Fortune RecommendsTM has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Fortune RecommendsTM and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. One morning during Spring Break as I sipped coffee from my hotel balcony while watching ships enter the Panama Canal, I wondered why no one seems to be talking about how Panama is an absolute steal if you are redeeming your miles and points.
So let’s do that. I used points in three different ways—a Panama hat trick, if you will—to pay for my plane ticket, hotel, and activities for my Panama City trip. Each way allowed me to get outsized value from my points, so I’ll go through them one-by-one so you can see how the sausage is made.
I’m a bit of an outlier in that I have a larger credit card collection than most, but the principles are the same and I hope will help you think strategically about how and where you spend your hard-earned points. Copa Airlines is a vastly under-rated Star Alliance partner that is based in Panama City. The airline has a hub-and-spoke route network between North, Central and South America and serves more cities in the United States than you would imagine: Because there are so many gateways, there are also so many more options when you are looking for award tickets.
For instance, here’s coach saver availability in October from Baltimore to Panama City looking on United’s website: 20,000 United MileagePlus miles in coach for a five-hour flight is a pretty good deal..
