How I Booked a Resort Hotel in Tuscon Arizona with Flights and a Convertible for $5

Usually July is a slow travel month for me because mileage runs are really expensive during the summer time. Last July, I used British Airways Avios to take quick jaunts to Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Albuquerque using very little Avios points. This morning, I booked a round-trip flight from LAX-TUS using 9,000 British Airways Avios + $5 in taxes.

The same exact flight is a $483.80 on American Airlines. That is a 5.4 cents per Avios point redemption which is outstanding.

When I look for hotels, I always pull up my favorite website, Useaamiles.com to look for low cost hotel redemptions using American Airlines miles. See my guide on How To Use American Airlines AAdvantage Miles And Elite Status For Hotel Rooms.

I quickly scanned through the list and found the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort for a low 6,400 miles! That is a complete bargain since Hilton.com is offering the same room for $119 + $20 in taxes which is $139. When using miles/points for hotel rooms, you don’t pay any additional taxes.  I got a 2.2 cpm (cents per mile) redemption out of my American Airlines miles which is pretty good.

I use the same website, Useaamiles.com to look for low cost car rental redemptions using American Airlines miles. See my guide on How To Use American Airlines AAdvantage Miles And Elite Status For Cheap Car Rentals.

To my surprise, the lowest cost car is a convertible for 2,900 AA miles. I’ve never seen a convertible at such a low price before.

Summary:

I used 9,000 British Airways Avios + $5 in taxes for a round-trip flight from LAX-TUS. I used 6,400 American Airlines miles for a one night stay at the Hilton El Conquistador in Tuscon and 2,900 American Airlines miles for a convertible. In total, spent 18,300 miles/points + $5 in taxes for a one night jaunt to Tuscon, Arizona.

July’s don’t have to be so boring after all. Use your miles and points to get out and travel!