How We Traveled to Greece with Points and Miles (And How You Can Too)

Byitineraryboss

Few destinations capture the magic of travel quite like Greece. Between the whitewashed villages of Santorini, the ancient ruins of Athens, and the turquoise waters of Crete, it’s a dream destination that can feel out of reach until you learn how to use points and miles strategically.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how we traveled to Greece almost entirely on points, saving over $6,000 in flights and hotels, and how you can plan your own Greek adventure using the same system.

Why Greece Is Perfect for Points Travelers

Greece is part of the European Union and serviced by dozens of major airline partners, which makes it incredibly easy to reach using transferable points. Whether you’re flying to Athens (ATH), hopping over to Santorini (JTR), or island-hopping to Crete, points can get you there with minimal out-of-pocket cost.

It’s also one of the most affordable countries in Europe once you arrive, meaning your points go even further especially if you combine flexible currencies, transfer bonuses, and hotel loyalty programs.

Step 1: How We Booked Our Flights

We flew from Charlotte (CLT) to Athens using a mix of American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards, transferred strategically to airline partners that offered the best redemption value.

Our Flight Redemption Breakdown

  • Outbound Flight: 60,000 Air France Flying Blue miles transferred from Amex for business class seats (value: $3,200 per ticket)
  • Return Flight: 30,000 United MileagePlus miles transferred from Chase, flying on Lufthansa via Munich (value: $1,000 per ticket)
  • Taxes and Fees: $140 each

Total savings: roughly $8,400 in flights for just under 180,000 points.

To find these award seats, we used Seats.aero for instant availability checks and Roame.Travel to visualize possible partner connections through Europe.

Pro tip: Always search flexible dates 3–4 months out. Once you find the seats, transfer immediately points can’t be reversed once moved.

Step 2: Where We Stayed on Points

We split our time between Athens and Santorini, using points to stay at some of the most beautiful properties in Greece without spending a fortune.

Athens: Grand Hyatt Athens

  • 15,000 Hyatt points per night
  • Rooftop pool with Acropolis views
  • Transfer from Chase Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio

Santorini: Canaves Oia Epitome (via Marriott Bonvoy)

  • 85,000 Bonvoy points per night (cash rate: $1,200 per night)
  • Breakfast included and upgrade to sea-view suite
  • Redeemed using Amex Membership Rewards transferred to Marriott

To compare cash vs. points value before booking, we used Gondola AI it shows real-time pricing across all major hotel brands and calculates cents-per-point value instantly.

Step 3: Maximize On-the-Ground Savings

While we used points for the big expenses, small daily optimizations saved us even more.

  • Taxis & Transfers: Booked through TravelPayouts to compare ride services from airport to hotel.
  • Tours & Activities: Earned 10% cashback on our Viator bookings through Rakuten, which we later converted into Amex points.
  • Shopping & Dining: Used SaveWise to stack cash-back offers from restaurant portals and airlines.

If you’re new to stacking these benefits, create a CardPointers account to track which card earns the most on travel, dining, and shopping categories in real time.

Step 4: Earn More Points Before and After You Fly

Even while preparing for the trip, we used everyday spending to build up our balances.

If you own property, you can even earn 5,000 bonus points when you sign up for the Mesa HomeOwners Card using code KWHDBY, a great way to earn rewards on mortgage-related expenses.

Step 5: What We Learned

  1. Flexibility is everything. Being open to different departure airports or nearby cities (like Milan or Zurich) can save tens of thousands of points.
  2. Transfer bonuses are gold. We waited for a 30% Amex-to-Flying Blue bonus, which saved 18,000 points per ticket.
  3. Stack everything. Cashback portals, bonus categories, and transfer offers compound into real savings.

We tracked all of our balances and redemptions using AwardWallet it keeps every airline and hotel login in one place so nothing slips through the cracks.

Watch Our YouTube Video

Want to see the full trip and learn how we planned it with points? Watch our YouTube episode “How We Traveled to Greece with Points and Miles”, where we share real screenshots, point transfers, and booking breakdowns.

We cover the exact routes, hotels, and bonus plays that made this $8,000 trip cost less than $200 out of pocket.

Final Conclusion: Your Greek Getaway, Made Smarter

Greece doesn’t have to be an expensive dream it can be your next reward redemption. With transferable points, flexible planning, and smart use of tools like Seats.aero and Gondola AI, you can fly and stay in luxury while saving thousands.

Before your next trip, grab your Stress-Free Travel Starter Kit and Points & Miles Cheat Sheet to plan smarter, pack better, and maximize every redemption.

And if you’re ready to start building your own strategy, check out our Best Credit Cards for Travel and stay updated with the latest Bonus Offer Notifications and Transfer Bonus Notifications to unlock even more travel freedom.

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