😜 My $600 Flight Cost $68 And Some Miles 😜

Last week I told you I found a round trip flight for $68.

That was true. But I left something out.

It was $68 plus 23,000 American Airlines miles.

I know. The points people are already typing their replies. So let me come clean, tell you where I went, and show you how I found it. Because the "how" is the part that can save you money.

Where I went

Toronto.

Nonstop from Philly to Toronto Pearson, round trip. The same flight was about $600 in cash.

How I found it

Here's the deal. I use a free browser extension called Points Path.

When you search on Google Flights, it shows the points price right next to the cash price. No more opening five airline websites to compare. It's all on one screen.

It also tells you when a points price is a good deal. It flagged this one.

Now for the quick math. I used 23,000 miles and paid $68 in fees on a $600 flight. That works out to about 2.3 cents per mile. NerdWallet values American miles at about 1.7 cents. So my miles went further than usual.

The free version covers American, Delta, United, Alaska, and JetBlue. If you have miles with any of those, it's worth a try.

The point is, before you pay cash for a flight, check what it costs in miles. You might already have most of your next trip paid for.

What I did

Two things were on my list.

First, Niagara Falls. I went during the day and took the boat tour. It takes you right up to the falls. I was right under it. You will get wet, and that's part of the fun.

Second, Nuit Blanche. It's a free art festival that takes over Toronto for one night, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The art shows up on streets people walk down every day.

The whole idea is that you stay up all night.

I did not stay up all night.

I value my sleep. But I saw enough to understand why people do.

Why going back worked

This wasn't my first time in Toronto. And that's what made this trip so good.

Remember last week's issue about going back to a city you've already seen? This trip proved my point.

No checklist. No rushing. I took my time and just enjoyed the city.

I'll be posting reels from the trip soon, so keep an eye out on Instagram.

Be honest. Are you sitting on a pile of airline miles you haven't touched in years?