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FIFA in Rio on a Saver Award Ticket

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FIFA in Rio on a Saver Award Ticket

There is a belief among travelers that it is nearly impossible to book a peak-season award ticket, especially to a popular destination. I beg to differ. I flew to Brazil for the World Cup. And yes, I flew using two award tickets for only 60,000 miles each just three weeks before departure when American Airlines Saver Awards opened up.

In preparation for the games, Rios famous ocean-side Avenida Atlantica, has been transformed. Instead of wooden shacks selling dirt-cheap snacks, there are now large, open-air cafes and pavilions selling expensive food and drinks. And there was more police presence, but you can expect that with a big sporting event.

Soccer fans at the 2014 World Cup
Soccer fans at the 2014 World Cup

If I was a die-hard soccer fan that had to be there for FIFA, this plan would not have worked because I would be taking a chance on not finding a seat. But my goal was to visit a few cities in Brazil and try to catch a game or two. We managed to book all our flights on miles and most of our hotel stays on points.

We stayed at the Sheraton Rio Hotel and Resort in Sao Conrado for two days. It’s a little remote, but they have a free shuttle to Zona Sul (South Zone) and you can usually get a good deal. The views are amazing, and there is a semi-private beach. As a Starwood Preferred Guest Gold member, I got an early check-in and a balcony with an ocean view.

Airport Transportation

To get to the hotel, we took an air taxi from the arrival terminal and couldn’t have been happier. It cost $27 to Leblon with two pieces of luggage, which is less than half of what other taxis cost. You pay at the airport (you can use a credit card, and hand the driver your receipt). Our hotel was even further from the airport than Ipanema or Copacabana, which means they are even cheaper to get to.

Avenida Atlantica
Avenida Atlantica

The most economical way from Galeão International Airport to the city is to take Real Expresso bus at about $5 per person, but it would have taken forever, so I splurged on a taxi. And Uber has been there since May if you can get a connection on your phone at the airport to book a car

But Rio was only my first stop. Next: Buzios.

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Rio Rising: Use Rewards To See the 2014 FIFA World Cup

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Rio Rising: Use RewarSee the 2014 FIFA World Cup

First the Olympics said they were headed there. Then FIFA announced it would be the host of the 2014 World Cup. In its annual guide to the top destinations, the New York Times gave Rio the number one spot because “the whole world will be there in 2014.”

A slew of construction fueled by oil revenue, a booming art renaissance, and the upcoming world-class sporting events are transforming Rio almost overnight.

But how can you get to a place where everyone wants to be without blowing every airline mile you have?

How to Use Miles to Get There

American Airlines award inventory during FIFA has been decimated because they offer the lowest rate—just 20,000 miles each way to Brazil.

Soccer match

United Airlines has a partnership with TAM, Brazil’s main airline, and you can book TAM flights directly on United’s website. United lumps Brazil into its Southern South America category, so the lowest you can fly to Rio for is 60,000 for a saver economy award or 100,000 for a saver business/first class award.

At the time of writing, most of the economy award inventory on United from Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York to Rio has been wiped out, but there are a handful of first class saver awards available for the final week and a half of games. From Miami, there are only a handful of award flights to Rio remaining in any class.

Delta offers three levels of redemptions for each region. To reach Brazil, you’ll need 60,000, 95,000 or 130,000 miles in economy. Unfortunately for those looking for a more luxurious award, their redemption rates in higher classes are going up for travel after June 1, 2014, so those awards clock in at 125,000, 200,000 or a whopping 325,000.

Out of Chicago, Delta has a good selection of medium price redemptions available for the beginning of the games and the very last week. From New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, there is availability in the medium price redemption category throughout the games. The 60,000- and 125,000-mile awards have already been scooped up.

More Ways to Use Your Miles to Rock Out in Rio

If you want to see Rio but aren’t wedded to seeing the World Cup live, you can plan ahead and get the lowest redemption level for other big events.

The summer Olympics will be in Rio August 5-12 2016. Since the city hosted the Pan American Games in 2007, much of the Olympic infrastructure was previously in place and many of the renovated stadiums are already open. Whether you make it for the games or beforehand, they city will welcome you stylishly, especially with the new Museum of Tomorrow designed by splashy Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

brazilian carnival
But if live sports just aren’t your style, there’s always Carnival and the city’s world-renowned New Years Eve celebrations, in which the city flocks to the beach for fireworks since December is the hottest time of year down south.

While award inventory for the World Cup is pretty depleted, you can still find some deals for the upcoming winter festivities if you’re flexible. Seats for the Olympics haven’t opened up, so start saving now. Just keep an eye out for changes in redemption rates, like the upcoming Delta devaluation.

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