Our nephew Evan is now a sophomore at the University of North Dakota. Somehow this will be my first time visiting him on campus even though Annie made the trip last year. His parents locked in hotel rooms months ago to hold the weekend of April 25–27, and luckily that timing worked perfectly for us. We recently booked our flights, and because most of the trip was already mapped out, I didn’t end up using any points or miles this time. Still, there was a nice surprise: I managed to shave more than $300 off the airfare. Keep reading to see how.
Airfare
Flying direct from Chicago to Grand Forks is technically an option, but the fares are sky‑high. The far more reasonable approach is to fly into Fargo, pick up a rental car, and make the easy hour‑long drive. United and American Airlines both run a couple of flights a day, but United had slightly better schedules and pricing for our dates. There wasn’t any meaningful value in using miles this time, so I just paid cash for the tickets.
The good news is that I had more than $300 sitting in my United TravelBank to help offset the cost. I’d built up that balance thanks to The Platinum Card® from American Express, which offers up to $200 per calendar year in airline fee credits for things like checked bags, in‑flight snacks, change fees, and lounge day passes. For years, there’s been a well‑known workaround — loading funds into your United TravelBank triggers the credit. I used it in 2025 and again at the start of 2026, and both times the $200 credit posted without any issues.
Note: As of March 2026, it’s being reported that the TravelBank workaround may no longer trigger the credit.
By the time I booked our round‑trip flights to Fargo, I still had $310 banked. Applying that balance brought the total cost for both tickets down to just $311.24, which was a nice little win for a trip where I wasn’t even planning to use points.
Hotel
My sister‑in‑law had already reserved a block of rooms for the family at the Hilton Garden Inn Grand Forks-UND, which worked out perfectly for us. I’m always happy to pad my stash of Hilton points, and the location couldn’t be better. According to Google Maps it’s just a quick drive from Evan’s fraternity house.
Even though I love using points for hotel stays, this wasn’t the moment to do it. The room was pricing at 40,000 Hilton points per night, which is an entirely average redemption. I’d rather save my points for a higher‑value stay at an upscale property, so paying cash made more sense here.
Rental Car
My sister-in-law was responsible for renting the car, so we’ll chip in our share at the end of the trip.
Grand Forks 2026 Redemption Table
| Retail Cost | Our Cost | Miles and Points Used | Points Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 round trip tickets from Chicago (ORD) to Fargo (FAR) | $310.62 per person ($621 total) | $311 taxes and fees | $310 United TravelBank credits | - Platinum Card® from American Express |
| 2 nights at the Hilton Garden Inn Grand Forks-UND | $204 per night + taxes ($450 total) | $450 | N/A | N/A |
| Total | $1,071 | $761 | - $310 travel credits | - $310 in total savings - 29% off retail cost |
Bottom Line
Even though I didn’t redeem any points or miles for this trip, I still managed to cut costs by putting my credit card perks to work. I’ll earn a fresh batch of United miles and Hilton points along the way, but the real highlight will be spending a weekend with Evan and soaking up a bit of college‑campus energy again.
Trip Report Index
- Saving Money on a Trip to Grand Forks
- Hilton Garden Inn Grand Forks-UND
