How We Booked Brisbane & The Gold Coast for $853 Instead of $4,428

Flights + hotels retail price: $4,428​
What we actually paid: $853

Here’s exactly how we did it.

We flew economy to Brisbane using Delta Skymiles.

Cost per person:

• 34,000 Delta SkyMiles roundtrip
• $120 in taxes
• Small excise fee to transfer Amex points to Delta
• Purchased 4,000 SkyMiles to top off my account

Instead of paying cash for international flights, we transferred American Express Membership Rewards points to Delta and locked in saver-level pricing. Transferring to airline partners almost always beats redeeming through a portal at 1 cent per point.

Cards we used to earn the points:

• ​AMERICAN EXPRESS TOP OFFERS​

Hyatt Regency Brisbane - 9K Points Per Night

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Brisbane for just:

• 9,000 Hyatt points per night
• $0 out of pocket

This is why I love Hyatt. Their award chart still delivers real value, especially in international cities.

Card we used for to earn Hyatt points:

• ​Free Hyatt Nights Card​

Cards we used to transfer points to Hyatt:

• Transferrable Points Cards​

JW Marriott Gold Coast - Fine Hotels & Resorts

For the Gold Coast portion, we stayed at the JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa and stacked value using American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts.

Here’s how it broke down:

• Redeemed Bi-Annual $300 Amex credit
• Paid $282 out of pocket
• Received:
  • Free daily breakfast
  • Room upgrade
  • $150 food & beverage credit

This is where strategy really compounds. Even when we paid cash, we extracted maximum value.

Card that unlocked Fine Hotels + Resorts access:

• ​AMERICAN EXPRESS PLATINUM​

The Total Breakdown

Retail cost: $4,428​
Actual out-of-pocket: $853​
Total savings: $3,575

This wasn’t about having millions of points. It was about:

• Transferring strategically
• Knowing sweet spots (34K to Australia 👏🏾)
• Using hotel award charts wisely
• Leveraging premium card benefits like Fine Hotels & Resorts

You don’t need more points. You need a smarter plan. I offer a Free Credit Card Consultation but you can also refer to my top cards list HERE and HERE.

STAY PREPARED

Here are a few of my favorite apps and resources that will help you better understand how to use points and miles and to stay organized.:

​Travel Freely App - This app will keep your credit cards organized with alerts to your annual fee due dates and provide advice on the next best card.

​Roame - An app that allows you to search for flight award availability and directs you where to book. Use XU1CZ8AE 10% off your first payment.

​Awayz - A great app to find Hotel & Flight Award availability.

​Straight to the Points - STTP is a premium paid award notification service. They alert you when business and first class award space is available on various airlines.

I am available for questions on Instagram and via email.

**I receive commissions for some of the apps and cards mentioned in the article.