How I made my son’s Paris goals come true with factors and miles

My oldest son has loads of massive goals.

Two of his greatest goals had been flying in fancy business-class seats and seeing the Eiffel Tower. He talked about each often, and my ordinary response was to inform him, “Sometime.”

As a lot as I needed to take my son to Paris, I used to be all the time imprecise about precisely when that day would come. However lastly, the universe despatched me an indication that now was the time within the type of a tremendous deal on business-class awards to Paris. The award availability received my gears turning, and I began estimating the potential prices of the remainder of the journey. I used to be stunned to search out fairly priced motels just a few steps away from the Eiffel Tower. Now, with the celebs virtually completely aligned, it felt like the proper time to pounce.

By leveraging factors and miles for an unimaginable deal on business-class award tickets and a few luck on resort costs, “sometime” got here earlier than anticipated.

You possibly can all the time depend on TPG for the most effective flight offers. In actual fact, this story about Air France business-class flights to Europe being accessible for as little as 50,000 miles satisfied me to “ebook now.”

It took a little bit of taking part in round with dates, however I quickly discovered two one-way tickets from New York Metropolis’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) for less than 96,250 Flying Blue miles, plus about $400 in taxes and costs.

The associated fee would have been nearer to 100,000 miles if I might been touring with my companion, however Air France affords a 25% low cost on tickets for teenagers between 3 and 11 years outdated, which helped us save much more.

As you’ll be able to see from the fare calendar, the business-class tickets we bought typically value greater than double the variety of factors we received them for.

On the time of reserving, the money value for our flight was a whopping $5,064.60. Based mostly on TPG’s August 2024 valuations, the 96,250 Flying Blue factors we paid are valued at $1,251.25. We clearly got here out approach forward through the use of factors as an alternative of money, even whenever you issue within the taxes and costs.

Every day E-newsletter

Reward your inbox with the TPG Every day publication

Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists

As a result of we do not dwell in New York, I additionally needed to buy two Delta Air Strains tickets to get from Louisville, Kentucky, to New York.

With my Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Specific Card, I earn an annual companion certificates, which I used to cowl my son’s positioning flight, so our complete to get to and from New York was $378.

My Delta Reserve Amex additionally helped us get a complimentary improve to Consolation+ on our flight dwelling from Paris and a first-class improve between New York and Louisville.

Delta Amex Reserve cardholders are eligible for complimentary upgrades and obtain improve precedence over different Medallion members throughout the similar Medallion stage and fare class. I reached Delta Silver Medallion standing this yr thanks, partially, to the annual 2,500 Medallion Qualification {Dollars} Headstart, which helped me skip to the highest of the improve listing.

I spent one other 50,000 Flying Blue miles on two economic system tickets from CDG to JFK for our return flight (I do not need him getting too spoiled) to keep away from blowing by our whole stash of factors in a single journey.

Although our return flight was booked by Air France, our flight was operated by Delta. Each airways are a part of the SkyTeam alliance, so I loved my Delta standing advantages and saved on gasoline surcharges by reserving an economic system ticket versus enterprise class.

2 nights at a resort steps from the Eiffel Tower

I got here throughout loads of opinions whereas researching motels in Paris. Many individuals stated that staying close to the Eiffel Tower wasn’t superb. Nevertheless, it is a good factor this was my trip and never theirs as a result of I did the precise reverse of what they steered, and it was good.

Associated: The very best motels in Paris

Resort rooms close to the Eiffel Tower with a tower view can value between $700 and $2,000 an evening. That did not actually slot in with the budget-friendly nature of this journey. As an alternative, I saved by going with the Mercure Paris Centre Eiffel Tower Resort. Our room value about $250 per night time and was solely a five-minute stroll from the closest Metro station, and the resort was across the nook from the Eiffel Tower.

The Mercure Paris Centre Eiffel Tower does have a handful of Eiffel Tower-view rooms, however I most well-liked to save lots of the cash for Champagne and croissants since we solely wanted to stroll out the entrance door of our resort to search out gorgeous Eiffel Tower vistas.

The resort participates within the Accor Dwell Limitless rewards program, which is free to hitch. Even on the primary Traditional stage, members obtain members-only charges, on-line check-in and quick checkout, and you’ll earn factors on each keep.

Not like with a standard redemption system, ALL members can redeem factors to cowl all or a part of their keep. Each 1,000 factors is price 20 euros off a reservation. I do not keep in motels collaborating on this program typically, however I did earn sufficient factors on this keep to obtain a reduction on a future one.

All in, we paid simply over $500 for our two-night keep in Paris, which is not a nasty deal contemplating our proximity to the Eiffel Tower. We additionally visited in the course of the time main as much as the Paris Olympics when resort charges had been skyrocketing at different properties.

Planning the proper Paris journey

I knew this journey can be a milestone for my son, so I needed to make it really feel particular from the second my husband and I advised him he was going to Paris.

I waited till the day earlier than our journey and packed his bag with a couple of surprises. I advised him we had been happening a visit the following day, however he needed to look by his bag and guess the place we had been going. After he noticed the beret and the baguette (thanks, Goal), he knew we had been going to France. All of us shed a couple of tears (of pleasure), after which it was time to pack the remainder of our gear.

Our first cease was New York Metropolis. We had fairly a little bit of time between our positioning flight and our in a single day flight to Paris, so I took my son straight to JFK’s Air France lounge. We ate lunch, he drank all of the free soda he may deal with, and we practiced our French.

He is not afraid of flying, however he does not often get overly enthusiastic about it, both. He sees sitting within the metallic tube with home windows as a mandatory a part of getting someplace enjoyable. However this time, he was so excited to get on the aircraft and discover his seat. Whereas we had been within the lounge, he requested me loads of questions on how a lot the seat reclined, if we might have film screens and what we might eat for dinner.

As quickly as he sat down, he began testing all of the seat’s options and buttons, and he additionally put his slippers on straight away. When our meals arrived, he made me wait to attempt the cheesecake till we may take a chunk at the very same time, which was very cute.

We determined to look at a film collectively whereas we ate. He selected “42,” a film about baseball participant Jackie Robinson, and we performed the “3, 2, 1” recreation of making an attempt to hit play on the similar time. It went fairly effectively, however then we needed to hit “pause” and “play” concurrently anytime one in every of us wanted to rise up and use the restroom. It was fairly humorous making an attempt to sync up our screens.

After dinner, my son lastly received to show his seat right into a mattress. I do not suppose he received loads of sleep as a result of he was a little bit nervous and excited, however we did our greatest to get some relaxation earlier than touchdown in Paris.

After touchdown in Paris, we bought three-day Metro passes that we may use to get from the airport to our resort and round city throughout our go to.

We took the prepare to the Bir-Hakeim station, which was closest to our resort. As we walked towards our resort, I puzzled why we hadn’t but seen the Eiffel Tower. Then we rounded the nook, and, bam, it was proper in entrance of us. We each regarded up in awe and could not watch for a better look.

1 of 3

Eiffel Tower. TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY

We took a brief nap in our resort room after which headed straight for the Eiffel Tower. If you wish to journey all the way in which to the highest, know that tickets promote out rapidly. I stalked the Eiffel Tower ticket web site each day and bought tickets for our go to as quickly as they turned accessible. In case you solely wish to go to the second ground (however, actually, why cease there?), you should have a better time getting tickets. You may additionally have the ability to buy day-of tickets in particular person, however I wasn’t taking any possibilities.

The views from the highest of the Eiffel Tower had been unimaginable. Our go to was much more particular as a result of it was just a few days earlier than the 2024 Summer season Olympic Video games, so we may additionally see most of the sporting venues.

We each stored one another and saying, “I am unable to imagine we’re actually right here,” and we meant it each single time we stated it. I feel we had been each in shock. Particularly Avery — he solely discovered in regards to the journey lower than 48 hours earlier.

Avery insisted we take the steps from the second ground again right down to the bottom, and I used to be completely satisfied to oblige. Most individuals take the elevator, so it was not solely much less crowded nevertheless it was additionally extra memorable.

We explored town and had dinner earlier than returning to our room. We had deliberate to stroll again to the Eiffel Tower to see it sparkle at night time, however I fell asleep earlier than it even received darkish exterior. Fortunately, I awakened round 11 p.m., and since we had been staying so near the tower, we walked over and caught the dazzling nighttime present.

If you wish to see the Eiffel Tower’s glowing lights, they begin at nightfall each night and sparkle each hour on the hour and final for about 5 minutes. This implies they activate later in the summertime than within the winter. In the summertime, the final present is at 1 a.m., however for the remainder of the yr, the ultimate exhibiting is at 11 p.m.

The following morning, we rented an electrical boat by Marin D’Eau Douce Paris, which I first discovered of in TPG’s Paris Pocket Information. Avery cranked up some music on my iPhone, and we explored the Bassin de la Villette. It wasn’t essentially the most scenic spot in Paris, nevertheless it was a novel exercise and loads of enjoyable.

As a result of we had been in Paris for less than a short while, I believed a motorbike experience can be the proper solution to see a number of metropolis sights. We experience bikes as a household typically at dwelling, so I knew Avery was up for the problem. We booked the Paris Day Bike Tour by Fats Tire Excursions.

We noticed Napoleon’s Tomb, the Musee d’Orsay, Resort des Invalides, Place de la Concorde and the Ecole militaire, and we even snapped an Eiffel Tower picture from one other vantage level on Rue de l’Universite.

Alas, at this level, our time in Paris was almost over. We boarded a prepare to the airport early the following morning and stated “au revoir” to Paris and the Eiffel Tower. As we sped farther and farther down the tracks, I caught a couple of last glimpses of the Eiffel Tower. Every time it got here into view, I could not assist however smile on the magnificent construction that had impressed this once-in-a-lifetime journey.