With tickets to US dates of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour selling at sky-high prices, you may have wondered if it would just be cheaper to go to Europe this summer to catch a show. The answer to that question is yes, especially if you have points and miles to spend.
Earlier this summer, I noticed Eras ticket prices in Madrid plunged below $200 before taxes and fees on StubHub. I knew I had to pounce. With some diligent flight award searching, I was able to fly to Spain in business class, see an epic concert, and stay the night in a comfortable and well-located hotel for a grand total of just over $500—far less than I would have had to spend to travel and see the show when it returns to the United States in October.
I’ve already visited Madrid on previous trips, so I chose to spend the rest of my time abroad in Mallorca, which conveniently presented me with another great option to use miles to get home. And while the trip was a quick whirlwind at just four days long, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Here’s a look at how I got to see Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour in Europe by putting it all together with points and miles—and if you take some of these points and miles how-tos to heart, you too could soon be flying to Europe in “Style.”
How I booked my flights to Madrid for The Eras Tour
My travel began in Minneapolis, where I was attending a family wedding. While it wasn’t difficult to find reasonably priced, one-way economy award tickets from Minneapolis to Madrid in the 30,000-mile range, I was hoping to fly business class overnight. Unfortunately, those options were quite pricier at more than 200,000 miles.
Instead of settling for economy, I pivoted my search and began looking for flights out of Chicago O’Hare, a nearby—and much larger—airport. Ultimately, I was able to find business class availability from Chicago to Madrid with a connection in Dublin on Aer Lingus, and I booked it through British Airways. Savvy travelers can do this because both airlines are partners and you can book travel on one by using the points—called Avios—you have with the other.
Because my date was off-peak, I snagged a ticket for 62,500 Avios instead of the usual 75,000. To book, I transferred the points over to British Airways from my American Express Platinum Card. (Amex also transfers to Aer Lingus itself, but there was no difference in what the two airlines were offering in price, and my Amex and BA accounts were already previously linked.)
At that point, all that was left to do was find a quick flight that would get me from Minneapolis to Chicago with enough time to make the flight to Madrid. Because economy-class tickets were cheap at $118.10, I chose to pay cash and save my United MileagePlus miles for the return leg of my journey. While I normally would have used my Amex Platinum to earn five points per dollar, this time, I used my United Quest Card. It earns three points per dollar on United flights, and at the time, I was working toward a promotion for extra Premier Qualifying Points, which help you earn elite status with United.
How I booked lodging in Madrid for The Eras Tour
When choosing hotels, I normally try to look for design-forward options, but with only one night in Madrid, I knew it would be best spent by staying as close to the concert venue as possible. Luckily, I spotted a Hilton property: the Canopy by Hilton Madrid Castellana, just a 10-minute walk from the stadium. The prospect of not having to battle through tens of thousands of people to find an Uber was too good to pass up.
In cash, the price for a room at the Canopy would have been around $500, which is well above rates for the property I saw on other dates. But shockingly, the price in points did not seem to be marked up much for the concert. I got a room for 60,000 Hilton Honors points earned with my Hilton Honors Aspire from American Express, and it couldn’t have worked out better. The location was perfect, and the hotel had special themed events and decor for visiting Swifties.
How I booked flights and lodging in Mallorca
Like flights on Aer Lingus, flights on Iberia—Spain’s flag carrier—can be booked through British Airways, so when I was searching for a way from Madrid to Mallorca to squeeze in some beach time for the day after the concert, the airline was the first place I turned to for travel.
While there was an economy class ticket available for 10,000 Avios, it was for late that night, and I was looking for a morning option. I wound up using cash on the cheapest available flight, which came to €179.80 with baggage fees, or $194.04. I put the charge on my Amex Platinum to earn five points per dollar.
Because I was booking close to my travel dates, there was no availability at my first-choice points hotel, the St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort. (As a member of Marriott’s portfolio, the resort would have been bookable with Bonvoy points earned on my Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card from American Express.) Instead, I paid cash for a stay at the stunning Can Ferrereta. Note that while it’s a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, it’s currently not available to be booked with points as part of SLH’s new partnership with Hilton.
How I booked my flights back from Spain
Initially, I assumed I would have to route back through Madrid to fly home from Mallorca. But that was because I had forgotten one key fact: Two summers ago, United became the first airline to launch nonstop service between the Spanish island and the United States. The seasonal route connects Palma and Newark, making it easy to continue onward to other US destinations.
Looking to avoid a one-way cash fare between the US and Europe—which are notoriously pricey and, in this case, would have been close to $1,500—I used United MileagePlus miles to book the flight. The original price for the one-way economy trip from Palma to my home city of Portland, Oregon, was 44,700 miles, but since I hold Premier Gold elite status, I got a special reduced rate of 40,000 miles. To book, I transferred Chase Ultimate Rewards points to United, earned with my Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card.
The bottom line
Points and miles can make bucket-list trips for special events infinitely more affordable, and moves like using positioning flights for better award availability and leveraging elite status for discounted award tickets can help make your points supply last longer.
Last but not least: The show was incredible, and whatever combination of points, miles and money you need to spend to see it will be well worth it.
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