How to Travel to Philadelphia on Points and Miles

The largest city in Pennsylvania and the birthplace of the United States, Philadelphia, is a popular tourist destination. Whether you're hoping to see the Liberty Bell, sample the city's famous cheesesteaks or eat your way through Terminal Market, you may be wondering how to travel to Philadelphia on points and miles. There are many ways to use rewards to visit the City of Brotherly Love.

Keep reading to find out how to book an affordable Philadelphia trip with points and miles.

Getting to Philadelphia

Nearest airports

The nearest airport to Philadelphia is Philadelphia International Airport, but another nearby airport is located in New Jersey:

• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

• Philadelphia Trenton-Mercer Airport (TTN).

Philadelphia International Airport is seven miles from downtown. After landing at PHL, it’s easy to get into the city, as there are several transportation options. Many travelers use the SEPTA train service, which runs every 30 minutes between the airport and Center City. SEPTA buses and rideshare services are also accessible at the airport, as well as several car rental services.

Major airlines flying to Philadelphia

American Airlines uses Philadelphia International Airport as a hub, and many other airlines fly in and out of the city. When planning your Philadelphia trip with points and miles, consider flights with these airlines first:

• Air Canada.

• Alaska Airlines.

• American Airlines.

• British Airways.

• Delta Air Lines.

• Frontier Airlines.

• JetBlue.

• Southwest Airlines.

• Spirit Airlines.

• United Airlines.

Flying to Philadelphia on points and miles

Some airlines base their redemption rates on distance and date, while others lay out the cost on award charts. We've done the work to outline several options using miles and points to book your Philadelphia trip:

American Airlines

Since PHL is a hub for American Airlines, you’ll find lots of flight options using American Airlines AAdvantage miles. Flights from U.S. departure cities to Philadelphia start at 7,500 AAdvantage miles each way for main cabin or 15,000 for business/first.

» Learn more: The complete guide to American Airlines partners

British Airways

If you have British Airways Avios points, you can use them to book a flight on American Airlines as a partner award from a U.S. city to Philadelphia.

It’s a little harder to know how many Avios you’ll need since British Airways doesn't publish an official award chart. The only way to know the price is to log into your British Airways account and search for flights.

Here, for example, is a nonstop round-trip journey from Orlando, Florida, for 18,000 Avios.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Rapid Rewards points can be another excellent redemption option. The number of points you’ll need varies by departure city, date and demand, which means many redemptions offer a good value — especially for Wanna Get Away fares. Here’s an example nonstop round-trip journey from Denver to Philadelphia for just over 5,000 points.

United Airlines

Do you have United MileagePlus miles? Enter your trip details on the United Airlines website to get an idea of how many you’ll need to book a flight to Philadelphia. You can find some good redemptions, like this nonstop round-trip journey from Houston for 22,000 points:

To find the best redemption rates, always search for multiple dates and, if you have miles in different airline loyalty programs, check them all. You never know which airline will offer the best deals for getting to Philadelphia with points and miles until you check.

Hotels to book with points in Philadelphia

Center City, Old City, Logan Square and Rittenhouse Square are popular areas to stay. Here’s just a sampling of your lodging options to book with travel rewards.

Philadelphia Marriott hotels

Philadelphia Marriott Old City

Located in the historic district of Old City, the Philadelphia Marriott Old City features spacious guest rooms and plenty of amenities all within walking distance to notable attractions like the Liberty Bell, Constitution Center and Betsy Ross House.

Cost to book in points: Rooms at this Marriott Bonvoy will vary based on demand, but we found rates starting at 30,000 points per night. NerdWallet values Marriott Bonvoy® points at 0.9 cent each.

How to earn Marriott Bonvoy points: Travelers earn points by staying at participating properties or by signing up for a credit card like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, which is offering a chance for new cardmembers to earn a welcome bonus: Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card! Plus, every cardmember anniversary, you get a free night award redeemable for rooms costing up to 35,000 points.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card also has a nice welcome bonus (see rates and fees): Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply. The free night award for this card is good for rooms costing up to 85,000 Bonvoy points. Terms apply.

Philadelphia Hilton hotels

Canopy by Hilton Philadelphia Center City

Located in a historic building in the Center City area, the Canopy by Hilton Philadelphia Center City offers amenities such as an on-site restaurant, fitness center and welcome gifts. Guests are within walking distance to Reading Terminal Market and Independence Hall, and complimentary loaner bikes are available to explore the area.

Cost to book in points: To know how many Hilton Honors points you’ll need for a night, search the hotel’s website for your dates. We found rooms in October 2021 starting at 64,000 points per night. NerdWallet values Hilton points at 0.6 cent apiece.

How to earn Hilton Honors points: If you want to accelerate your Hilton Honors points earning, get a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (see rates and fees) or the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (see rates and fees). Both of these cards offer a chance to earn at least one free night each year. These cards also grant you automatic status in the Hilton Honors program, which gets you extra perks. Terms apply.

Philadelphia Hyatt hotels

Hyatt Centric Center City Philadelphia

Hyatt Centric Center City Philadelphia is convenient to Logan Square and Rittenhouse Square. Amenities offered include an on-site restaurant, fitness center and room service. Guests can bring up to two dogs if they pay a pet fee.

Cost to book in points: Award nights at World of Hyatt properties are priced by category and room type. At this Category 5 hotel, off-peaj rooms start at 17,000 points per night. NerdWallet values World of Hyatt points at 2.2 cents apiece.

How to earn Hyatt points: Travelers can get a World of Hyatt Credit Card, which is currently offering the following bonus for new members: Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 More Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.

Another option is to get a credit card that pays Ultimate Rewards® points, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, because you can transfer those points to World of Hyatt.

» Learn more: Your guide to booking award nights with Hilton Honors

The bottom line

And that’s your guide to the many cheap and simple ways to get to Philadelphia using points and miles. To further plan your trip, consider which credit cards you have in your wallet and which ones might be worth adding. Know what airline and hotel rewards programs you have points in to find the right redemption for you.