Is Exchanging Credit Card Points For Flying First-Class Worth It?

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Exchanging credit card points for business or first-class airline seats is much easier these days.

Availability for awards travel is higher than normal as business travel continues to lag.

Zach Griff, a senior reporter with the website The Points Guy, recently honeymooned with his new wife Jill in Italy and Africa using just 85,000 credit card points to fly first class with Emirates from New York to Milan.

"From the moment we took off until the moment we landed, we were treated like royalty. Top-notch champagne, incredible food, the bed that made me feel like I was literally in my bedroom at home," he said.

The founder of The Points Guy, Brian Kelly, says transferring the thousands of credit card points you may have collected during the pandemic to airlines could pay off for you, too.

"Now's a great time to fly business class because business travelers are not buying those expensive seats, which means airlines have them available for frequent flyer redemption and you can get them for a fraction of what it would cost paying cash," Kelly said.

For business class, Kelly recommends JetBlue's Mint Suite or Qatar Airways Qsuite for credit card point redemption.

CBS News' Wendy Gillette hopped aboard to check them out.

This summer, JetBlue launched the Mint Suites on select flights including to London.

They have fun perks like cocktails mixed on-board and roomy seats.

Qatar Airways launched the Qsuites four years ago.

They were the first business class suites in the sky, with doors that close and the ability to turn two seats into a single compartment.

"The golden age of travel is not behind us, it's flying the Qatar Qsuites," Kelly said.

And with overseas seats as low as 70,000 credit card points, you may have already earned that golden age flight.

Kelly recommends signing up for credit cards with big bonuses to give you a boost towards that dream seat.