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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have mastered the points game.  In the last three years and through summer 2026, I have taken myself and two kids to Amsterdam, London, Turkey, Morocco, Scandinavia, Colombia, Italy and Peru.  Free flights everywhere, free hotels some places. It turned out well worth it for my family. [/quote]

So am I correct in thinking that three people for eight return trips at 30-40k points each way means 1.4-1.9 million points in three years? How did you accumulate those?[/quote]

It's not 30 to 40K points each way.  Europe via Air France before devaluation could be had at 17K each way, and AF prices Maghreb the same as Europe, which means you could fly to Morocco under 25K.  Add in a transfer bonus and you're set.  I watch for transfer bonuses and book almost a year out. I booked three roundtrip tickets to Vienna for 55K total with a Virgin transfer bonus (40% at the time). We fly economy usually, and this year will be the first I had enough points for PE to Italy (34K each) and business to Lima (50K each).

As to how I accumulate it, I get about 3-5 new cards each year, milk Amex for retention bonuses, and shop Rakuten. There is no real magic to it, just checking all the boxes, taking advantage of opportunities the second you see them, and being flexible with dates and destinations. [/quote]

Sounds like you’re very skilled at this, but unfortunately it’s now kind of irrelevant how much it was pre-inflation isn’t it? Has Air France had the same level of inflation as other airlines??

What is a retention bonus?[/quote]

AF inflated points rates only by 5K so it's not the end of the world.

I would describe my skill level as moderate, I'm nowhere near people who are really good at this.  I want to plan a trip to Japan and China for the 2026-2027 winter break, and that will be a real test to separate girls from women :)

A retention bonus is something Amex gives out to keep their customers.  It's literally just starting a chat on the Amex website close to the date of your annual fee posting and saying, I'm thinking of closing the card and was wondering if there are any retention bonuses on the table.  Answers will vary wildly but at various times I received 25K and 50K just for the pleasure of my continued patronage of their fine establishment.  I've also got a bunch of noes! But what did it cost me? a few minutes of chatting so all good. [/quote]

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