How I Saved Over $20K on a Luxury European Vacation

How I Saved Over $20K on a Luxury European Vacation

Author: Chris Hutchins September 11, 2024 Duration: 1:13:20
#192: Here's how we saved over $20,000 on our recent Europe trip! Learn how to use award flight tools to score affordable business-class tickets, maximize hotel loyalty programs for luxury stays, and find incredible travel deals. We’ll also review highlights from our trip, including top restaurants, airport experiences, Olympic events, and so much more! Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/save-20k-luxury-europe-trip Partner Deals NetSuite: Free KPI checklist to upgrade your business performance MasterClass: Learn from the world's best with 15% off Bilt Rewards: Earn the most valuable points when you pay rent Fabric: Affordable term life insurance for you and your family AG1: Free 1 year supply of Vitamin D and 5 free travel packs For all the deals, discounts and promo codes from our partners, go to: chrishutchins.com/deals Resources Mentioned Flight Tools Ep #166: Best Tools for Booking Flights with Points & Miles with Greg the Frequent Miler AwardTool ($20 off annual plans with code ALLTHEHACKS) Seats.Aero PointsYeah point.me avianca lifemiles+ Program Direct Flights: FlightConnections Hotel Tools Ep #167: Best Tools for Booking Hotels with Points & Miles with Greg the Frequent Miler Awayz ($10 for ATH listeners and 50% off for ATH members) Rooms.Aero Chris' Airline/Hotel Transfer Partner Spreadsheet Hotels 7Pines: Sardinia | Ibiza Hôtel Martinez Cannes by Hyatt Hyatt Paris Madeleine Hyatt's Tier List Car Rental Tools AutoSlash SIXT Hertz National Restaurants Paris: Arnaud Nicolas Palma: Vandal Places in Mallorca Hotel: Cap Rocat | Sea Club Restaurant Cities: Sóller | Palma de Mallorca Catedral de Mallorca Credit Cards Cards Page American Express® Gold Card Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card ATH Podcast Newsletter Membership Follow & Review on Apple Podcasts Email us for questions, tips, deals and feedback Ep #175: Booking Summer Travel Award Flights (34:35) Ep #184: Chris’ Summer Award Travel Update (06:27) Ep #187: 42 Travel Planning Tips & Tricks from Travel Pro Leigh Rowan Ep #188: My Must-Have Products and Services for Life, Work and More Full Show Notes (00:00) Introduction (03:02) Getting the Best Deal on Our Flights (06:07) How to Book Flights Using Transfer Partners (10:30) Why We Decided Not to Take Our Kids on This Trip (13:34) How We Planned Our 40th Birthday in Europe (17:58) Leveraging Credit Card Welcome Bonuses For Hotel Perks (23:33) How We Booked Our Hotel in Paris (26:39) Booking Our Intra-European Flights (33:12) Renting a Car in Mallorca (34:29) How We Booked Tickets to the Olympics (36:34) The Flight Experience to Paris (43:35) A Review of the Hyatt Paris Madeleine (46:00) Arnaud Nicolas: A Michelin Guide Restaurant (47:11) Our Olympic Experience (53:13) A Review of the Paris-Orly Airport and Transavia Flights (56:20) What It's Like in Mallorca (58:21) Why We Would Give Cap Rocat (Mallorca) a Perfect Score (1:02:11) Bora Bora vs. Mallorca (1:03:57) Things We Did in Mallorca (1:07:41) Quick Review of Condor Airlines (1:13:01) Overall Takeaway on Europe Connect with Chris Newsletter | Membership | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn Editor’s Note: The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever feel like there's a smarter, more efficient way to navigate your finances, your travels, and your daily routines? That's the core question driving All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life. Hosted by Chris Hutchins, this podcast is built on a simple, powerful idea: maximizing value doesn't mean sacrificing enjoyment. Instead, it's about the strategic choices that free up resources-both money and time-for what truly matters. Chris approaches life as a series of systems to be optimized, drawing from his own experience saving millions through meticulous analysis. The conversations here are practical and wide-ranging, moving seamlessly from credit card points strategies and investment philosophies to the less tangible hacks for personal fulfillment. You'll hear from a diverse roster of experts and icons, including Tim Ferriss, Tony Hawk, Codie Sanchez, and Gary Vaynerchuk, who all bring their unique perspectives on building wealth and designing a compelling life. Each episode feels like a focused workshop, offering actionable advice you can use immediately, whether it's planning a luxury vacation for a fraction of the cost or rethinking your approach to career and leisure. This isn't just about frugality; it's about unlocking freedom and excitement through smarter decisions. Tune in for a consistently insightful blend of tactical moves and deeper conversations that challenge the conventional trade-offs between spending, saving, and living well.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life
Podcast Episodes
I Built an AI Assistant That Works While I Sleep [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:24
#265: Chris explores how modern AI tools have eliminated the barriers to building software, why planning matters more than coding skill, how anyone can turn a simple problem into a working app faster and cheaper than eve…
Deep Dive on Bilt Rewards and New Bilt 2.0 Cards [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:43
#264: Learn how the Bilt ecosystem works, from earning Bilt Rewards to the new cards, transfer partners, perks, and where the real value is. Whether you’re new or already earning, this is a practical guide to using Bilt…
How to Earn Millions of Points and More Listener Q&A [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:43
#263: Chris breaks down exactly how he’s earned millions of points and miles, and why simplicity matters more than optimization. He covers signup bonuses, spending strategies, credit score impacts, business cards, cash-b…
Goals, Tools, and Mindset Shifts for a Better 2026 with Kevin Rose [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:45
#261: Chris and Kevin reflect on 2025’s biggest wins and lessons, then dive into how they're planning 2026. They share their goals, the tools they're using, and why they're designing a year that’s easier, not just more o…
Top 10 Takeaways from 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:24
#260: Chris distills the most powerful lessons from over 50 episodes in 2025 into 10 actionable takeaways that changed how he thinks about money, time, health, relationships, purpose, and more. Link to Full Show Notes: h…
Choosing the Problems Worth Struggling For with Mark Manson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:44
#259: Learn how to pick the challenges in life that actually matter. We break down how to stop optimizing for the wrong things, why values trump goals in decision-making, practical strategies for building real friendship…
My Top 5 Mistakes with Points & Miles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:54
#258: The 5 biggest mistakes Chris has made in his points & miles journey. He dives into the hidden cost of status, the math behind point values, the power of opportunity cost, and why hoarding points quietly destroys va…
End of Year Checklist for Your Taxes, Points and Miles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:17
#257: We break down essential tax and financial decisions to make before year-end. Learn how to maximize deductions, optimize charitable giving, manage investment gains and losses, and take advantage of retirement and ho…