Why Traveling Solo Can Be the Best Way to Use Your Points and Perks

Those stories you hear about someone booking a $10,000 business class seat for a fraction of that in miles? More often than not, that person is traveling alone.

And the advantage doesn't stop at flights—many loyalty perks can, in fact, favor a single traveler. Here's why going solo can pay off, and how to make the most of your points and perks when it's just you.

A Single Award Seat Is Easier to Find

When booking a flight with airline miles, traveling alone often beats traveling with a crowd. Here's why.

Airline loyalty programs set aside a limited number of seats per flight that can be booked at the lowest number of miles. These can go by different names depending on the program—most airlines call them "saver awards," while others, like Delta Air Lines, lean on dynamic pricing and occasional flash sales.

However, the principle is the same: a set of seats, priced in miles, that the airline can open or pull back whenever it wants.

"The biggest advantage a solo traveler has when it comes to booking award flights is also the most obvious one—you only need one seat," says Julian Kheel, founder and CEO of Points Path , a platform that helps travelers maximize their points and miles. "It's a lot easier to find an amazing deal with points when you only need to book for a single passenger."

Katy Nastro, travel expert at Going , compares finding award space as a solo traveler to "snagging a bar seat at the busiest restaurant on a Saturday night." Even if you know an airline's patterns for releasing award space, being a party of one is far easier, she notes.

Speed is a major advantage for the single traveler, too. Because award space is scarce and unpredictable, it can vanish within hours or even minutes of opening, so a traveler who can book quickly wins. "Solo travelers can pounce on award space the moment it opens without having to consult with a spouse or check the kids' school calendar before confirming a booking," says Kheel.

Some Perks Are Better Solo

Plenty of loyalty benefits are built around one person, and you keep the full value when there's no one to split it with.

Let's start with airline upgrades. Most U.S. airlines hand out complimentary upgrades to flyers with elite status, which you earn by traveling a set number of miles or segments, or hitting a spending threshold. The higher your tier, the higher you sit on the upgrade list.

A key factor, however, is that upgrades clear one passenger at a time, in priority order. When a single first-class seat opens up, for instance, a solo flyer may leapfrog a couple who need to wait for two seats to clear.

Nastro, in fact, has watched it play out her way. "I have openly been bumped higher on the upgrade list because the person in front of me was unwilling to leave their spouse in economy," she said. "Their loss was my upgrade merely because I was just one person."

It's a similar story with airport lounge access. "Airline lounge access policies have essentially been rewritten to focus on solo travelers," Kheel says. American Express, for instance, now charges $50 for each guest at a Centurion Lounge unless you spend $75,000 a year on the card, and Delta runs a similar policy. Walk in alone, and none of it applies.

Finally, travel credit card perks are often intended for one person, even if they don't outright say so. As Kheel notes, a small monthly perk like the Amex Gold card's $10 dining credit "won't even cover a coffee run for a family of four, but it's more useful for someone traveling alone."

Airline Suites Are a Solo Traveler's Best Friend

The newest business class cabins are built around enclosed suites with sliding doors and high partitions. They're inherently designed for the traveler who craves privacy. Many airlines also offer a center pair of seats where the divider lowers if you're traveling with a companion, but solo passengers get the full benefit of a suite.

Here are some of our favorite business class suites, with elegant cabins and serious privacy.

Cathay Pacific Aria Suite.The Hong Kong carrier's latest business class seat has a sliding door, a 4K touchscreen, and wireless charging. It's rolling out on Cathay's Boeing 777-300ERs aircraft.

Qatar Airways Qsuite.Introduced in 2017, it's still a business class seat to beat. Solo travelers should pick a window suite rather than one of the center pairs, which are designed to open into a double bed for couples.

United Airlines Polaris Suite.United's new flagship business seat finally adds a suite door, debuting on its Boeing 787-9s. The front-row Polaris Studio, a set of eight oversized suites with a companion ottoman, sits at the front of the cabin.

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