How I Booked 11 Round-Trip Flights Using 1 Credit Card Welcome Offer

New Year’s is one of the toughest times to pull off a family trip. Flights are expensive, award space is limited, and even short domestic routes can feel out of reach once holiday pricing kicks in, especially with a big group.

For years, my wife and I talked about bringing both sides of our family together for a New Year’s getaway — her parents, my mom, and other close relatives. Every time we revisited the idea, we hit the same wall: airfare. Paying cash for 11 tickets during one of the most expensive travel weeks of the year just wasn’t realistic.

This trip finally happened because of points — specifically Alaska Atmos Rewards points. Here’s how it came together.

The Plan (And the Costs That Nearly Killed It)

The destination we kept coming back to was 30A, which is the stretch of coastline near Destin, Florida, along the Gulf of Mexico. White-sand beaches, plenty of vacation rentals, and a relaxed feel made it a great fit for a multigenerational trip.

From the start, we knew this wasn’t going to be a road trip. Driving from Miami to 30A is about 9 hours on a good day — not exactly the kind of journey you want to tack onto a week with a big group.

The closest airport with domestic service from Miami (MIA) or Fort Lauderdale (FLL) is Pensacola (PNS), which is a little over 90 minutes from 30A. In theory, that sounded simple enough: Fly into Pensacola, rent cars, and spend New Year’s together.

Then we priced it out.

Airfare for the group came out to more than $400 per person, or close to $5,000 total — for a short domestic flight. At that point, paying cash felt unrealistic.

So we asked the question that ended up changing everything: What about using points and miles?

Why I Turned to Alaska Atmos Rewards Points

Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards has long been my favorite airline currency, and one of the most useful programs to earn for domestic travel and Oneworld partner awards. I’ve consistently found strong value booking through Alaska (especially on short-haul routes) compared to booking through other programs.

I applied for the Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite^® card when it launched in August 2025. At the time, it offered a 100,000-point welcome bonus after $6,000 in spending within 90 days, plus a 25,000-point Global Companion Award — an easy decision based on how often I redeem Atmos Rewards points.

I’ve historically used Atmos Rewards points to book American Airlines flights, since Alaska’s award pricing can be lower than what you’ll see through American’s AAdvantage program. That held true here, too.

When searching, I found award flights from Miami to Pensacola for 9,000 points round-trip per person, with enough seats for our entire group. That meant we could book 11 round-trip tickets for 99,000 Atmos Rewards points, all covered by the card’s welcome bonus offer alone.

Here’s what that math looked like:

• Cash price: About $400 per person (close to $5,000 total)
• Points price: 9,000 points round-trip per person
• Total points used: 99,000 points for 11 people
• Out-of-pocket costs: About $37 round-trip per person (for taxes and fees)

What would’ve been a painful holiday expense suddenly became doable — and it meant we could all travel together, instead of people quietly opting out because of cost.

Why This Was One of My Favorite Redemptions Ever

This wasn’t a flashy redemption. I wasn’t booking lie-flat seats to Europe or a bucket-list trip to the South Pacific. But it was still one of the most meaningful uses of points I’ve ever made.

Flying 11 people together over New Year’s meant more than saving money. It meant grandparents could travel without worrying about airfare. It meant cousins could travel on the same flights. It meant no one had to sit out because the timing and cost didn’t work. For the first time, both sides of our family were able to start the year in the same place, together.

This trip also changed how I think about a “good” redemption. I love using points and miles for premium flights and big trips, but this simple domestic hop from South Florida to the Florida Panhandle put things into perspective.

Sometimes the most valuable redemption is a practical one that makes a trip possible in the first place — especially for families and multigenerational ones.

Final Thoughts

This trip wasn’t about luxury or chasing the flashiest redemption. It was about making something happen that had felt out of reach for years. Flying 11 people together over New Year’s simply wouldn’t have happened without Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards points.

For my wife and me, those points turned a long-standing idea into a real trip. They removed the biggest obstacle and brought both sides of our family together. And that’s why Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards are so valuable to me: They can unlock aspirational trips when I want them, but they’re just as powerful for turning meaningful family travel actually bookable.