How We Got $11,519 in Flights Home for Just 240,000 Points + $839 💥✈️

Jan 15

(And Why Flexibility Saved the Trip)

March 2024 was all about locking in the final (and most expensive) piece of our upcoming Europe adventure: getting our family of six home.

One-way cash prices from Europe back to the U.S. were brutal—but points once again saved the day.

Here’s exactly how we turned Chase points into a 4.45 cents per point win, even with a small hiccup along the way.

The Trip at a Glance

Route: Munich (MUC) → Salt Lake City (SLC)
Passengers: 6
Cash price: $11,519
Points used: 240,000
Taxes & fees: $839 total
Value per point: 4.45 cents

Step 1: Transferring 240k Chase Points to United

We transferred 240,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to United Airlines MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio.

This routing worked perfectly for our overall Europe itinerary:

Munich was our final city before heading home
Salt Lake City is our home airport
The connection options lined up well for a family (reasonable layovers, fewer headaches)

In short, this wasn’t about chasing a specific airline—it was about finding the most logical and efficient way home from our trip.

The Reality Check: Transfers Aren’t Always Instant

Here’s the part that’s important to understand—especially if you’re newer to points.

👉 Our Chase → United transfer took 2 full days.

During that time:

The exact date we originally planned disappeared
Award space for 6 people dried up on that specific day

This is a great example of why flexibility matters so much when booking award travel for a family.

Step 2: Flexibility = Still Winning

Even though our original date was no longer available, we:

Found award availability on a different day
Still booked all 6 seats on the same itinerary
Still locked in an outstanding redemption value

Because we had flexibility built into our Europe trip, shifting our return by a day didn’t impact the experience—but it did allow us to save over $10,000.

The Final Booking Details

6 one-way tickets from Munich to Salt Lake City
Total cost: 240,000 United miles + $839 in taxes
Cash price avoided: $11,519

That puts our redemption at:

$11,519 ÷ 240,000 points = 4.45 cents per point

For economy flights—especially six of them—that’s an incredible return.

Why This Is a Great Lesson for Families

Booking award flights for a large family comes with trade-offs:

Transfers can take time
Award space can disappear
Exact dates aren’t always guaranteed

But with:

✔️ A flexible schedule

✔️ A clear plan for your route

✔️ A willingness to adjust by a day or two

You can still unlock massive value.

Takeaways You Can Use

Chase transfers aren’t always instant—plan ahead
Build flexibility into your trip when possible
Focus on the right route, not just the “best” airline
Even with hiccups, points can save your trip (and budget)

This return flight alone made our entire Europe trip financially realistic—and we still haven’t even talked about hotels yet 😏

redemption

Matthew Erickson