Book domestic flights for fewer points

Well, goodness gracious, we made it.

Happy weekend to you, my friend! 💛

Trust me when I say that this might be one of the best (and most underrated) round-ups in a hot second, so without further ado…

Let’s talk about how you can travel around the country for cheap!

🪩 Ayooo… don’t miss the 30% transfer bonus from ThankYou Points to Virgin Atlantic (ends April 18). 

🏨 Here’s how to squeeze more value from Hyatt before the new (very sad) changes take effect. 

💔 Citi ThankYou points just devalued two of its best hotel sweet spots.

🌴 There’s a new way to book all-inclusive hotels with World of Hyatt (yay!).

✈️ TSA lines are insane right now… so check this resource for updates.

🎥 Learn why buying points can sometimes be the best deal in this week’s Daily Drop YouTube video.

🏆 Our Favorite Pick: How to book U.S. flights for way fewer points

Listen y’all… Mike is constantly making all of our lives better with his magical points-and-miles… well… magic. 😌

This week, though, he delivered on something we get asked about ALL the time:

“How can I travel domestically for cheaper? And which program should I be using?”

And to start: Booking domestic flights with actual U.S. airline miles (like United or Delta) is often… not the move.

Instead, some of the best deals come from using international partner programs to book those same flights (usually for fewer points).

So the move here is actually pretty simple:

Earn transferable points → send them to the right partner → book cheaper flights.

Most major credit card points transfer to a bunch of airline programs, including ones that can book flights on U.S. carriers.

So you’re basically using a “middleman” program to get a better deal on the exact same seat.

A few examples worth knowing

Here are some sweet spots Mike highlighted this week:

1. Short-haul flights for about 5k to 6k points

Programs like Etihad Guest and Flying Blue can price short domestic routes super low, like Boston or Chicago to NYC for around 6,000 points one way.

That’s often way cheaper than booking directly with Delta, American, or JetBlue.

2. United flights (without using United miles)

Instead of booking through United, you can use programs like Avianca LifeMiles or Air Canada Aeroplan to snag the same flights, often for as few as 10,000 points.

Even better: There’s currently a transfer bonus from Citi ThankYou points to Avianca LifeMiles, which = quick happy dance.

3. West Coast to Hawaii for about 12.5k points

Aeroplan also has some sneaky-good pricing to Hawaii, which is one of those routes that’s usually expensive but occasionally drops to around 12,500 points.

12,500 points? To Hawaii. I’m sat. 🧎‍♀️

4. Using Atmos Rewards for domestic flights on Alaska Airlines and American Airlines

If you have Bilt Points, Atmos Rewards is one of the most underrated options out there.

We’re talking short-haul flights on American or Alaska for as low as 4,500 points, which is kind of wild (plus more flexible change/cancellation policies than most programs).

Or… you could just keep it simple.

If you find a super cheap cash flight (like with Spirit or Frontier), you can skip transfers entirely and just redeem points at a fixed value.

For example, a $28 flight could cost just 2,800 Capital One miles.

Because remember…

If you have miles from a card like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you can use those miles to cover travel at a fixed 1 cent-per-point rate (yay!).

Why this works

Many U.S. airlines use dynamic pricing, so award rates can be all over the place.

But many partner programs still use fixed or semi-fixed pricing, which is where these sweet spots come from.

So instead of paying whatever Delta feels like charging that day… you’re using a completely different pricing system.

And there are just a few things to keep in mind:

• Award availability can be limited, especially on popular routes

• Transfer times aren’t always instant, so don’t wait until the last second

• Blessed are the flexible!

But once you get the hang of it, this is one of the easiest ways to stretch your points way further, especially for quick domestic trips.

🌍 The European trip that should be on your radar

Most European trips right now feel… kind of the same. 😅

Expensive flights, limited award space, and a lot of effort just to piece everything together.

This week, Mike laid out an easier (and funner option, as he does), and it starts with turning one flight into two destinations.

And yes… It’s 2026. We’re making “funner” happen.

You can fly to Belgrade in business class using Aeroplan points, then add a stopover in Sofia for just 5,000 extra points.

So instead of planning two separate trips (or paying for another flight), you’re building both into one itinerary.

Again… sat.🧎‍♀️

Once you’re there, things just keep getting sweeter… use IHG’s 4th-night-free perk in Belgrade, or go for Hyatt stays in Sofia, where rooms start at around 6,500 points per night.

And unlike the usual Paris/Rome chaos, these spots are easier, cheaper, and way less crowded.

👉 Read more about the Serbia and Bulgaria situation.

At first glance, these destinations might not seem super flashy… but they’re a really smart use of points (and excellent places to visit).

🌍 Week in Review

• Monday: 📉 These two sweet spots just got nerfed

• Tuesday: 🏨 What to do before Hyatt D-Day

• Wednesday: 🌎 How to book this underrated Eurotrip

• Thursday: 🇺🇸 Best transfer partners for domestic flights

• Friday: 🏨 A new way to book all-inclusive hotels

Well, that’s gonna do it for today!

Hopefully, today encouraged you that traveling around the U.S. is totally doable (for cheaper), and can still be an amazing option when the world feels crazy.

Love ya, mean it ❤️

40°39'41.4"N 73°56'22.0"W

With contributions by Mike Dodge and Sam Anthony