The 5 Best Places You Can Visit That Are Open to U.S. Citizens [Using Points]

by devpro | Dec 2, 2020 | 0 comments

If you consider yourself to be a world traveler, you’re probably feeling bummed out right now. With U.S. citizens being restricted from tourism in many countries around the world, your holiday options are somewhat limited.

Although the travel restrictions are changing on a seemingly daily basis, you are probably getting antsier than ever to go somewhere. And if you have a bunch of credit card rewards points or airline miles, you’ll want to use them as cost-effectively as possible to maximize the bang for your buck.

In this guide, we’ll be examining the best international destinations that are open to U.S. citizens and you can fly to in the near-future. If you’re considering planning travel extremely far out, check out our 5 best post-pandemic first class flight deals you can book using points.

Additionally, our sole focus will be on booking premium cabin products, such as business class or first class. It’s ultra-important to book the best first class seats for social distancing, which will keep you extra-safe from contracting any sort of illness.

Let’s get started!

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The 5 Best Countries You Can Visit That Are Open to U.S. Tourists [Points Flights and Hotels Options]

Croatia

Croatia is a beautiful country to visit in its own right. As the main film location of HBO’s epic fantasy series Game of Thrones, Croatia is one of the world’s most beautiful, mythical, and accessible destinations. U.S. tourists can travel to Croatia without a 14-day quarantine as long as you present a negative nasal and pharynx swab test for SARS-CoV-2, not older than 48 hours (starting from the time of taking the swab until arrival at the border crossing).

Here are some of the best ways you can fly to Croatia from the U.S. with points in business class:

Airline and Connecting City	Points Cost Per Person (Round-Trip)	Taxes and Fees Per Person (Round-Trip)	Cash Price of Ticket
Turkish Airlines via Istanbul	From 88,000 Amex points	As little as ~$6	~$4,300
Air France via Paris	From 106,000 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$400	~$4,800
KLM via Amsterdam	From 106,000 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$400	~$5,020
British Airways via London	From 61,000 Amex or Citi points	As little as ~$1,200	~$5,300
Lufthansa via Frankfurt/Munich	From 88,000 Amex points	As little as ~$61	~$7,000
Qatar Airways via Doha	From 90,000 Amex or Citi points	As little as ~$11	~$18,500
Aeroflot via Moscow	From 106,000 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$20	~$6,000
Virgin Atlantic via London	From 88,000 Amex points	As little as ~$550	~$6,150

Here are some first class options you can book if you’re in the mood for opulence:

Airline and Connecting City	Points Cost Per Person (Round-Trip)	Taxes and Fees Per Person (Round-Trip)	Cash Price of Ticket
British Airways via London	From 162,000 Amex or Citi points	Around ~$1,400	~$9,000+
Lufthansa via Frankfurt/Munich	From 160,000 Amex points	As little as ~$62	~$16,000+
American Airlines via London	From 162,000 Amex or Citi points	As little as ~$11	~$11,000+
Emirates via Dubai	From 270,000 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$20	~$31,000+

Nugget of Advice:

Flying first class makes a big difference when it comes to maintaining utmost privacy. Check out our best first class seats for social distancing!

Here are some of the best hotels you can book in Croatia using points:

Hotel Name	Points Cost Per Night (standard room)	City
San Canzian Village & Hotel	25,000 Hyatt points	Buje
Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik	70,000 Hilton points	Dubrovnik
Sheraton Dubrovnik Riviera Hotel	30,000 – 40,000 Marriott points	Dubrovnik
Villa Orsula Dubrovnik	40,000 Hyatt points	Dubrovnik
Boutique Hotel Alhambra	30,000 Hyatt points	Mali Losinj
Hotel Lone, Rovinj	30,000 – 40,000 Marriott points	Rovinj
D-Resort Sibenik	25,000 Hyatt points	Sibenik
Hotel Vestibul Palace	25,000 Hyatt points	Split
Le Méridien Lav, Split	40,000 – 60,000 Marriott points	Split
Canopy by Hilton Zagreb – City Centre	18,000 – 40,000 Hilton points	Zagreb
DoubleTree by Hilton Zagreb	19,000 – 30,000 Hilton points	Zagreb
Hilton Garden Inn Zagreb Radnicka, Croatia	20,000 Hilton points	Zagreb
Sheraton Zagreb Hotel	15,000 – 20,000 Marriott points	Zagreb
The Westin Zagreb	15,000 – 20,000 Marriott points	Zagreb

Find out how to maximize your points!

To the Point:

You might think that these ticket prices are impossible to attain, especially if you’ve tried booking business class flights in the past. But you’ll need to throw out everything you think you know about booking top-notch business and first class flights in order to take advantage of phenomenal deals that’ll save you millions of points in the long-run. Learn more by checking out our guide on first class flights, which you’ll want to read before booking any flights through Amex Travel.

French Polynesia/Bora Bora

Bora-Bora-800x534 — Bora-Bora-800×534. Image Credit:

Traveling to Bora Bora is definitely a bucket list item for many. Bora Bora is part of French Polynesia, which consists of over 100 islands in the South Pacific. In fact, Bora Bora is one of our 5 best vacation spots for couples using points!

French Polynesia re-opened its borders for international tourists as of July 15. In order to board your flight, you must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within the previous 72 hours. You must also submit an electronic form certifying that you have travel insurance that would cover coronavirus-related expenditures. You can also agree to personally pay for any coronavirus costs that you incur.

There aren’t many choices for nonstop flights from the U.S., but here are the major airlines that you can fly in business class, along with associated costs:

Airline	Points Cost Per Person (Round-Trip)	Taxes and Fees Per Person (Round-Trip)	Cash Price of Ticket
Air Tahiti Nui (through Los Angeles)	From 147,000 Chase, Amex or Citi points	As little as ~$11	~$5,400+
Air France (through Los Angeles)	From 128,000 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	Around ~$500	~$5,800+
United Airlines (through San Francisco)	From 154,000 Chase points	As little as ~$11	~$4,700+

Here are some of the best hotels you can book in French Polynesia using points:

Hotel Name	Points Cost Per Night (standard room)	City
Le Méridien Bora Bora	50,000 – 70,000 Marriott points	Bora Bora
The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort	70,000 – 100,000 Marriott points	Bora Bora
Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa	From 80,000 Hilton points	Bora Bora
Conrad Bora Bora Nui	From 89,000 Hilton points	Bora Bora
InterContinental Hotels Bora Bora Resort Thalasso Spa	From 70,000 IHG points	Bora Bora
InterContinental Hotels Le Moana Bora Bora	From 70,000 IHG points	Bora Bora
InterContinental Hotels Resort Tahiti	From 50,000 IHG points	Tahiti

The Maldives

The Maldives is yet another picturesque beach vacation destination that is one of the world’s most exclusive travel spots in the world, if not the most exclusive. In fact, it makes our list of the 5 most exotic places to travel to using points!

Effective as of September 10, 2020, the Maldives requires all visitors to present a negative PCR test certificate conducted no more than 72 hours prior to departure.

Until then, you need to fill out a health declaration form, and anyone with symptoms will be required to pay for and take a coronavirus test. You may also be subject to random testing at no cost to you. Tourists will be provided with a free 30-day visa. You must also have a confirmed booking a tourist facility and the entire vacation needs to be at the same hotel, except when transiting.

Getting to the Maldives from the U.S. is challenging, thanks to its ultimate exclusion off of the cost of Sri Lanka. Most who fly in economy must pay more than a thousand dollars for an economy ticket, though it’s typically a troublesome route that takes you through at least 2 connecting airports and long, unproductive layovers.

If you have points and can plan well, you can end up booking amazing first class (and business class) flights to make your vacation that much more relaxing. Here are some awesome business class flights you can book using points:

Airline	Points Cost Per Person (Round-Trip)	Taxes and Fees Per Person (Round-Trip)	Cash Price of Ticket
Cathay Pacific business class via Hong Kong	From 170,000 Amex or Citi points	As little as ~$39	~$7,000+
Turkish Airlines business class via Istanbul	From 136,000 Amex points	As little as ~$11	~$5,000+
Emirates business class via Dubai	From 170,000 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$39	~$8,200+
Qatar Airways business class via Doha	From 180,000 Amex or Citi points	As little as ~$11	~$8,300+
Etihad Airways business class via Abu Dhabi	From 304,771 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$30	~$8,200+
Swiss Air business class via Zurich	From 136,000 Amex points	As little as ~$11	~$9,000+
Aeroflot business class via Moscow	From 182,000 Chase, Amex or Citi points	As little as ~$1,000	~$6,500+
Singapore Air business class via Singapore	From 218,000 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$49	~$7,000+

Here are your best-bet first class flights you can book from the U.S. to the Maldives using points. Notice that these are all 1-stop options:

Airline	Points Cost Per Person (Round-Trip)	Taxes and Fees Per Person (Round-Trip)	Cash Price of Ticket
Emirates first class via Dubai	From 255,000 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$39	~$16,000+
Etihad Airways first class via Abu Dhabi	From 414,681 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$30	~$30,000+
Cathay Pacific first class via Hong Kong	From 250,000 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$39	~$18,000+

Nugget of Advice:

Racking up enough points to book these amazing business or first class flights to far-flung destinations like the Maldives might feel like an impossible task, but you can get a massive headstart by reading out guide on how to fly first class by travel hacking.

Here are some of the best hotels you can book in the Maldives using points:

Hotel Name	Points Cost Per Night (standard room)	Atoll
Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa	30,000 Hyatt points	Gaafu Alifu Atoll
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island	From 95,000 Hilton points	Alifu Dhaalu Atoll
SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton	From 85,000 Hilton points	South Malé Atoll
Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi	From 120,000 Hilton points	South Malé Atoll
JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa	From 70,000 – 100,000 Marriott points	Shaviyani Atoll
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort	From 70,000 – 100,000 Marriott points	Dhaalu Atoll
W Maldives	From 70,000 – 100,000 Marriott points	North Ari Atoll
Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa	From 40,000 – 60,000 Marriott points	North Malé Atoll
The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort	From 50,000 – 70,000 Marriott points	Baa Atoll
Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa	Coming soon	Ihaviyani Atoll

Find out how to maximize your points!

Tanzania

Tanzania is an East African country famous for its vast wilderness, particularly the 2 plains of Serengeti National Park and Kilimanjaro National Park. It’s also home to Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. On top of this, Tanzania has the beautiful, tropical islands of Zanzibar. This African country has significant Arabic influences, and it’s a wonderfully safe country to visit. There’s no better way to holiday than using the points you’ve earned from maximizing your business rewards on a sublime safari vacation.

Tanzania is open to U.S. tourists, as long as you complete a Health Surveillance questionnaire and undergo screening, including a possible COVID-19 test. Here are the main airlines operating business class flights to Tanzania:

Airline	Points Cost Per Person (Round-Trip)	Taxes and Fees Per Person (Round-Trip)	Cash Price of Ticket
KLM via Amsterdam	From 207,000 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$850	~$4,000+
Qatar Airways via Doha	From 170,000 Amex or Citi points	As little as ~$11	~$4,000+
Turkish Airlines via Istanbul	From 104,000 Amex points	As little as ~$11	~$4,300+
Emirates via Dubai	From 170,000 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$39	~$7,500+
South African Airways via Johannesburg	From 104,000 Amex points	As little as ~$11	~$6,600+

And here is your only first class option as of now:

Airline	Points Cost Per Person (Round-Trip)	Taxes and Fees Per Person (Round-Trip)	Cash Price of Ticket
Emirates via Dubai	From 255,000 Chase, Amex, or Citi points	As little as ~$39	~$20,000+

And although you’ll probably be booking a boutique lodge/safari experience, here are your best hotels you can book using points in the event you feel like touring around any major cities:

Hotel Name	Points Cost Per Night (standard room)	City
Four Points by Sheraton Arusha	10,000 – 15,000 Marriott points	Arusha
Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam, The Kilimajaro	12,000 Hyatt points	Dar es Salaam
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dar es Salaam – Oyster Bay	34,000 – 50,000 Hilton points	Dar es Salaam
Protea Hotel Dar es Salaam Amani Beach	15,000 – 20,000 Marriott points	Dar es Salaam
Protea Hotel Dar es Salaam Courtyard	10,000 – 15,000 Marriott points	Dar es Salaam
Four Points by Sheraton Dar es Salaam New Africa	15,000 – 20,000 Marriott points	Dar es Salaam
Protea Hotel Dar es Salaam Oyster Bay	10,000 – 15,000 Marriott points	Dar es Salaam
Protea Hotel Zanzibar Mbweni Ruins	15,000 – 20,000 Marriott points	Zanzibar
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Zanzibar – Nungwi	30,000 Hilton points	Zanzibar
Park Hyatt Zanzibar	15,000 Hyatt points	Zanzibar
	25,000 – 30,000 Hilton points	Zanzibar

Find out how to maximize your points!

The Caribbean

Caribbean-1-800x500 — Caribbean-1-800×500. Image Credit:

The Caribbean is a huge region consisting of many islands and territories. Many of these islands are world-famous for their luxurious beaches, including Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, Barbados, Saint Martin, Grand Cayman, and more.

And while each of these islands has its own reopening guidelines and travel policies, they are, for the most part, open for U.S. tourists. This means that you can access a secluded beach getaway without having to travel too far internationally.

Also, the Caribbean is one of the more family-friendly places to travel. You’ll definitely want to check out our 5 best vacations you can book for your family using rewards from your business if you’re looking to save tens of thousands of dollars on travel for your family.

In The Bahamas, you must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within a week of arrival, as well as completing various forms and complying with various rules like wearing a mask, getting your temperature taken at the airport, and more.

For the most part, you will need to fly through select airports in the U.S. to be able fly nonstop. These airports include New York-JFK, Miami, Newark, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, or Minneapolis. Those originating in the West Coast will have to connect through another U.S. airport to fly to the Caribbean. In order to maximize your experience, here are some solid flight options you can take that include high-quality business or first class seats:

Airline	Points Cost Per Person (Round-Trip)	Taxes and Fees Per Person (Round-Trip)	Cash Price of Ticket
Delta One via Atlanta	From 70,000 Amex points	Around ~$11	~$600-$2,000+
American Airlines Flagship First or Business Class via Miami, Dallas, or New York-JFK	From 50,000 American AAdvantage miles	Around ~$11	~$1,000-$3,000+
JetBlue Mint via Boston and New York-JFK	From 100,000 JetBlue points	Around ~$11	~$1,000-$2,000+
United Polaris via Newark	From 66,000 Chase points	Around ~$11	~$500-$2,500+

Final Thoughts

Travel has traditionally been a non-negotiable necessity for many of us. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has been in full swing, travel has, largely, been halted. However, with other countries opening back up again and implementing “new normal” policies, travel is finally picking back up again.

If you’d like to stop wasting your points and start maximizing them for these business and first class tickets, click the button below to learn about the points wealth and travel management service that you’ll never want to live without again.

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