How I Took an $15,880 Trip to Japan & South Korea for $221 (and 559K Points)

#5 $15,880 Trip for $221: How Points Made It Happen

Ever dream of visiting Japan (and neighbors) without draining your wallet? In this episode, I break down how we turned $15,880.20 of flights and hotels into a trip that cost just $221.62 out of pocket step by step. You’ll hear the big picture strategy behind our Orlando → San Francisco → Seoul → Busan → Tokyo route: why we used positioning flights, how airline alliances & partners unlocked seats (think Virgin → Korean)(Alaska → JAL) and when I chose Hyatt redemptions over cash.

I keep it simple and practical: what cards fueled our balances, how the “Player 2” system helped and the decision making you can copy for your own trip.

Along the way I’ll point to tools and creators that helped us plan smarter Klook.com for shuttles and tickets.

@tdrexplorer on YouTube for theme park strategy.

If you want photos, reels, and behind the scenes from this exact itinerary follow me on Instagram @rewardingroutes.

If you’re new to points and miles this episode shows the why and the how in one tidy story so you can start building your own rewarding route, one trip at a time. Tune in!