I Booked Our Entire Asia Trip With 858,405 Points

Trip and Points Strategy

The presenter booked a family trip for 858,405 points plus about $1,400 in airfare taxes and fees. The trip covered round-trip business-class flights for two adults and a lap infant, plus 12 hotel nights across Tokyo and Guangzhou.

He estimates the trip’s cash price at about $25,263 and calculates an overall redemption value of about 2.78 cents per point.

He cautions that this is a high-points itinerary and should not be copied wholesale. He earns and spends more points than the average traveler, and some redemptions were driven by points that were expiring.

Booking Breakdown

• San Diego–Tokyo, Japan Airlines: 147,000 miles for three passengers (140,000 for the adults and 7,000 for the infant), plus $426 in taxes and fees. The miles came from Bilt transfers during a 100% transfer bonus. He chose the nonstop flight for convenience.
• Grand Hyatt Tokyo, three nights: 130,000 Hyatt points; stated cash price $2,282, or about 1.76 cents per point. He booked before a Hyatt award-chart change. He says the same stay would now cost 155,000 points, a difference of 25,000 points.
• Tokyo–Guangzhou, Japan Airlines: 50,400 miles for three passengers, plus $237.40. He says economy would have cost roughly 35,000–40,000 points, making business class a worthwhile points increment in this case.
• Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou, three nights: 158,182 ANA miles; stated cash price $952.65, or about 0.6 cents per point. He used the miles because they originated in 2021, were at their final expiration date, and could not be extended. He could not arrange suitable ANA or partner award flights before they expired. He calls this a poor-value use of ANA miles but says he had no practical alternative.
• Rosewood Guangzhou, three nights: Booked through Bilt Travel for a stated total of $1,157. After $100 in Bilt Cash and a $200 Bilt Palladium card hotel credit, he covered the remaining $857.79 with 68,623 Bilt points, or about 1.25 cents per point. He preferred using points to paying the remaining amount out of pocket.
• Guangzhou–Tokyo, Japan Airlines: 67,200 miles for three passengers, plus $192.80. He attributes the higher mileage cost to Japan Airlines’ dynamic award pricing.
• Hyatt Centric Ginza, three nights: 90,000 Hyatt points (30,000 per night). He gives a cash price of $5,170 and a nominal value of about 5.7 cents per point, while cautioning that this figure should not be taken at face value. He chose a familiar hotel with central access and expected Globalist benefits, including breakfast and possibly an upgrade.
• Tokyo–San Diego, Japan Airlines: 147,000 miles, plus $561 in taxes and fees.

Framework and Cautions

• Use transfer bonuses strategically when there is a specific award route in mind. The presenter transferred Bilt points to Japan Airlines partly because of its nonstop San Diego–Tokyo service.
• Compare the points cost of nearby cabin options. On the Tokyo–Guangzhou route, he judged the extra points for business class worthwhile relative to economy.
• Check for award-chart changes before booking. Booking the Grand Hyatt Tokyo before the change saved 25,000 points compared with the later price he cites.
• Treat point valuations as estimates, not cash savings. The presenter says cents-per-point calculations can be misleading, especially when based on high hotel cash rates.
• Consider expiration risk. His ANA redemption was low value, but he used the miles rather than let them expire.
• The stated airfare taxes and fees total roughly $1,417 based on the segment figures. The Rosewood booking also involved a separate $857.79 balance after credits, which he covered with points. The video’s headline total describes the trip as costing about $1,400 in taxes and fees.

Assets and Programs Mentioned

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank miles, ANA Mileage Club miles, Bilt points and Bilt Cash, Hyatt points, and the Bilt Palladium card. No stocks, ETFs, bonds, cryptocurrencies, or market tickers are discussed.

Disclosures

The presenter says his points earning and spending are above average and advises viewers to adapt the itinerary to their own circumstances rather than copy it. No explicit “not financial advice” disclaimer appears. Airalo is identified as a video sponsor.

Presenter and Sources

Max of Max Miles Points. Programs and providers discussed include Japan Airlines, ANA, Bilt, Hyatt, and Airalo. Hotels include the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou, Rosewood Guangzhou, and Hyatt Centric Ginza.