How We Cut The Cost of a 600,000 SkyMiles Trip By 90%
Planning a big family trip to Europe isn’t exactly a stroll down Peachtree Street. When you’re flying six people to London and Paris in peak summer, the miles can vanish faster than sweet tea at a church picnic. But with some patience, a little digging, and a willingness to play the airline alliance game, we found a way to take a 600,000 SkyMiles problem and turn it into a 72,000-mile win.
The Big Picture: Atlanta to London to Paris to Atlanta
This trip is classic—London, Paris, and back home to Atlanta the weekend after Memorial Day 2026. Plenty of flights, yes. But a great deal for a family of six? That’s where things get tricky.
On a basic Delta search, we found flights pricing at 120,000 SkyMiles each way in Main Cabin. Even with the 15% discount for Delta Amex cardholders, that’s still 102,000 SkyMiles per person. Multiply by six people, and you’re staring down the barrel of 600,000 SkyMiles one way.
That’s not a deal. That’s a mortgage payment—in miles.
Step One: Check the Partners
Delta may be the hometown airline, but we never stop at their site. They’re part of the SkyTeam Alliance, and partners often offer the same seat for way fewer miles.
Sure enough, we looked at Air France’s Flying Blue program. Same seat, same flight, but just 28,000 miles per person. That’s a huge savings right off the bat.
Step Two: Dig Deeper with Virgin Atlantic
At Southern Points Club, we don’t stop at “good.” We want better. Virgin Atlantic is also in the SkyTeam family, so we searched their site. Bingo. A nonstop Paris–Atlanta seat for just 12,000 miles per person.
It wasn’t the identical flight—it leaves a couple of hours later—but for a family of six, that’s a total of 72,000 miles for everyone. Compare that to the original 600,000, and suddenly this feels like one of those “too good to be true” Facebook ads… except it’s real.
And if you’re lucky enough to stack a transfer bonus (often 20%), you’re basically stealing this ticket with points.
Don’t Forget the London Leg
The flight into London was another deal hiding in plain sight. Using points, we booked Atlanta to London with a short detour through JFK for just 6,000 miles per person one way. That’s 18,000 miles roundtrip to Europe.
The kicker? The cash price for those exact flights is $1,550 per person.
Lessons Learned
Be flexible. A specific airline isn’t a dealbreaker when you’re saving half a million miles.
Search partners. Never stop at Delta’s site—check Flying Blue, check Virgin, check all alliances.
Stack bonuses. Transfer bonuses are worth taking advantage of, even if you’re not ready to book but will in the near future.
This summer trip to London and Paris started out looking like a 600,000-mile headache. But with a little digging, we turned it into a 72,000-mile victory. Not bad for a day’s work, right?
