Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included with the post.
Wayfaren is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites such as Bankrate.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. We appreciate it when you use our affiliate links as it supports our content at no cost to you!
With points + miles truly nowhere is out of reach, and I mean NOWHERE –
Paris for a FRACTION of the cost?
Business Class seats for less than the price of economy?!
The world is your literal oyster if you can learn how to maximize your credit card points for the very MOST travel possible!
We took a 15 year anniversary trip to Paris, in business class (!!), without spending a fortune – and YOU can do the same. Here’s exactly how we saved actual thousands!



This was maybeeee just as fun as Paris itself?! Lying flat in the sky used to be a total bucket list dream of ours…one we had totally written off. UNTIL we dove into points + miles.
➡️ Instead of paying $8,700 in cash for a one way business class flight direct from DFW to Paris…we booked lie flat seats for 60,000 points and $243.
That’s 97% off if you’re calculating...

Literal Insanity!!
Air France is one of our GO-TO ways to get to Europe (without spending a fortune) andddd they are a transfer partner of EVERY major bank. So just a pretty unbeatable option all around.
Transferrable, flexible credit card points are KEY.
➡️ If you are just starting out, there is no better travel rewards card than the #1 Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card– this is the card EVERYONE needs in their wallet.
Air France’s “saver” award rate for business class if 60,000 points one way per person (a STEAL) – so this booking was a total win to get us to Europe in comfort for less than the price of economy.

Thanks to a Thirfty Traveler deal, that’s how. These magical notifications in my inbox, are my FAVORITE email to get. They do all the work for us, we put our feet up, and reep the benefit of crazy cheap travel (WIN, WIN)
➡️ Thrifty Traveler is my FAVORITE cheap flight deal notifications (use my link here for $20 off!!).
(coming from someone who has subscribed to every flight deal service under the sun for nearly 10 years now- let me tell you they are KING when it comes to finding rock bottom rates on airfare).

So how does it work?

These deals can include an abnormally low drop in price or even unicorn mistake fares (thinkkkk $130 to Dublin)!
I happilyyyyy pay for Premium+ out of my own pocket and avidly use these alerts to book crazy cheap travel I might not have the time to dig for on my own!!
➡️ Get $20 off Premium HERE! (I promisseeeee you will only be asking why you didn’t sign up sooner)
We received the alert in our inbox about the 60,000 point Air France business class flights to Paris and RAN.
60k and reasonable out of pocket taxes for a non-stop lie flat seat to Paris instead of THOUSANDS?! Yes pleaseeeeee.

Thrifty does alllll the heavy lifting for us-
I am telling you when I say they do it ALL…
Thrifty Traveler (especially Premium!) is worth its weight in GOLD, if you even book ONE deal you make that cost back tenfold.
✨I promise if you want to travel more…and for LESS – you need to sign up for Thrifty Traveler Premium HERE!


We were able to fly the new Air France A350 business class for our direct 9hr flight from Dallas to Paris (and even snag the highly sought after bulkhead seats with wayyy extra room!)
✨ This was SUCH a fun experience and seriously a vacation before the vacation.
All seats have a closing door with the 1-2-1 model, which make it feel just SO private and luxurious!
True lie flat seats, champagne welcome drink, honestly fantastic food, 10/10 service, great in flight entertainment – we really had no complaints and would give this business class our whole hearted recommendation.



…but truly you CANNOT beat 60,000 points for THIS level of business class seats to Paris.
(I usually tell my 1:1 clients to shoot for 10,000 points or less for every hour you are in the air for a true “great deal” when it comes to biz class flights)
➡️ Using your transferrable credit card points to book a business class flight to Europe will allow you to save literal THOUSANDS- and bonus points when Thrifty Traveler can do all the work and find the deal for you!
If you are looking to build your stash of transferrable points (and you want to- TRUST ME)- Make sure to check out my Beginners Blueprint to nearly 1 MILLION points HERE!
___________________________
**PRO TIP: The bulkhead rows have notably more space than all other rows. These are only opened to Air France Elite loyalty members. HOWEVER, 72hr prior to departure, then open them up to anyone to book for free if not taken! Set an alert and try to snag these if available!!



To get back home, we positioned to Madrid.
This can be a fantastic strategy to snag a rock bottom flight rate (in business or economy!), as the getting over the ocean is the really expensive, tricky part, but flights within Europe can be dirt cheap.
➡️ We flew home MAD to DFW on a direct 11hr flight in Iberia business class for 50,500 points and $209.

Although we flew Iberia, we booked this rate via British Airways (highly recommend as British Airways customer service will be MUCH easier to work with if anything goes array with your flight).
This cash rate on this route was around $3,068!

Seriously, it never gets old what is possible once you learn how to maximize your credit card points for their (actual) full travel potential.
British Airways is also a transfer partner of ALL four major banks, so you are likely already sitting on a way to book this rock bottom business class flight to Europe, and just don’t know it!
This + Thrifty Traveler as your saving-on-travel BEST FRIEND – firrreeee. Their alerts truly can make a trip like this not only 100% within reach, but also effortless (anndddd all the busy moms said AMEN).



Considering my previous benchmark on a “great deal” for business class to Europe – this Iberia rate knocks it out of the park.
✨ 50,500 points for an 11hr flight is a KILLER RATE to fly lie flat in the sky.
Iberia definitely provides a more “basic” business class flight, but you really cannot beat the value.
A dedicated check in line at Madrid Airport and access to the Iberia lounge totally elevated the entire experience!



The lie flat seats provide for a far more comfortable journey than in economy, although no doors do make it feel a bit less private. We have flown Iberia a few times now, and each time I have been pleasantly surprised by the food.
The cabin is a bit more dated and worn, but thankfully not at all lacking when it comes to in flight service! I really would book Iberia business class at around 50k one way per person in a heart beat.
You can even see rates as low as 40,500 off-peak from the East Coast by transferring your flexible points! A STEAL!


If you wistfully watch allllll those Instagram reels about flying lie flat in the sky and have already put it in the “out of reach” category, seriously THINK AGAIN.
➡️ Between earning flexible, transferrable stockpiles of points for travel from the spending you were already going to do anyway…
➡️ And Thrifty Traveler cheap flight deal alerts doing all the heavy lifting for you…
(Make sure to sign up for Thrifty Traveler Premium HERE and get $20 off free cheap flight alerts!!)


I am telling you – your bucket list experiences are SO MUCH CLOSER in reach than you think.
Cheers to more experiences (without costing a fortune) with your favorite people by your side!
ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE:
Wayfaren is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites such as MileValue.com and Bankrate.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. We appreciate it when you use our affiliate links as it supports our content at no cost to you!
EDITORIAL NOTE:
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included with the post.