The author paid for flights and hotels on a nine-day trip to Florence, Pisa, and Rome using only airline miles, spending cash only on food, museums, and incidental purchases.
The author held over 300,000 Delta SkyMiles accumulated from credit card welcome bonuses and everyday spending. Most miles came from two welcome bonuses: 80,000 miles from the Delta SkyMiles American Express Platinum card and 100,000 miles from the Reserve card. The remaining 120,000 miles came from actual flights and everyday spending.
To find a good redemption opportunity, the author checked The Points Guy's monthly valuations page, which listed an average redemption rate of 1.2 cents per mile for Delta SkyMiles. The author set that as a minimum threshold for any trip booked.
When Delta posted a Rome deal for late October, the author booked it. Using the 15% discount available with the American Express card when booking with miles, the author achieved a 1.5 cents per mile redemption rate across flights and hotels combined. That discount applied to both the Rome flights and hotel bookings in Florence and Rome.
The author also received a free upgrade to Delta Comfort worth $299 per person on departure day through the Delta SkyMiles American Express Reserve Card. Rideshare credits from the same card saved $10 per trip to and from the airport on two separate occasions, since the trip crossed two months.
The author emphasizes that points lose value over time, unlike cash in savings accounts or investments. Rather than accumulating additional welcome bonuses, the author decided to spend down the balance and actually use the miles.