How We Used Points and Miles to Fly Business Class and Stay at a 5-Star Hotel in Singapore

One of the best perks of slow traveling the world in retirement is using credit card points and miles to unlock luxury travel without spending luxury prices. On our recent trip to Singapore, we flew business class and stayed four nights at a 5-star hotel—all paid for with rewards points.
Here’s exactly how we did it and how you can, too.

🧳 The Credit Cards We Use to Earn Travel Rewards
We each hold five credit cards that earn points and perks we use for flights, hotels, and lounge access.
🟦 Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Annual Fee: $95
Welcome Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months.
Best For: Travel and dining
Top Perks:
2x points on travel and dining
Transfer points 1:1 to major airline and hotel partners
Primary rental car insurance
➡️ Apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card here.

🔁 Chase Freedom Flex℠
Annual Fee: $0
Welcome Bonus: Earn $200 (or 20,000 points) after spending $500 in 3 months
Best For: 5% rotating bonus categories
Top Perks:
5% on quarterly bonus categories (like gas, groceries, or travel)
3% on dining and drugstores
Works great with Sapphire Preferred to maximize Ultimate Rewards points
➡️ Apply for the Freedom Flex here.

💳 Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Annual Fee: $0
Welcome Bonus: Earn $200 (or 20,000 points) after spending $500 in 3 months
Best For: Flat-rate everyday purchases
Top Perks:
1.5% cash back (or 1.5x points) on all purchases
Simple and automatic earning structure
➡️ Apply for the Freedom Unlimited here.

🏨 IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Annual Fee: $99
Welcome Bonus: Earn up to 140,000 IHG points after qualifying spend
Best For: Hotel stays and free nights
Top Perks:
Fourth night free on award stays
Platinum Elite Status
Free annual anniversary night
➡️ Get the IHG Premier Card here.

🛫 American Express Platinum Card®
Annual Fee: $695
Welcome Bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $8,000 in 6 months
Best For: Luxury travel perks
Top Perks:
Lounge access (Amex Centurion, Priority Pass, Delta Sky Club, and more)
5x points on flights booked directly or through Amex Travel
$200 hotel and airline credits
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit
➡️ Apply for the Amex Platinum here.

✈️ Lounge Access Along the Way
One of our favorite perks of the Amex Platinum Card is lounge access. It completely changed our airport experience:
Atlanta (ATL): Relaxed in a Delta Sky Club lounge before flying to New York
New York (JFK): Enjoyed the Centurion Lounge while waiting for our business class flight to Singapore
Singapore Changi Airport: Accessed a Priority Pass lounge before flying to Kuala Lumpur
Comfort, complimentary meals, and quiet workspaces made our travel day smooth and stress-free.

💺 Booking Our Business Class Flight with Points
We each transferred 85,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer to book business class seats from New York to Singapore.
✅ Total points: 170,000 (85K each)
💵 Out-of-pocket cost: $52 in taxes per person
This included lie-flat seats, gourmet meals, and priority boarding—a luxury experience for the price of a dinner out.

🏨 Hotel Stay: 4 Nights at InterContinental Singapore
We booked the InterContinental Singapore, a luxurious hotel right in the heart of the city:
Paid ~35,000 IHG points per night
With the IHG Premier Card, we got the 4th night free
Total: ~105,000 points for 4 nights
💵 Out-of-pocket cost: $0

💡 Final Thoughts: Luxury Travel Without Breaking the Bank
By strategically using credit card rewards and booking smart, we were able to:
✅ Fly business class
✅ Stay 4 nights at a 5-star hotel
✅ Enjoy VIP lounge access
✅ Pay almost nothing out of pocket
If you want to start traveling more in retirement—or just want to take your next trip in comfort—these cards are a game changer.

📌 Start Earning Travel Points Today
Ready to start your own points and miles journey? Here are the cards we recommend:
🟦 Chase Sapphire Preferred® — best starter card for travel rewards
🏨 IHG Premier — amazing value for hotel stays
🛫 Amex Platinum — ideal for luxury perks and lounge access

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you apply through them—at no extra cost to you. We only recommend cards we personally use and love.


Final Thoughts
With a bit of strategy and everyday spending, we were able to turn points into a luxurious start to our full-time travel adventure. We’re not extreme hackers—we just consistently use the right cards for the right purchases and take advantage of welcome bonuses and smart redemptions.
If you’re thinking about traveling more—whether for retirement or just a dream vacation—consider looking into these credit cards and start building your own points-and-miles journey