I just returned from my second trip to the Maldives. This time, I took my husband along. Once again, it was by mixing points and miles with cash for a Maldives trip. My husband wanted to check the Maldives out, and I found a great deal for $5,000 all-inclusive for an overwater villa. It seemed like a good way to hit a minimum spend, so I went for it.

Originally, the plan was to use points and miles to also stay at the Park Hyatt Maldives, but my husband ended up booking a fishing trip in Cuba, and I couldn’t make him travel for three weeks straight, so I nixed that part of the trip since we could easily recoup the points and miles, but not the paid portion of the trip.

 

Flights to the Maldives on Credit Card Points and Miles

I redeemed a lot of miles for our flights to the Maldives because I wanted to fly Singapore Airlines. Luckily, I earn a lot of credit card points and miles each year, and every transferable currency (Chase, Citi, Amex, Capital One) transfers to Singapore. I could not find Saver availability, so I had to pay the Advantage price at 143K miles/person in business class. We positioned to San Francisco, enjoyed the United Polaris Lounge, and boarded our business class flight at 8:15 pm for a “short” flight of 17 hours!

Singapore Airlines Business Class Review

While not quite the same flight I enjoyed in Singapore Suites, it was still a great experience. Honestly, the most stellar part of the trip was the incredible service offered by the flight attendants. They were there at every turn, offering beverages, food, and turndown service. I find their service to be unparalleled, and each of them is equally gracious and kind.

Seats in Singapore Airlines Business Class

I immediately noticed how wide the leather seats were. There was plenty of room to move around in the seat, and the TV monitor was huge. There were also several storage areas for personal items.

I did notice that you needed to “ask” for amenity kits, although socks and slippers were at my seat. When I asked for the amenity items that I wanted, they were quickly brought. There was a pillow in my seat, and behind the headrest were more pillows and a blanket.

When it was time for bed, the flight attendant helped me fold down my seat to make a bed. I thought this would be quite comfortable, but because the footwell was at an angle, it was a little disappointing. (Yes, I know—first-world problems 😜)  I did sleep well for about 6 hours, though, and even got a little nap close to landing in Singapore.

 

Food in Singapore Airlines Business Class

We had preordered our food, and there is a “Book the Cook” selection, so my husband ordered baked lobster, and I did the Braised Short Ribs. Both were very good.

For breakfast, we had fresh fruit, yogurt, and croissants, and then sweet potato waffles, scrambled eggs, and sausage. In between these services, there were snacks in the galley.

 

 

 

Arrival in Male, Maldives

In Male, we were greeted by a representative of the resort, taken to the Trans Maldivian ticket counter (where our luggage was taken), and we then were put on a bus to the area where the seaplanes were. Last time, we waited in a large room with many other people going to random resorts.

Siyam World has a nice lounge there, so this time, we waited there until our plane was ready. There was food and beverages in the lounge and comfy chairs. We were there for about 1 1/2 hours until were taken to a holding room for about 30 minutes, and then led out to our seaplane.

 

 

Mixing Points and Miles with Cash for a Maldives Trip – Siyam World

One day, I was on Instagram and a VIP.Traveler Deal showed up for a trip to Siyam World in the Maldives. I had a hefty minimum spend that I was working on, and my husband had just (surprisingly) said he’d like to go to the Maldives, so I booked it. I have done this a few times when a good travel deal has come up (my last trip to the Maldives and our African Safari), and then used points and miles for flights and any additional hotel stays. Here is where the mixing points and miles with cash for a Maldives trip really took place!

I paid $4999 for a 6-night stay that included:

• All meals
• Snorkel or Sunset Cruise
• Spa discount
• Seaplane transfers both directions
• Overwater villa with infinity pool, slide, and terrace
• A greeter at Male that assured our transfers went smoothly

Since this is not about a resort I used points for, I won’t go into a lot of detail, but we really, really liked it. Great food at many different restaurants, gorgeous weather, impeccable service, great shuttle service, and so, so relaxing. I felt it was worth the money we paid to stay there and would book another VIP.Traveler deal again.

 

 

 

 

 

Qatar Airlines Flights Home

I had previously booked a flight home via AA miles that went through London on British Airways. When I heard that Q-suite availability had opened up from Doha, I canceled that one and rebooked on AA for 70K miles in QSuite. I had to get from Male to Doha, so I paid for those flights on Qatar in Economy Comfort. The Economy Comfort seats were large, and we were located at the side of the plane, just two deep with nice footrests and reclining seats. They were perfectly fine for our 4-hour flight to Doha.

We spent the night at the Oryx in-terminal hotel in Doha. It was a breeze to get to and a very nice hotel. Seeing the bustling Doha airport from our hotel room was also fun. Doha airport is kind of like being in Las Vegas, with a ton of lights and every type of luxury store.

 

Finally, Qatar QSuite!

I was pretty nervous boarding our Qatar flight that morning as the last time that I had booked QSuite, they did a plane change, and we didn’t have them. I was delighted to see my much-anticipated QSuite on this flight!

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom Line

Mixing points and miles with cash for a Maldives trip allowed me to use fewer points and miles while still saving significantly on an amazing trip. 90% of the time, I use almost all points and miles for my trips. However, occasionally, when I can find a great price for a trip I want to take, I will book part of it with cash and use points and miles for the rest of it. Not only does it let me earn more points and miles by meeting a new sign-up bonus, but it also ensured that I got an overwater villa in this instance.

Remember, there is no ONE right way to book your trips in this hobby. You be you – do it however works best for you!

 

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• Podcast #55 From Points to Paradise: Our Maldives Adventure on a Budget