By Nina Huang
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Summer travelers briefly caught a break as fuel prices eased following diplomatic efforts to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. But that relief may be short-lived.
AAA reports that the average gas price in Washington state is $5.12, more than a dollar higher than the national average.
As fuel prices fluctuate and airfares remain unpredictable, many travelers are taking a closer look at the cost of getting away. While some families may be reconsidering vacation plans or swapping flights for road trips, others say they’re finding ways to offset higher travel costs by leveraging a combination of airline miles, credit card rewards, or taking road trips.
For frequent traveler Wunna Kyaw, rising travel costs haven’t been enough to derail his family’s adventures.
Wunna (top right) with his family at a Christmas market in France
Kyaw, a Burmese American who works in healthcare IT, was preparing to leave on a three-week trip to China and Hong Kong with his wife and two children, when we interviewed him. He recently booked another international vacation to Japan for next spring.
“I haven’t changed my travel plans,” Kyaw said.
Instead, he has become increasingly reliant on points and miles—a hobby he picked up about five years ago after wondering how some people managed to travel so often.
Today, Kyaw earns and redeems rewards through several credit card programs, including Chase, American Express, Citi, and Capital One, along with frequent flyer programs from Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines.
Before booking a flight, he does his research by comparing the cash price on Google Flights with the number of airline miles required for an award ticket. Rather than redeeming points through a bank’s travel portal, he typically transfers them to airline partners, where he says they often provide significantly better value.
“When I redeem points, I try to get more than 1.5 cents per point,” he said.
That strategy has helped him absorb increases in airfare. For shorter regional flights within Asia, Kyaw said prices have only risen modestly—about $20 on a typical $200 ticket compared with what he had been tracking last year.
But not every route has remained steady.
While researching a December trip to Hawaii, he noticed interisland flights that once regularly sold for about $200 had climbed above $300.
“That was a big enough difference that I decided to use miles instead,” he said.
Even award travel isn’t completely free. Travelers still pay taxes and fees, which Kyaw says have also increased.
So far, the price fluctuations haven’t been drastic enough for him to say no to trips.
Kyaw, who helps moderate one of the world’s largest points-and-miles Facebook communities, says flexibility and patience are key. He recommends travelers set fare alerts, compare award prices with cash fares, and transfer bank rewards to airline loyalty programs instead of automatically booking through travel portals.
Others are relying on airline perks to find more affordable ways to travel.
Mei Nishimoto, who moved from Seattle to Phoenix four years ago, still travels back to the Seattle area every six to eight weeks to visit family. When her child joins her, she often uses Alaska Airlines’ Companion Fare benefit to save money.
The Alaska Airlines Companion Fare allows eligible co-branded credit cardholders to book a second ticket (roundtrip or one-way) in the main cabin or saver tier for a flat $99 base fare, plus taxes and fees starting from $23.
Ideally, Nishimoto likes to maximize the certificate by using it for longer flights to destinations such as Hawaii.
“I try to, but with the perk only good for one year, I sometimes have no choice but to book it for a domestic trip closer to home,” she said. “Unless I know ahead of time Hawaii is in the cards.”
That balancing act is familiar to many travelers trying to stretch every travel dollar.
For some, taking road trips is a more budget-friendly route, especially when they don’t have to worry about gas prices. Tiffany Tsai and her husband have opted for road trips to Vancouver and Portland this summer in their all-electric SUV Acura ZDX.
Since they bought the electric vehicle, Tsai said they’ve gone on more road trips this year than they would’ve with a gas car.
While rising fuel costs may influence how people book their vacations, travelers like Kyaw aren’t ready to stay home.
“We usually take one big international trip every year and a couple of smaller trips if our schedule allows,” he said. “I’m grateful to have points and miles.”
Instead, they’re becoming more intentional and strategic—looking for every opportunity to make their travel dollars, mileage, and points go further.
Nina can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.