Girls Trip to NYC on Points: Two Nights at the Andaz 5th Avenue for Nearly Free
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There is a New York City girls’ trip that costs $800 per person before you even leave the airport. Flights, hotels, the whole thing adds up fast.
This is not that version.
Four of us flew from Kansas City to LaGuardia for $45 total. We checked into the Andaz 5th Avenue — one of the best hotels in Midtown Manhattan — and paid nothing for two nights. We ate at a rooftop restaurant, saw two Broadway shows, walked through the Met, browsed Chelsea Market and Eataly, and spent a full morning flea marketing through Brooklyn and lower Manhattan.
We also did the kinds of things you never do when you travel with your family. Lingered at flea markets. Went wherever felt interesting. Did not explain a single museum to anyone under the age of ten.
It was 10,000 percent soul-filling.
If New York City is on your family travel list too, I also have a complete guide to doing four nights in New York City with kids on points. Same city, same strategy, completely different trip energy — and our family of four paid less than $50 total. Read How We Took a Magical 4-Night Holiday Trip to NYC Using Points and Miles here.
Here is how we did it and how you can too.
The Flights: $45 for Four People
Two of us had Southwest Companion Passes. If you are not familiar with the Companion Pass, it is the single best deal in family travel — once you earn it, one person flies free on every Southwest flight you book, including flights booked entirely on points. It works on companion tickets too.
So two of us booked our own flights on points and used our Companion Passes to bring the other two along. Total out of pocket for all four of us: $45 in taxes and fees.
We left Kansas City early on Southwest, landed at LaGuardia, and were in Midtown by late morning. If the Companion Pass is on your radar for a trip like this, timing matters. I walk my newsletter subscribers through exactly when to earn it each year — sign up here so you do not miss the window.
The Hotel: Andaz 5th Avenue on World of Hyatt Points
The Andaz 5th Avenue is directly across the street from the New York Public Library on 41st and 5th. Bryant Park is steps away. Times Square is three blocks north. It is one of the best locations in all of Midtown and the hotel itself is genuinely beautiful — 12-foot ceilings, oversized rooms by New York City standards, a boutique luxury feel, and a complimentary wine hour in the lobby every evening.
I used a Category 7 World of Hyatt free night certificate for our first night — a certificate I had earned through my Hyatt credit card that was about to expire. This is exactly the kind of use that makes a certificate worth its weight. The cash rate for our room was over $600 a night. The certificate cost me nothing out of pocket.
For the second night I used Hyatt points.
Two nights at one of the best hotels in Manhattan. My treat to the group.
One thing worth knowing: the Andaz 5th Avenue moved from Category 7 to Category 8 in May 2026, which means it now costs significantly more points per night and can no longer be booked with a Category 7 free night certificate. If you are planning an NYC trip on Hyatt points, factor that into your planning — the points cost has gone up but the hotel is just as good as ever.
What We Did
The Met
We spent a full morning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and did not come close to seeing everything. The pay-what-you-wish admission for New York State residents means tickets are more flexible than people realize, though the suggested donation for adults is $30. Budget at least three hours and go early.
Redwood and Six on Broadway
We saw two shows. Redwood stars Idina Menzel and is one of the most talked about new musicals of the season. Six is exactly as fun as everyone says it is. For Broadway on a budget I always check TodayTix first — the rush and lottery tickets can get you in for a fraction of face value if you are flexible on timing.
Tiffany and Co.
Because sometimes you walk past the flagship on 5th Avenue and you just go in.
Central Park
We walked in from the hotel. The reservoir loop, the literary walk, a stop at the Boathouse. Free.
Chelsea Market
An indoor food market in the Meatpacking District inside a former Nabisco factory. The building alone is worth the visit. We ate our way through it and browsed the shops for longer than we planned.
Eataly
The Italian food market on 5th Avenue is overwhelming in the best possible way. Three floors of pasta, cheese, meat, wine, and restaurants. We went for snacks and stayed for a full meal.
The Flea Markets and Thrifting
This was the part of the trip that felt most like mine. Here is the full route we did:
Chelsea Flea — 29 W 25th St
An open-air vintage lover’s paradise 1.2 miles south of the Andaz — about a 25-minute walk or a 10-minute cab. Open year-round every Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 5pm. This is where I found a small plant stand and some fabric that I brought home and turned into porch blankets. One of my favorite finds of the whole trip.
Buffalo Exchange — W 26th St
Five-minute walk from Chelsea Market. Curated secondhand clothing with a good edit. Not your average thrift store — the inventory is well-selected and the prices reflect it. Worth a quick browse.
City Opera Thrift — W 23rd St
Five minutes from Buffalo Exchange. Benefits the New York City Opera. Excellent selection of clothes, housewares, and books. Slower paced and easier to dig through than a lot of the bigger thrift stores.
L Train Vintage — E 14th St
About 15 minutes on foot from City Opera Thrift. One of the most well-known vintage shops in the city. Large inventory, reasonable prices, and great for anyone looking for denim, leather, or vintage outerwear.
Brooklyn Flea — Pearl St, DUMBO
Five-minute walk from the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO. The Brooklyn Flea is the gold standard of New York flea markets — vendors selling vintage clothing, handmade jewelry, antiques, art prints, and food. The views of the Manhattan Bridge from this location are extraordinary. Go early.
We also walked past the New York Public Library on our way back to the hotel which is one of my favorite buildings in the entire world. The Beaux-Arts exterior, the stone lions out front, the reading room inside. If you have not been inside, go. It is free and it is extraordinary.
Where We Ate
Chelsea Market — graze your way through for lunch
Eataly — wine and snacks, stayed for dinner
Refinery Rooftop — rooftop bar and restaurant in Midtown with views over the city. The vibe is exactly right for a girls trip night out. Make a reservation.
Sunday Morning Departure
We left the hotel by 11:30am Sunday for LaGuardia. Give yourself more time than you think you need — a private car is the most reliable option for getting to LaGuardia on a Sunday morning without the stress of uncertain subway timing. Budget at least 45 minutes plus TSA buffer.
What This Trip Cost
Flights for four: $45 in taxes and fees via Southwest Companion Pass
Hotel Night 1: Category 7 World of Hyatt free night certificate (cash value $600+)
Hotel Night 2: World of Hyatt points (cash value $600+)
Total out of pocket beyond food and experiences: $45
How to Book a Trip Like This
The Southwest Companion Pass and World of Hyatt points are the two currencies that made this trip possible. If you want to earn them, the cards I would start with are on my best offers page — ranked in the order I would open them.
And if you are brand new to points and miles and want to understand the whole system before you apply for anything, my free Blueprint course walks you through it step by step.
The Real Point of This Trip
I love traveling with my family. I would not trade a single Alaska adventure or Greece trip or Sedona morning for anything.
But there is something that happens on a girls trip that does not happen anywhere else. You move at a different pace. You go into every flea market even if there is nothing you need. You sit at a rooftop bar for two hours and talk. You see a Broadway show on a whim because you found rush tickets that morning.
You do not explain anything to anyone.
This trip cost us $45 in flights and nothing for the hotel. It filled something up that had been running low. That is what points make possible — not just the destination, but the version of the trip you actually need.
Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
I found out about points and miles accidentally.
I was researching index funds and happened upon the points and miles community through creators who also post about budgets, financial independence, and investing.
Points and miles allowed those people to travel and work toward financial independence simultaneously.
Thank goodness I got started when I did. The past almost two years of travel have been something we will never forget.
Earning points and miles through credit cards is only a good choice if you have the financial discipline to use them, like cash/debit cards.
Since we started traveling with points and miles, we have had more money going into our investment and savings accounts than ever.
Now I'm excited to teach you!
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