Name:
Stephen and Ursula Sohns

FFP miles spent:

240,000 miles

Hotel points spent:

62,800 SPG points

Approximate fees:

$345

Airline(s) / Routing:

Steve: KLM and Air France: Houston-Amsterdam-Capetown-Johannesburg-Paris-Washington-Houston
Ursula: Houston-Newark-Amsterdam-Capetown-Johannesburg-Paris-Amsterdam-Houston

How booked:
Steve: CO Call Center
Ursula: NWA Call Center

Type of award(s):
Business First Saver (both)

Hotel(s):
Westin Capetown

Month/year of trip:
May/June 2008

The Continental OnePass miles were primarily earned through flying. The Northwest WorldPerks miles were exclusively offers through partners, special bonuses and credit card.

The trip was booked as far out as possible. It was a challenge to call two separate call centers and match two different people on the same flights.

It was agreed that as long as we entered and left Africa together, we could take separate flights in and out of Europe.

It was fun to meet up in a KLM lounge in Amsterdam and to email each other from different Air France lounges in Paris. We compared flights and experiences as we reconnected in Amsterdam and at home.

All of the experiences in Capetown (Cape of Good Hope, Table Mountain, etc.) and fun with family on the Eastern side (Safari, touring, the Indian Ocean) made it a fantastic trip.

We’d go back in a heartbeat … after Germany, Italy, Argentina, Australia, Japan, etc.