Travel Research Project: Plan a 2026 Trip Using Points and Miles

Start here: turn students' obsession with cheap travel into a real research skill

Many students want to travel but don't know where to start: “How do I stretch $200 into a week abroad?” or “Can I use my parents’ miles?” This multi-week travel research project turns those questions into a hands-on assignment that teaches budgeting for students, spreadsheet skills, geography, cultural research, and the real mechanics of points and miles—using one of The Points Guy’s 2026 destinations as the class case study.

Overview and learning goals

What students will learn

• Practical budgeting: Build a full trip budget, compare cash vs. award travel, and track expected vs. actual costs.
• Points & miles literacy: Understand transferable currencies, airline alliances, award charts vs. dynamic pricing, and how to search for award space ethically.
• Spreadsheet fluency: Formulas, lookups, conditional formatting, pivot tables and charts to visualize a trip plan.
• Cultural research & responsible travel: Local norms, visa requirements, accessibility, and sustainability considerations.
• Communication & presentation: Deliverables include a slide deck, a one-page budget summary, and a defended itinerary.

Why this matters in 2026

Travel in late 2025 and early 2026 continued to evolve: airlines accelerated dynamic award pricing, transferable points (Chase, American Express, Capital One, Citi) remained the most flexible currencies, and travel publishers like The Points Guy published updated 2026 destination lists to reflect new routes and reopening trends. Using a current TPG destination as the anchor makes the project contemporary and increases student engagement with real-world constraints.

Project summary (classroom-ready)

Students or small teams pick one destination from The Points Guy’s “Where to go in 2026” list (TPG, Jan. 16, 2026). Over 5–7 weeks they will:

1. Research destination basics (visa, peak seasons, local costs, cultural notes).
2. Build a day-by-day itinerary and transportation map.
3. Create a detailed budget comparing cash purchases and award/redemption strategies.
4. Use a spreadsheet to compute costs, points required, and sensitivity scenarios.
5. Present findings and propose the most cost-effective, culturally respectful itinerary.

Week-by-week timeline (6-week model)

Week 1 — Topic selection & baseline research

• Pick one TPG 2026 destination and submit a one-paragraph justification.
• Collect baseline data: approximate airfare, flight duration, visa rules, currency, average nightly lodging cost.
• Deliverable: one-page factsheet.

Week 2 — Points & miles primer

• Students learn key loyalty concepts: transferable points, airline alliances, award charts vs. dynamic pricing, and fuel surcharges.
• Activity: Identify two realistic award routes for your destination and list potential transfer partners.
• Deliverable: Award search log (dates searched, tools used, screenshots or saved search notes).

Week 3 — Budget spreadsheet

• Build the master spreadsheet: itinerary, per-day costs, points required, and contingency buffer.
• Introduce spreadsheet techniques (formulas, currency conversion, conditional formatting).
• Deliverable: initial spreadsheet with formulas and sample data.

Week 4 — Deeper cultural research

• Research local etiquette, language basics, transport options, and sustainability considerations.
• Deliverable: 2–3 minute cultural briefing to present in class.

Week 5 — Finalize itinerary & price-test

• Run sensitivity scenarios: shoulder-season vs peak-season, cash vs award, and alternative routes.
• Deliverable: Revised spreadsheet and a one-page cost-comparison summary.

Week 6 — Presentation & reflection

• Students present a 10-minute defense of their plan and submit all deliverables.
• Reflection prompt: what surprised you about using points and what would you do differently?

How to teach points and miles (student-friendly, safe guidance)

Points and miles can be intimidating. Keep instruction practical and ethical:

• Start with transferable currencies: Chase Ultimate Rewards, AmEx Membership Rewards, Capital One, and Citi ThankYou points are often the most useful for students learning to pool and move points.
• Teach alliances: Star Alliance, Oneworld, and SkyTeam let students convert airline availability into options for bookings. Explain why searching multiple partners is necessary.
• Award searching tools: Demonstrate Google Flights for availability snapshots, airline websites for award space, and the concept of award calendars. Note that late-2025/early-2026 API and data changes made some third-party tools less reliable; always verify on the airline’s site before assuming availability.
• Responsible credit use: Many students are new to credit. Emphasize that applying for cards carries credit implications and that this project is research-focused—students can simulate redemptions without actually applying for accounts.

Tip: In 2026 many programs continue to add dynamic award pricing. Teach students to compare points valuation (e.g., cents per point) rather than relying solely on award charts.

Spreadsheet skills: templates, formulas and examples

A robust spreadsheet is the backbone of the assignment. Here’s a classroom-ready structure and the formulas to teach.

Master sheet layout (columns)

• Date
• Location / Activity
• Transport (mode & cost)
• Accommodation (cost per night)
• Meals & misc
• Points required (if award)
• Cash cost
• Notes / sources

Key formulas to teach

• SUM: =SUM(C2:C8) to add totals.
• IF: =IF(E2="award", F2*G2, F2) for conditional cost calculations.
• XLOOKUP / VLOOKUP: =XLOOKUP(Currency, Rates!A:A, Rates!B:B) to convert currencies to USD.
• Points valuation: =Points * ValuePerPoint (e.g., =H2*0.012 for a 1.2¢ valuation).
• What-if scenarios: Use Data > What-if Analysis to show how changing the value-per-point affects the cash vs points decision.

Advanced features to introduce

• Conditional formatting to highlight costs > $100 or award options that save >30%.
• Pivot table to summarize costs by category (transport, lodging, food).
• Charts that compare total cash cost vs. points-equivalent cost side-by-side.

Budgeting for students: tools and strategies

Students are price-sensitive. Teach them to blend tech and scrappiness:

• Budgeting apps: Apps like Monarch Money (note: Monarch ran a New Year 2026 discount; code NEWYEAR2026) can help students sync accounts and test monthly saving plans. For classroom use, simulated accounts or manual spreadsheets work well.
• Student-friendly savings hacks: student rail/youth rail cards, student SIMs, university discounts, and hostel membership cards.
• Seasonality: Teach shoulder-season travel to reduce accommodation costs and often availability for award seats increases off-peak.
• Contingency fund: Always build a 10–20% buffer into budgets for unexpected fees, exchange rate swings or award rebooking costs.

Cultural research & responsible travel

A good trip is more than the cheapest ticket. Make cultural research a graded element:

• Language basics: Provide a 30-word cheat sheet that includes greetings, thank you, and emergency phrases.
• Local norms & customs: Meals, tipping etiquette, dress codes, and religious site rules.
• Accessibility & inclusion: Research how accessible public transport and major attractions are for travelers with mobility needs.
• Sustainability: Suggest low-impact travel choices—public transit, certified eco-lodging, and local guides instead of exploitative tours.

Assessment rubric (sample)

• Spreadsheet completeness & accuracy — 30%
• Budget realism & creativity — 20%
• Points & miles research (evidence and award options) — 20%
• Cultural research depth & responsible travel plan — 15%
• Presentation & reflection — 15%

Sample mini case (classroom example)

Pick any TPG 2026 destination—here’s a condensed example to demonstrate expected work flow.

• Destination: Lisbon (example chosen from TPG 2026 list). Goal: 7 days, cultural immersion, moderate budget.
• Baseline findings: Average cash cost for roundtrip flights in shoulder season = $650; 3-star lodging averages $70/night; city transport pass $25/week.
• Points strategy: Two realistic award paths identified—transferable points to a European partner or use an airline award on a partner carrier. Estimated points required: ~50,000–70,000 transferable points roundtrip in economy depending on dynamic pricing.
• Spreadsheet outputs: Total cash trip cost = $1,150. Points-equivalent trip (points for flights + cash for hotels) = 60,000 points + $450. Decision: If student values point at >1.9¢ each, cash purchase is better; below that, redeeming points gives better net value. These calculations are shown with =Points*ValuePerPoint vs CashCost comparisons.

Advanced strategies & 2026 trends to discuss

Use a class session to discuss the macro trends shaping award travel in 2026:

• Dynamic award pricing is now common: Students should learn to compute a cents-per-point metric and compare across redemption options rather than relying on static charts.
• Transfer partner flexibility remains king: Transferable points give students the most options when award space is limited or when dynamic pricing makes direct redemptions expensive.
• AI-assisted research tools: By 2026, many award-search workflows are augmented by AI tools that summarize route options, but instructors should stress verification on official airline sites.
• Open banking & budgeting integrations: Increased API adoption lets budgeting tools pull travel spending categories automatically, making retrospective travel budgeting simpler for students handling multiple currencies.

Practical tips for instructors

• Provide a starter spreadsheet template with protected formula cells to avoid accidental changes.
• Encourage students to keep an award-search log (date/time, search terms, screenshots) to demonstrate research process and to show how availability changes over time.
• Invite a guest speaker: a travel agent, a points-and-miles blogger, or a university financial counselor for credit and budget guidance.
• Allow simulated “card churn” scenarios—students can model hypothetical credit card signups without actually applying.

Resources & verification

Use trusted, current sources when verifying information. For destination ideas, reference The Points Guy’s “Where to go in 2026” list (Jan. 16, 2026). For budgeting, show students options like Monarch Money (note: promotional pricing was available in early 2026) but emphasize free or classroom-safe alternatives like spreadsheet-based budgets. Always teach verification: confirm award availability on the airline or hotel program’s official site before including it in a final plan.

Final deliverables (teacher checklist)

• Completed spreadsheet with formulas, currency conversions and what-if scenarios.
• One-page summary comparing cash vs. points options.
• 10-minute presentation and a short reflection on learning.
• All sources and award-search logs attached.

Wrap-up: why this project works for students

This assignment is interdisciplinary: it teaches math (budgeting and formulas), geography, cultural literacy, digital research skills and real-world financial literacy. It converts the common student desire to travel into a measurable academic product while giving students a toolkit they can apply the moment they’re ready to plan a real trip.

Next step: Download the teacher-ready template on learns.site, adapt the rubric to your grading scale, and pick a TPG 2026 destination as your class’s anchor case study. Turn curiosity about travel into transferable skills that last far beyond the semester.

Call to action

Ready to run this in your class? Download the free spreadsheet template, rubric, and student worksheet at learns.site/travel-projects. Share your students’ final presentations with #LearnsTravel2026 for a chance to be featured on our site and receive feedback from travel and finance educators.

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