Saving for the bucket list holiday

tunafishface

I am middle aged and just once in my life I want to experience a first or business class flight/ holiday. I have been using a platinum Amex card for 3 years general spend and have only just realised it’s the wrong type! I want to be able to use my card for years without any points running out; so that when the day comes I can see just how far and how luxuriously my points will take me. I don’t travel normally so frequent flyer cards won’t work. Thank you for your help. 

2e0arr

enhance your life experiences, take a bold step an increase your life enrichment, boost your mindfullness and well being  learn things about your fellow man and learn hings about yourself, forget business class flight  try Ryan Air and have a journey you will never even though you want to , forget

penners324

You'll get nowhere near as many points as you need. My Father did what you want to do including a lot of flying, ended up with £600 in M&S vouchers

tunafishface

Thanks. I am letting go of my ideas of first class travel. Who knew MSE would end up being so philosophical! 

Se1Lad

If it is an Amex platinum charge card then you can convert your points to a number of airline loyalty schemes.  For example to BA Executive Club at a 1:1 ratio

Gerry1

Avios with BA Executive Club is largely a waste of time because you now pay the taxes and fees.  Go anywhere vaguely exotic and you'll find it cheaper to pay real money on a competitor airline.  Avios might get you a £35 trip to Amsterdam at short notice, but that's about all it's good for nowadays.

Speedbird676

tunafishface said:

I am middle aged and just once in my life I want to experience a first or business class flight/ holiday. I have been using a platinum Amex card for 3 years general spend and have only just realised it’s the wrong type! I want to be able to use my card for years without any points running out; so that when the day comes I can see just how far and how luxuriously my points will take me. I don’t travel normally so frequent flyer cards won’t work. Thank you for your help. 

Are you planning to travel alone or with somebody?

How many Membership Rewards points have you accrued with your Platinum card?

Speedbird676

Gerry1 said:

Avios with BA Executive Club is largely a waste of time because you now pay the taxes and fees.  Go anywhere vaguely exotic and you'll find it cheaper to pay real money on a competitor airline.  Avios might get you a £35 trip to Amsterdam at short notice, but that's about all it's good for nowadays.

I disagree.

If you use the BA Premium Plus American Express, you earn 1.5 points per £1 spend and assuming you spend £10k on the card each year also earn a 2 for 1 voucher.

Using the shortest route with First, Tel Aviv, you would need 85,000 points + £736 for 2x First class return tickets.
Using the longest route with First, Sydney, you would need 340,000 points + £1,862 for 2x First class return tickets.

In either example, despite paying the taxes and surcharges, you will spend much less cash than purchasing the flights in First with cash.

Gerry1

You're probably right, my handful of Avios means I can't reach the rarefied atmosphere of such heights !

trex227

tunafishface said:

Thanks. I am letting go of my ideas of first class travel. Who knew MSE would end up being so philosophical! 

Don’t give up on your dream! I travel quite a lot and it’s possible to get some really good deals on flights. I must admit I don’t have any particular desire to travel first/business but I just looked and you can get a return first class flight to New York with BA in June for £2093 which a lot less than I would of guessed flying first class costs.

Did you have any particular destination in mind? 

I’ve looked into points cards before to use for flights, but for us our spending isn’t high enough to be worthwhile. So I just rely on finding cheap deals. 

2e0arr

Go to Cleethorpes instead!

It will enrich your life with unknown experiences