With one child in college and the other in high school, our school-year schedules no longer line up the way they used to. So we set our sights on a summer getaway that would give all four of us some real, uninterrupted family time. Park City, Utah had been on our radar for years, and this June everything finally fell into place. We’re hoping to pack the trip with a mix of adventure and downtime: whitewater rafting, exploring Utah Olympic Park, riding the Alpine Coaster, relaxing by the hotel pool, and of course finding some great food along the way.
Using a combination of points, miles, and a couple Hilton free night award certificates, I managed to book the entire trip worth almost $5,500 for just over $500.
Airfare
June flights between Chicago and Salt Lake City were pretty pricy at around $551 per person. On American Airlines, an award ticket would have set me back 40,500 miles. Not terrible, not amazing — just typical summer pricing.
But here’s where a little strategy can make a big difference. Instead of locking myself into a simple round‑trip search, I broke the itinerary into one‑way segments and widened the net to include partner airlines. That’s often where the real gems hide, and in this case, it opened the door to far better options.
Chicago to Salt Lake City
For our flight out to Utah, American Airlines had an afternoon option for $275 or 18,000 AAdvantage (AA) miles. That worked out to a redemption value of about 1.53 cents per mile ($293 / 18,000 miles). It looked like a solid use of AA miles at first.
But this is where checking partner programs pays off. The exact same flight was bookable through Alaska’s Atmos Rewards for just 7,500 points per person. Instead of burning 72,000 AA miles, I used 30,000 Atmos points for four one‑way tickets to Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake City to Chicago
I wanted to keep out‑of‑pocket costs low on the way home as well, so I planned to use miles or points again. American Airlines had a mid‑day return flight priced at $276 or 22,500 AA miles per person. That’s a pretty weak redemption at just 1.23 cents per mile ($276 / 22,500 miles). I checked partner programs hoping for another win, but no luck this time. Alaska didn’t show the flight as bookable with points, and neither did other partners like British Airways.
With no partner availability, I went ahead and redeemed 90,000 AA miles total for our four return tickets.
Even after mixing programs and dealing with limited partner availability on the return, I still saved $2,109 out of pocket. It’s exactly the kind of win that shows how powerful flexible points, and a few extra minutes of partner searching can be.
Hotel
Waldorf Astoria Park City
With two Hilton free night certificates to use, the Waldorf Astoria Park City immediately became the obvious choice for our trip. The property has a reputation for thoughtful, personalized service and strikes a perfect balance between cozy mountain lodge and polished luxury resort. Beyond the atmosphere, it offers a 16,000‑square‑foot spa, a year‑round heated outdoor pool, whirlpools, and private cabanas — plenty of ways to unwind after a day in the mountains.
With a four‑night stay pricing out at $2,816, using our Hilton free night certificates was a no‑brainer. Annie had one from hitting the spend requirement on her Hilton Honors Surpass card, and I had another from the annual benefit on my Hilton Honors Aspire card. We paired those two certificates with 220,000 Hilton points to cover the remaining nights, which meant the entire stay was fully covered. And because Hilton waives resort fees on award stays, we avoided those charges as well. That brought our total out‑of‑pocket cost to zero and our total savings to $2,816.
The value didn’t stop there, however. As a Hilton Honors Aspire cardholder, I also get up to $200 in statement credits, twice a year, for eligible charges at participating Hilton resorts. As long as we bill hotel charges (i.e. dining, activities, spa treatments) to the room, up to $200 of that spend will be wiped out. And yes, the Waldorf Astoria Park City qualifies, making the stay even sweeter.
Rental Car
Rental cars prices were about what I expected for four days during June. Avis gave me the best deal, plus I’ll pick up some AA miles and loyalty points after completing the rental.
Park City 2026 Redemption Table
| Retail Cost | Our Cost | Miles and Points Used | Points Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 one-way tickets from Chicago (ORD) to Salt Lake City (SLC) | $275.50 per person ($1,102 total) | $72.40 (taxes and fees) | 30,000 Atmos points | - Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard - Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite |
| 4 one-way tickets from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Chicago (ORD) | $275.50 per person ($1,102 total) | $22.40 (taxes and fees) | 90,000 AA miles | - Citi AAdvantage credit cards - AAdvantage eShopping - Simply Miles |
| 4 nights at the Waldorf Astoria Park City | $563.06 per night + taxes ($2,816 total) | $0 | 2 free night certificate and 220,000 Hilton points | - Hilton Honors Aspire Card - Hilton Honors Surpass Card |
| 4 day car rental | $419 | $419 | N/A | N/A |
| Total | $5,439 | $514 | - 30,000 Atmos points - 90,000 AA miles - 2 free night certificates -220,000 Hilton points/strong> | - $4,925 in total savings - 90% off retail cost |
Bottom Line
All in all, I saved a whopping 90% off the retail cost of this trip by using points, miles and credit card perks. We’re really looking forward to spending quality time as a family of four before school begins again in the fall.
Trip Report Index
- Using Points and Miles to get to Park City
- Waldorf Astoria Park City
