A trip to Central America or a subset of South American countries will cost you 15,000 miles each way. My sights set on Ecuador, and my points balance around 26,000, I was practically ready to pack my bags. Until I started perusing the rewards flight schedule. On about two days each month, I can find a flight from Chicago O'Hare to either of the international airports in Ecuador at a cost of 15,000 miles. Across a span of six months, I could not find a single day that would grant me access back to the United States for less than 30,000 miles. So, I guess that debunks the 15,000 miles each way story.
I tried looking into flights on another airline within the same alliance, because word on the street is that they'll accept your miles, too. Unfortunately, their site provided me with a less than friendly user experience and I simply gave up. A final attempt at creative thinking was my last ditch effort for the day. What if I redeemed 15,000 miles for my outgoing flight, then paid for the one-way flight back home? As it turns out, that one-way return flight cost only $88 less than an entire round-trip ticket. Hardly worth it.
The good news is that through all of this, I'm pretty positive that Ecuador will be my next destination. It's just the when and how long that remain to be determined.
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