Plotting Our Mid-February Miami Escape

How We Booked a Last-Minute Spring Break Getaway Using Points

Winter in New York can feel endless, so when my family—my wife, our daughter, and I—realized we had a window for a spring break escape, we jumped at the chance to head somewhere warm. With less than a month to plan and a focus on keeping costs down, I turned to points and miles to make it happen. Here’s how we booked a low-key getaway to Miami without breaking the bank.

Flights: Leveraging Southwest and JetBlue Points

For our flights, we leaned heavily on Southwest points and the incredible value of the Southwest Companion Pass. This pass allowed our daughter to fly with my wife for just $5.60 in taxes and fees each way. Here’s the breakdown of our flight redemptions:

• Flight to Miami: 32,674 Southwest points per adult for a Saturday departure, direct from Islip. My daughter was 0 points plus the $5.60 taxes and fees.

• Return from Miami: 7,581 Southwest points for my wife and 0 again for my daughter to fly direct back to Islip on Wednesday afternoon. I booked my own return flight using 13,500 JetBlue points Monday evening to JFK, topping up my balance with Chase Ultimate Rewards.

While Southwest and JetBlue points are tied to cash value—making outsized redemptions harder to achieve—both programs offer free cancellations on award bookings. This means if plans change, points are refunded instead of being issued as travel credits (a huge plus compared to cash bookings).

I was willing to book across either weekend, which allowed me to only take one day off work while maximizing flexibility with costs and availability for my family.

Hotels: Overcoming Last-Minute Booking Challenges

Finding hotel availability for our dates was the hardest part of planning. Many properties were fully booked or priced astronomically due to spring break demand. Dynamic pricing from brands like IHG, Hilton, and Marriott made points bookings with them unfeasible. Here’s where we ended up:

1. Hyatt House Miami Airport

   • Stay: 2 nights

   • Points: 15,000 Hyatt points per night, transferred mostly from Chase Ultimate Rewards

   • Cash Rate: $242 per night+taxes/fees ($544.96 total)

   • Extras: Free breakfast for all guests and complimentary shuttles to the airport and downtown (advance reservations required)

   • Redemption Value: 1.81 cents per point (cpp), a bit above Frequent Miler’s valuation of 1.7 cpp for Hyatt points.

2. MB Hotel by Wyndham

   • Stay: 2 nights

   • Points: 30,000 Wyndham points per night

   • Cash Rate: $400.43 per night+taxes and fees ($975.05 total)

   • Extras: Hoping to use my Wyndham Diamond status for an upgrade, possibly to a suite (fingers crossed!)

   • Redemption Value: 1.625 cpp, far above Frequent Miler’s valuation of 1.01 cpp for Wyndham points.

I’ve kept my Wyndham balance high with the Wyndham Earner Business Card, which earns 8x points at gas stations and offers other perks like Diamond status. This card has been a key part of my points strategy. I have a detailed post discussing this card and its benefits.

Total Savings

By combining points with the strategic use of the Southwest Companion Pass, we avoided paying $3,334.01 in cash for flights and hotels—a huge relief, especially given the high demand during spring break. Were we paying cash there's no way we could justify this trip. Here’s how the numbers break down:

• Flights: $1,814 cash value airfare entirely with 86,429 combined Southwest and JetBlue points, plus $33.60 in taxes and fees for the three of us.

• Hotels: Total cash value of $1,520.01, redeemed for a combined 90,000 points across Hyatt and Wyndham.

Why This Trip Works for Us

This trip isn’t about packing in activities or sightseeing. Instead, we’re looking forward to relaxing at the beach and pool, soaking up the sun, and breaking up the monotony of a cold New York winter. With minimal planning and maximum value, this getaway is exactly what our family needs.

Tips for Booking Last-Minute Trips with Points

1. Be Flexible: Having some wiggle room with dates, destinations, or accommodations can make all the difference when booking on short notice.

2. Know Your Points’ Value: Frequent Miler’s reasonable redemption values are a great benchmark to determine if you’re getting a good deal. For example, Hyatt points are valued at 1.7 cpp, while Wyndham points are 1.01 cpp.

3. Leverage Elite Status: Hotel elite status, like my Wyndham Diamond status, can lead to upgrades or additional perks that enhance your stay.

4. Use Transferable Points: Programs like Chase Ultimate Rewards give you flexibility to top up balances for multiple partners, as I did with JetBlue and Hyatt. JetBlue is also a transfer partner with American Express Membership Rewards, but note that Amex points transfer at a 1:0.8 ratio and incur a small fee for domestic airline transfers.

5. Book Award Flights: Airlines like Southwest and JetBlue offer free cancellations on award bookings, giving you peace of mind if plans change.

This trip shows the power of points and miles to turn a last-minute idea into an affordable reality. With a little creativity and strategic use of rewards, you can plan a memorable getaway without the stress of high costs. Here’s to sunny days ahead in Miami!