By Suzi Barrett | Posted: 12-19-25

How much would you pay for a round-trip ticket to Hawaii in a lie-flat, First Class suite? $5,000? $6,000? What if I told you my total cost for a ticket valued at $5,857 was less than the price of a movie ticket, earning and redeeming combined?? I didn’t have to spend $5,000 in three months to get these points — I only bought a pack of gum.

Lie-Flat Business Class for $2.11?!

This journey is the single greatest points redemption I've ever made, and it was sparked by a credit card offer on a card I didn’t want. In 2024, Hawaiian Airlines ran an insane welcome offer: earn 70,000 Hawaiian Miles with just one single purchase.

I couldn’t pass that up, so I opened the card, made my "one purchase,” a pack of gum for $2.11, and was awarded 70,000 miles.

Now for the redemption: I used those 70k miles, combined with 10k I transferred from another Hawaiian Miles account, to book round-trip, lie-flat First Class seats from my airport to Honolulu for only 80,000 total miles! The out-of-pocket taxes and fees were just $11.20 round-trip.

Add the pack of gum, and my total cost for $5,857 worth of airfare was $13.31, start to finish. The redemption value was seven cents per point, but when you factor in that my total spend to earn those points was just two bucks, the value grows exponentially!

The Lie-Flat Dreamliner Experience

While the value was in the points, the true luxury was in the air. For my round-trip route to Hawaii, I flew two First Class flights on Alaska Airlines and two lie-flat Business Class flights on Hawaiian Airlines. Here are my thoughts:

My first leg was on Alaska Airlines First Class from my small-town airport in Idaho Falls to Seattle. This was a great flight with good snacks, drinks, and fantastic legroom. A quick tip for those considering a similar trip: small airports are an amazing time-saver! I arrived at the airport just 25 minutes before boarding, a stark contrast to the rumored four-hour waits at Atlanta that same day. I breezed through check-in and security with plenty of time to get to my gate (one of 6 at this airport).

A quick caveat, sometimes with great points deals come great inconvenience. My dates were not flexible, so I was at the mercy of the routes available. On the day I traveled, I’d endure a 9-hour layover in Seattle. Some may say it’s not worth it, but for me, to get these dates with these seats from my local airport, it was!

Rather than sit in the terminal, I found a way to make it an adventure:

Car Rental Tip: Instead of paying $40+ for a round-trip Uber to anywhere from the Airport, I rented a car for the entire day for just $32.
Nature Break: I drove 45 minutes to Rattlesnake Ledge and hiked a moderate 4-mile trail to a stunning lookout. It was a perfect way to break up the travel day and get some fresh air.
Lounge Hop: I returned to the airport and spent some time visiting two of the Alaska lounges at SEA, enjoying great food, comfortable seating, and a fun runway view while I awaited boarding time.

The final leg of my journey from Seattle (SEA) to Honolulu (HNL) on the Hawaiian Airlines Dreamliner — aptly named, this flight was a dream.

Lie-flat seats are great, but this was a fully enclosed cubby with a door! I had a nice little cubicle all to myself, complete with a large TV, noise-canceling headphones, bedding, and a personal desk and cabinet. The lie-flat seat was incredibly comfortable, and the amount of extra room around the seat was so nice.

The service was next-level:

The Food: I enjoyed a delicious barbecue beef meal with sides and dessert, with exceptional service.
The Perks: From a beverage before takeoff, to the macadamia nuts and beverage before we even reached cruising altitude, to several charging ports and a wireless charger, every detail was covered.
The Privacy: The 1-2-1 business class configuration is fantastic, but the ability to slide the door closed and have complete privacy was next level. I seriously didn’t see another person the whole flight!

It was an unforgettable way to begin a week-long trip with our team!

*A few of our lovely FFH team members having sunset dinner on the beach*

My return trip was notably less bougie (no private suite with door), but a lie-flat seat on a red-eye flight is always welcome in my book. My seat had four windows and a comfortable 2-2-2 configuration, and I slept almost the entire flight! I was asleep even before the meal service, but when I woke up, the flight attendant kindly brought my meal just before descent. It was perfect.

You can do this, too!

The moral of the story is simple: Watch for amazing credit card offers, then use those points to book amazing, high-value deals.

I didn't need to spend thousands to unlock this nearly free trip. I just needed to pay attention to a really unique welcome bonus.

But don’t worry, if you don’t have the time (or don’t want to spend the time) to track every insane card offer and master every airline's award chart, that’s exactly what we're here for! At Flights From Home, we do the research and find the best deals, then send them straight to you!

Ready to learn how to book your own luxury trips for practically free? Check out these resources:

Here are your next steps to start booking luxury trips:

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