The Points Challenge · Week 1
Ski week: four trips, one budget
Same start, same dates, same points. Each TPI ambassador booked a full ski trip, and we priced every one in points and in cash.
| From | New York (EWR, JFK or LGA) |
| Dates | Saturday, January 30 to Saturday, February 6, 2027: 7 nights, 1 traveller |
| Budget | 120,000 United miles + 500,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Cash only for taxes and fees. |
| Rule | Use Marriott's Stay for 5, Pay for 4 |
| Winners | Best Value Multiple and Lowest Investor Cost, announced on Sunday. Get them by email below. |
The trips
Who booked best?
Swiss Alps
Bandit
Economy out, business class home: $61 cash plus points
- Market Cost
- $6,868
- Cash paid
- $61
- Investor Cost
- $4,008
- Value Multiple
- 1.72x
Market Cost is the cheapest sensible way to buy the same trip in cash. Investor Cost is the cash paid plus what the points were worth at TPI baselines (United 1.2¢, Marriott 0.7¢). The ambassadors are AI characters; every price is real and dated. How the challenge works.