A funny comedian and a stash of points and miles can be a dangerous combination. After Annie and I discovered Yohay Sponder on social media, we quickly became fans of his sharp, relatable humor. We were thrilled to find a Chicago stop on his U.S. tour, only to realize we’d be out of the country when he came through town. Instead of waiting for another opportunity, we did what any points-and-miles enthusiasts might do. We searched for another show, found one in Atlanta, and booked a spontaneous overnight trip in January.

Thanks to airline miles and some well-timed credit card perks, a trip valued at more than $1,100 ended up costing us just over $100 cash. Here’s how it all came together.

Airfare

Flights between Chicago and Atlanta weren’t outrageously expensive, but I knew there might be a better deal out there. Booking through American Airlines would have cost more than $750 in cash, or 32,000 AAdvantage (AA) miles for an award ticket. Not a terrible redemption, but not exactly a great one either.

That’s where a little points-and-miles strategy came into play. Instead of looking only at American or United, I always check their airline partners as well. In this case, Alaska Airlines was offering the exact same American Airlines flights for significantly fewer miles. It’s a simple trick that can stretch your miles much further and often leads to much better value.

Round-trip from Chicago to Atlanta

These American Airlines flights would cost either $753 or 32,000 AA miles. That worked out to a redemption value of about 2.35 cents per mile ($753 / 32,000 miles). It looked like a solid use of AA miles at first.

But this is exactly why checking partner programs matters. The same American Airlines flight was available through Alaska’s Atmos Rewards for just 9,000 points per person. So instead of spending 32,000 AA miles, I used 18,000 Atmos points total for two round-trip tickets.

When booking award tickets with partner airlines, Alaska Airlines usually charges a booking fee of $20 per person, per direction. So in the screenshot above, you can see it says I’d owe $102.40 in addition to the miles redeemed.

However, because I’m an Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® cardholder, the partner booking fee is waived. So the true cost of the flight was just 18,000 Atmos points and $22.40.

That move saved us $731 (after taxes and fees) compared to paying cash and delivered much stronger value than using AA miles. A perfect example of why flexible points and a quick partner search can make a big difference.

Hotel

InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta

For our hotel, I wanted to take advantage of the Amex Platinum’s Fine Hotels + Resorts (FHR) benefit since I still had my semi-annual $300 credit available. FHR is a luxury hotel program available to eligible Platinum and Centurion cardholders that includes valuable perks such as complimentary breakfast, potential room upgrades, a $100 on-property credit, and guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout. Since these benefits are available regardless of hotel elite status, booking through Amex Travel can significantly enhance a short stay while helping offset the cost of a premium property.

There were three appealing hotel options in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, all conveniently located near the show venue. The one that immediately caught my eye was the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta. Not only did it look like the nicest fit for our stay, but it was also the most affordable of the three.

Before booking, I checked online reviews and found that the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta is generally regarded as one of the stronger luxury hotel options in the area. Guests consistently praise its upscale rooms, excellent Buckhead location, and attentive service, while the spa, pool, and dining options add to the resort-like feel. Aside from some complaints about pricey parking and occasional service inconsistencies, the hotel earns high marks from both leisure and business travelers.

While the room rate came to $383.76, the $300 Amex credit hit our account a few days later, reducing our net cost to just $83.76. Scoring a luxury hotel stay for less than $100, especially with all the included FHR perks, felt like an absolute steal.

Activities

My “Using Points and Miles…” posts typically focus on saving money on flights, hotels, and rental cars. However, this trip had an extra twist since a credit card perk helped lower the cost of the show tickets, too. Each calendar year, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Card provides a $100 Splurge Credit with up to two participating brands.

One of my selected brands is Live Nation, and purchases made through Ticketmaster qualify for the credit. As a result, not only was I able to reduce the cost of airfare and lodging, but I also received $100 back on our Yohay Sponder tickets. It’s not often that points, miles, and credit card perks help cover almost every aspect of a trip, including the entertainment.

Atlanta 2027 Redemption Table

	Retail Cost	Our Cost	Miles and Points Used	Points Source
2 round-trip tickets from Chicago (ORD) to Atlanta (ATL)	$377 per person ($753 total)	$22 (taxes and fees)	18,000 Atmos points	- Hawaiian Airlines World Elite Mastercard - Atmos Rewards Summit Visa Infinite
1 night at InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta	$383.76 per night + taxes ($384 total)	$84	N/A	- Amex Platinum $300 hotel credit
Total	$1,137	$110	- 18,000 Atmos points/strong>	- $1,027 in total savings - 90% off retail cost

Bottom Line

What started as a disappointment about missing Yohay Sponder’s Chicago show turned into a fun and completely unexpected overnight getaway to Atlanta. That’s one of the things I love most about points, miles, and credit card benefits. They make it much easier to say “yes” to spontaneous trips that might otherwise feel too expensive.

Between airline miles covering our flights and the Amex FHR credit reducing the cost of our stay at the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta to less than $100, we were able to enjoy a trip valued at more than $1,100 for just over $100 out of pocket.

More importantly, we got a memorable night away together, a stay at a luxury hotel, and the chance to see a live comedy show. Not bad for a trip that only happened because we couldn’t make the Chicago date. Sometimes the best travel experiences aren’t the ones you’ve been planning for months. They’re the spontaneous adventures that become possible when you know how to maximize the points, miles, and perks already sitting in your wallet.

Trip Report Index

1. Using Points and Miles to get to Atlanta
2. InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta