our villas was ready when we arrived (huge win), and we were greeted with an incredible welcome.

After several busy days, this was finally our resort reset day:

• Relaxed in our private pool villas
• Swam and explored the property
• Enjoyed a beautiful dinner at the resort

Day 5: Keemala → Khao Lak

We started the day with an incredible breakfast at Keemala. You can order off the menu, plus enjoy a buffet with pastries and fruit.

Eden and I also did a foot massage:

• 5,000 baht total + tip

We had to check out at noon (no late checkout available), then took a Grab to our next hotel:

• Keemala → JW Marriott Khao Lak
• ~2-hour drive (traffic was heavy)
• Cost: about $85

We arrived to an amazing welcome and service, then spent the evening:

• Swimming
• Exploring the resort
• Relaxing after travel

Day 6: Phi Phi Islands Tour

We booked a Phi Phi Islands tour through Viator. We were picked up at 6:50 am.

It was a bit of a backtrack to Phuket (2 hours-ish), but since the JW Marriott allowed us to sleep all 5 in one room, it was worth staying there longer to save points.

What we did:

• Speedboat tour (be prepared—it’s rough on the way out)
• Visited Monkey Beach
• Snorkeled and Swam at beautiful beaches
• Buffet lunch included
• Stopped at Maya Bay (no swimming allowed—it’s protected)

💡 Heads up:
The speedboat ride out was intense; definitely be cautious if you get motion sickness.

Also, during snorkeling, we experienced sea lice (tiny bites). It’s not dangerous, but it wasn’t the most pleasant.

Overall thoughts:

We enjoyed the tour, but I think I was picturing something more like Krabi.

👉 If I could redo it:

• I might choose a long-tail boat tour instead
• Or explore Krabi or James Bond Island
• Would also love to fit in Koh Samui next time

We got back around sunset, had dinner at the resort, and called it a night.

Day 7: Elephant Sanctuary + Resort Day

We started the morning with breakfast at the resort, then did a short elephant sanctuary tour:

• ~2 hours total (including pickup/drop-off)
• Rode in the back of a safari-style truck
• About a 15-minute ride to the sanctuary

I highly recommend this tour. It’s an ethical sanctuary where you can feed the elephants and observe them roaming freely in their natural environment.

After that, we spent the afternoon enjoying everything the JW Marriott Khao Lak resort had to offer:

• Biking
• Swimming
• Swim-up bar
• Beach time

There is SO much to do here—it’s an incredible family-friendly resort.

We ended the day with an Italian buffet dinner and even walked outside the resort for a bit of snacks and souvenir shopping.

Day 8: Travel to Singapore + Exploring the City

We booked a transfer (via Viator again) back to Phuket airport and flew to Singapore. JW Marriott packed us a breakfast to go that was pretty disappointing, but still a good option for some who aren’t picky.

• We didn’t have time for lounges due to long lines
• Flew Scoot and arrived around 2:00 PM

Airport Hotel Strategy

We stayed at an airport hotel, Crowne Plaza Singapore Airport, which was key for reducing stress after so much travel.

One room was ready when we arrived, so we dropped our bags and headed out.

Jewel + Food in Singapore

First stop: Jewel—which is literally right next to the airport hotel.

From there, we took a taxi to Lau Pa Sat to try:

• Satay (so good!)
• Hawker stalls with a mix of dishes:
  • Thai food
  • Chicken and rice
  • Desserts like egg tarts, mango sticky rice, and Basque cheesecake

Gardens by the Bay + Marina Bay

Next, we walked to Gardens by the Bay. There happened to be a huge anime festival, so it was very busy.

• Watched the light show (7:45 PM)
• Did the skywalk

💡 Tip:
If you plan to do the skywalk, go there first. The line was long, and you can actually watch the light show from up there. You’re only allowed about 15 minutes, so timing matters.

Night Walk

We ended the night walking around:

• Marina Bay Sands waterfront
• Helix Bridge

It was warm and humid, but such a beautiful night.

We had planned to visit Chinatown and markets, but ran out of time.

We took a taxi back to the hotel and called it a night.

Day 9: Singapore → Frankfurt + Exploring the City

We left the hotel around 8:30 AM to give ourselves plenty of time to enjoy the lounges before our 11 am flight.

Singapore Airport Experience

Let me just say—customs in Singapore is incredible.

When we arrived at the airport, we:

• Walked straight through
• Used the automated kiosks
• Scanned passports + took photos

The entire process took about 2 minutes. It was the fastest and easiest airport experience we’ve ever had.

Singapore Business Class Lounge

We aimed to spend at least an hour in the lounge before boarding.

The Singapore Airlines business class lounge was:

• Beautiful
• Huge
• Very clean
• Lots of food options

That said, the food wasn’t our favorite, but they did have ice cream, so the kids were happy 😄

Another huge perk:
Our hotel was in the same terminal as our flight, which made the entire morning seamless.

Singapore Airlines Business Class

We boarded our flight to Frankfurt, flying Singapore Airlines business class.

We were originally scheduled to fly the newer A380, but it was swapped to a 777—which was totally fine. We’ve flown this before, and it’s always a great experience.

We used “Book the Cook”, which lets you pre-select your meals in advance. There are tons of options, and my kids love steak, so we ordered different steak options for both lunch and dinner.

• Flight time: just under 13 hours
• Food: good
• Sleep: none of us slept 😅

Overall, it was a really great flight.

Arrival in Frankfurt

We arrived in Frankfurt and had a short wait at customs, which was a nice change.

We initially planned to take the train, but there were delays, so we opted for an Uber instead:

• Airport → Hotel: ~15 minutes
• Kind of pricey: $60

Hotel Stay

We stayed at the Kennedy 89, a new Hyatt Unbound Collection property. We arrived around 6:30 pm.

This hotel completely exceeded expectations.

It had only been open about 2 months, and the service was incredible; we honestly felt like we were the only guests.

We were:

• Offered welcome drinks
• Given a tour of the lounge (free drinks + snacks), & fitness center
• Shown to our room with so many welcome gifts

We booked a suite for 23,000 Hyatt points, and it was a true suite, brand new, beautifully designed, and filled with welcome gifts.

We had two patios, and the sunset views from our room were stunning.

Exploring Frankfurt

After dropping off our luggage, we walked into the city along the river.

• About a 20–30 minute walk to Römerberg
• Stopped for souvenir shopping

We found an amazing pizza spot, Cereza Pizza, and had dinner (pizza + drinks), followed by gelato at Pallina Gelato.

It was such a perfect, relaxed evening to wrap up the trip. We had great weather as well, which was a nice change from hot and humid Thailand!

Day 10: Frankfurt → Home

We were up early for breakfast at the Kennedy 89 around 6:30 AM.

Breakfast was included for all of us and offered both:

• A buffet
• Made-to-order menu options

It was a great, easy start to our travel day.

Heading Home

After breakfast, we took an Uber to the airport to begin our journey home.

Our route:

• Frankfurt → Charlotte → Phoenix (American Airlines)

After an incredible 10 days, it was time to head home, tired, but so grateful for the experience.

Our Travel Style

Our travel style is definitely what I’d call “fast travel”—and I know that’s not for everyone.

We like to stay busy, see as much as possible, and move around frequently. Since we travel often, we don’t usually spend entire trips just relaxing in one place. That said, we do try to build in some downtime, like our resort stays, so we’re not completely on the go the whole time.

This type of travel allows us to experience multiple destinations in one trip, but it does come with some trade-offs.

Traveling this way can be a bit risky. When you’re moving between multiple cities and countries, delays or cancellations can impact your plans.

We did experience a few small delays on this trip, but thankfully, nothing major that disrupted our itinerary, and we’re very grateful for that.

For us, this works because:

• We love exploring new places
• We want to maximize school breaks
• We’re comfortable navigating airports, transfers, and logistics

It also helps that we’re using points and miles, which gives us more flexibility and allows us to build trips like this without the high cost. The more you move around when you travel, the more expensive it typically becomes, so using points for most of our flights and hotels is what makes this kind of trip possible.

Ready to Travel Like This?

If trips like this feel out of reach, I promise, they’re not. This is exactly why I started learning points and miles in the first place.

The key is getting started and earning the right points so you can book flights and hotels like this for your own family.

If you’re not sure where to begin:

• Check out my Best Offers page to see the current top cards
• Or reach out—I’m always happy to help you figure out the best card to start with based on your goals

And if you have any questions about this trip or how we booked it, leave them in the comments below or message me on IG. I try to include as much detail as possible, but I’m always happy to help clarify or point you in the right direction.

Continue Reading…

Full Review of the Keemala Phuket Resort booked with Hilton points

Guide to One Million Credit Card Points: Step-by-Step Strategy